Brute Help!!!???

[RP3]

Greetings to all! I am a JK owner that is interested in getting started on a BRUTE. I am currently thinking of purchasing a 2006 Rubicon for the conversion. I have really no idea where to begin so I will just throw out some questions & see who can help me• is the Rubicon a good choice for this?..I am looking at a manual transmission but not an Unlimited…is there a difference?
• Will AEV do the conversion if I ship the car to them?..I am not a metal worker & can’t seem to find anyone in W Central florida who would be willing to tackle this ( w/ any competency) but would like it all done at one time. If so -what am I looking at as far as cost & time.
• The car I potentially would be purchasing is WHITE…would AEV do the painting as well? The rocker guards on the side of the jeep, are those destroyed based on the cutting of the cab?
• What lift kit would be the best fit ?...I owned a 97 TJ that had a Tuff Country 3.5” that worked great but I was thinking of running 35”s & would need more clearance.
• I am in Florida so we have no rocks or mountains here but I do offroad so I am curious as to other mods that you folks have found to work well..
My current jk…2007 4dr SAHARA with AEV bumper/skidplate ,Warn winch9.5Ti, IPF 900XS , roof rack, AEV bridger wheels and 35” BFG KM2, 4:10,3”Fabtech lift with dirtlogic shocks

[JeepinJon]

The rubicon is a good place to start if you do not want to do much for driveline upgrades. As far as the Unlimited, to standard Wrangler you get the same end result, so I would go with the standard since it tends to be cheaper used.

Yes AEV can complete the conversion for you, and they can do any painting, or body work you need. The old rocker gaurds are not destroyed since most people take them off before cutting the cab, but they would not be able to be reused without some major reworking, so if you want rocker guards the AEV Brute ones are the way to go. As far as lifts go it is all personal prefrence, but Nth degree lifts have traditionally been some of the better ones for the TJ, especially now that they are coming out with springs designed just for the Brute and the loads in the bed.

On the modification list the main ones most people find useful are front and rear bumpers, winch, lighting, and underbody and rocker guard protection. If you have these items you should be pretty well set for anything.

[somewhereinla]

Or you could buy one already build from this guys:

http://forum.aev-conversions.com/showthread.php?t=243

[RP3]

...i saw the BRUTE that is being sold...however I prefer a different color & truthfully lower mileage....any ideas to the cost for the buildup?..I expect $10 for the parts but what about labor & paint?...

[AEV Dave]

We certainly build turnkey Brutes. Contact Kent Klein (kent@aev-conversions.com) for sales, he can walk you through the process. There is an AEV built Brute for sale now, a 2006 that is khaki in color, not a Rubicon though, but I believe it only has 1800miles, we built two for a guy last summer, but he decided to trade one of them in on a four door JK. As for a starting point, a SWB Rubicon is almost always the best place to start. Kent can walk you through the different options on lifting that will work best in FL.

dh

[RP3]

when I said the parts cost $10 i meant around ten grand????...I am very interested & will definitely shoot him an email...I spoke with him before and have his phone # so I will definitely give him a call....by the way, how much is the khaki BRUTE? here is a link w/ my current jeep.....http://www.quadratec.com/community/jeep_news/rig.php?a=828

[NYCBrute]

...i saw the BRUTE that is being sold...however I prefer a different color & truthfully lower mileage....any ideas to the cost for the buildup?..I expect $10 for the parts but what about labor & paint?...

RP3...I built up a brute from a 2000 wrangler sport. AEV says about 60 hours labor...my project was a little more as they gutted and repainted the entire jeep (first time for shop in NJ). Paint& labor +mechanical labor =$13K. Brute Kit/Highline plus rockers and rear bars just shy of $12K rounding up. Plus all my extras I've added...I could have probably bought a AEV JK 4dr but I love my rig and it is just how I wanted it. Everyone at AEV is amazing, Dave took time to help me even get that special color ;). Be glad to answer any questions.

[MIKESOFFROAD]

Pr3, We Would Love To Build You A Brute. We Can Supply Jeep Or If You Have Bought A Rubi Already We Can Buil That One. Please See Our Yellow Brute In The Registry For Custom Paint Brute. We Can Make Sugestions For All Aspects Of Accessories. We Here At Mikes Off Road Are Direct With Most All Aftermarket Jeep Part Brands. We Are Starting Our Next Brute Build In 2 Weeks. We Are Going Dana 60's Front And Rear And We Haven't Decided How High Yet But It Sould Be Really Tough And Cool Looking. Call Us For Info 817-834-4900, We Are In The Dfw Area Of Texas.