2011 Jeep Wrangler JKU
The owner of this beauty bought it at auction after it was flooded down in Louisiana. He brought it to us becasue we had already done some frame repair on an older Jeep of his, so he trusted that we knew what we were doing. It was basically stock when it got here, there was a 2 inch budget lift in it and an aftermarket front bumper, but other than that it was untouched. We talked about what he wanted and it was decided that this would be a one and done kind of deal, he wanted the works, as well as fixing all the damage caused by the water.
We started out with all the easy stuff, picked out wheels and tires: Raceline and Toyo MT’s, bumpers, fenders, rock sliders, body armor, the hood Louvre: all Poisen Spider, all the fun cosmetic stuff. We ordered all of the major components that we knew we needed, RPM steering, Adam’s driveshafts, the Rubicon Express lift, and the Currie Antirock; when packages started coming in it looked like Christmas in our storage bay. The owner even showed up just as James got back with a load of stuff that he had to pick up at the freight depot and helped us unload it all so we could open it faster and look at all the new parts.
We sent several of the components off to get powder coated, we recommend it over factory powder coat or paint because it holds up better, and if you do scratch it there’s no flaking, so it doens’t spread. James surprised the owner by having some of the pieces color matched to the paint, it really makes it all pop. It’s all about the details.
As we began working on it, we started to discover the extent of the water damage. Beyond the smell, the electronics were a mess, nothing worked. It was discovered that the water had gotten into the axles and destroyed the gears, so we ordered and installed 4.88 Yukon gears front and rear, as well as Yukon axle shafts in the rear and RCV axles in the front. All of the parts we use and recommend are thoroughly researched and chosen based on James’s 30 years of experience.
The interior was a mess so everything was removed and cleaned, and we lined the inside with Raptor Liner, an incredibly durable rubberized liner that holds up through anything and is way easier to clean than carpet, and since the owner is a farmer thats a pretty good selling point. Both axles were reinforced with Artec truss kits so the weight of the 37 inch tires wouldn’t cause bending, skid plates were installed to protect the undercarriage, and everything was painted with a durable spray paint to withstand rust, plus it looks really nice.
In the end, almost everything electrical was replaced including, but not limited to, the body control module, window motors, switches, a variety of sensors, and the antilock brake motor. We ended up adding a RIPP supercharger, gaining both power and fuel economy. There are several other things we did, exhaust and such that brought the whoe thing together as a whole. When it was picked up the owner basically drove a brand new vehicle out of the driveway.
We helped him build his dream, do you need help getting yours? Call today to discuss your options.