Old school vs New school

UpsideUp

UpsideUp

Member
Hey all. Being new to the forum and new to the jeep community I had a question that I'm hoping will stir a bit of debate. Growing up I was always a Toyota guy and my dream was to have one loaded with Smittybilt and KC lites.
Now that I have my Jeep and more money than I did when I was 20 I see so many different companies out there that make similar if not cooler products on all the various "Walmart " style shopping sites I.e. 4wheelparts, Quadratech, etc.
My question is this. Is Smittybilt and the like still at the top of the parts list in the 4wd world or will this draw laughs at the campsite? It seems reasonably priced and makes products that are similar to their more expensive counterparts.
I have seen all the amazing builds here and most seem to be built with good quality American made products, but short of being sponsored by these companies, my build might take years to complete on typical "fun money" budgets.
Any advice on this matter would be much appreciated by this noob and keep up the very informative chatter. I'm learning tons!
Hope to see you on the trail soon!
 
if at all possible, save your $ and buy quality American built parts/accessories. They may be a bit more expensive up front, but worth every penny when/if you need them!

andrew-
 
I've got smittybilt all around my Jeep. Front bumper and rock rails. Everything has taken beatings out on the trails without giving an inch. If you're on a budget there's nothing wrong with buying what you can afford. People like to toss around that, save your money and buy "american made" stuff, look around you, how much stuff in your house right now can you honestly say is truly american made.
 
I agree with spending money on American made, but if finances don't allow, smittybilt is fair. Also try checking at local fab shops, in my area there's a couple custom fab shops that'll build almost anything you can imagine for a fair price.


2010 JKU Sport
1977 CJ5

Sent from my iPhone using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
Another thought would be to keep checking various forums to see what people are trying to seel. I know there was a guy in Jacksonville, FL who was selling LOD sliders and rear bumper for a fraction of the cost. If you have time and not in need right away shopping around is the best. I would also like to second the idea of checking with local fabrication shops. They are local and you can customize what you want. Lastly if you can make it some Jeep events like Jeep Beach or Jeepers Jamoboree you can find some great deals there as well. I picke up an OR Fab Sport cage for $550 and did not have to pay tax or shipping. It all boils down to how long are you willing to wait.

R/
Will
 
Smittybilt makes some good parts for the dollar. It will be plenty to get you buy on 70% of the trails you encounter if not more.

They have however received a reputation as the Walmart of jeep parts. Most people hardcore enough to find and frequent a site like this will prefer something more from a smaller boutique brand.
 
mattfl said:
I've got smittybilt all around my Jeep. Front bumper and rock rails. Everything has taken beatings out on the trails without giving an inch. If you're on a budget there's nothing wrong with buying what you can afford. People like to toss around that, save your money and buy "american made" stuff, look around you, how much stuff in your house right now can you honestly say is truly american made.
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not talking about stuff in the house, OP asked about jeep parts! and the plain truth is the AMERICAN built parts are far superior then their chinese counterparts. i know that might hurt your feelings, but it is true!


andrew-
 
I've taken four years to get where I am. I've got time and patience. I could stroke a check or finance it, but debt and I don't get along. I prefer to take my time and try to do things once and do it right.

I'd stay away from smittybilt for some things. It's not too bad for mall crawling.


Sent from a a few tin cans and some string.
 
Smittybilt used to be a good company. Unfortunately, they were bought out by TransAmerica (4WheelParts) and used to rebadge all their Steelhorse (aka Rustpony) crap which had been suffering for quite some time due to really poor quality. What I can tell you is that some of Smittybilt stuff is okay and some is just plain junk. Maybe it has something to do with what Chinese manufacturer is making the stuff but as a whole, I personally try to steer clear of most of it now. But, that's just me.
 
catahoula said:
Welcome to a Wayalife!:beer:

So do you guys use American made tools on your parts too?:cheesy:
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Truth be told, yeah. Or, as much as possible. I literally have 3 complete sets of old Craftsman tools and I always carry one with me on the trail. :yup:
 
The biggest problem with Smittybilt is the fit and quality. I have installed a few Smittybilt bumpers, rails, tops, etc. and every one had fitment issues. The metal and powder coating is usually thinner than its American counterpart.

My motto: "It’s Expensive to be Cheap”.
 
I tend to agree with overlanderjk on the shittybuilt thing. while some of it may be o.k. , I see a lot of complaints about them. I try to push people away from that company when they ask about it in my store.

Some of the smittybilt junk I've sold in the past is just that "junk". After wheeling with some good people and seeing what they run I have made my mind up to save money to go with the EVO products and some custom fab stuff.

After closely looking at a lot of stuff lately, Evo is very nicely built. Save your money for their stuff, or like mentioned earlier find a local fab shop to make something for you. You will be happier in the end.
 
LOD makes a great front and rear bumper with tire carrier. Their rock sliders are great as well. The big decision is what are you looking for and long are you willing to wait for said product.
 
catahoula said:
Welcome to a Wayalife!:beer:

So do you guys use American made tools on your parts too?:cheesy:
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Yes, but unfortunately its getting harder and harder to do when most people have the walmart mentality, and as a result a lot of the good American companies have gone out of business, or moved production to china.
Ingersoll Rand- mostly china
Bosch used to be US and Germany now mostly china
Milwaukee - china
***Most of the steel that US mfg companies use...china***
dewalt
mikita
the list is really too long,

made in merica not so long:
Snapon
Miller Welders
Hobart
Starett
Klein
Shopsmith
Maglite
some craftsman stuff (still hand tools as far as i know)

I learned a long time ago that for most things a cheap tool is usually just that... cheap.. it breaks and then you need another. by the time you replace it all the lost time, gas driving to get it, frustration etc usually pays to get a good one to start with if you will be using it frequently.
 
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