scoobybri
Full Access Member
Ever since I took my new '07 KJ offroad a few weeks ago (with a friend in a Pre-Runner Tacoma) and quickly learned of the "car-like" clearance of the front skid (as compared to his truck...not even funny), I have been hinting at getting a lift for the Libby to my wife. She's been blowing me off complaining about "it will make it harder to get into" and "aren't that what the skid plates are for?" The normal arguments. She just has no idea about how bad it is...smacking little rocks and digging into trail humps when the ruts get "deep."
Today we went out into the desert to do some wheeling and hiking. Keep in mind that I know how to plant tires on rocks and how to pick a good line to avoid damage...but as you know, there are just times when you have NO choice but to scrape. First time we scraped over something a normal car could clear, my wife was like "WTF? Is this a Jeep?" Second time, "That's ridiculous!" After that, we began playing the ever-so-popular stock Libby game of "Guess if we can clear that little rock without scraping...or not." It was fun as it seemed to be hard to accurately choose the correct answer due to suspension flex at time of impact, etc.
So we stopped to eat lunch and are sitting in front of the Libby so that the front skid is almost at eye level. My wife says "I can't believe how little clearance it has. I think Jeep was a little deceptive in their clearance specs in the brochure." And then, "I think my Miata has that much clearance." (Note...it doesn't...hehe) I'm starting to like where this conversation is going so I start waxing poetic about how nice a coil lift would be, that we would get another 2.5 inches under that front skid, etc., etc. So then she asks me how much one would cost and she does not cringe so I know she's in the passenger seat in my trip down "Rusty's Coil Lift Rd." Lift will be ordered on Monday!
Now I just need to get some irrefutable proof of the merits of a new set of rubber and I'll be happy!
Today we went out into the desert to do some wheeling and hiking. Keep in mind that I know how to plant tires on rocks and how to pick a good line to avoid damage...but as you know, there are just times when you have NO choice but to scrape. First time we scraped over something a normal car could clear, my wife was like "WTF? Is this a Jeep?" Second time, "That's ridiculous!" After that, we began playing the ever-so-popular stock Libby game of "Guess if we can clear that little rock without scraping...or not." It was fun as it seemed to be hard to accurately choose the correct answer due to suspension flex at time of impact, etc.
So we stopped to eat lunch and are sitting in front of the Libby so that the front skid is almost at eye level. My wife says "I can't believe how little clearance it has. I think Jeep was a little deceptive in their clearance specs in the brochure." And then, "I think my Miata has that much clearance." (Note...it doesn't...hehe) I'm starting to like where this conversation is going so I start waxing poetic about how nice a coil lift would be, that we would get another 2.5 inches under that front skid, etc., etc. So then she asks me how much one would cost and she does not cringe so I know she's in the passenger seat in my trip down "Rusty's Coil Lift Rd." Lift will be ordered on Monday!
Now I just need to get some irrefutable proof of the merits of a new set of rubber and I'll be happy!
