General Info – My4x4Experience

If I were to buy a stock Jeep Wrangler (JKU) today, I'd be ready to hit the ground running tomorrow, with a clear plan for the necessary modifications to transform it into the ultimate 4x4 rig tailored to my requirements. This stems from my 6-year experience of owning a JKU Wrangler. I'm well-versed in what is effective and what isn't, discerning between gimmicky fads and practical upgrades that I've grown to rely upon. I've owned a 2nd Gen Tacoma for the past 3 months. Despite surviving a challenging encounter with the Chihuahuan Desert, enjoying some delightful moments on the Coastal Bend beaches, and accumulating numerous miles as a daily driver, I'm not quite ready to proceed with significant modifications just yet. If you're considering upgrading a familiar offroad vehicle in which you've gained extensive experience, you likely have a well-defined plan that will unfold as intended. However, if you're a newcomer to the offroad 4x4 scene or have recently acquired a new vehicle, here are Five Reasons You Should Wait to Modify Your Stock 4x4. I Didn't Know What I Didn't Know In 2017, I acquired my second Jeep, a brand-new Wrangler. I told my wife, "I am keeping this completely stock. I don't want to do any upgrades." Back then, my knowledge was limited to the fact that those who customized their Jeeps often encountered issues - a once dreamy ride transformed into a troublesome ordeal. However, my wife was determined that she wanted our Jeep lifted and off-road ready. As the saying goes, "If Momma ain't happy ain't nobody happy," so I undertook the role of learning about our new 4x4, ensuring I could make the most informed decisions. In the beginning, I opted for YouTube as my primary source of learning. Luckily, I came across Jason Lewis at Auto Edits and journeyed with him as he transformed a stock 2013 Jeep Wrangler JKU. His meticulous approach to upgrades and detailed video presentations truly stand out. Facebook groups also provided a great deal of insight. I joined groups that were geared either to my geographical area or my specific vehicle. While social media is a good outlet for learning the basics or having specific questions answered, forums are the place where I now spend most of my time. Unlike Facebook which can be very difficult to find a particular post, forums are easily searchable and are eternal. Plus, I find the caliber of the information to be higher on forums than what can be found in Facebook groups. Offroad podcasts are something I've only utilized the last couple of years, but man do I wish I had started sooner. I'll admit it, I began offroad podcasts in 2020 and gave them up. I had 4 years of offroading under my belt by that time and what I was finding was mostly anecdotal. Walk away from any podcast that contains a significant amount of, "My buddy does that and it works just fine", sort of advice. It wasn't until 2 years later that I summoned up the courage to again find a decent offroad podcast and finally found On the Trail with Kevin and Scott. My time is now split between On the Trail and Modern Jeeper Podcast. Both podcasts have sound advice and are great for learning the fundamentals of offroad driving and rig building. All of the knowledge I was gaining was great, but I needed seat time putting rubber to the road...and dirt...and sand...and mud...and rocks....yeah, I could go on and on with this. You need to be educated before you modify your rig. Baseline Seat Time I remember the first time I took my stock Jeep out on the sand at Carolina Beach. My wife, sister, and brother-in-law are probably still jarred from that drive. Carolina Beach is sugar sand, the antithesis of driving on the hard-packed sand of Daytona Beach or the Coastal Bend area of Texas. So, not wanting to get stuck as so many do, I was hard-charging out to where my friends were hanging out. It was a brutally rough ride and I apologized the entire way. I remember my brother-in-law Jack saying "Do what you have to do." I later learned that my Jeep was more than capable of handling the beach in a relaxed, controlled manner and that I was wrong about what I thought I "had to do." My semi-built 2005 Wrangler TJ handled the sugar sand like a champ but I had no confidence yet with my stock 2017 Wrangler JKU. My next adventure was exploring the Croatan National Forest. Traveling the forest service roads, some maintained and some not, began to give me an idea of what my offroad vehicle was able to handle without any modifications. I had a great time and continued to develop my confidence and understanding of the vehicle. My first real test came about 6 months after purchasing my stock Jeep. Along with the No Boundaries Jeep Crew, my wife and I went to Outdoors in the Smokies (http://www.outdoorsinthesmokies.com/index.html) in Cosby, Tennessee. I got a lot of jeers that day. "That stock Jeep gonna be stuck all day!" "Uh, you have street tires." I pretty much tuned out the noise after that and I spent the day navigating the trails alone and learning what my rig was capable of. The very first obstacle we did was a steep and muddy hill climb and we encountered zero problems. Later, the guy that first commented on my stock Jeep found himself stuck on an obstacle that I had just cleared. We had a blast that day learning when to choose 2 High, 4 High, and 4 Low and how to use the manual "side shift" feature that the automatic Wranglers have. We had our first off-camber experiences and learned to trust the stability of our Jeep. We never got stuck, never had to be recovered, and successfully navigated hills and obstacles that "built" Jeeps sometimes struggled with. The guy that originally said "That stock Jeep gonna be stuck all day!" later said to me, "Those things are pretty capable right out of the box, aren't they?" Yup! Having seat time teaches the owner/driver what they should expect as a baseline from their rig. It will also help the owner decide what they want and don't want to do with it and if their upgrades improved or lessened the quality and functionality. You need to get seat time in your rig. What Do You Want To Do With It? I had wanted a Jeep since the '90s but didn't own one till 2016...a sweet, 2005 TJ Wrangler X. Twenty-plus years of desiring...but no planning on what I'd do with it once I