Great buy!
Congrats on the purchase! You'll find it very capable.
Having basically the same Jeep, I would recommend paying close attention to the break-over angle. The fuel tank is very low, and right under the front seats is where the most damage will occur to the skid plates, and transmission cross member. I have some damage further back on the fuel tank skid plate as well, but that was going over stuff I really shouldn't have been doing.
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If I knew then what I know now, I would have had it lifted before taking it off the lot. After running with a group of lifted JKs, it's very evident, that while I was able to hang with them, they didn't sustain any damage where I did.
I will end up with a 3.5" lift, 35" tires and some more skid plates.
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Since you'll probably be running in rocky areas, look at the rear differential cover. If it sticks down below the center section, carefully grind off the excess, and round the edge. This is a free mod, that will carry you through until you decide to get heavy duty covers, and/or differential skids.
I caught a rock under the center section, which dented the cover, and caused a leak. Had to remove the cover, hammer it straight, and reseal it.
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Dropping your tire pressure to about 15-20 psi offroad seems to work very well for this wheel tire combo. The BFGs have great grip, but get slippery if you spin them on rocks too much. Much lower than 15 psi, and ground clearance really suffers.
If it's an automatic, when you are going over obstacles ride your brakes (like doing a brake stand). This will help keep forward momentum, and lift your suspension a bit. Makes things easier while you get used to the rig.
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Hope this helps, and hope to see you on the trails. :beer:
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(Fuel tank skid plate and cross member damage, following lifted rigs, where they just breezed over the same obstacles)
