Jeep Potential Initial Upgrades

[Ducksquasher]

2015 Jeep Wrangler Sahara...any feedback on adding a K&N filter/intake and an aftermarket exhaust...maybe a Magnaflow? Worth it overall? What other initial upgrades to a stock Jeep and where to start?

Thank you!

 

[zhandfull]

That’s two things I haven’t done to my Jeep.

K&N filter waste of money. Muffler is okay if you want some more noise.

First thing I would do is some leveling spacers for front springs then maybe some bigger tires to start. Wheels spacers would be a third on my list.

 

[DWRAT]

You already have a true cold air intake.
if you change the muffler it just sounds louder and being a V-6 it sounds kinda weak IMO.
If you want more spunk, get a pedal commander, it changes throttle input and makes it feel pretty zippy.
Also, if you get bigger tires make sure you get load C rating, load E's are heavy and stiff riding.

 

[DLC]

Phase 1
40 inch mud tires
5:38 gears
1 ton axles
Steering assist
King Coil over shocks w/ bump stops

 

[SPYLIFE]

I put a programmer on my '12 and use 91.

Looks wise I feel a cheap upgrade as someone mentioned is wheel spacers unless you do tires. One of our JK's we did 33's no lift with spacers. It rides nice and looks much better. The other has 37's and is a short distance around town vehicle as it rides pretty rough, though it is new shock time.

 

[Ducksquasher]

Any suggestions on the best brand/place to source the wheel spacers?

Thanks!

 

[DLC]

My 2012 Rubi
5:13 gears on 37’s, evo suspension

 

[SJP]

Enjoy the Jeep. I love mine. Here is a link to my 2014 Rubicon build. They are awesome.

2014 SJP Jeep Rubicon JK Build

So took the plunge and picked up another hobby. I have always wanted one of these and after they came out with the well equipped 4 door models it was a no brainer for a guy with a family. Bought the unit in LHC at Anderson. Was able to negotiate a better price here than in OC. 2014 JK, Leather...

www.riverdavesplace.com

 

[DarkHorseRacing]

Any suggestions on the best brand/place to source the wheel spacers?

Thanks!

4Wheel Parts.

 

[1tonfun]

Bought an exhaust for my jeep. Installed it, drove around the block, pulled back in the shop and put the stock one back on and sold it on FB. Sounded like a fart can on steroids LOL.

 

[DLC]

I have a Borla cat back on my 2005 it’s a 258 I6 has a little mild rumbal

But the V6 …. Not sure.

Think I’d wait and kinda listen to other jeeps and then ask what they run if you hear something you like….

 

[DLC]

@Ducksquasher

Off Road Expo - Pomona, Ca.

It’s a Fun 1/2 day looking at cool stuff …

California Event Overview | Off-Road Expo

The Pomona, California Off-Road Expo event offers the greatest collection of off-road companies, parts, equipment, gear and experts ever assembled in America.

www.offroadexpo.com

 

[Ducksquasher]

Thank you!

 

[DLC]

So fixing up a jeep is fun, I love it and will always have a Jeep….

The direction you go depends on your intended usage.

Hard to say what or how your going to use it…..
tow behind a motorhome
Wife daily ride
3rd car - date night
Mild off road exploring

If it was me just starting out I would go w/ 35 in tires they look beefy and has a nice stance, 35’s fit the newer jeeps JK & JL with out very much modification
With that you might need a little suspension lift or level kit and longer shocks

The off road expo Pomona is great and they usually have all kinds of Jeep gear you can look at and kinda kick the tire and ask questions with the different vendors


I’d find a Jeep I like style height and tires etc and head that direction
Any Jeep guy loves to talk about his Jeep - see something ya like ask away !!

 

[DLC]

@RVRKID is in the tire wheel and suspension business

He knows his stuff !

 

[Jonas Grumby]

2015 Jeep Wrangler Sahara...any feedback on adding a K&N filter/intake and an aftermarket exhaust...maybe a Magnaflow? Worth it overall? What other initial upgrades to a stock Jeep and where to start?

Thank you!

Waist of $

 

[TPC]

Id skip the K&N and dance with who brung ya, what ever the Jeep engineers figured the correct air filter for the vehicle.
Dunno if you have smog checks, but hold that thought on any modifications.

 

[callbob]

Love my Jeep and so does Charley. Pic was before winch went on. Just Empty Every Pocket.

 

[81Sprint]

Don't waste the money on cold air and exhaust. It's a jeep, if your gonna use it off road put that money in suspension and recovery gear. Good suspension/shocks will make those off road trips WAY more enjoyable. A Sahara won't have lockers from the factory, that is a great upgrade as well.

 

[Bigbore500r]

2015 Jeep Wrangler Sahara...any feedback on adding a K&N filter/intake and an aftermarket exhaust...maybe a Magnaflow? Worth it overall? What other initial upgrades to a stock Jeep and where to start?

