Jeep owner's style of modification....

[SurfGuitar141]

Over the last several weeks I've been paying close attention to how different Jeep owner's modify their vehicles. Not just Liberty's, but also Wrangler's, Cherokee's, Grand Cherokee's, and Commanders.
I've come up with 6 categories I believe covers every general style class from stock to extreme, and would like to see how others approach (or view) their own Jeep and what they've done to it....

Stock...kind of self explanatory, those who like to leave it factory stock.

Moderate - Utilitarian...This would include a suspension modification from leveling kit (or clevis lift) to a full 3" lift, either stock or Soft 8 style rims, AT, or mud terrain tires. Can also include an after market steel front and / or rear bumper, winch, recovery points, skid plates, and roof rack. Moderate use of after market lighting.

Moderate - Stylish...This would include everything in the utilitarian category with the addition of flashy paint job, highly stylish after market rims, an assortment of chrome add-on's like lense guards, fuel filler cap, windshield wiper arms...etc...etc... Excessive use of after market lighting.

Fully Modified - Utilitarian....This would include everything in the "Moderate - Utilitarian" class, but would include suspension lifts over 4", and may also include body lifts on solid frame Jeeps, plus appropriate size tires in all categories of tread. This category also includes SFA conversions on IFA vehicles, Snorkles, high lift jacks mounted externally, spare gas cans mounted externally.

Fully Modified - Stylish....This would include everything in the "Fully Modified - Utilitarian" class with the addition of flashy paint job, stylish after market rims, and chrome add-on's.

Extreme...This would include a combination of suspension and body lifts putting the vehicle at dangerous heights, Monster truck size tires, stuffing the biggest V-8 possible under the hood, open exhaust, enough lights to play a game of night baseball under, show type vehicle.

Vote early and vote often.....

 

[twack]

i feel that is too small a range for kjs. theres only a handful of "fully modded" accourding to your book. and most everyone is in the "moderate"

 

[ptsb5a]

Guess I'd call my KJ "moderate - utilitarian" according to that scale. If you segregate the lifts from the all other stuff like bumpers, winches and rails... you might come up with a better data set. There are lots of variations on lifted KJs here (spacers, springs...) but not nearly as many with all the gear required to be trail capable like winches, bumpers, skid plates, recovery points et al.

As far as the KJ goes, I'd call mine nearly fully modified-utilitarian. Wait 'til I get some rock rails and a decent roof rack.

 

[SurfGuitar141]

I agree there really should be more categories, but I was trying to keep it simple, and also open to other models of Jeeps.

What got me started on this was standing in the parking lot of the local hardware store this morning, I parked next to a stock earlier model Renegade, a few spaces over was a older model Cherokee Sport with a 4" lift, and big mudders on black Soft 8's, in rolls a silver Wrangler with a 4" lift, big mudders on obnoxious looking rims. Driving down the street was a Ford F-250 with what looked like a combination suspension & body lift, monster truck size tires on the ugliest rims I've seen yet, and some really ugly graphics plastered all over it.

That all got me thinking of how different folks approach modifying and customizing our Jeeps, what one person thinks is ugly or obnoxious, someone else thinks is cool. Some folks will walk past a lift Jeep with good sized tires and wonder why someone would do that to a perfectly good Jeep, and I've walked past stock Jeeps wondering why the owner hasn't done anything to it.....

So I came up with this poll to see how the folks here think of their mod's compared to others, keeping in mind that some mod's have a purpose, while others are strictly for looks......

 

[J-Thompson]

IMO there is not enough dedicated to "true modifications"
-aftermarket/high clearance skids
-relocating springs and shocks
-upgraded steering
-locking diff's
-custom or modified control arms
-SYE and drive shaft swaps

all this was done to my TJ and I consider it to be mildly modified
every thing on the list is "looks" and does not serve much function
for the money I have in my TJ ,only 3" of lift and 32's, I could be rolling 5"+ lift and 35's
would suck out on the trails and not be able to get out of its own way on the road
but in the classes up there it would be fully modified ,IMO not even close

 

[loves_off_roading]

I'm not really into all the mod stuff. The only mod I want is the Jeep Liberty light bar. But it’s so darn expensive

 

[SurfGuitar141]

IMO there is not enough dedicated to "true modifications"
-aftermarket/high clearance skids
-relocating springs and shocks
-upgraded steering
-locking diff's
-custom or modified control arms
-SYE and drive shaft swaps

all this was done to my TJ and I consider it to be mildly modified
every thing on the list is "looks" and does not serve much function
for the money I have in my TJ ,only 3" of lift and 32's, I could be rolling 5"+ lift and 35's
would suck out on the trails and not be able to get out of its own way on the road
but in the classes up there it would be fully modified ,IMO not even close

I understand and appreciate where you're coming from with this J-Thompson, but if I were to sit here and break things down to every particular modification that can be made to a Liberty or any other model Jeep, this poll would be massive and most wouldn't want to read it all. I wanted to include most of the basics in each category without going overboard.
Ya gotta go with the spirit of the discussion and not pick it apart with details.....

 

[J-Thompson]

I understand and appreciate where you're coming from with this J-Thompson, but if I were to sit here and break things down to every particular modification that can be made to a Liberty or any other model Jeep, this poll would be massive and most wouldn't want to read it all. I wanted to include most of the basics in each category without going overboard.
Ya gotta go with the spirit of the discussion and not pick it apart with details.....

yeah but not one of the of the categories has what really makes a
Jeep or any 4X4 "modified" what you have listed is simple bolt on
looks only mods and dont really have a place in the modified world

The saying goes
"real Jeeps are built not bought"