actually had one. Thirteen miles from my home was Freeman Park, a drive-on beach in Carolina Beach, NC. I love the beach, so I knew I wanted my Jeep to be beach friendly. I had dreamed about Moab for two decades, so I knew that rock crawling was something I at least wanted to explore. From Outdoors in the Smokies, I learned that being off camber really shakes me mentally. Building a hardcore rock rig that is going to place my psyche in all sorts of nefarious situations probably wouldn't be the route to go. Camping, being able to reach sketchy locations, and having the room to carry the equipment I want to have with me was important. I like areas that are way off the beaten path. Being able to carry lots of supplies and fuel was critical to my build's success. Oh yeah...even though it didn't have to be...I wanted my Jeep to be able to function as a daily driver. My rig was not going to be a trailer queen, or so specialized that daily use was impractical. At this point, I had a pretty good understanding of what problems might be incurred in the upgrade process. I had confidence in my and the Jeep's ability. And I had a pretty clear direction that I wanted my build to follow. It was time to get started. You need to know what you want to experience in your rig. Buy (a system) Once, Cry Once Way before I had a 4x4, I was enamored with offroading. I bought every magazine I could find on the Walgreens rack that had to do with offroading and 4x4 vehicles. I learned early on that Moab, Utah was the Mecca for the offroading world and dreamed of the day I'd get to go. In 2018 my dream came true when me, Wifey, and our newly lifted rig were on Hell's Revenge with Curtis, our guide from Dan Mick's Guided Jeep Tours. Curtis led and spotted us as we watched his lines, mostly followed them successfully, and received guidance from the radio he provided. During one of our stops, he asked about our build. I proudly announced the manufacturer of our lift and he responded that he'd never heard of that manufacturer. As we continued to talk he was less and less impressed and flatly said "We don't put parts on our rigs, we put systems on them." I'm sure I mentally rolled my eyes. The company I chose was new to the Jeep aftermarket world. They had been in business for decades, but not in the Jeep product line. My lift ended up having parts from at least 3 different manufacturers. Parts...not a system. I now realize how important the concept of a system is. It is a recurring theme amongst my trusted influencers. It isn't only that random parts may not perform as optimally as a well-engineered kit from one manufacturer, they may actually work against each other. Installing a Teraflex system...or a MetalCloak system...will trump the performance of random pieces and parts. Ultimately, I'm happy with all the choices we made. My shop, Lunar Low Automotive in Wilmington, North Carolina, put my wife and me in a position to immediately achieve the offroading and overlanding goals we had in mind. You need to plan out how your components will work together. (Choose Your) Shop Wisely Now that you know how you want to use your rig you must decide whether you're going to build it with a wrench or a credit card. Honestly, most builds can be completed at home IF you're willing to follow the directions, use the correct tools, and be patient enough to ensure everything is installed properly. I know for example that I don't have the patience to properly complete all the steps required to regear. I also know that my tool of choice is a big freaking hammer...so I probably need to let a professional work on certain projects. You, however, are probably patient. And, you might have a mighty tool chest. But do you know what you don't know? That is ultimately the question that caused me to seek professional help...on my Jeep build. I was in the Jeeping scene for a year and a half before I took the leap to build up the suspension. During this time I got to know the players in the offroad community who own and work at repair and/or build shops. I learned who was transparent and who was "translucent." There were a few offroad specialists in my area and ultimately they fell into three categories: The owners or employees were not actively seen participating in the local offroad community. The owners or employees were active in the offroad community and they seemed to be above board. The owners or employees were active in the offroad community but it was obvious they were a wee bit shady. Check your local forums and talk to your friends. Find out who does good work and who doesn't. Be careful though...this is why the learning curve, sucking up all the information you can is important. If you don't know what modifications are legit and which aren't then your friend's advice may be worthless. Your pal showing off his newly trussed Dana 30... The dude with the beadlock wheels that aren't approved for running street tire pressures when the manufacturer even states, "Beadlock Wheels are for Off-Road Use Only & Are Not DOT Approved for Highway Use"....don't take their advice. Once you've narrowed down the finalists, the key question you're wanting to hear from them is, "What do you want to do with your rig?" This should be the first question they ask. The conversation that follows should make both financial and mechanical sense. Do they want to determine your budget so that they can spend all of it? Or do they recommend that you wait to save up for a build, or build in stages so that you'll truly be happy with it? You need to have competent hands building your rig up. Experience It! As my wife and I continue to share our experiences you'll quickly find that we bought a 4x4 so that we could meet people we'd never meet and see places we'd never see without having a dependable, capable offroad vehicle. By following the process above, you will have as much if not more success than we have had in our adventures. Our rig has immeasurably changed our lives. It's time to experience it for yourselves! Educate yourself about your rig! Get seat time! Decide what you want to do with your rig! Plan out your build using complementary components, ideally from one manufacturer! Find a competent helper or shop to assist you in creating your build! Drop us a line and let us know about your build journey!