Wrangler owners?

[nfulton]

I've always wanted a Wrangler especially growing up in a rural area of OH/WV.  Well, I find myself going through a divorce (Christ I got Married Pass was a success, coming soon...The Sh*t I'm getting divorced pass).  It isn't fun, but I convinced Laura to allow me to get a Jeep without paperwork problems. 
 
And here she is!...
 
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2012 Wrangler Sahara
 
Any other Jeep owners here?  There seems to be a million options.  I am going to use it as my main vehicle though I kept my SUV for kayak and large camping excursions so I am not sure about lifting it too high and killing my gas mileage.  What options are a must have and tons of fun?
 
Also got this big guy at 6 weeks and we've quickly become best friends.  He's about 3 months old in this pic from two weeks ago...Name contest to be posted soon.
 

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[bfreebern]

I've had 2 wranglers; a 1997 TJ and a 2010 JKU, loved both of them.  The problem you're going to run into, is that there are so many things you can do to a Jeep, it will be overwhelming. Quadratec is a great online resource/shop and you can even sign up to receive their catalog in the mail.  JKOwners is a great online community as well.
 
The first thing I'd do if I were you, would be to get a Spidershade.  With the summer starting to heat up, it makes having the top off, much more enjoyable.  I'd also build something similar to this, for your doors:
 

 
Congrats and have fun.  Just remember, before you get too carried away.......that Jeep really stands for:  Just Empty Every Pocket.

 

[Kingantz]

Had a 2006 Sahara Edition, picked it up at a damn good price with only 16,000 miles.  Man I loved that thing, but...wife (ex) told me it had to go when Jess was born.  Said no way she could ride in it, so I traded for a four door sedan.  Been kicking myself ever since.  
 
Sorry to hear about the big D...definitely can relate there!

 

[kann]

Just Empty Every Pocket
 
We have a 2010 JK.  I just put a 2.5" AEV shock/coil/block lift on it for some extra clearance, as well as some sliders.  The Bilstein 5100's are much nicer than the stock shocks, for sure.  If you are going to lift it, expect about $1,000 per inch to do it right the first time.  There's tons of budget boosts out there, but if you are going for a full suspension lift, save and do it right, or replace parts often.  There's a reason there a significant jump in price for the same height between something like a Rough Country kit and an AEV/OME/RK/Etc.. kit when you start going over 3".  
 
Tires are as subjective as cigars, but I think I'm settled on DuraTracs for anything that will be a daily driver, as well.  
 
(Just for the record, it may be a "Jeep thing", but after four years, a lot of dirt, and a lot of money... I still don't understand it!    )

 

[nfulton]

You aren't kidding about the just empty every pocket (hadn't heard that).  I've spend over $1000 bucks with Quadratech alone and haven't really done a thing.  How in the hell am I supposed to keep up the cigar inventory!?  I don't have a garage so I'm going to have to figure out what to do with them.  I don't figure those racks would look right in the dining room. 
 
Everyone immediately told me to put a $500 lift on it, but that didn't seem right so thanks for the point in the right direction.  I'll check out the tires because I'll need some before the end of the summer at this rate.  Will they still grip dirt and rock?  We are mostly yellow clay or sand around here so the clay fills the tread and the sand turns to ice.  I've only used about the first four gears out of 6 about 75% of the time thus far.  It eats up the old well roads.  I am going to need a winch in short order or the pup and I will be pulling it out by hand.

 

[kann]

I've been over just about every terrain, and DuraTracs have never let me down.  We were at Mammut park here in Germany a while back and it was so muddy even the Unimogs were getting stuck.  It was slick as hell and felt like driving on ice, but I never got to the point where I couldn't make it over an obstacle.  Obviously there are more mud-specific tires, but they are not great on-road tires to live with on a daily basis (or tire budget).  I've been over rock and flex obstacles with them, but it's admittedly no Moab over here.  It's for each owner to decide, though.  Drive what you like, like what you drive.    A guy who we usually go wheeling with has a totally stock '13 JK (stock Goodyears), and he goes just about everywhere everyone else does.  I've never seen him get stuck.  Meanwhile, there is a Rubicon that has had to be winched out of places within the first 30 minutes every time we've been out.  It comes down to the driver's skill, mainly.  
 
Depending on your intentions with the Jeep, there's nothing wrong with a good Budget Boost from Terra Flex, AEV, Old Man Emu, or other quality companies.  It will give you another 2" or so of clearance and allow for more flex and/or bigger tires.  That's more for a daily driver type thing with occasional off-road trips.  If you are going to be wheeling on a regular basis and abusing the suspension, definitely invest in a full suspension kit from a quality manufacturer.  Once you get over 3" on a JK, you are looking at serious geometry issues and drive shaft issues, especially on the 2-door JK.  The JKU has a little more length so the angle is not as drastic.  But, the higher you go, the more parts you need to replace. You've got the Pentastar engine, right?  So jealous...  
 
Before the lift:
 

 

 
Not sure if this one will show up, but that's my Dodge Ram, my wife's JK pre-lift, the stock JK, and then the rest of our friends that day:
 

 
Next to my buddy's stock JK after 2.5" AEV lift:
 

 

[bfreebern]

Kann - aren't there diesel versions in Europe?  I think that's the big push from the Wrangler owners here in the states.

 

[kann]

There are diesels here, and they run about 40K Euro.  From what I understand, the 2016 redesign is going to include a diesel option for the US.

 

[golfgar]

What sort of mileage or kilometerage (fuel effociency) does the diesel have? I have a 4 door and it sucks on mileage. It is about like the Suburban but nowhere near as comfortable. I also have a diesel X5 which gets about 22 all round. One problem here is the up charge for any diesel making it more economical to have gasoline. At least with the 2010 X5 I got a green credit of $4,500, so it wasn't so bad.

Would love another Jeep Wrangler but would also like better fuel efficiency if possible. They are pushing a brick through the air.

 

[kann]

Not a clue on the diesel fuel mileage, sorry.  Jeep/Fiat is putting a diesel option in the '16 redesign, though, for the US market.  I'm sure it will have to meet US spec regulations.  
 
I hear you on the poor gas mileage, however.  Came back from Mammut park again yesterday, and between the aerodynamics (or lack thereof) and the gearing, if I went over 120 kpm (about 70 mph) on the autobahn, I could pretty much watch my gas gauge drop.  Filled up 12 kliks from the park, wheeled for two days, and made it the 289 miles back home right as the gas light came on.  This was the first highway trip with the new lift on and I could definitely tell a difference at the pump.  Last time we went I drove my truck and my wife drove the Jeep.  I've got a 27 gallon tank, and even though I have a bigger engine, I still was able to drive all the way there, wheel for two days, and make it about a quarter of the way back before getting critical on fuel.  I don't feel so bad about MY gas mileage in the Dodge Ram anymore!