My 2016 Rubicon Hardrock

[Jim]

Although this Jeep is sometimes a toad, I didn't purchase it with that in mind.

I'm not new to motorsports, having spent some 13 years playing at many of the road racing tracks here in the South. But my sponsor was my business, (and my wife ) so when we sold the business and retired, funding for my hobby ended as well. And living here in the mountains of North Carolina, a Jeep was more practical than a race car. (Exit race car, enter Jeep Rubicon.)

I found this 2016 Jeep Rubicon Hard Rock edition with less than 4K miles and at a price that I couldn't pass up. And for the last year I've been in the process of getting it ready for a trip to Moab. I've added a MetalCloak Gamechange lift, Poison Spyder fenders, Steer Smarts kit, and changed the gears to accommodate larger wheels/tires. Somewhere along the line of me talking about how much fun it's going to be, my wife asked me where I was going to be staying as I went on this trip. The "singularity" of the way she said it made me realize 'I" was going alone if I didn't work a motor home into the plan.

So good news, lol, I'm not going to Moab alone and I now have a motor home for my Jeep to push down the road.

Below are a couple pictures of the Jeep when I picked it up as well as a couple of pics of it now.

 

[Gizmo]

Jim.
We are getting ready to order a Rubicon and here is my thought process. We owned a Sahara before and it did everything we want it to do and didn't touch the capabilities. I still believe the Sahara would do everything we want to do today but in the future, we find we need more capabilities we either trade for Rubicon or mod the heck out it of the Sahara. Plus if you get the 8-speed auto on a 2020 Sahara you get eTorque which has two batteries and one is a 48-volt lithium-ion Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC)-Graphite battery in the cabin area. Here is more info:

What Is Jeep Wrangler eTorque Mild Hybrid Technology?

www.chryslerfactoryplans.com

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[Buster]

Wow, that's quite a transformation. I suspect you do most of your own work given your background. I've got a 2014 Sport which can't hold a candle to the Rubi but I think I left my serious mudding days in the past so will probably just put some light mods on it to get down some easy trails and call it a day. Great job and hope you gets lots of use out of it as well as the Phaeton. Pics of Moab please when you get out there later this year, would love to see them.

 

[Jim]

As I move closer to the Moab trip, last week I had a local shop install the SteerSmarts parts that I bought at last years Smokey Mountain Jeep Invasion. (See parts below) My Jeep didn't handle poorly for a raised Jeep, but I'll be moving to 37's soon, and the SteerSmarts setup should keep it stable.

• YETI XD™ Flex Steering Stabilizer
• YETI XD™ JK Tie Rod Assembly
• YETI XD™ JK Adjustable Track Bar
• Yeti XD™ JK / JL / JT Sway Bar End Link Kit (2.5"- 3.5" Lift)
• YETI XD™ JK Bottom Mount Draglink with Griffin XD™ Attenuator

 

[BGMAC]

Jim, when are you heading to Moab?

 

[Jim]

Jim, when are you heading to Moab?

Around October this year. Want to go?

 

[BGMAC]

Around October this year. Want to go?

We are, but going late spring. October we’re heading to Charlotte for the NASCAR race.

 

[Jim]

It snowed today, I think my Jeep is mad !

 

[Jim]

New Jeep commercial.