Rubicon or Sport S

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potdraGGer

New member
Hello All,

I am in-between Jeeps at the moment and am planning on picking up a new JKU in 2016 (hopefully earlier in the year than later). I already have some ideas on this subject, but would love to hear input, experiences, opinions, 'would-haves' and 'would-nots' from anyone who is willing to share. Thank you to everyone who posts!

This is going to be a daily driver (12,000-15,000 miles a year), willing to go with a 3-4 inch lift and 35's or 37's accordingly. It needs to fit in parking structures and the Rubicon and Moab are a must (and I know I need 37's if I want to try for at least one JK Experience Trip:brows:).

If I go Rubi, I will probably sleeve and gusset no matter what. If I go Sport S, I will need to lock the rear and will probably go Pro Rock (and locker) in the front. With the Sport S being about $5-6K less than the Rubi it almost evens out $$$ wise. My feeling is if I go 37's, go Sport S, if I am happy with 35's go Rubi. The only major difference in ability, as far as i can tell, is the gearing in the TC (E sway bar disconnect doesn't count). Let me know what you think. THANKS!
 
MR.Ty

MR.Ty

Token East Coast Guy
Ah, the ol' Rubi vs other JK trim levels.

I used to be a big believer in "if you are going big, start with a sport". I've learned that there is a lot of resale value in the Rubicon axles and transfer case. In a few cases you can find new parts with take offs.

So my vote is for the Rubicon. It is the most capable, off the show room floor 4x4. With a 2.5" budget boost you can fit 35s and conquer a lot of difficult trails.

Then, when you are ready to get into the 40 inch tire range, you can sell your axles and help ease the blow of a set of 60s.

P.s. don't bother sleeving your front axle. It won't prevent it from bending.
 
Ddays

Ddays

Hooked
I went Sport S knowing that I was eventually going to tear off half of what I bought. I ended up tearing even more off than I originally intended. You're already thinking PR44 front so doing the sleeve and gussets on the stock front would be throwing money away.

What it came down to with me was I couldn't see spending the extra $10k (give or take) on the Rubi sway disco and transfer case when its all said & done. Selling parts off the Rubi gets you some bucks back but not enough to break even. Adding an Atlas T-case and the PR44 front is cheaper than the Rubi over Sport cost or pretty close to the same.

That's pretty oversimplified and I know many will say I'm full of it but that's my :twocents:
 
jedg

jedg

New member
I think it also depends on your build timeline. If you're going to take years to move through your build, then the Rubi is the best option. You get the advantage of OEM lockers. As Mr. Ty said, you also have take off parts that have a higher resale value.

If you're going to buy the jeep and immediately pull parts off and put upgraded parts on, then there's some goodness in the X.

Not sure it's still the case (was in 2011), but the Rubi had a better option package for the interior, heated seats for example (don't freakin start.. that is what keeps my wife happy... okay.. not a work on that either!)
 
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potdraGGer

New member
MR.Ty said:
Ah, the ol' Rubi vs other JK trim levels.

I used to be a big believer in "if you are going big, start with a sport". I've learned that there is a lot of resale value in the Rubicon axles and transfer case. In a few cases you can find new parts with take offs.

So my vote is for the Rubicon. It is the most capable, off the show room floor 4x4. With a 2.5" budget boost you can fit 35s and conquer a lot of difficult trails.

Then, when you are ready to get into the 40 inch tire range, you can sell your axles and help ease the blow of a set of 60s.

P.s. don't bother sleeving your front axle. It won't prevent it from bending.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the post!! I think we are on the same page. Your post addresses my fear as well. Being that this is a daily driver, I am thinking 35s, but how long will that last? Ha! So let me ask you this... do you think sleeving will prevent bending using 35s or 37s (keeping it in good shape for resale)? Do you recommend the gussets? I noticed that Eddie gusseted Rubicat, but also did not bother sleeving. Hmmm.
 
MR.Ty

MR.Ty

Token East Coast Guy
potdraGGer said:
Thank you for the post!! I think we are on the same page. Your post addresses my fear as well. Being that this is a daily driver, I am thinking 35s, but how long will that last? Ha! So let me ask you this... do you think sleeving will prevent bending using 35s or 37s (keeping it in good shape for resale)? Do you recommend the gussets? I noticed that Eddie gusseted Rubicat, but also did not bother sleeving. Hmmm.
Click to expand...

What are you concerned about lasting?

No, he did not sleeve the front 44 but he did gusset it. Sleeves do not penetrate the pumpkin (to my understanding) and therefore do not prevent bending.