Thank you!

Ensuring you have the proper gears for tire size is the best thing your can do for perfomance.

It's more of a priority to just to try and keep them on the road.
This may come off as pessemistic, but I work on alot of stuff and by far, our Jeep makes me say WHAT THE FUCK more than any vehicle i've ever dealt with.

Engine upgrade #1 should be replacing the oil cooler housing, if it has not been done. Your almost at the 10 year mark, and they are plastic. It's gonna pop and leave you stranded. Dorman makes a replacement thats metal, but not sure if people are having good luck with them or not. If the radiator hasn't been done, that will be right on the heels. If you do these and change the thermostat while your in there . . . only use a factory Mopar replacement thermostat, in a Mopar branded bag. None of the aftermarket / auto parts store themrostats work, they all cause overheatinjg issues. The problem is, the Mopar thermostats are on major backorder and hard to get, like most of Chrysler's problematic parts......

Engine upgrade #2 - Plan ahead and purchase a complete set of cam followers, lash adjusters, and a valve cover / intake gasket kit. When the tap of death starts.....you'll already have the parts ready to have them all swapped out. If you here ANY abnormal tapping from outside of the vehicle, that's the time to save your motor and change them all out before the cam(s) get destroyed. If you don't notice the sound till you can hear it inside the vehicle....it's usually too late. Make sure you listen to the motor from outside of the jeep regularly.
Its not a matter of if....its when......

Purchase #3 - buy a replacement ABS module for your 2015, if you can find it, while they still have them available. Garaunteed to go out. Ours went out, and the replacement module is on a 12 month backorder. Dash lit up like a christmas tree, no functioning cruise control, and no ABS fucnction. Still drives, luckily.

General recommendation -
Dont touch any of the engine harness wires or connectors under the hood if you can help it, and be careful who you let work on the vehicle. The wiring insulation just crumbles, and the already overstressed engine harness wires (due to being too short in most cases) develop shorts and continuity breaks very easy. I can go on for hours of all the issues i've head chasing electrical gremlins, and replacing connectors that crumble when your attempting to fix the engine.


Happy Jeeping!

 

[dribble]

Those are two modifications that will do only one thing. Make it a little louder. The GF ordered a K&N for our LJ and I made her send it back. There is a cat back system on ours but we bought it that way. I would trade it for the factory system.

 

[whiteworks]

I bought mine off a buddy who spent a small fortune setting it up, it’s got full armor under it, sits on 38’s with bead locks and fox shocks, had real rock sliders but I cut those off and put the slider steps on for my short wife. Winch, bumpers and a roof rack, fridge slide out and dometic cooler and some lights and rock lights under it are a few things I’d say are critical. We flat tow it behind the motorhome and it can run the majority of the trails at the hammers if you’re not stupid about it.

Building jeeps is a slippery slope, they all start out needing things, then you go out with your buddies and one thing leads to another and your doing an LS swap, stretching it with tons and 42’s. I’m sure mine will end up like my buddys pictured here at some point because sometimes I do dumb shit

For now our little family truckster is right where it needs to be and very effective.

 

[Ducksquasher]

All good stuff...thank you everyone!

Question...we have our Traverse set-up to tow currently behind our moho. This will be our new "go to" for that. We have a Roadmaster set-up...I know that Jeep's should be an easier set-up for towing...what is everyone doing for towing their Jeep's? Best to wire it in for braking? I have never used one of those brake assist boxes so nothing to compare to the Stay and Play systems?

Thanks!

 

[callbob]

I use the Ready brake . It’s on the NSA tow bar with th brackets to fit my Roadmaster base plate. I also had the jeep wired when baseplate installed. I went with the ready brake because all the rest have electronics that I didn’t want to deal with. This is a surge brake deal that you run a cable through the firewall to brake pedal. Lots of you tube videos on this setup. Now, if you are going to run a winch bumper there are only 3 or 4 that are tow approved.

 

[Nanu/Nanu]

Once you finish swapping every stock part out you will love it!!

 

[2Driver]

Uuuhhhhh, what do you plan to use the jeep for?

LOL Insert as post #2

 

[Lunatic Fringe]

Uuuhhhhh, what do you plan to use the jeep for?

LOL Insert as post #2

Spending countless dollars on. Duh.

You and I both know that program all to well.

 

[whiteworks]

All good stuff...thank you everyone!

Question...we have our Traverse set-up to tow currently behind our moho. This will be our new "go to" for that. We have a Roadmaster set-up...I know that Jeep's should be an easier set-up for towing...what is everyone doing for towing their Jeep's? Best to wire it in for braking? I have never used one of those brake assist boxes so nothing to compare to the Stay and Play systems?

Thanks!

