What's a mod that you wouldn't do again?

[CrazyCooter]

How come? I’ve never had the..uh… luxury of having $2,000 shocks.

$$$$$$ doesn't equal a good ride as many have found out.

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[projected]

All of our belly pans have been revised since December. the new kits have smoother radiuses on some panels, we have opened up the tolerances some for vehicle to vehicle tolerance ranges, as well as some bend areas were changed by a few degrees to increase clearance around the crossover pipe so you can fit your hand between the crossover pipe and oil skid now. As well as there is a mid exhaust skid available and oil pan skids feature a removable door for more drain plug protection

@Artec - My Artec aluminum skid plates I installed on my JT fit terribly. I had to cut/grind/file both the steel bracket and the skid much more than I should have or wanted to. I also had to use washers on the front mounts to space the skid out so it wouldn't contact my mid pipe. After all that the tolerances are still too tight. So far I have had a small pebble get jammed between the mid pipe and the skid twice now causing a vibration until I crawl under there and knock it out.

Are you sending out replacements for people with these issues? Thanks.

 

[Gobi Gladi8or]

I had to think long and hard about this one because it's easy to confuse a "bad" mod with one I have simply outgrown or one which was rendered ineffective because my use case changed.

However, I guess I would throw my bedslide into the "Mod I Wish I'd Never Done" category:

I really thought that this was going to be the right solution to allowing me to use the WHOLE bed AND promote easy access to the stuff in the front of the bed even with the canopy and its cupboards:

It was heavy and left lots of dead unusable space. it is now collecting dust in the garage and I should prolly try to sell it to recoup some of the cost I am out.

I wold be Intersted in it if you still have it.

 

[HooliganActual]

I wold be Intersted in it if you still have it.

PM sent

 

[Phishs]

My wheels...got them for a steal but the back spacing isnt enough for me. I also went with the 7" radio and really wished I would've went with the 8.4" I also wish I would have went with 37's instead of 35's.

 

[west_bymidwest]

Discussions like this are always useful to new members on the forum. So, I’ll revive it as a gesture of goodwill to my former self who made many regrets on his first Jeep build.

1. Mojave suspension take offs: yes, these are a great deal and if your Jeep is stock (and I mean plastic bumper/no winch stock) then they are your ticket to great ride quality.

However, once you throw on steel bumpers, winch, and camping gear—especially oVeRlAnDiNg gear—then the shocks are pointless due to their lack of adjustability. Plus, the Mojave coils are designed for very little additional weight.

Then you’re left with adding coil spacers and shock extensions. By the time you’re done, you’re halfway to a proper lift system with adjustable shocks

2. Tires: I went through so many tires these last two years. It’s honestly embarrassing. But let me just say the last ten years I was driving BMWs and Mini Coopers and was restricted on tire size compared to the Jeep world.

My Gladiator came with Bridgestone street tires that I quickly replaced with Bridgestone A/Ts. That lasted a month. They road great, just like the highway tires, but off road they were too thin to touch anything but forest roads.

I ended up getting a set of Mojave take off wheels with 32” Falkens A/Ts. Worst riding tire I’ve ever had. Quickly got rid of those and got a pair of 33” Kenda R/Ts. They rode better than the Falkens, but they sang a song at speeds higher than 10mph.

Decided I wanted something quieter (and taller), so I ordered some 35” BFG KO2s. When they were delivered, I gulped and my stomach went uneasy. “I should’ve got the 37s” repeated over and over in my head. Ended up exchanging for the 37s and they’re the best riding tire that’s been on the Jeep since the OEM highway tires.

3. Rooftop tent (and all that goes with it): in 2019, I got a really good deal on a RTT. It wasn’t even on sale, but before trust fund babies discovered what national parks were during the pandemic, RTTs weren’t that costly or as common place as they are now (my 70 year old neighbor has one mounted to her Outback).

I didn’t get to use it much, because I didn’t have a truck to put it on until 2021. Took a 2 month trip with it and it was absolutely dreadful. It absolutely sucks having to go to a BLM site before 3:00pm just to beat all the Sprinter vans and Tacomas all because your tent is tied to your vehicle.

Once you set up camp, you can’t move until the next morning, and with how crowded public land is getting in the US that means you have from sunrise to about noon to be on the road until you have to start getting to a decent campsite.

Sold the RTT and went back to a ground tent, albeit a nicer one. Best decision ever. I feel like the only way I’d go back to a tent that’s part of my vehicle is with an Ursa Minor JLU. Because then at least you can go from the drivers seat to your bed/kitchen without getting out of the Jeep.

