Fingers Crossed, 1st time owner, '19 Ch TH
 

So I'm Randy, my Jeep is Hugh Moore, pronounced Humor, it's still a girl lol. She's a 2019 Cherokee Trailhawk. I'm a member of a few other forums, ranging from "We're pretty much all super nice, polite, great folks, but we all drive Wranglers and just don't really care about your Cherokee" -Jeepz lol, to "You own a part (lift kit) from those who sell not be named (MFC) cause apparently we tried to extort money from them and so we're going to edit and delete your comments now." -(ahem) "Blank Blank" Club... I drive a Jeep Cherokee... It was bizarre and kinda disgusting to see an already small market, have club/forum owners trying to keep any mention of a major part dealer off their forums and away from an already small community, because MFC wouldn't pay them an ad fee.

The users were great, the people own and run it, sucked. I realize you don't really have free speech on a forum, but the last person you should be editing and deleting comments from is a damn veteran who just wanted to talk jeep stuff and had no dog in the fight. I just want the part whoever makes that fits my specific need, I don't care about the politics of it. I should ask upfront if any such thing is an issue here? Is there any jeep parts company I can't mention or talk about? I'd typically assume no right? But I had a bizarre, mind blowing experience today at the Club lmao.

About me: I'm a full time dad of two, the wife and I have been married 12 years. I'm an honorably discharged veteran, 60% disabled from a small array of injuries, mostly nerve dmg in my t-spine that causes random shooting pain along my nerves, hands, knees, feet, that kinda stuff. And I am a 1st time Jeep owner. Previously, I drove a modded 2008 MazdaSpeed 3 since it's release until buying the Jeep. So it was a big change for me, as my last ventures into off-roading were in a custom built rail buggy from VW parts as teenager. We used tractor tires and cut them down into huge clawing tires for the 2wd back, and left little VW tires on front. So it was great for mudding, hill climbing, jumping even, but different than 4wd and so long ago.

I've done some medium level off-roading in Humor already, Colorado's Rampart Range Road was first, and way too easy for a Cherokee TH. But MT Baldy & the Forrest Service Road 379 area has a mixed bag of trails, with some fairly challenging portions that are optional, but Humor took all but the deep rut trails for massively jack up suspensions and after 4 trips, she's climbed up and back down with only minor under body armor scrapes, and a couple broken plastic clips my pinch weld mod cut off anyway to show for it. In the areas you have a little more freedom, I even took her up some seriously steep hills no one else had driven a path up yet. I pushed both our limits pretty hard, before she even had proper tags I should mention, and neither of us faltered. We're ready.

As for mods, I first did the MFC 2" aluminum spacer lift, then Rocky Road Outfitters' rock rails with the full diamond plate step side. Then I did a pinch weld mod while waiting for the rear wheel renting kit I have on order now; once installed I'll go 31" tires, as my rear wheel is limiting me from expanding just yet. I also built a custom Hi-Lift Jack mount off a cheap $17 hitch tongue without a ball, and and a half inch steel bar my kids found in the yard of our new place when we moved in. I plan to build my own roof rack next, and I was considering a front bumper too, but the MFC bumper is so attractive to me, I may skip building that mod my self as well. But I will also be building a cheap tarp based awning for myself. Colorado loves anything that resembles a kites so much, it tends to grab it, yank into the air and you never see it again; it belongs to Colorado now. So no need to make or buy anything nice when over the years, the odds constantly increase that someone ordered to do community service will find it destroyed on the side of the road miles away where the wind threw it.

Finally, this is all in prep to go to MOAB and a few other places this summer. I bought the Cherokee TH to off-road in relative comfort, and that's exactly what I plan to do with it. I hope my effort to build some of my own mods and the pics of such can be useful to others, and I hope to learn a lot about my 1st Jeep from the KL enthusiast sections!

Jeep On!
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.che...a74357f391.jpg
Pre-pinch weld mod image, has 2" lift and rock rails.
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