To the fact it won't be a JK for me. I love 'em, I could make it happen, but the decision came down to "why?".

I love the styling, especially the U/L and it would do an OK job at replacing the Trailblazer. My wife took the TB into WV this past week and it made me realize that while the 4 door with a little extra trunk space is nice, it still can't beat third row seating with some trunk space. She had herself, our 2 year old, my 16 year old, my oldest sister and her two grand kids. We don't take trips like this very often, but when we do, it's nice to have the space. It's one of the reasons I made the painful decision to get it rather than a Wrangler last year (I was on my way to Cory Fairbanks where they had an '04 UL with a hard top, auto and 9k miles for $12! , when I passed Gibson Truck and saw an '02 and '03 Wrangler and stopped in ). There's no way I can swing the TB payment, the wife's Civic payment AND a JK payment. I have to get rid of the TB, but I'm just a touch upside down. I'm not expecting tons of equity, but at the most I want to break even. I'm a very patient person by nature, but I was bitten by the Jeep bug many years ago when I had my TJ and I just can't wait until the TB is paid off or down. Plus, I'm not liking some of the things I'm hearing such as all of the electronic gizmos and what-nots. Around here, it's tough to find a Jeep...You know...a JEEP! If I wanted power windows, keyless entry, tinted windows hard roof and solid metal doors...I'd keep my Trailblazer! I want a basic, yet capable off road vehicle with the minimum of comforts like AC, power steering and nice seats. They're so tough to find here unless you sink and get the 2WD...nope...ain't gonna happen. Hell, even the dealerships that do have Rubi's have them equipped like Sahara's! I don't want a $27K 4X4 with $6K worth of stuff I don't need nor want. Order??? I don't know...maybe an option, but there's still the other factors.....

....the price (pay $25K+, THEN a ton more for the hop-ups I want to add????). Not to mention the inevitable broken part(s), stucks and other repair/warranty hassles. I'm no mechanic. I realize that, I accept that and I fully and proudly admit that. But, at the same time, I don't want to farm out all the work because of the added price, but I'd be sacred to take on tasks like lift and so on on my own on a new vehicle.

The TB is still in great shape its age. It's an '02, but has just under 57K. It's a great handling car, very dependable, but I'm just not gonna take it the places I want to go. Plus, it's not like there's an Orlando Trailblazer club that does regular trips in the ONF :toung: A couple of years down the road??? Yeah, probably.

On the con side of a third vehicle, I really don't "need" one. I have a company car that I drive to work, and I'll still have the Trailbalzer for off duty. I just want a toy. I can easily justify the money to myself, but the wife....that's a hard sell. Not impossible, just hard. The way I figure it, I'm over 40, already have a young wife, can't afford a Corvette, but I do need a "mid-life crisis vehicle"

So, that leads me to the fact that if I keep the TB, I need to find something I can pay cash or finance very little. I like CJ's and YJ's, but I really like the styling and ride of the TJ, so that's what I'm setting out for. That way, I can feel OK learning the in's and out's of the rig, do as much on my own (and with some guidance) as I can and feel good about its performance on the trail. I won't feel bad about leaving it on jack stands in the garage for weeks at a time, either

Now, I said all that, to ask this.....

There is no way I'm keeping the stock D35/30 setup. It's definately gonna be 44/35 or 35 super for me. There is most likely an elementary answer for this, but will the upgraded axles fit in the stock tubes? I've seen the axles all over the place for sale, but never the tubes.

High pinions. Looks like a great concept, especially with lift and driveline angles, but is the cost really worth it?

Also, lockers. It took getting stuck one time for me to realize the importance of this piece of equipment. I know everyone has their likes, dislikes and opinions on them, but I'm manily looking for mechanics. From my research, I've heard that a Detroit or similar has a tendancy to lock in the middle of a turn, which doesn't sound that appealing to me. So, I'm interested in either an air or Ox locker setup for the rear. No, once again, showing my ignorance, if I'm in 2WD, just driving along in a sharp off ramp and I have Detroits or similar in the front...can the same happen to the front or is it only something that will only happen in the drive wheels? Some type of air or manual locker would be nice on both axles, but there's price. If I can avoid the extra, I will.

Gearing. Most of the time, I'll be doing street driving, followed by some dirt roads, trails and mud. I don't do mud bogs and I don't see the fun in just slinging mud in an open field, but we get wet here and it's a necessary evil to run through it. Plus, it's another aspect of off roading that's pretty fun. On occasion I'd like to take it to WV/VA for some mountain trails, but the majority will be around here. My choice setup will be the stock 4.0, most likely a manual and 6"/35's. Which gear/gear range should I go with to get streetabilty(comfort, road speeds and the best MPG possible...I know it's all give and take).

Lift kits. Once again, everyone has their favorites, but I'm looking for the install portion. Like I said, I have little skills, or should I say experience in this stuff. But, I have an analytical mind and I can read instructions. I also don't have access to welders, cutters and so on. Are the lift kits for the TJ easy enough for someone like me to do? I plan on seeking guidance, but I want to do it myself. I was watching the Tomb Raider TJ build on Trucks a couple of years ago and he did a little bit of cutting. I'm not sure if this was required by that particular kit, all kits or if he just did it. I'm not afraid of cutting, but all I have is a recipro saw that would halfway handle that job.

I know this is putting the cart before the horse since I haven't bought a Jeep yet, but I want to be prepared for when I do. Thinks ahead of time for any and all advice you can offer!