Mile 15,995: It finally rained pretty heavy in California. There are some new leaks in the hardtop. They appear to have been caused by the wreck and/or poor installation/removal of the top for bodywork at the shop. The aftermarket rocker guard does not fit well on the crashed/repaired side, but it's perfect on the other. Like I said, a wrecked vehicle will never be the same.
Mile 16,016: Today, the guys at work make fun of the JK's droopy front suspension. I measured it next to a stock Rubicon and found ours to be sagging nearly 2 inches from the extra weight of the front bumper and winch. I just happened to have a Daystar spacer kit in my office, so I went home and installed the 13.4-inch front spacers the next morning.
Mile 16,038: Now that the Jeep sits level, the hood has started buffeting at wind speeds exceeding 85 mph. A slightly lower front suspension (like stock) would help prevent this from happening. Engineers and Christian Hazel will tell you your Jeep will get slightly better gas mileage with the nose down.
Mile 16,500: Christian and the engineers are right! But by only about a half-mile per gallon. The tires are chunking pretty badly after a particularly rough desert trip in sandy terrain with hidden rocks. I suspect that Jeep specifies a different tread compound than what BFG would normally offer. The rear locker seems kinda fussy; it won't lock anymore and makes clunking noises when I try to use it. I also found out that the engine doesn't like climbing extremely steep inclines of 35 or more degrees. It began to knock like it was starving for oil. After miles and miles of bumps off-road, the shocks got pretty hot but didn't seem to fade too badly. Impressive.
Mile 17,038: Really heavy rains reveal leaks in the door that got hit. When I look closely I see daylight between the door seal and the top. There is also a leak between the two top panels and another on the rear window. The rear-window leak is clearly from a damaged seal. Looks like the body shop hit it with something sharp, which cut it. I'd rather deal with it than risk them "fixing" it worse than it is.
Mile 19,210: For some reason, the battery warning light came on. It was only 37 degrees. The light stayed on during the entire 30-mile commute, then went out when I restarted. The factory battery has looked kinda leaky since 10,000 miles. I'll be keeping an eye on it, but it seems to be starting the Jeep just fine.
Mile 20,000: I run the stock Rubicon tires at 25-30 psi on the street for the best ride and proper tire wear. Off-road, 15 psi helps protect the 17-inch wheels and has provided pretty good traction in just about every terrain. The JK got its first flat tire-I hit a good-size pointy rock at about 50 mph in the desert and cut the sidewall. The tires are chunking pretty badly now. What I found out is that Jeep specifies a different (harder) tread compound to improve handling and fuel economy. The harder compound is not as good for off-road use.
Mile 20,515: The ABS is a pain in my ass. A less-aggressive brake system kicks in when you shift into low-range. Unfortunately, I use high-range most of the time while wheeling in sand, snow, and mud-yep, the places where you want as little ABS as possible for quick stopping. I found myself nearly launching off a razorback in the dunes due to the ABS not wanting to lock-up the wheels in the sand. I wish ABS were on a switch for just such a wheeling situation.