Hello from Australia , Rubicon or not to rubicon

joela

New member
Hey there first time posting need help looking at buying a jku i currently have the 2door sport . Was wondering as it is common thing that crosses a lot of new wheelers minds .do I spend the extra coin on a rubicon now I'm newish to wheeling I'm a weekend wheeler daily driver. as it stands the jku is 45k off the shop floor an the rubicon is 55k is it worth the extra 10k any help would be much appreciated cheers


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desertrunner

Active Member
Hey there first time posting need help looking at buying a jku i currently have the 2door sport . Was wondering as it is common thing that crosses a lot of new wheelers minds .do I spend the extra coin on a rubicon now I'm newish to wheeling I'm a weekend wheeler daily driver. as it stands the jku is 45k off the shop floor an the rubicon is 55k is it worth the extra 10k any help would be much appreciated cheers


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Depends on what tire size and how hard you wheel

big pluses for the rubi, stock lockers, t case, and e sway bar disco. unless your planning on swapping axles soon and upgrading the t case go for the rubi!

I recently bought a sport and have since swapped in a rubi t case and rubi sway bar and am starting to shop for axles all of which i wouldnt be doing if i had the Rubi
 

desertrunner

Active Member
Hey there first time posting need help looking at buying a jku i currently have the 2door sport . Was wondering as it is common thing that crosses a lot of new wheelers minds .do I spend the extra coin on a rubicon now I'm newish to wheeling I'm a weekend wheeler daily driver. as it stands the jku is 45k off the shop floor an the rubicon is 55k is it worth the extra 10k any help would be much appreciated cheers


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I dont know what the price point is outside of the US for rubicon parts but here a t case is roughly $1000 the sway bar set up i did was about $350 and a set of rubi take off axles are $3500 ish so it can be done for less than 10K to turn a sport into a rubi but thats US prices and availability
 

joela

New member
Well the wheeling is moderate not over the top would be max running 35s in Australia laws are very strict even then I would be un roadworthy an for the wheeling I would be doing I wouldn't think I would be upgrading diffs any time soon I'm leaning towards the rubi but 10k is a a few decent mods for the jku the T case is a biggie an the 44 up front for my needs at this stage would maybe do the trick


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Ausjeep113

New member
You would probably be better off buying the rubi mate. To swap the axle housings and transfer case down the track will just end up costing more. It's not often a rubicon is being wrecked and the last one I priced from the wreckers wanted 10k for all the rubi swap parts and then there is still all the work to swap it over. And if you wanted to swap in a pro rock 44 to replace the Dana 30 in the jku, the bare housing retails for $3,900 then you have to add axles, gears, centre carrier, locker, plus regearing the rear end.
So if you just want to run 35's and have it as a weekend wheeler/ daily, the rubicon would be the best choice if you can afford the upfront difference. Its standard running gear should last a lifetime on 35's.


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Yeahright

Member
Mate here's my two cents, you will have to look at what your going to do with it, I was wanting a rubi and could not afford it. I got the sport and worked from there.
I wheel as often as I can and I hit some hard trails, but I don't abuse it, because I have to drive it home and to work everyday.
I have had 35s on a d30 front diff for 7 years and the only one I have broken is the on that met its end with a tree (they don't like that).
I wheel with a friend who has a Rubin and his sway bar disconnect only worked when it felt like it, due to water ingress, he now has an EVO disconnect.
He has stopped coming on beach runs because the rubi transfer is a bit too low for the sand.
So my plan is to use the sport front end until it fails and upgrade, and to put in a rubicrawler so I have both transfer cases of the rubi and the sport.
In Aussie prices a pro rock 44 and rubicrawler is about 10 grand worth (if I'm lucky).
 

joela

New member
Thank you so much for every ones input it's an amazing help. I still have my 2 door sport for beach runs an so on so I may look in to the rubi cause in Aussie we can't go that big and I find fronting that coin up front . It will give me what I have to aim for in 5 plus years down the track so I feel it will be a bit more complete with going rubicon still going to have a good hard think cause it's going to be a special order an take about 5 months cause I'm after the colour Rhino and jeep Australia does not seem to want to add the special colours to this market but will let you order them . Is the auto transmission ok vs manual the rubi only comes In auto to our market not sure if that's the same in the states


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Zstairlessone

New member
Good call on the Rubi, I think take-off prices over there are going to be way higher than over here which will probably make that 10K a bargain.
 

joela

New member
So got hold of a dealer here to confirm that Rubicons only come in auto an that jeep Australia wants to keep it that way not sure on reasons but now the factor is an auto rubi when I would probably have gone manual . Very sad that they decide to do things like this


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2nd.gunman

Caught the Bug
As a fellow Australian with an auto rubi I can say you won't be disappointed with not having a manual and while the transfer ratio is way too low for the beach 4hi is perfect 99% of time anyway.

As for used parts Rubi cases come up occasionally but I haven't seen one for under $3500. Front axles you don't see often and the price is close to what you'd have in a PR44.


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PHX JK

Member
Go Rubicon

A Rubicon on 35's is a good setup. I will cost you almost as much when you can have it right out or the Box. If you were building a Serious Crawler then I go with a Sport but for an Over Land rig a Rubicon with 35s is the Way to Go
 

Wert7676

New member
Go rubicon u get a better transfer case and dana 44 up font. U get lockers they do more for performance offroad then tires ever will. Rubicon can handle 37s if you wheel smart. 35s are no problem just gussets for the c's. I wheel with a bunch of trailer Queens and I can keep up in mine. I also drive home at 80. I was new to wheeling when I bought mine and my buddy said buy the rubicon and you won't regret it. 3 years later I paid it off and I don't. I did trails stock with at tires that are known for being tough on our local trails. It will meet your expectations

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Aerojar

New member
Get the rubicon right off the bat. I've done both ways, had a 2008 JK X with nothing in it on street tires, never could get the cash or time together to build it into a rubicon.

Next JK I bought the Rubicon and only had to add a proper lift and 35's. Now I wheel whenever I want!


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sapperred1

New member
I recently had to make the same choice and choose the Rubicon. The reason was the Transfer case, the 44 front and less upgrades needed while I paid it off. So far no regrets.
 
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