So I've had my '12 red 2 door JK sport for a little over a year now and I want to start upgrading it. I have about $500 to play around with right now. So what I am asking is what would you guys recommend to start with? I have the standard rubicon tires and I was sick of the color grille so I plastidipped it and it looks pretty damn good. I also have grille inserts. Other than that I haven't really done much with it. What are some cost effective ways to upgrade it? Any and all information is much appreciated.
I go wheeling quite a bit. I live up in Wyoming and go to school in Kansas, so there are some pretty sweet trails that Ive come across. But I am definitely not a mall crawler.
Unless there is some item(s) in particular that you are interested in ( for whatever reason... performance or looks) then I would honestly take that $500 and put it away. Throw it in a bank account where you won't touch it and then slowly add to it as you're able).
There are way too many modifications/ upgrades out there and what's right for one guy may not be right for another guy. Hell... I would personally drop the grill inserts right off the bat... different people/ different tastes.
What I would do while that $500 is waiting patiently and drawing some interest, would be to continue driving that Jeep and wheeling it whenever I could. Look at what kinds of things you like and what kinds of things you begin to feel as if you might need to have. Look at other JK's and research those specific products that interest you. Your Jeep is good looking and pretty damned capable as it is right now, so enjoy what it has to offer and learn more about its features and capabilities.
You may be more inclined to start looking into interior/ creature comfort upgrades, or you may find yourself interested more in performance-based upgrades, or you may just like adding some personalizing cosmetic touches... who knows? But there are too many things out there to throw money at so enjoy it as it is until you find yourself extremely interested in whatever particular item/ upgrade. JMO
Unless there is some item(s) in particular that you are interested in ( for whatever reason... performance or looks) then I would honestly take that $500 and put it away. Throw it in a bank account where you won't touch it and then slowly add to it as you're able)
For $500 I personally would be looking at budget boost and save the rest for some 35s. Unless you just wanted to save about $500 more and then you could go with a regular 2.5" spring lift with shocks from teraflex, rock crawler, etc. I would stay away from the $500ish lift kits if you want a quality lift IMHO.
First thing I did was upgrade the headlights. The OEM lights suck. There is a nice breakdown on this forum regarding the headlight shootout. Just use search.
If you're already wheeling I'd invest in a winch and some recovery gear. No matter which way you go with your build in the future it will work and it might save your ass in the meantime.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
JKOwners Forum
2M posts
62.8K members
Since 2007
A forum community dedicated to Jeep Wrangler JK owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, reviews, engine swaps, troubleshooting, suspension, and more!