2015 Jeep Sahara Budget Build

[Jennifer Langille]

New Chapter.

No more Rubicon . Weclome, a fully-owned, title in-hand, STOCK 2015 Jeep Unlimited Sahara, that I am PLANNING to build into the perfect rig for our 2020 Trans-Canada / Alaska trek.This will be my second big overland trip, having completed a year-long trek back in 2018 (Read more here.) This is a *budget build.* Meaning, I will make thoughtful budget-friendly modifications that fit the needs of the trip. I care about off-road capability and reliability, if it looks cool great, but I'm not spending my hard earned cash on cosmetics! If it does not serve a purpose/function, it's a waste of cash in my book.

The hope in starting a thread is to connect with non-Rubicon owners/members who balance funding their overland rigs with the rest of their lives. Initiate dialogue around doing a budget build and making modifications as one can, financially. It is important to note, in my case, MPGs are not a factor. My travels are based around research for the next book I'm preparing to write, and going slow (and low) fits, which means I'm travelling off-highway and at a speed that suits low MPG well. That's a common conversation around Jeep mods, and in this thread, I would rather talk about how Jeep owners who own stock Sports and Saharas can get the most out of them. I also want to empower those who don't own a Rubicon to feel their rig is more than capable! My first Jeep was a 2014 Sahara, and to-this-day, I wish I never sold it. I would have owned the title and could have invested into it, no debt, no banks, no worries. I did because after reading the forums I felt I couldn't do what I did in 2018 unless I had everything that a Rubicon had. Now I know, I didn't even need ALL that a Rubicon had, and if you followed my travels that year, you know I put the Jeep through it's paces.

Here's a breakdown of what served me well from my 2017 Jeep Unlimited Rubicon:

• LED headlamps and foglights (The newer Jeeps with stock LEDs rock!)
• The 1inch of extra clearence that comes with the Rubicon (WISHED I had a 2.5/3in lift and stronger suspension to account for the added weight of gear.)
• Rear locking differential (Life-saver. Period.)
• BFG K02s (32s) - (WISHED I had the 35s with the previously mentioned lift.)
• Gobi Roof Rack (Obviously this was not stock, but was financed into the Jeep purchase, and had to go with the Jeep. I do not work with Gobi, so this is sincere. If you are on the fence with investing into a Gobi - DO IT!)
• Skid plates (If you saw mine old ones, they'd tell a story in themselves, about this one time in Colorado.)

Here's a breakdown of what I am currently budgeting for the 2015 Jeep Unlimited Sahara (THIS LIST IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE!):

• BFG K02s (35s) w/2.5 (3 in) lift (I am eyeing Tera Flex) - HIGH PRIORITY
• Replace stock headlamps and fog lights with LEDS (still shopping around.) - HIGH PRIORITY
• Tera Flex tailgate reinforcement (or comparable since these run ~ $700) - FYI, consider 5-tire rotations if you are not already! - HIGH PRIORITY
• Replace stock rims (still shopping around.) - LOW PRIORITY
• Gobi Roof Rack (It's worth every cent!) - MID PRIORITY
• Rear locking differential (still shopping around.) - HIGH PRIORITY
• Recovery (Did not have on the Rubicon, never once needed it, but my father will sleep better if I have one.) - Front winch - MID PRIORITY
• Skids plates - HIGH PRIORITY
• Rock sliders (Did not have on the Rubicon and it hurt.) - HIGH PRIORITY

To kick things off, I HAVE to replace the tires (I currently won't pass my state inspection with the tires that came with the Jeep, so it's high priority!) With that said, I am not in a position to just buy a set for the sake of it, when I KNOW I want to move up to BFG KO2 35s with a 2.5/3in lift. It's the one and ONLY thing I wish I had on the Rubicon on the last trip. Therefore, lets start here! I'm a MASSIVE advocate in tires being the absolute most important choice, worth the investment, and worth every inch (within reason.) Don't try to talk me out of the BFGs either .

I want to discuss putting 35s onto a Sahara (or stock Sport) WITHOUT the lift/suspension modification. Why? Because I can not afford to do that till October. However, tires have to go on first week of September (2019). Has anyone done this? If you have, how'd it go for you? Rubbing? Impact on stock suspention? I will not be going off-road, just the normal dirt roads you find in the Northeast.

THANK YOU!
Jennifer (and Monty the Jeep pup!)

