Tire Suggestions

[abendx]

My lockers have held up very well. Still running the front and the rear was replaced only because I went to a 60.

Personally I like Detroits for their strength and idiot proofness, but the e-lockers in the JK seem very stout to me and my exploits at the Pacific View Mall.

My rear shaft did well too.... ran it into the ground and after 2.5 years of abuse, it finally gave. Me thinks a chromo shaft would have not lasted any longer, but there is no way to know that. If I were you, I'd replace some of these things when it becomes necessary.

IMO, for 37s, you only need to beef the front.... thicken the tubes, bolster the u-joints, and reinforce the Cs. Of course, gears are necessary, but that holds true with 35s as Pete stated already,

[KernHydro]

[quote="abendx"]My lockers have held up very well. Still running the front and the rear was replaced only because I went to a 60.

Personally I like Detroits for their strength and idiot proofness, but the e-lockers in the JK seem very stout to me and my exploits at the Pacific View Mall.

My rear shaft did well too.... ran it into the ground and after 2.5 years of abuse, it finally gave. Me thinks a chromo shaft would have not lasted any longer, but there is no way to know that. If I were you, I'd replace some of these things when it becomes necessary.

IMO, for 37s, you only need to beef the front.... thicken the tubes, bolster the u-joints, and reinforce the Cs. Of course, gears are necessary, but that holds true with 35s as Pete stated already,[/quote]
You think I need to regear for 35s? I have 4:10s and a 4:1 transfer....

[KernHydro]

[quote="chuckanut105"]I have the 6sp too An X with 3.21 gears and no lockers the gears will hold up just fine. But you will enjoy wheeling more with lower gears the JK is not very light and trying to hold on a rock. I end up having to spin the tires more than I like due to the lack of gearing. Just my .02[/quote]
What size tires are you running?

[abendx]

Pete runs 35s.

You will be okay with those gears, just be better with a set that matches. Rule of thumb says 4.56s with 35s, but the JK is severely lacking. I would guess 4.88s are the right combo.

I have an auto, 37s, and 5.38s and wish I had a lower ratio.

But.... think about what I said as far as beefing the front. I'd like to see you spend less... as do overs just blow hard!

[chuckanut105]

4.88 will be fine with 37's with the 6sp I think, my reasoning is you wont have a #2 pencil for a pinion gear creating another weak point. Im running the 35's right now and going to do 4.88s when I get back from afro-ca. From what Ive read on JKO 4.88 and 37's with the 6sp will be fine you just have to learn how to steer, clutch, throttle, and hand brake all at the same time Oh and have really think skin form everyone making fun of you when you stall 15 times on the same rock. been there done that.

[abendx]

It's true.... Pete loves working that stick and stalls for time when he gets in a hairy situation.

[chuckanut105]

[quote="abendx"]It's true.... Pete loves working that stick and stalls for time when he gets in a hairy situation.[/quote]

Yup Im a pre-mature clutcher

[Frylock]

Im running a 6sp with 5.13 gears, would never run anything less if you ever think you will be going to 37's in the future. 1st will turn into a crawl with 35s and 2nd is what I use 99% of the time while taking off now. I can easily do 75mph still on the freeway, and with the AC off I can get up the grapevine without shifting. It will rev a little high, but once you put on 37's it will be perfect. Running on the sand/dirt in 2wd is also much easier.
As far as the pinion damage with the 5.13s, Ive bent 2 rear shafts and broke a front shaft, the pinion has always held up. Only time will tell if they hold up to the RCV's and chromos but I think the rubicon locker will fail first.
My rear rubicon locker got destroyed last rubicon trip, but it could of been my fault for trying to replace the axle seals myself.

I wouldnt expect you to have any problem with the rubicon tcase when rock crawling with 4.88s or even 4.10s. I dont have one and do alright, your crawl should smoke mine even with stock gears.

[chuckanut105]

[quote="Frylock"]Im running a 6sp with 5.13 gears, would never run anything less if you ever think you will be going to 37's in the future. 1st will turn into a crawl with 35s and 2nd is what I use 99% of the time while taking off now. I can easily do 75mph still on the freeway, and with the AC off I can get up the grapevine without shifting. It will rev a little high, but once you put on 37's it will be perfect. Running on the sand/dirt in 2wd is also much easier.
As far as the pinion damage with the 5.13s, Ive bent 2 rear shafts and broke a front shaft, the pinion has always held up. Only time will tell if they hold up to the RCV's and chromos but I think the rubicon locker will fail first.
My rear rubicon locker got destroyed last rubicon trip, but it could of been my fault for trying to replace the axle seals myself.

