As stated, one of my goals for this build is to keep it "lightly" modified in the hopes of maintaining fuel economy as well as ease of maintenance and spare parts availability.
37's are super tempting but then that necessitates a re-gear from OEM 4.10 to aftermarket 4.56 (voiding my warranty and adding cost). Where most go wrong is the suspension, and adding more tire than what is really needed. So I'm thinking a mild 2.5 inch lift and a set of 35's which is ONE size larger than OEM (same as I did on my JL build) is the smart play here.
Looking across the spectrum of suspension manufacturers, and especially those in the Gladiator market, I looked at Icon, Metal Tech, Evo, Rock Krawler, and Clayton Offroad.
Right now I gotta say I'm super impressed with Clayton Offroad (who I had never heard of) and their 2.5 inch "Overland Plus" suspension. This kit checks all the boxes for me regarding strength, durability and simplicity.
So many decisions to make
My only critique, and word of caution, is they come from that hard-core rock crawling background. The overland scene is something relatively new to them. That said, the new bushing they are using in their JL/JLU/JT kits are legit. I got to see some pre-production components of their JLU kit at a show last year. Judging by the photos it looks like this kit is based off those components. I only wish they would do a modest overland-style kit for the older Jeeps like my LJ.
My only other fear is the ride not being as good as a more comprehensive kit like Icon which has both shocks and springs as part of the package. I'm sure you can get a set of Bilstien 5160's to work with the Clayton kit, but I'm always wary of suspension kits that don't include shocks tuned for the springs. However, as far as fit-and-finish go, their stuff is top quality.
30 minutes
How useable is the storage in the XL Gear Pods? I’m thinking it’d be a excellent place to stash a backpack and camera bag when running in the store on a trip. Also in a couple years when kids are on the way might be a good place to stash a diaper bag.
I think you'll be much happier in the long run with the Icon kit. It's more comprehensive and it's all been designed, tested, and tuned to play nice together.
Agreed.
Word on the street is that you can no longer order a JT in Gator Clear Coat...
... Jeep colors come and go. Glad I jumped on this one when I did!