Undercarriage protection

[fulltime]

Hello to all. i just picked up a JK 08 Rubicon. I'm starting at the bottom, underneath the jeep. i've just purchased 2 Rockcrusher difff. covers for the axles. My question is as slow as this build may go, What in order should be purchased to protect the bottom of this jeep. I will be doing med. off -roading for now, but will pick it up later a bit. Don't want to dump my whole wad on stuff I don't need rightc away. Thanks for any help. John

 

[coldwater]

You say "medium" off road work? IMO, a Rubi is over the top capable of some pretty amazing work off road, and little needs to be done to cover the work you would like to do with it. A possible budget lift, and a winch is all I would do to it if it were mine. It has been my pleasure to wheel a fully stock Rubi, and I was amazed at how easy that thing just ate ground.

 

[fulltime]

Hi, Thanks Coldwater. I was going to do many different things. Decided to just leave the jeep the way it is. I do want to raise it 1 inch in the back , and 1.5 in the front to get just a bit more tire clearance and even the jeep up. I did get a great deal on a set of Dana 44 covers made by Rockcrusher. I was wondering what other guards and such that would be beneficial right away for undercarriage protection. Also I have an old man emu 2 inch lift kit ordered which I am sure they are the best in the 2' lift category, but I am thinking of cancelling the order since there is a 90 day back order on it. I'm now looking for the best way to raise the jeep just an inch and level out the front. Any ideas on this, that is all I want to do. Thanks keep it coming, I need advise. Thanks, John

 

[coldwater]

If you would just like a little bit of extra clearance, you can do a budget lift.
http://www.4wd.com/productdetails.aspx?jeep-sid=357&plID=70&partID=13362

Cheap and easy. As far as the other armour goes, for what you want to do, your Jeep is more than capable of handling the task. Unless you're abusive, the underside is pretty well armoured as it is, and you should be just fine. have you considered a recovery winch, or maybe some heavier bumpers?

 

[fulltime]

Hi, Yes I was looking at the XHD bumpers. I'm not sure about the winch, and I deas on which one would be a good one. I am looking at a stabilizer guard to replace the plastic one up front, and some different wheels. I'm staying with the 32 inch tires. I've spent some time on the quadratech website. Any suggestions on the winch, and the best parts kit for the lift ? john

 

[coldwater]

Well, If you just want to pop in some coil spacers for a bit of clearance, the Skyjackers are as good as any you can buy. The winch? Fist fights have been started over that subject! Here's my opinion. If you have a boatload of money, and or are going to wheel the living hell out og=f your jeep, A Warn is a fine choice. If you're like me, I only wheel occasionally, and don't get nuts anymore, so dropping a ton of money on something I may use a few time a year is not good money spent. I bought another Gorilla winch. Gorilla 8,000lb Recovery Series Electric Winch. Save 50% Off Retail and Free Shipping. - Gorilla Winches .com Store

I had one before that went when I sold the vehicle, but I liked it so much I bought another for my CJ. A Rubicon Jeep is a fantastic off road capable vehicle. Careful driving, picking your lines, and having a recovery winch will be a hard combination to beat.

 

[fulltime]

Okay Dave, sorry, I just noticed the request at the bottom of the reply. I'll check this website. Does this require different shocks ? or anything else needed to do this 100 percent correct cutting no corners ? Also which brand of winch should I be looking at that is adequate for this jeep. I've heard all winches are not created equal. John

 

[coldwater]

No other mods are needed for a coil spacer budget lift. And see my last post for winch question.

 

[fulltime]

Okay, now were getting somewhere, Have you looked at the xhd bumpers ? I think I'm going with the winch mount center section with no ends, I'm going to look at some of this stuff you have suggested in just a bit. John

 

[coldwater]

I haven't seen them specifically, but there are lots of good makers out there with a large offering. Just pick the one that fits your needs best. Because I have an old CJ, our Jeeps are quite a bit diferent, but this is the set up I run.

Just go slow when buying for your Jeep. Look at lots of stuff, and be realistic with wants and actual needs. You can go poor in a hurry buying "stuff" that you just dont really need. It's cool to have the best of everything, but If you just dont need it or use it, It's wasted money.

 

[fulltime]

I agree, that's why I'm checking into this stuff now. Just want to get some advice on what's available to decide on the right things to buy. The fact is, i have'nt done a ton of jeeping and want to get the basics to get going. These ideas are very good. John

 

[coldwater]

Whelp, thats an honest reply. Everyone has to start somewhere, and you came into the game with a fantastic Jeep. Any one of the guys here will be happy to help out where they can with questions you may have. Welcome to the site, and Jeepin.