next upgrade thoughts

[konastinky1234]

after having just finished my ford 8.8 rear swap, i am now hungry for more. as far as anything goes, i am very much just thinking about what to do next. to me, the most beneficial thing would be to grab a hp30 and lock that up somehow and get it underneath there. i don't anticipate ever needing a d44 front really but who knows. if i went this route i would want to set it up with an ox locker if i could and learn to gear.

so that's idea number one. other than that, i don't know which direction to take so school me on some ideas. my jeep right now has the ford 8.8 rear with mini spool, inch or two of lift due to stiffer springs, higher coil pads on the rear end, light bar, winch, cb, 31" all terrains. so i am pretty stockish and for me, i'd rather build up the frame before i ever lifted or did any other crazier things. talk to me, the other thing i thought of was maybe rock sliders, bumpers, but they seem kind of un needed to me.

[Bigbike]

Skid plates.

[CumminsJeep]

skid plates seems like a marvelous idea. and I would go ahead and get a bigger lift too. that way you can get some 33s under there

[WAD357]

Agreed with theese guys skids help alot that take away worries of bashing important components... Also a decent set of 33's will be a noticeable difference

[Capt. Crunch]

Im so glad that i had the rock sliders at RC. They took a beating

[konastinky1234]

skids sound like a good idea, i agree. only problem is i am just about at my max weight/tires for a 4 banger on 4.10s. i guess i could try seeing how it rides on 33s but i really should gear it when i do that i was thinking.

[konastinky1234]

by the way, when you suggest skids, which ones should i go for first? there are a lot of different ones for different parts

[Ruepart Hoaxley]

Look into frame stiffeners. I know Dana (grundlepunch) was doing some resto work on his frame, you may want to talk to him about some of the stuff he's doing.

Also, x whatever number it is on skidplates/sliders. Armor it first.

[ninetysix-ex-jay]

I would add armor stat. Might not hurt to get that ground clearance up with a bigger lift and some tires

[clean4drxj]

skidz

[kracker]

definitely armor the underside! then highline the fenders and a 1in BL and youll get those 33's on no problem and get a hp 30 and stuff an aussie in it and youll be fine, let me know if you need help with it...

[LittleD]

t case skid, tank skid, oil pan skid, theres tons of diff skid plates out there in the market. I never wheeled with out a tcase skid because if that gets destroyed, well you're pretty much fucked. Sliders would be a wise investment since the rocker panels are a vulnerable spot for rocks to snag. did you weld the tubes on the 8.8? if not deff look into that.

When it comes to bumpers, stock should do fine, i only built mine because it was a project to learn how to weld.

[1cleantj]

you can get through alot with just skids and locked axles.

id start with some sort of rocker protection, then do a engine skid and power steering box skid, front diff cover skid, you really dont need to lift a TJ anymore then 2-3" and you can fit 36's if you highline it (extremly low cost just some cutting/slight fabbing and some repositioning of things)

[iant333]

I agree with skids. I used to worry all the time about banging stuff, now with full skids wheeling is alot more worry free and i'm willing to try a lot more stuff.

A locked and skidded rig on 33's can do just about anything you want it too.

[Ruepart Hoaxley]

I agree with skids. I used to worry all the time about banging stuff, now with full skids wheeling is alot more worry free and i'm willing to try a lot more stuff.

A locked and skidded rig on 33's can do just about anything you want it too.

This. Start with a transfer case skid and since it's a TJ, armor the steering box. They're pretty exposed on those. Since it's a bit lower on TJs as well, you might want to look into a gas tank skid. A lot of people take pieces of plate and weld them to the LCA mounts axle-side, you can get plate dirt-cheap at Logan Steel's bargain barn.