Murphy

Looks like a relaxing location (dog pic tells the real story!).

Those KBDs are a bit too shiny for what we’re looking for, but they are making me look closer at the size of the fender. Also am a little surprised to hear plastic will be more forgiving. In my head I was thinking the plastic would break/tear easier. But reading the comment made me aware that metal could cause more body damage. Will have to think about those things more. The Barricade items are in my cart as place holders as I do a bit more research. I like the way those look (bumpers and flares). Appreciate the discussion.

Looking for input to replace bumpers and fenders, lots of brands and am unsure what to stay away from. Current rig is 2.5" lift with 33s that is a daily driver and moderate rock krawler, but looking to move towards either 35s or possibly 37s in the near future as well. Am leaning towards a stubby bumper with place for winch (undecided if I'll get a winch as of yet), with led lights, don't particularly like the pull bars on top of the front bumpers either. For the flares I'm looking at 4-6" flares with a textured finish so would like the bumpers to match somewhat. Have seen some options that don't break my bank account from barricade, redrock, smittybilt, and others from ARB, DV8, Bushwacker that start to creep up a bit. Willing to spend a little more if it's worth it in the long run so any feedback is appreciated.

Updated pics after installation - went ahead with the 2.5" lift, shocks, quick disconnects (and brakes for good measure) - next up will be tires/fenders/bumpers/lights/grill insert/ I could go on and on... again I appreciate the feedback from everyone.

Dyna and I had a great time today with Mike, Charles and Zoe. I learned my lesson with Mike, don't bring too much of your own food 😉, he told me but I didn't listen. I will say it's not often you get three IT guys together and the discussion doesn't end up making Dyna fall asleep but I think we did a pretty good job today not talking shop too much.

End Result: We had a great discussion with the guy at Absolute Off-road and landed on a 2.5" RockKrawler kit with quick disconnects and bilstein shocks. Will be scheduling that install next month.

Want to make sure I have the correct starting location (fr3554 trail head off of Usery Pass):

Count us in, been wanting to hit this area. Will be 2 of us in 1 vehicle.

Quick disconnects have now moved up the priority list.

Thanks Jason, always looking for other shops to talk to. Really happy with J&W Auto to fix the jeep so far, and Desert Rat for options as well.

Thanks for the replies all. We do have the AEV 2.5 w/ geometry brackets in the quote, I just failed to mention them. I'll do some thinking about the skids and brackets and see what we want to go with. The lift seems like a good investment, especially if the ride is equal or better than it is now. Jason took us on a slightly technical trail a few weeks ago and we really enjoyed it (the trail and the group!), but we did learn that we need a few more inches of clearance and this lift looks like a great way to start. The 35's are going to be gnawing at me I'm sure, but I think the 33's are going to work fine until they need replaced. Another question: is a sway bar quick disconnect worth the few hundred dollars? I haven't disconnected mine for a trail yet, but would like to at some point to see the difference. Seems like while the tires are airing down, it would be a good time to manually disconnect them and won't be a waste of time. Maybe the quick disconnect will be easier and I'll probably like it better, it doesn't sound like a must have for now.

New to the jeep community with a highly stock jku and 33’s. Been reading about different lift types and it’s a bit much to sort through. Body lifts, spacers, spring lifts, short arm, long arm… this jeep will be 75/25 pavement/offroad (won’t go beyond level 4/5) . Thinking of going to 35’s at some point and am looking for recommendations for a 2-3” lift. I know I’ll need to update fenders and bumpers but for now am starting with the lift. Current recommendations from local shop is an AEV 2.5” lift with springs/shocks (4D dual sport XT). Any thoughts on a different way to go?

Thanks for the feedback, should be good now.

Bought a 2012 JKU with MyTop and do not need the hard top, looks like it was on this jeep for a few years but I've never used it. Minor scratches as seen in pics. Asking $1400 OBO. Local pickup only (Phoenix metro), I cannot deliver or ship.