I wouldnt expect you to have any problem with the rubicon tcase when rock crawling with 4.88s or even 4.10s. I dont have one and do alright, your crawl should smoke mine even with stock gears.[/quote]


Do you have a d44 up front or are you still running a d30? I'm still running the d30 and I'm gonna re-gear but am afraid that a 5.13 pinion will snap way to easily up front. I would rather run a lower t case and higher gears do to that fact.

[Frylock]

Its a ruby d44 up front and new I was going to 37s some day.....I would rather run higher gears and a lower t-case as well, but mine is a DD and was thinking about the future. The 5.13's are good up to 40's with a manual. If you have a d30 and running 37's locked up, then I could see it giving you problems.

[Goatman]

[quote="KernHydro"]I have the 6 spd and the lockers will hold up alittle while but they do stretch after some use and then the locker cracks and also they get stuck alot it's already kinda starting to stick alittle. I want to wheel the piss out of the stock shit first. I guess I could just run 37 and hope for the best. I am building everything up pretty well. I will have king coil overs front and rear and 1350 drive shafts rock sliders warn 9500 17" bead locks this month and I have a loose plan for phase 2. arb, 35 spline, dyna track front, higher gears and 37s.
Maybe next year if I don't completely ruin it this summer...[/quote]


I regularly talk people out of 37's. You can go on 35's where you're willing to put your Jeep, and it will be more reliable. No one needs 37's to run trails. 35's will do everything you want to do. In fact, in many situations the smaller tire will climb better than the larger tire, and climbs are usually what makes the difference. There is one obstacle that I had trouble with on 37's that I can make easier with 40's, but there are a number of things that I climbed with 37's that I struggle with on 40's. Tire size isn't everything. I've wheeled with a bunch of pro mod buggies on 37's doing the hardest lines on obstacles. When it get's right down to it, when you consider one or two jumps in tire size, it's way more about the driver than it is about the tire size.

I agree wholeheartedly with wheeling on 35's for as long as possible and saving money on big axle upgrades, and having reliable fun and gaining experience. Then, when you have the dough and you just can't do without them any longer, get the bigger tires. 37's will not be more fun than 35's on a street driven full bodied Rubicon.......IMHO.

[KernHydro]

[quote="abendx"]Pete runs 35s.

You will be okay with those gears, just be better with a set that matches. Rule of thumb says 4.56s with 35s, but the JK is severely lacking. I would guess 4.88s are the right combo.

I have an auto, 37s, and 5.38s and wish I had a lower ratio.

But.... think about what I said as far as beefing the front. I'd like to see you spend less... as do overs just blow hard![/quote]
For sure...I am doing the sleeves and gussets. I dont like the 4:10s on the road. Ive had 3:23 in my last two jeeps and with 4.10 and 32s the shift points are to short in this jeep. I drove a 6 spd jku with 4.10 and 37s and it was alot better than the 32s but of course the the crawl ratio wasnt the greatest even with a 4 to 1. If I had more time before the rubicon run I would just leave the 4:10s and get a atlas...
[color=#FF0000]Responce to goat man:[/color]
Thats really it, being reliable I want to be over built. The thing is the longer wheel base makes me want 37s if i had a two door it would be a easer decision to run 35s

[chuckanut105]

[quote="Goatman"][quote="KernHydro"]I have the 6 spd and the lockers will hold up alittle while but they do stretch after some use and then the locker cracks and also they get stuck alot it's already kinda starting to stick alittle. I want to wheel the piss out of the stock shit first. I guess I could just run 37 and hope for the best. I am building everything up pretty well. I will have king coil overs front and rear and 1350 drive shafts rock sliders warn 9500 17" bead locks this month and I have a loose plan for phase 2. arb, 35 spline, dyna track front, higher gears and 37s.
Maybe next year if I don't completely ruin it this summer...[/quote]


I regularly talk people out of 37's. You can go on 35's where you're willing to put your Jeep, and it will be more reliable. No one needs 37's to run trails. 35's will do everything you want to do. In fact, in many situations the smaller tire will climb better than the larger tire, and climbs are usually what makes the difference. There is one obstacle that I had trouble with on 37's that I can make easier with 40's, but there are a number of things that I climbed with 37's that I struggle with on 40's. Tire size isn't everything. I've wheeled with a bunch of pro mod buggies on 37's doing the hardest lines on obstacles. When it get's right down to it, when you consider one or two jumps in tire size, it's way more about the driver than it is about the tire size.

