Corby417
New member
The time has finally come for me to lift my Jeep (2 door Rubicon 10a) and I want some opinions from you guys. To fill you guys in on my situation, I live in Vail, Colorado and trails are everywhere around here. Holy Cross is practically my back yard and it’s a trail that’s definitely on my bucket list. The Jeep is my daily driver for the oh so long 5 mile round trip to work and back, however, it gets driven across the state for summer adventures and the occasional longer trip up to Wyoming to visit my dad. I mention all this to give you a better idea of how my Jeep is used; over the summer it spends almost as much time on the trail as it does on the road. Summary: I want the best trail performance but I don’t want to compromise too much on road handling either for when I’ve got my wife and dogs with me on a longer trip.
Here’s what I’m thinking:
Starting with the lift, I plan on adding 35’s so to me 3.5” seems to be the way to go. At the moment, I’m between the J Konnect and the J Kontrol from JKS MFG. Any feedback on either of these would be appreciated. I’ve also looked into EVO lifts as well, but it seems they are a bit more expensive and I am trying to keep costs reasonable. I’ve heard a lot of good things about JKS and EVO but I’m open to other suggestions as well.
Tires: I love the BFG’s that came with my Jeep. I believe that the KM3’s are coming out in June, do I hold out for those or go KM2’s again? Another option I’m weighing is the Goodyear MTR’s. I know, I know, these tires get a bad rap that mostly seems to come from balancing issues, but hear me out. I was born in Akron, OH and lived 10 minutes north of the city for most of my life, so I have this strange desire to support the home team, so to speak. The set of BFG’s I have now is the first set of tires I’ve owned that aren’t Goodyear and I’ve never had issues with any of the other tires, granted I’ve never run the MTR’s. I feel like I’ve already made up my mind on the BFG’s but I just need talked off the ledge from the Goodyear’s.
Fender Flares: I’m contemplating replacing the stock ones for a flat, higher clearance option and the front runner is MCE. Good idea or hold off for a bit? Any better suggestions? I like MCE for the flexibility of the fender compared to metal options as well as the weight savings. Somewhat unrelated, I have a white Jeep with the matching painted fenders and hard top, but I really wish that they were both black. How do you think it would look with black fenders and a white top? I’ve seen it done but I don’t know how I feel about it. Also considering painting the fenders white but leaving the outside edge black, as that seems to look ok as well.
Last but not least, on board air options. I like the ARB option, but do I splurge for the twin compressor? Keep in mind I already have electronic lockers so it will be used to air up tires almost exclusively. Is there a different option that you guys like more that’s worth exploring?
Other notes: I’m aware I’ll need a new front driveshaft. I plan on regearing after I get the lift and tires. That’s something to worry about later. I plan on keeping my stock wheels for the time and running spacers. I also have plans for a Warn winch and some Rigid lights running to a SwitchPros switch panel but I think I’ve got that all figured out.
Did I miss anything, or should I reconsider my plan in any way? I want to get it right the first time so any and all opinions and expertise is welcomed and encouraged. Thanks in advance!
Here’s what I’m thinking:
Starting with the lift, I plan on adding 35’s so to me 3.5” seems to be the way to go. At the moment, I’m between the J Konnect and the J Kontrol from JKS MFG. Any feedback on either of these would be appreciated. I’ve also looked into EVO lifts as well, but it seems they are a bit more expensive and I am trying to keep costs reasonable. I’ve heard a lot of good things about JKS and EVO but I’m open to other suggestions as well.
Tires: I love the BFG’s that came with my Jeep. I believe that the KM3’s are coming out in June, do I hold out for those or go KM2’s again? Another option I’m weighing is the Goodyear MTR’s. I know, I know, these tires get a bad rap that mostly seems to come from balancing issues, but hear me out. I was born in Akron, OH and lived 10 minutes north of the city for most of my life, so I have this strange desire to support the home team, so to speak. The set of BFG’s I have now is the first set of tires I’ve owned that aren’t Goodyear and I’ve never had issues with any of the other tires, granted I’ve never run the MTR’s. I feel like I’ve already made up my mind on the BFG’s but I just need talked off the ledge from the Goodyear’s.
Fender Flares: I’m contemplating replacing the stock ones for a flat, higher clearance option and the front runner is MCE. Good idea or hold off for a bit? Any better suggestions? I like MCE for the flexibility of the fender compared to metal options as well as the weight savings. Somewhat unrelated, I have a white Jeep with the matching painted fenders and hard top, but I really wish that they were both black. How do you think it would look with black fenders and a white top? I’ve seen it done but I don’t know how I feel about it. Also considering painting the fenders white but leaving the outside edge black, as that seems to look ok as well.
Last but not least, on board air options. I like the ARB option, but do I splurge for the twin compressor? Keep in mind I already have electronic lockers so it will be used to air up tires almost exclusively. Is there a different option that you guys like more that’s worth exploring?
Other notes: I’m aware I’ll need a new front driveshaft. I plan on regearing after I get the lift and tires. That’s something to worry about later. I plan on keeping my stock wheels for the time and running spacers. I also have plans for a Warn winch and some Rigid lights running to a SwitchPros switch panel but I think I’ve got that all figured out.
Did I miss anything, or should I reconsider my plan in any way? I want to get it right the first time so any and all opinions and expertise is welcomed and encouraged. Thanks in advance!