Bending typically only occurs as a result of high speed in the desert, going through the woops. Rock crawling will result in broken internals but not a bent axle housing. The way to prevent internals from breaking is by getting bigger ones like those that come in the 44 housing. They can run 35s no problem, 37s if you are easy on the gas and choose your lines carefully.

Edit: Gusseting the Cs will prevent them from bending.
 
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potdraGGer

New member
Ddays said:
I went Sport S knowing that I was eventually going to tear off half of what I bought. I ended up tearing even more off than I originally intended. You're already thinking PR44 front so doing the sleeve and gussets on the stock front would be throwing money away.

What it came down to with me was I couldn't see spending the extra $10k (give or take) on the Rubi sway disco and transfer case when its all said & done. Selling parts off the Rubi gets you some bucks back but not enough to break even. Adding an Atlas T-case and the PR44 front is cheaper than the Rubi over Sport cost or pretty close to the same.

That's pretty oversimplified and I know many will say I'm full of it but that's my :twocents:
Click to expand...

Your post is exactly what I was thinking when considering the Sport. Yes, if I were to got the Sport route, I would just run the stock D30 until I make a decision or break something; I would only upgrade the Rubi 44. That's 1 for Sport, 1 for Rubi. That said, however both arguments are telling me that no matter what, I am probably not going to be satisfied until I've ripped out or broke most of the stock stuff and am running 40s. Haha!! You are probably right.
 
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potdraGGer

New member
MR.Ty said:
What are you concerned about lasting?

No, he did not sleeve the front 44 but he did gusset it. Sleeves do not penetrate the pumpkin (to my understanding) and therefore do not prevent bending.

Bending typically only occurs as a result of high speed in the desert, going through the woops. Rock crawling will result in broken internals but not a bent axle housing. The way to prevent internals from breaking is by getting bigger ones like those that come in the 44 housing. They can run 35s no problem, 37s if you are easy on the gas and choose your lines carefully.

Edit: Gusseting the Cs will prevent them from bending.
Click to expand...

This is great piece of information! Never thought about WHERE it bends. :hmm:
 
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potdraGGer

New member
jedg said:
I think it also depends on your build timeline. If you're going to take years to move through your build, then the Rubi is the best option. You get the advantage of OEM lockers. As Mr. Ty said, you also have take off parts that have a higher resale value.

If you're going to buy the jeep and immediately pull parts off and put upgraded parts on, then there's some goodness in the X.

Not sure it's still the case (was in 2011), but the Rubi had a better option package for the interior, heated seats for example (don't freakin start.. that is what keeps my wife happy... okay.. not a work on that either!)
Click to expand...

You are 110% right. This is exactly what I am figuring out typing with you guys. As I am not independently wealthy and still have a bit to learn, I am guessing that a Rubi with 35s will suite me fine for the 5-years it takes me to pay it off. Like you said, I will have a capable rig and time to figure-it-out, plus get all the bumpers, sliders, winch etc. THEN, I'll blow $15K on D60s and 40s. :eek:

That whole keep the wife happy thing... forget about the heated seats. It's the "don't freakin start" THIS PROJECT that will keep mine happy. OK, I guess I'll go buy and Accord now. NOT!
 
D

Dyerjk

New member
My vote is Rubi. I have the Sport and have added:
F/R Lockers, compressor, 2.5 lift, trussed and sleeved the front on 35's.
What I don't have is the TC and Nav, wish I did.

I do a lot of rock crawling, so for me the the TC is a must have on my next rig. My D30 is plenty strong and I've really put it to the test. But the Rubi would have saved me money that I could have put into a bigger lift and other stuff.
Let's face it, we all spend the money on that stuff anyways. At least the Rubi would give me stuff that's hard to add afterwards.

Really no wrong choice, just trade-offs.

Good luck and enjoy.
 
Tylersilverjku

Tylersilverjku

Member
Dyerjk said:
My vote is Rubi. I have the Sport and have added:
F/R Lockers, compressor, 2.5 lift, trussed and sleeved the front on 35's.
What I don't have is the TC and Nav, wish I did.

I do a lot of rock crawling, so for me the the TC is a must have on my next rig. My D30 is plenty strong and I've really put it to the test. But the Rubi would have saved me money that I could have put into a bigger lift and other stuff.
Let's face it, we all spend the money on that stuff anyways. At least the Rubi would give me stuff that's hard to add afterwards.

Really no wrong choice, just trade-offs.