I agree wholeheartedly with wheeling on 35's for as long as possible and saving money on big axle upgrades, and having reliable fun and gaining experience. Then, when you have the dough and you just can't do without them any longer, get the bigger tires. 37's will not be more fun than 35's on a street driven full bodied Rubicon.......IMHO.[/quote]

I agree to the save you money part Im not gonna run 37's untill I afford the equipment needed to run 37's no piont of breaking shit everytime you go out, just to look cool and try and get street credit at the mall. On that note 37's do look bad ass on a JK.

[chuckanut105]

So now that we have all decided on 35" KM2s where can we get a group discount?

[Desert Dog]

For the JK with the 3.8L (2007-2011), gearing needs are significantly different for auto vs manual trans. Also many new JK owners who are used to older Jeeps with the 4.0 need to realize that the JK is a completely different animal. The JK puts out more HP and TQ, but does it at higher RPMs. I hear JK owners complain that they are running at 2500-2800 RPMs on the freeway, but this is what the JK likes and does fine running at even higher RPMs. Once you get under 2300 RPMs, the 3.8L engine is completely guttless no matter what your tire size is.

Also, many JK owners with the auto trans don't properly utilize the overdrive button; you turn it off anytime you go up a hill or go off-road and it makes a HUGE difference. On a JKO trip we took to Pismo a couple years ago with almost 40 JKs, half of them were complaining that they couldn't get up competition hill. It turned out that they didn't disable the overdrive and lost power near the top. After disabling it, they made it easily.

Here is a handy gearing chart put together on JKO several years ago. This is for the 3.8L, not the 2012 Pentastar.

[attachment=0]gears_.jpg[/attachment]


I am running 5.38 gears currently, if I ever redo things, I will go 5.86 gears.
Hope that helps.

[Desert Dog]

[quote="chuckanut105"] I'm still running the d30 and I'm gonna re-gear but am afraid that a 5.13 pinion will snap way to easily up front. I would rather run a lower t case and higher gears do to that fact.[/quote]

Honestly, I wouldn't throw any money into that D30; its a huge waste in the long run. But if you insist, I would do 4.88s with a true-trac and chromo-shafts with a bigger spline count. Of course, add sleeves and gussets or you will loose the whole investment fast. Then the whole project will leave you wondering why you didn't pony-up a few hundred more and just get a bigger axle

[chuckanut105]

[quote="desert dog"][quote="chuckanut105"] I'm still running the d30 and I'm gonna re-gear but am afraid that a 5.13 pinion will snap way to easily up front. I would rather run a lower t case and higher gears do to that fact.[/quote]

Honestly, I wouldn't throw any money into that D30; its a huge waste in the long run. But if you insist, I would do 4.88s with a true-trac and chromo-shafts with a bigger spline count. Of course, add sleeves and gussets or you will loose the whole investment fast. Then the whole project will leave you wondering why you didn't pony-up a few hundred more and just get a bigger axle [/quote]


I'm just gonna do gears I cant afford a $4000 axle right now. So gears and a locker out back. That's all I'm gonna dump into that anchor. Im not gonna go the route brad took by beefing up his shit and still not being happy.

[abendx]

[quote="chuckanut105"][quote="desert dog"][quote="chuckanut105"] I'm still running the d30 and I'm gonna re-gear but am afraid that a 5.13 pinion will snap way to easily up front. I would rather run a lower t case and higher gears do to that fact.[/quote]

Honestly, I wouldn't throw any money into that D30; its a huge waste in the long run. But if you insist, I would do 4.88s with a true-trac and chromo-shafts with a bigger spline count. Of course, add sleeves and gussets or you will loose the whole investment fast. Then the whole project will leave you wondering why you didn't pony-up a few hundred more and just get a bigger axle [/quote]


I'm just gonna do gears I cant afford a $4000 axle right now. So gears and a locker out back. That's all I'm gonna dump into that anchor. Im not gonna go the route brad took by beefing up his shit and still not being happy.[/quote]

Who said I wasn't happy?

A 60 would be stronger, yet I have not broken my front up yet.
A Detroit would be stronger, yet I haven't broken an e-locker yet.

Seems I built pretty damn good. I am really only unhappy that I don't have a Detroit up there, but the stocker is doing well. Cost wise... I was off, in the end, the upgraded 60 is a bit more than just a few hundred of difference.

Next step up for you is a 60 and you are looking at 7-8k if you do new... or WAY less if you go junkyard.

Why don't you find an upgrader and buy a used, maybe already built 44?

[chuckanut105]

Looking at starting to piece together a dyna track. Gonna do it right just gonna take awhile.