How to build a trail ready TJ Rubicon for under $12,000

[AndyG]

I don’t know if this is bragging or admitting my stupidity but here goes-

I paid a little over 20,000 dollars for my 03 TJR , then spent another 7-8000 on a lift, tires, regear , and goodies, like a hardtop, Bartact seat covers, hardwired camera, new winch and on an on. The goal was street smooth and off-road capable. I finally got both , and now I have so much in it and have it looking good enough I don’t want it beat up . I wheel it, but easy does it for the most part .

So I get to thinking , I never have had an automatic Jeep, except a 2wd Cherokee way back . .....and tell myself if I ran across a deal , I might get a beater to play with and re sell. Just to see what it is like .

I love midnight blue pearl . And I like lockers and the low crawl ratio 241 transfer case.

So last Summer , I’m surfing Craigslist, and up pops an 06 Rubi Auto with 79,000 for $9500. Midnight blue pearl. At this point I have been on the forum a year and know more than I did when I bit on the ‘ 03.

Ad says “good hunting rig.
I contact seller , and asked to see it . It’s a real Rubi and has the right stuff under it ....

it is nasty , wires hanging out , 2 stabilizers to fix death wobble and horrible 35”
tires . Winch, stinger , Rock sliders.

I drive it ....and wow....it’s been regeared . Moves quick.
So I ask the guy to work the wheel, and I notice the track bar is bad loose at the frame . Hmmm, this is good. Has a near new 4” zone lift , and one wadded up front control arm bracket ..drove squirrelly.

I ask about the low price..,.rebuilt title ....but not wrecked. Was stolen and VIN tag removed, and that made it considered totaled, so I was great with that . I have some auto body work experience, so I knew the territory a little .

Fixed the control arm , new 33” tires ( I knew they would make the gears even better ) , new sway bar bushings, removed the extra stabilizer, tightened the track bar , set the toe , cleaned it up , did a trektop, Bartacts, and serviced it front to back. ...now I have great trail rig , at 12k .

Moral- you can spend a little or a lot , and being on here will open your eyes and help you make better decisions. That’s what kept the lower priced Jeep project from snowballing into a small fortune like the first one did.


So far, so good.

 

[Oldskool]

Nice write up, Andy. I agree that knowledge and experience can take you far. You can really get in deep building the perfect rig, especially your first one. After you've gained a little wisdom, you then realize what's important and what isn't and the path to get where you want to be is much more defined.

One of the things I learned early on is do do things right the first time. Meaning, don't make due with a cheap lift when you need a quality one because it's just gonna cost you more in the long run.

I've been trying to pass my knowledge onto my oldest son who shares my passion for offroading but he's very impatient and has to have things right now. Instead of saving for the lift he needs, he's piecing it together with body lifts and cheap spacers. I guess he'll have to learn the hard way. But it is enjoyable for me to see him willing to actually work on his own stuff. His 7.3 super duty went through 4 trannies and he replaced them himself each time with minimal guidance from me. I'm grateful he's a garage nut and not hanging out doing drugs like most of the kids in this town his age.

 

[S.McArthur]

 

[AndyG]

View attachment 141870

Got ya ...let me see if I can post after church

this droid is ridiculous .

 

[AndyG]

Nice write up, Andy. I agree that knowledge and experience can take you far. You can really get in deep building the perfect rig, especially your first one. After you've gained a little wisdom, you then realize what's important and what isn't and the path to get where you want to be is much more defined.

One of the things I learned early on is do do things right the first time. Meaning, don't make due with a cheap lift when you need a quality one because it's just gonna cost you more in the long run.

I've been trying to pass my knowledge onto my oldest son who shares my passion for offroading but he's very impatient and has to have things right now. Instead of saving for the lift he needs, he's piecing it together with body lifts and cheap spacers. I guess he'll have to learn the hard way. But it is enjoyable for me to see him willing to actually work on his own stuff. His 7.3 super duty went through 4 trannies and he replaced them himself each time with minimal guidance from me. I'm grateful he's a garage nut and not hanging out doing drugs like most of the kids in this town his age.

It’s worth a lot to know your kids can survive.

I spent my 2nd and 3rd year in business replacing cheap equipment I bought the first year...you are so right.

I have 450,000 miles on a 7.3 pushed E4od transmission ...aftermarket cooler and changing fluid and filters did it . Been fortunate on that one .

 

[Chris]

Mine all said they were trail rated from the factory

 

[Oldskool]

It’s worth a lot to know your kids can survive.

I spent my 2nd and 3rd year in business replacing cheap equipment I bought the first year...you are so right.

I have 450,000 miles on a 7.3 pushed E4od transmission ...aftermarket cooler and changing fluid and filters did it . Been fortunate on that one .

This one was lifted on 38's which didn't help. Plus he drove it like it was a mustang. The very first time his tranny went, he talked his grandmother into having it rebuilt for him and she put like 4k into a fancy performance rebuild. The very day he got it back he took it mudding really hard and blew it the same day. Didn't give it time to break in at all. After that everyone washed their hands with helling him so he was on his own. That's when he learned to start turning his own wrenches and the value of something. Well he's still learning. He just got his tax check this week and instead of buying things he really needed for his truck, he bought a bunch of stupid bolt on accessories trying to make an old POS look cool. Ugh!

 

[AndyG]

This one was lifted on 38's which didn't help. Plus he drove it like it was a mustang. The very first time his tranny went, he talked his grandmother into having it rebuilt for him and she put like 4k into a fancy performance rebuild. The very day he got it back he took it mudding really hard and blew it the same day. Didn't give it time to break in at all. After that everyone washed their hands with helling him so he was on his own. That's when he learned to start turning his own wrenches and the value of something. Well he's still learning. He just got his tax check this week and instead of buying things he really needed for his truck, he bought a bunch of stupid bolt on accessories trying to make an old POS look cool. Ugh!

Good for you ! When they start writing the check and get skin in the game is when the learning starts.

Same exact thing happened in our family ...my son wouldn’t listen on a project truck I was willing to help with , so I bought myself a Jeep instead of wasting the money.

You are doing him a huge favor ...the worse thing a parent can do is try to protect a child from his own choices continually.

When I was 20, I had no idea how people as dumb as my parents had a kid as smart as me .

 

[AndyG]

Here they are . The white one is the2003, the Blue 2006.

The ladder behind I’d my dad in laws ...let’s hope he doesn’t fall off of it....again. Dislocated both shoulders this past summer.

He’s an awesome guy....really is.

Well , let’s try again on a pic.

 

[S.McArthur]

 

[Xposure]

Here they are . The white one is the2003, the Blue 2006.

The ladder behind I’d my dad in laws ...let’s hope he doesn’t fall off of it....again. Dislocated both shoulders this past summer.

He’s an awesome guy....really is.

Well , let’s try again on a pic.View attachment 141957

Looks great! I agree that projects and modifying things is 100x better when you can pick the brain of people who have gone before you and have experience. Makes a HUGE difference.

I'm in AL....we should go riding sometime. Although...I dont wheel mine hard since I dont have lockers *yet*.

 

[AndyG]

Looks great! I agree that projects and modifying things is 100x better when you can pick the brain of people who have gone before you and have experience. Makes a HUGE difference.

I'm in AL....we should go riding sometime. Although...I dont wheel mine hard since I dont have lockers *yet*.

PM me anytime