I set mine up with a blue ox tow bar that attaches to the front bumper d ring mounts, hitch riser so it’s level for motorhome and a brake buddy that sits on the floor in front of drivers seat. I wired up the tail lights with after market harness, and also put diodes in all the lines running to and from motorhome, also has a small trickle charger that keeps power to Jeep while in tow, I’m going to upsize that charger as the dometic cooler taxes the battery after all day and cooler will go into limp mode LOL.

I’ve had one hard braking situation and the motorhome stops better with Jeep hooked up than it does on its own. Whole setup paid for itself on that first hard braking situation.

If you do the install yourself on everything figure $2500.00 if you take it someplace $5K+ was the quotes I was getting. It’s like digging a hole, it’s not complicated, it’s just a lot of work.

 

[2Driver]

Spending countless dollars on. Duh.

You and I both know that program all to well.

Im 220 into my F350 build, the good thing its makes all the Jeep stuff seem super cheap.

 

[Lunatic Fringe]

Im 220 into my F350 build, the good thing its makes all the Jeep stuff seem super cheap.

Pshhh.
I owned an F450 with the 6.4 power stroke.
I had that much in repairs.

 

[Morehart]

I've had 4 xj's over the years. All with the 4.0l I line 6. All stock, all Mopar parts, before the one I have now the last one hit 350k before I sold it. Last I heard it was still going strong. So as far as engine upgrades I say stock. These are jeeps not hot rods. For suspension I chose zone off-road. Mild 3 inch but with the upgraded shocks. I must say I was tempted to buy a rough country kit, considering it was half the price, but darn this thing is way smoother than my buds rough country lift. For steering upgrades and bumpers chose Rustys off road products. I like the hidden winch front bumper. ( what I chose. ) and the steering.

 

[H20 Toie]

#1 Get a winch
#2 learn how to use a winch safely

Then start having fun

 

[Ducksquasher]

Spending countless dollars on. Duh. You and I both know that program all to well.

Uuuhhhhh, what do you plan to use the jeep for?

LOL Insert as post #2

Mild off-roading/trails, tow behind the moho, fishing/hunting vehicle...aside from that kids drive to school.

 

[whiteworks]

Mild off-roading/trails, tow behind the moho, fishing/hunting vehicle...aside from that kids drive to school.

Sounds like a pretty mild list of requirements and basic build is where you need to be. I’m not a fan of wheel spacers, that’s mall crawler stuff. Better to get some decent lift/suspension under it that actually does something other than put leverage on things that don’t need more stress on them as you articulate/load the suspension when you are offroad.

The onboard air is a must have, ability to air down and air up is priceless and the easiest way to create traction and soften up the ride, with that concept in mind is where real bead locks come into play, you can air way down and not break the bead when you stress load the suspension and tires when you articulate the suspension.

Since you’re not looking for lots of height some good armor under the rig is also priceless as you can drag the Jeep across rocks without mashing up important things.

Having the ability to recover and or repair your rig/tires and also plug leaks in yourself should an injury occur is also wise, first aide and recovery gear along with winch and jack will be nice when needed by you or some other jackwagon you cross paths with on the trail.

A nice race radio is also good to have onboard, even a handheld with the basic stations programmed will come in handy as soon as you group up with some buddies.

A nice fridge and slide out is awesome to have as you never have to worry about ice, once you have one of those in a vehicle you will wonder how you lived without one.

It’s all a slippery slope once you start buying Jeep parts and playing with these really cool pieces of shit, like mentioned above once you have replaced all the Jeep stuff you will have a nice car.

 

[callbob]

Once you start down the rabbit hole there is no going back lol

 

[2Driver]

Mild off-roading/trails, tow behind the moho, fishing/hunting vehicle...aside from that kids drive to school.

After 30 years, a dozen Jeeps of all types and having a friend that was the Rubicon engineer at Jeep, for what you are doing….. leave it alone. Especially DONT do the exhaust, intake and wheel spacers.

Im guessing you have dana 30 axles and 3:73 gears which are ok. If you want to do something mild then do a daystar or Teraflex 1.5” puck lift and a set of 34 11:50 17“ tires on the stock rims or 285's in metric. Don’t fall for “I have to have 35 inch tires” or God forbid let the dealer sell you 305 or 315’s.

This is all you really need. Learn how to drive, pick a line, tire placement and how to use the brake in conjunction with the throttle to better activate the limited slip…ie poor mans locker technique. If you really want to start heavy off roading youll want a different Jeep anyway. Leave it alone.

 

[LHC30]

This ^

I ran my stock 4dr Rubicon across the famed Rubicon trail. Sure, it scraped some, but it was far more impressive than I was

 

[Ducksquasher]

Sounds like a pretty mild list of requirements and basic build is where you need to be. I’m not a fan of wheel spacers, that’s mall crawler stuff. Better to get some decent lift/suspension under it that actually does something other than put leverage on things that don’t need more stress on them as you articulate/load the suspension when you are offroad.

