Just thought I would share....

[mikes96GTI]

This awesome view I had this morning. My buddy and I made it back to the end of the Azusa Canyon/ San Gabriel reservoir this morning before anyone else was around. Gave the Jeep a good work out, some water, some mud (wet sand) some rocks. Got in a decent rutted hill climb which scared the crap out of me. up about 150 feet, then a little turn around at the top and back down. I stayed out of the soupy mud though and left all that for the guys on 1 tons and swampers. That 5th gen 4Runner in front of me went everywhere I did, and one place I declined. It is spooky what that thing can do, it pulled out a K5 on 40"+ tires buried up to its axles on one side in a creek. I Still need decent tires and sliders. I would have been a little more confident with them. Not bad for its second outting.

[DanG]

How do you like your wrangler? I really want one but am just a bit scared to pull the trigger.

what options did you get?

[mikes96GTI]

I love it. I had bets going with my friends, some said I would hate it and ditch it in a few months. Honestly its awesome. If I got a regular truck, I would get bored. The Jeep, is a Jeep. It has personality and character. Driving it is fun everyday. It so far has gone anywhere I pointed it even on the mall crawler tires. Even places I didn't think it would go.

It is a perfectly fine daily driver. People say they are bad daily drivers, bull****. It rides smoother then my BMW or Mini, granted it steers and stops like a Bayliner, but its a Jeep.

Pluses
1:HVAC system is probably the best of any car I've owned. Freezing cold A/C, cook you heater.
2; The Freedom top is great, take a minuet to pop the front panels in and out, they store upright behind the rear seat. I have yet to take the full top off as its been too damn hot and my garage is full during my remodel.
3: gets decent mileage for a Jeep. I average about 17.5 on my city/freeway commute. Highway is about 23.
4:UConnect bluetooth is great and clear
5;low wind noise
6:takes regular gas
7: Pentastar is awesome.
8 easy to park

cons
1:getting in the rear seat is a damn filthy whore with a 2dr, but I don't sit back there so IDGAF
2: lack of cargo room. With the rear seat set up, you basically have room for a row of grocery bags. With it folded forward, about as much as an average car trunk. I carried 450 pounds of ceramic tile with it and it didn't even sweat. Plenty of room for my camping gear and rifles. 4 Doors have even more room in both scenarios.
3: its a bitch to wash.
4: stereo isn't all that great

Options, all of these I wanted except noted.
Freedom top (wanted a soft top, but now I'm glad I got the hard top after using the panels.)
UConnect with SIRIUS
3.73 gears
Limited Slip Trac-Lok
6 speed manual
power windows/mirrors/ steering wheel controls (didn't want it but this one had everything else I wanted so I said meh)
Trailer group
Fog lights
I think thats it, don't want to go out and get my window sticker. In all honesty, if you are a car guy (probably are I'm guessing) and if you have always wanted one, do it. They hold their value insanely well, and have catalogs of aftermarket stuff, but will get you out to see the beauty of nature bone stock. Its not like the older TJ's, great as they were I almost bought an LJ a few years ago, but the JK is night and day better in almost every aspect especially with everyday livability. I was looking at ordering one for Oct when I got this one at a great deal. I also considered an 05-06 Rubicon, but the price difference was about $5K for this over a used Rubi TJ, and about $7K MORE for a Rubi JK and that buys a lot of mods and I don't really need the 4:1 T-Case for rock climbing I won't do since I have mostly desert and sand.

[DanG]

Good info to know, thank you

[deucestudios]

Sorry if I've pissed you off in other threads, but honestly I appreciate that you're enjoying the thing more than the average user.
There's no harm in learning the limits of what a stock Jeep can do, before getting big tires & tons of crap bolted on to it.
I will say it's easier to bolt sliders to a un-smashed body though.

My old man's got the 4 door. In researching lift options for him, it looks like you can't add too much tire to the stock wheels before rubber starts touching sway bar. Seems like higher offset wheels or spacers are a must for anything 33" or bigger.

[mikes96GTI]

nah dude its all good, its just the internets. Like I said, this thing does a lot better on the SRA's then I ever thought it would. My first mods will be some sliders, sway bar disconnects and rubber I think. That should suffice for a while. You can do 33's with no rubbing stock. Budget boost will supposedly clear 35's. There is a chart on one of the JK boards. I think 33's and I will be good for anywhere I want to take a Jeep with payments. My biggest fear is getting it to the point where it starts to loose its pavement friendly edge. I don't want shimmy problems, ridiculous tire noise (my TSL's on my K5 were deafening) and all the good stuff that goes along with trail rigs. I want to be able to drive it a few hundred miles on the highway and hit some trails and come back in one piece. My buddy that has the 5th Gen 4Runner in front of me, also has a 85 4Runner that he has for when the going gets really rough. I haven't been able to get back out since home mods are taking up my weekends and money.