Once a Jeep owner, always a Jeep owner…right? Chris Scerbo’s first Jeep was a TJ with a 6” lift but after he got married and started a family, his first build had to go (who else can relate?). He recently upgraded his replacement JK for a 2018 JLU 4-door Rubicon @keepinitstock and it’s looking pretty sharp. It’s also big enough for the family, but most importantly big enough to hit some epic trails. Learn all about his new build below.
What got you into the Jeep Offroad scene?
Back in the day I had a TJ with a 6” lift. In South Florida it was all the rage to run 33s and big fenders but eventually I got married and had kids so the TJ was sold. After a few years, I decided to get a 4 door JK. The build started pretty simple with a 4.5” BDS lift, but quickly progressed into Evo Long arm and 38s, then 40s and Dana 60 rear with a Rubicon 44 front, and Sprintex supercharger. From there I beefed it up even more with a full Rock Hard roll cage, and coilovers.
That Jeep really kicked off my love for the Jeep community but when I drove a JL for the first time I knew I had to have one and the JK was sold shortly after that.
What made you want to buy the JL?
Personally, it was the way that Jeep upgraded the JL over the JK. It seemed like all of my complaints about the previous Jeep were fixed from the factory, which meant less money was spent making it something I love even more! Right off the bat, I loved the new electronics, gauge cluster, radio and alpine speaker upgrade. Even implementing the door detention pieces so that the doors don’t fly open like the JL were so well thought out.
What really sold me though was the new 8 speed transmission.
The only thing I wasn’t thrilled with at first were the body lines, but even they eventually grew on me. Jeep did a phenomenal job with everything they did minus the paint on the dash board that doesn’t match my red.
What was the build process on the JL?
Originally I had it on 37s and a Rock Krawler Mid Arm. But I knew that I was going to have 40s and decided to upgrade pretty quickly. Cooper STT Pro was the choice of tire for me because they were well priced, quiet and very easy to balance, while being very effective offroad.
From there I decided on Motobilt’s front and rear crusher bumpers and had them powder coated in EVO Gray. A few months ago I decided that the stock plastic flares had to go and ordered the Nemesis Industries Crawler narrow flares. I waited a while for them but they were 100% worth it because they bolted up perfectly.
The fit and finish were amazing which I think helps tie the look of the JL together.
Up next it’s going to get 5.13 gears, RCV shafts, Falcon steering stabilizer, and hopefully I will be able to get my hands on a set of brand new Rock Krawler bypass shocks. I also have a full Rock Hard roll cage ready to go in as well! After this, the only other thing I can think of is possibly a long arm from RK and switching all of the lighting to LED.
What are your next wheeling plans?
Being in Florida, it’s hard to find good wheeling spots that aren’t hours and hours away.
There is one trip I have wanted to do for a while and because it’s the Mecca for Jeeps, I plan to make the trip to Moab in 2020 for Easter Jeep Safari.
I plan to drive the Jeep there and back. If something breaks along the way, I will fix it and keep driving! It’s definitely a bucket list trip for me. Some of my other favorite places are Hard Rock offroad park here in FL and Windrock in TN.
What keeps you in the Jeep community?
The people. Everybody that I have come across has been willing to help in some way or another. I have found that everyone I have met have been honest people who also care about the community. I’ve broken everything under the sun on my JK and it seemed like everyone was willing to help me fix it and get going again no matter if it was on the trail, free of charge or even towing my Jeep back to a shop for me.
I haven’t experienced another community quite like this one and I plan to be around it for quite some time!
Well, looks like even though this build is already off to a sick start…the future is bright for @keepnitstock too. We can’t wait to see this build will look like when Chris finally decides he’s done (but seriously, we all know being ‘done’ with your build is a rarity). Be sure to show this article and his build some love below.