The onboard air is a must have, ability to air down and air up is priceless and the easiest way to create traction and soften up the ride, with that concept in mind is where real bead locks come into play, you can air way down and not break the bead when you stress load the suspension and tires when you articulate the suspension.

Since you’re not looking for lots of height some good armor under the rig is also priceless as you can drag the Jeep across rocks without mashing up important things.

Having the ability to recover and or repair your rig/tires and also plug leaks in yourself should an injury occur is also wise, first aide and recovery gear along with winch and jack will be nice when needed by you or some other jackwagon you cross paths with on the trail.

A nice race radio is also good to have onboard, even a handheld with the basic stations programmed will come in handy as soon as you group up with some buddies.

A nice fridge and slide out is awesome to have as you never have to worry about ice, once you have one of those in a vehicle you will wonder how you lived without one.

It’s all a slippery slope once you start buying Jeep parts and playing with these really cool pieces of shit, like mentioned above once you have replaced all the Jeep stuff you will have a nice car.

Good points...thank you.

I am going to have to check out this fridge/slideout deal. Haven't seen this yet?

 

[Ducksquasher]

Once you start down the rabbit hole there is no going back lol

This is what I am afraid of...good thing is that I usually try to keep things pretty simple in my life and I tend to over think things so hopefully that will "temper" me going wild.

 

[2Driver]

Recalling the old lending tree guy….

 

[plaster dave]

I was told by Dixie 4 wheel drive, if you jeep in sand do not install a k&n filter unless you want to rebuild your engine.

 

[DaBank]

I have had many Jeep's over the year's. They are a lot of fun and have taken the family on many adventures. I could not imagine not have one but I am thinking of selling my long armed 2017 Rubicon Recon to get a new Jeep..... kind of..... a Gladiator Rubicon.
It would serve being a OK truck and a OK Jeep by eliminating two vehicles into one.

 

[2Driver]

I have had many Jeep's over the year's. They are a lot of fun and have taken the family on many adventures. I could not imagine not have one but I am thinking of selling my long armed 2017 Rubicon Recon to get a new Jeep..... kind of..... a Gladiator Rubicon.
It would serve being a OK truck and a OK Jeep by eliminating two vehicles into one.

Funny I traded in my 2017 Recon for a Gladiator Lol thats what I told myself too.

Here's me in 2023 in the Gladiator for the second time

Heres me in 2024

 

[DWC]

Id skip the K&N and dance with who brung ya, what ever the Jeep engineers figured the correct air filter for the vehicle.
Dunno if you have smog checks, but hold that thought on any modifications.

Ensuring you have the proper gears for tire size is the best thing your can do for perfomance.

It's more of a priority to just to try and keep them on the road.
This may come off as pessemistic, but I work on alot of stuff and by far, our Jeep makes me say WHAT THE FUCK more than any vehicle i've ever dealt with.

Engine upgrade #1 should be replacing the oil cooler housing, if it has not been done. Your almost at the 10 year mark, and they are plastic. It's gonna pop and leave you stranded. Dorman makes a replacement thats metal, but not sure if people are having good luck with them or not. If the radiator hasn't been done, that will be right on the heels. If you do these and change the thermostat while your in there . . . only use a factory Mopar replacement thermostat, in a Mopar branded bag. None of the aftermarket / auto parts store themrostats work, they all cause overheatinjg issues. The problem is, the Mopar thermostats are on major backorder and hard to get, like most of Chrysler's problematic parts......

Engine upgrade #2 - Plan ahead and purchase a complete set of cam followers, lash adjusters, and a valve cover / intake gasket kit. When the tap of death starts.....you'll already have the parts ready to have them all swapped out. If you here ANY abnormal tapping from outside of the vehicle, that's the time to save your motor and change them all out before the cam(s) get destroyed. If you don't notice the sound till you can hear it inside the vehicle....it's usually too late. Make sure you listen to the motor from outside of the jeep regularly.
Its not a matter of if....its when......

Purchase #3 - buy a replacement ABS module for your 2015, if you can find it, while they still have them available. Garaunteed to go out. Ours went out, and the replacement module is on a 12 month backorder. Dash lit up like a christmas tree, no functioning cruise control, and no ABS fucnction. Still drives, luckily.

General recommendation -
Dont touch any of the engine harness wires or connectors under the hood if you can help it, and be careful who you let work on the vehicle. The wiring insulation just crumbles, and the already overstressed engine harness wires (due to being too short in most cases) develop shorts and continuity breaks very easy. I can go on for hours of all the issues i've head chasing electrical gremlins, and replacing connectors that crumble when your attempting to fix the engine.


Happy Jeeping!

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Glad I read this before I owned another one.