4. Bed rack for stupid RTT: I didn’t want to sacrifice my bed when I didn’t have the RTT mounted, so I got BillieBars. Great in theory, but since they’re easily removable, it also means they’re not as strong as something more permanent.

Just driving down the highway with a RTT on the BillieBars broke the bolts that connect the aluminum rails to the steel bed brackets. Company was great enough to replace the whole set with an updated design. At first, it really did seem more rigid.

First trail at Moab was a shakedown run, White Rim Road, which is probably the most laid back 4x4 track in the area. By the time we got to the end, the tent was being supported by the only two bolts left on the rails. Just friction between the brackets were keeping it elevated.

I’m sure those with more structurally sound/permanent bed racks don’t have this problem, but then they also don’t have full access to their bed and have to carry the weight of the rack when they’re not using it.

5. Paint color: when I got my Jeep, there were two 2021 Gladiators left on the lot. Both were Overlands optioned the same, but one was black and one was white. I should’ve got white…

White reflects heat, so it stays cooler in the desert. It’s also more visible. Most importantly, and this pertains especially to Jeeps, it stays cleaner.

Jeeps have nooks and crannies in their nooks and crannies. And when you take them off road in the mud, sand and snow, those hard to reach places fill up even faster. Black makes this so much more apparent. In short: black Mini? yes, black Jeep? no.

Honorary mentions of other regrettable Jeep upgrades: Cascadia solar panel, Rugged Ridge snorkel, and AFE rock basher exhaust.

What I don’t regret would be anything stamped with “ARB.” Along with their lockers, I have front and rear ARB bumpers and they are by far the best you can buy.

Not only are they stronger than AEV or Mopar, the powder coating and quality of the steel is better than anything else I’ve seen. Even after you scratch it up, surface rust is afraid of the steel ARB uses.

Also, like AEV and Mopar, ARB crash tests their bumpers and creates provisions in their construction to retain crumple zones and air bag deployment in high speed crashes. And they’re usually the same price as Mopar and 1/3 the price of AEV.

Honorary mentions of non-regrettable Jeep upgrades: pretty much anything from Synergy, Fox and Diode Dynamics.

Things I don’t regret, but wouldn’t do again: JCR Molle panels (wish they were aluminum), Kraken inflate system (overpriced for what it is) and Line-X (could’ve done it myself with Raptor).

I already wrote too much, so my conclusion is that you should just buy a Rubicon XR and do nothing to it

 

[JTGuy]

My mods have all been done with no $$$$ consideration. I learned on my '14 JKUR. About the only thing I might do different would be a HardRock 4x4 alu bumper that lowers the winch. My winch sits high but it's easy to keep clean and stays out of the water more. I did have 315's but now I have the 37s that I love. I really can't think of any more mods to do.

 

[Mad Mac]

West_bymidwest, thank you, Sir.

You have saved me tens of thousands of dollars
and made me laugh 'til I cried.

 

[west_bymidwest]

West_bymidwest, thank you, Sir.

You have saved me tens of thousands of dollars
and made me laugh 'til I cried.

I used to be really good with planning out my upgrades for cars and bikes in regard to the “buy once, cry once” principle. That is… until I got a Jeep

 

[WILDHOBO]

Not exactly a mod I wouldn’t do…I’d do adjustable control arms again, but would run screaming from JKS arms. They have garbage bushings. I’d start with Teraflex and be done.

 

[Hootbro]

Not exactly a mod I wouldn’t do…I’d do adjustable control arms again, but would run screaming from JKS arms. They have garbage bushings. I’d start with Teraflex and be done.

I keep hearing that too often about JKS. I have one of their front track bars and is starting to make me wonder about a occasional front end clunk I get when backing up and turning.

 

[Rusty PW]

I keep hearing that too often about JKS. I have one of their front track bars and is starting to make me wonder about a occasional front end clunk I get when backing up and turning.

You know what to do then. Eyeball the ends and have someone turn the steering wheel.

 

[Hootbro]

You know what to do then. Eyeball the ends and have someone turn the steering wheel.

I know, just lazy of late and do not feel like laying on the ground in the cold.

 

[Rusty PW]

I know, just lazy of late and do not feel like laying on the ground in the cold.

Rodger that.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I know, just lazy of late and do not feel like laying on the ground in the cold.

Oh yeah. I hear that.

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