(Yet another) Newb...

So...


Im sure someone will post a link or 100 about threads that have all covered this. But I want your advice, folks.

My understanding is... If I'm going to be doing mild off road-ing, nothing serious, just a few trails and nothing more than 33" tires...

• Regearing is not necessary from 3.21 even in a JKU with a 3.6 Manual 6 spd with 33" or less tires.
• Armor is a wise move to keep the DD going
• A 2.5" BB will do me just fine, like the TeraFlex spacer
• I can run a D30 front and D44 with 33" tires and 3.21 and not feel like a mini towing a Ram1500 everywhere I go
• 33x12.50 Wrangler DuraTracs on 15x8 MB72's will NOT void my warranty, but I can probably expect some frowning faces at the Service Dept
• Quick Discos are awesome and I'd be stupid not to get those
• Realistically I could spend 5 grand, be modded enough to run with some of you guys on a trail and be happy AND still have spent less than a Rubi and love my JKU

Thank you in advance! I know I'm just a newb and you guys already answer 1000000000000000000000 "help me build my Jeep!" questions an hour... but I really love the Jeep community and know you wont kill me

This is just my opinion... but with what you have described, I would not worry about the quick disco's....

I also don't think you would even get a frowny face at the service depot with 33's

Everything else seems spot on...


Belly skids are a for sure great idea

Thanks! I've been looking at LoD and EVO. I like the rocker sliders from LOD.

JKWrang said:

Thanks! I've been looking at LoD and EVO. I like the rocker sliders from LOD.

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Those are great, but I would get the skid plates for underneath first.... IMHO

http://www.offroadevolution.com/store/proddetail.php?prod=EVO-PROTEK



Like this one? That's even cheaper than rocker sliders! Woot! :clap2:

I agree with Army_Vet...no one will care about 33s and wheels at the dealership. Now when you show up with a 6" lift, 37s, D60s front and rear, a hemi conversion, shit like that...they'll look at you weird but only cause they'd be wondering why you brought it to a dealership to get worked on lol

I disagree with Army_Vet on one thing though, Quick Disconnects are a great idea. My JKs got JKUR shocks and springs for approximately a 1.25" lift (I know, it's sorta useless but they're better off road imo than my stock set up was). Theres a place down here in Texas called Hidden Falls Adventure Park in Marble Falls, TX and theres some fun stuff there. Some really hard stuff too. I didn't disconnect cause I dont have quick discos and I regret it. I scared the crap outa myself and my friends a few times cause I was on three wheels or teeter-tottering in spots that they were doing just fine on. Granted you could always just disconnect the stock sway bar yourself but when there are cheap yet reliable options for quick discos (check out Rough Country Suspensions) why not pay the $60 or less and be disconnected in a matter of minutes? I still haven't gotten them but they're a high priority.

Just my $0.02 :thumb:

Thanks for the input!!!

The local 4wd place is nudging me to go 34s telling me I won't be satisfied with 33s and I'm kinda just worried about warranty crap.

I bought the warranty cause my calipers went on my old JK and my Dakota. Things like that.

Never really got to modify much before!

Sent from my phone while I should probably be getting work done

JKWrang said:

The local 4wd place is nudging me to go 34s telling me I won't be satisfied with 33s

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If you have the disposable income to throw at your Jeep and love moding it, they ain't lying to you. Bigger is always better but if you are sure you'll stay at 33's go with your plan and I'd just run stock suspension.

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If you go bigger than 33 you MAY have to regear. If you had 3.73 gears or whatever that ratio is, you'd be fine but with 3.21s youd be stuggling at times and your mpg would take a big hit. Idk for sure.

JKWrang said:

[*]Regearing is not necessary from 3.21 even in a JKU with a 3.6 Manual 6 spd with 33" or less tires.

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Correct, not necessary with your setup.

[*]Armor is a wise move to keep the DD going

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Rocker guards are a must but, being that you have a 6-speed, you will not need to replace the armor that you got from the factory. If anything, I would recommend against wasting your money on anything more than an oil pan skid like the EVO one you posted up.

[*]A 2.5" BB will do me just fine, like the TeraFlex spacer

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Yes, this will work just fine.

[*]I can run a D30 front and D44 with 33" tires and 3.21 and not feel like a mini towing a Ram1500 everywhere I go

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Yes, you will be fine.

[*]33x12.50 Wrangler DuraTracs on 15x8 MB72's will NOT void my warranty, but I can probably expect some frowning faces at the Service Dept

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The new 10th Anniversary Rubicons come with 33's. Your service department probably won't even know that you have bigger than factory tires.

[*]Quick Discos are awesome and I'd be stupid not to get those

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These can be nice to have but, not necessary. Me, I prefer not to have them. A pair of 18mm wrenches will get you disconnected quickly enough and, there are benefits to having your links bolted on.

Thanks Eddie! I was kinda hoping you'd weigh in on this. Did I mention this is the best JK community?

