I'd agree with what everyone else has put here. Drive it stock, work out what you like/don't like and where you want to improve and then go from there.
For me I hated the fact that it scraped it's belly off road all the time (I have the JKU) and I thought the stock suspension was too harsh over broken roads when empty (as it is 90% of the time). I therefore wanted something that gave a bit of lift, a smoother ride when empty and could still hold a load when we go away camping. I ended up with Suspension Stuff flexy coils as they are progressive giving the softer ride when empty but still having the ability to support the fully loaded weight. They area also tailor made to suit the weight of our car/accessories so you can pretty much pick the height you want exactly. I also used the Rancho adjustable shocks, partly so that I can adjust the shocks to suit the weight and therefore make better use of the progressive nature of the coils and partly because they came in a mid length version that gave more travel than the standard length shocks but not as much as full long travel shocks that then give other issues when used in the JK front end. This was my thought process when looking for a lift but it is a very personal think. That's why it's important to work out what you want and why you want it before you do anything. What I've done may well not suit someone else who's looking for different things.
I'd also advise that you do more than springs and shocks. There are plenty on here that have done only springs and shocks and had no issues what so ever but I didn't want to take the risk. Having some form of castor correction (I used adjustable lower control arms) reduces the possibility of getting death wobbles later. I also used an adjustable track bar to re-centre the front diff and between the two it has also sorted the steering out loads as well. It no longer tries to shake me apart over bumpy roads and is so much more controlled on bumpy corners. It meant spending more money (and therefore taking longer to save it in the first place) but it was well worth it for ride comfort alone let alone the death wobble prevention factor. It certainly cost me more than I wanted it to and took a lot longer than I initially thought but I now have the ride I wanted from it so I couldn't be happier.
As far as tyre's go (and assuming you have an '08 onwards with the 17" wheels, not an '07 with the 16" wheels), you can replace the stock 245/75/17's with 265/70/17's to gain a little extra width (they also look better as they fill the guards a little more!) without any issues. They have the same rolling diameter so it's basically a straight swap. 285/70/17's (almost 33") is the biggest most people go on stock wheels and can fit under without a lift but you may need to look at your bump stops and might therefore have reduced wheel travel. You may get slight rubbing on the sway bar with these but nothing to worry about. These knock the gearing out a touch as they are slightly bigger rolling diameter but again nothing to be worried about unless you're doing a lot of towing.
Hope all of this is useful. Have fun getting to know your JK. Even stock it'll still surprise (read "frighten") you with how far it can go if you're new to 4WD'ing. I was in the same position as you 2 years ago and I was amazed with what it could do stock, even with the standard tyres (which probably aren't that bad for you anyway if you'll be doing a lot of sand driving). After that, keep researching and ask questions if you need to as what these guys don't know about JK's isn't worth knowing.
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Silver MY10 JKU CRD Auto - SOLD - Now just loitering for the hell of it
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