larry0071

Okay guys/gals,

I've been reading and reading. Writing notes and cross checking. Like many, I am on a budget, so I am trying to move my 2014 Willys 2 door to the next level.

I am at Mopar 2" Stage 2 and 1.25" Body lift and armored well. I have a NorthRidge Pro-Rock 44 Unlimited with RCV and E-Locker coming in 3 weeks. I have LRG 106 18x9 wheels (X5). I am building a tire carrier for my Body Armor 4x4 rear bumper, I have a Smittybilt SRC front bumper, I have factory flares and wheel tubs and would actually like to keep them.

So I thought I had it covered... until I started really digging into the 35"/37" tire threads across multiple forums. Then I got a very rude awakening!

So I discovered that the steering gear box is very tall/long and the sector shaft is not supported well enough, and commonly fails. So you opt for ram-assist or Synergy Sector Shaft brace with Synergy Track Bar Brace for $200

You have to run the Synergy Track bar to mate with that brace, that's $225

The factory Tie Rod is not going to live, so I need a Synergy Tire Rod for $375

I will need Rock Krawler front lower adjustable arms to adjust caster, that's $279.

I need Ten Factory rear axle shafts to support the 37" tires at $460

To install my rear 4.88 gears I need a master install kit : $149
And I will need the Superchips Calibration tuner for $179

So to hit the first trails at Rausch Creek, I am at $1867 plus about $2000 for tires and don't forget the $5100 for the front axle!

Am I looking at this correctly? I am seeing this as the minimum required to play the game with 37" tires. I'm so out of money! I have $1300 left, and need $1867 in parts! My budget is shot in the butt cheeks! Help!

nthinuf

You have your 'worst case' scenario. Not your ' must have to drive out of my garage' scenario. Upgrade parts as needed.

Grab a set of cheap take-off rear axles from craigslist to use as trail spares. Other posts have indicated that a few other trackbars can be used with the synergy brace, check into which ones and the cost differences. (I don't think the synergy brace is the only brace on the market? And there is a school of thought that says ripping the steering box of the frame may be better than the alternative?) There are cheaper adj arms available. With that lift height, you could even go upper instead of lower - as long as the arms will go shorter than stock, you're good. (Then again, your other post talks about a caster corrected housing and a short lift, so maybe stock or longer than stock uppers is what you want until you get a taller lift?)

larry0071

With the help of Eric at NorthRidge4x4, I am satisfying this list. Instead of ram assist, I am doing the synergy sector shaft brace and track arm bracket.

durffjk

I had the opportunity to deal with Eric at north ridge this past week. Great guy, excellent customer service. Definitely recommend them to everyone.

Mike H.

I went that route first too. Seems like you actually intend on wheeling it in difficult terrain, and seems from reading, that area has its share of rocks. Don't be surprised when locked up and fighting the rig that you have to put soo much effort into the steering wheel it feels like you are going to explode the pump and everything attached to, only to not be able to turn the wheels anyways.
PSC hydro assist solved this.
I went PSC after a situation where I was nose down, standing on the firewall, off camber, on a hairpin/switchback, and had to back up to get around or drive off a "cliff" (there was some slope to it, but for arguments sake lets just say it was a cliff). Need to cut the wheels to back up, but could not turn, switched the front locker off, but then did not have enough traction to move... After a bunch of locker-off-steer locker-on-inch-forward-inch-rearward Tom foolery I was free. Seriously though I might loose the rig... or worse...
Anyways, large tires, locked front axle and heavy rock wheeling is too much for the stock pump system.
Note that with the ram, you are definitely going to want sturdy trac bar, draglink and tie rod.

Again, necessary for street mild/moderate trails, nope... but if you are going to be pushing things... start saving now.

TheDirtman

If you can weld you can do the ruff stuff tie rod kit for around $125. You will need to run some extra bump stop for the bigger tires and may look into running a longer body shock to gain more articulation since you have to run more bump.
Otherwise you have a pretty good list to run 37's, which really are huge tires to run but the JK crowd seems to throw them on like they are nothing and fix stuff as they break it.

Chuck-The-Ripper

Just use the stock tie rod/drag link until you have the money to replace them. Unless you smack it pretty hard off a Rock you'll be fine for a while. It's not like as soon as you put 37s on these parts suddenly all fail...

Chuck-The-Ripper

Not to argue because I certainly agree and know what you mean, but, it's certainly not a "jk crowd" thing to put on 37s not knowing exactly what is all required to run them without problems down the road..

Desert Crawler

So not to argue, but let me do it anyway. That may be the epitome of a "jk crowd" thing.


I would listen to just about any advice Dirtman has to offer. He is arguably not only one of if not the most knowledgable sources on this forum, but I believe he has broken more parts on 37's then most of us have bought. He generally advises the right parts which are not always the most expensive parts.

WashingtonWrangler

Your list is a lot better than most who run 37"s, if the budget is super tight the one thing I would leave off (for now) are the shafts, buy a set of trail spares and if you break your stockers swap the spares in, drive home and call Eric back for some upgraded shafts. Keep in mind that even though they are much stronger, any axle shaft can be broken.
As for it being a jk crowd thing I think it definitely is fairly unique as far as how widespread it is. I don't even notice jks on 37s anymore they're so common around here. And look under quite a few and you'll see a fully stock d30.