Now to find some rubi take offs!!

Sent from my phone while I should probably be getting work done

Ok man, so the way it sounded in the conversation we had you would like to goto Rausch Creek with us eventually right? If thats the case I would highly recommend getting either quick disconnects or getting good at taking your sway links off as that will allow your front axle to articulate more. (up and down motion for the wheels)

Do you have the 17 inch wheels or the 16's? The reason why this matters is because the 17's are a little bit larger. (32 inches tall) The green trails are easy and the blue trails are mostly doable with the 16's but the 17's would make it a little bit easier.


You can take a bone stock JK with 16 inch wheels to Rausch and have a good time on green and blue trails and do well if you do these 2 things. One is air down your tires, if you don't your tires won't grip the rocks as well and you'll bounch off everything. Two is to disconnect your front axle because this will also help you get more traction and also keep you front bouncing all over the place.


And any obsticle you can't get past there will either be a bypass or someyone in front who can pull you over or through and the skids you already have stock on the JK will protect the bottom of your Jeep. As Eddie mentioned though there is one skid that isn't stock on the JK and thats an oil pan skid. I have been to Rausch a number of times without one but it is on the list of things I want.


I saw you ask about tires and regearing. It sucks that you have 3.21's but yes they will turn 33's just fine since 33's are only an inch bigger than the tires on the 17's. However what happens to most who buy 33's is they get them run them for maybe a year, sometimes less depending on how much wheeling you do, and then realize they should have gotten 35's. So as mentioned before if you have a bunch of money to throw at you're Jeep then I would say get it regeare to 4.88's and get 35's and a lift. The budget boost and flat fenders will make 35's possible, you can actually put them on a stock JK you will just rub the fenders when off roading.



So all in all you should definitely come out with us this Saturday, the 21st, if you can get off work because between the other newbies and the verterans that will be there you are sure to have a great time.

I wish I could this weekend!!! I just recently got promoted so I'm stuck in town for a while but I'm absolutely come to this event in the future... hopefully sooner than later!!!


I actually have one question.... I thought the 2014 came with less than stellar skid pro... I feel like my 2008 had much more. So ull prolly look into the EVO kit ... right?

Sent from my phone while I should probably be getting work done

As you go over rocks you'll hear these horrible scratching sounds. What that USUALLY is, is your gas tank skid or the crossmember that goes under your trans.

Skids are something you don't need until you need them. You don't really realize that they are there until they take in the impact from a rock and then you're really happy you have them. I actually have front control arm skids and sliders and havn't hit either of them yet. And you can ask KP I was going out of my way trying to bang my sliders on something. Ended up getting caught up on my crossmember and almost needed a strap to get off but a little steering wheel spinning got me free and no I never was able to hit the sliders. :crazyeyes:

Hahaha yea so just the kit I posted should be a good investment then.

So the way it looks now is the build will remain what i had in my OP. Minus 15x8 and + 17s.

Maybe when I have the $2200 to regear I eill get 35s and ill be closer to my 6year warranty expiry then anyhow.

Woot woot!!



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JKWrang said:

Hahaha yea so just the kit I posted should be a good investment then.

So the way it looks now is the build will remain what i had in my OP. Minus 15x8 and + 17s.

Maybe when I have the $2200 to regear I eill get 35s and ill be closer to my 6year warranty expiry then anyhow.

Woot woot!!



Sent from my phone while I should probably be getting work done

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Yeah that skid set is great.

I may have worded this wrong. You don't need 17 inch rims. I am saying that the JK that came stock with the 17's had larger tires than the ones that had 16's. If you go down in rim size to 15 inch rims(make sure they fit, some 15's don't fit over the JK's brake assembly) you'll actually save money on the rims themselves and on the tires. A 35x12.5r15 will cost around 240 when a 35x12.5r17 will be about 350

Guy at the 4wd shop here said that pushes the wheel base out too far and stressed the joints etc blah etx blah

Probably just trying to sell md AEV wheels but... better safe than sorrt I suppose

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JKWrang said:

Guy at the 4wd shop here said that pushes the wheel base out too far and stressed the joints etc blah etx blah

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Huh? What pushes the wheel base out too far?

You have AEV wheels?

JKWrang said:

Guy at the 4wd shop here said that pushes the wheel base out too far and stressed the joints etc blah etx blah

Probably just trying to sell md AEV wheels but... better safe than sorrt I suppose

Sent from my phone while I should probably be getting work done

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I assume he meant to say, pushes out your "wheels" out too far and not "wheel base". To a degree, there is truth in this as the wider you go, more stress will be placed on the ball joints and unit bearings but really, not so much that it really matters. Sure, you will need to service them sooner than would be the case if you remained stock but, that's to be expected with anything you do to your Jeep.

No the guy at the shop said 15 inch wheels cause stress on the Jeep. I'm sure he was just trying to make me upgrade to AEV wheels

Sent from my phone while I should probably be getting work done