Good luck and enjoy.
Click to expand...

Don't mean to hijack! But you have your d30 trussed? I've been wanting to do one a for a WHILE but anytime I see something on it people always say no it's a bad idea but I would like it to be a little stronger for wheeling! Thanks!
 
Speedy_RCW

Speedy_RCW

Hooked
jedg said:
I think it also depends on your build timeline. If you're going to take years to move through your build, then the Rubi is the best option. You get the advantage of OEM lockers. As Mr. Ty said, you also have take off parts that have a higher resale value.

If you're going to buy the jeep and immediately pull parts off and put upgraded parts on, then there's some goodness in the X.

Not sure it's still the case (was in 2011), but the Rubi had a better option package for the interior, heated seats for example (don't freakin start.. that is what keeps my wife happy... okay.. not a work on that either!)
Click to expand...

^^ This
I went through the same dilemma as you're going through. Spent a lot of time running numbers and whatnot. What it boiled down to for me was time and what I could do with the jeep during the build process. Since I don't have an endless supply of money and am just saving for each mod one at a time (for the most part), and I've accepted I won't have a fully built rig overnight, I went Rubicon. My rig is basically stock besides some recovery gear, armor and a leveling kit (still running 32's) and it does awesome offroad. We took it to Moab and run local trails here and have a great time. Of course you could have a ton of fun in a stock sport too, but the 4:1 and lockers make a huge difference. And I'm not gonna lie and say the heated seats, Nav, and Alpine sound doesn't make a difference either. Im not afraid to say I want my wife riding in comfort while I grind away at my skid plates. Haha. So in my opinion, if you're gonna build fairly slow and want an awesomely capable rig in the process, go with the Rubicon. If you're willing to buy a rig and throw a good amount of money at it all at once, go with the Sport. If I had it to do over I wouldn't have done it any differently.
 
crowrb29

crowrb29

New member
I love my sport but if I could do it again I would go Rubi for all the same reasons mentioned above. It's just that much easier to get going right out the gate.
 
Hot94Z28

Hot94Z28

New member
As others have said if you plan to mod fast and big go sport, if you plan on doing it over time get the Rubicon. I went with a sport cause I planed on changing everything out soon, and at this point I wish I would of went with a Rubicon as I could be enjoying the lockers instead of saving for my PR44 and rear locker now.

Never fails, thought I would have lockers and a PR44 by now but life gets in the way sometimes and have to just use what I have for now.
 
mudmobeeler

mudmobeeler

Caught the Bug
potdraGGer said:
Hello All,

I am in-between Jeeps at the moment and am planning on picking up a new JKU in 2016 (hopefully earlier in the year than later). I already have some ideas on this subject, but would love to hear input, experiences, opinions, 'would-haves' and 'would-nots' from anyone who is willing to share. Thank you to everyone who posts!

This is going to be a daily driver (12,000-15,000 miles a year), willing to go with a 3-4 inch lift and 35's or 37's accordingly. It needs to fit in parking structures and the Rubicon and Moab are a must (and I know I need 37's if I want to try for at least one JK Experience Trip:brows:).

If I go Rubi, I will probably sleeve and gusset no matter what. If I go Sport S, I will need to lock the rear and will probably go Pro Rock (and locker) in the front. With the Sport S being about $5-6K less than the Rubi it almost evens out $$$ wise. My feeling is if I go 37's, go Sport S, if I am happy with 35's go Rubi. The only major difference in ability, as far as i can tell, is the gearing in the TC (E sway bar disconnect doesn't count). Let me know what you think. THANKS!
Click to expand...

As already mentioned, if you could throw big money at it right after purchase, I would get the sport. However, even if I could throw big money at the jeep right after purchase and could find a rubicon for 5-6k more than a sport then I would probably go ahead and get the rubi for all the extras that I wont be changing (heated seats, nav, etc). To me that little of a price difference makes it a no brainer really. Also if you are planning for only 35s until it gets paid off or at least several years down the road, then I would get the rubi, make sure to get the 4.10 gears at least though so you wont be wanting/needing to do a gear swap right after you get the 35s. Alot of the newer rubis come with 3.73s so make sure it has the 4.10s.
 
MedixJK

MedixJK

-
Tylersilverjku said:
Don't mean to hijack! But you have your d30 trussed? I've been wanting to do one a for a WHILE but anytime I see something on it people always say no it's a bad idea but I would like it to be a little stronger for wheeling! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Dont spend any money on the 30 except C gussets.
 
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