PS > Looking forward to connecting with OB members around this topic, again, if you are a Rubicon owner, please, I kindly ask you resist the temptation to chime in. I heart the Rubicon. I miss mine dearly. HOWEVER, with the sticker price increasing and pushing people out of Jeeps into more affordable options. Lets unite and support current Jeep owners who just need a little inspiration to "rock what they've got" as Michael would say!

 

[Specter]

I sense the makings of a great build ahead - I look forward to following the thread!

 

[itsrikka]

I had a TJ that I tucked 33s under with no lift. Rubbed everywhere. I’ve seen JKs with 35s and no lift and haven’t heard anything good. It’s possible but without hilift fenders I wouldn’t recommend it. I don’t know what week size you’re running, but you can get a 34x10.5r17 KO2. I knew one guy running them on a stock JKU and had some rubbing but still driveable.

I look forward to seeing the build you make.

“Only in a Jeep!”

 

[JCCE]

This sounds just like what I'm doing. Super stoked to see thie progress here. I have been looking at lift kits in the 2.5 range. Jspec looks to have the most complete set for around 1200, but I've been seriously looking at metalcloak and thinking of buying it a little at a time. What I do know is that the more I look and read, the less I know what I want.

 

[Kristin L]

I totally dig this post because I was in/am in the same situation as I have a 2018 JKU Sahara. I went into the build process as a total novice, learning as I went along and trying to soak as much information up as I could. The most important thing I've learned is you get what you pay for...quality is everything. I'm building my ideal overland Jeep but one that can still make it through some tough trails. I definitely have had to budget what parts I get and so it's made me more selective in what I purchase.

I started off the AEV 2.5" lift and bought some take off tires and wheels that were brand new so I ended up saving in that regard. The tires I went with were the BFG KM2 35" and it's made me a lifelong BFG fan for sure. The wheels were stock Rubicon wheels that I ended up powdercoating black so nothing fancy there, but I'm saving up for some true beadlocks in the future. I did the lift first, then big tires so I can't really speak to how bigger tires will rub. The AEV lift has really held up with all the added weight to my Jeep and it was definitely worth it to me, but something that I will change in the coming years once the budget allows. The other big purchase I made recently was a RhinoRack and Roam Adventure Co. RTT, which have opened up so many overlanding possibilities now that all I can think about is when my next trip will be. After a trip recently in the Eastern Sierras in CA, I learned how valuable having a rear locker would be and am now thinking about adding that to my future modifications. And skid plates too, like you mentioned. I think you've got the right mindset going into this! I look forward to your build's progress and wish you the best of luck!

 

[Jennifer Langille]

Thank you @Kristin L for sharing your own budget build story! A rear locking differential will change your offroad world! Once you can add-in those rear lockers and skid plates - you'll be amazed all that you can do, right down to even more creative ways to level the Jeep for flat sleeping in the RTT! :)

 

[Jennifer Langille]

What really helps me home-in what I want @JCCE - talking with the folks who are traveling the terrain I wish to explore. Homing in on the brands you trust and reading actual trail stories (vs. reviews.) I find reviews to be worthless since they are purely about selling one or the other. However, reading trip reports, stories, etc. where they both share their set-up and their experience, you start to find trends amongst certain brands with a proven track record of Jeep owners spending more time driving, exploring and less time struggling, broken down, etc. Hope that helps! I am toying with either the AEV or the Tera Flex for my lift (2.5-3in max.)

 

[JCCE]

What gearing do you run in your Sahara. Didn't know if you allowed for gear changes or are you going to continue to stock gears with 35's assuming you have 3.73's.

 

[Webman9113]

Jennifer - Thanks for starting this! We have a 2008 JKU that we bought used in 2012, and my only regret is that we didn’t buy a Jeep way earlier. I’m looking to upgrade it for overland travel, with a similar sort of filter: I’m willing to pay money for things that will really be useful, but don’t want to spend money on cosmetics. I don’t actually plan to do any really challenging off-roading/rock crawling, but want to be able to handle horrible roads and easy to moderate trails (note: our Jeep has to this point been a daily driver and toad behind our RV - I don’t have any trail experience...yet). I’ve gotten a lot of ideas from Dan, who took his Jeep all the way around Africa (The Road Chose Me), but haven’t started in on any of the $$ mods yet.