BradleyC

Hey guys, have only posted a couple times on here, but wanted to ask a question about an upgrade I've been considering.

I have a stock auto JKU sport. Currently have the rubicon KM's but would love to gain more ground clearance. My buddies and I do overland trips in the Cascades. We have rooftop tents, and gear usually weighs a bit(just to paint a clear picture of my kind of outings).
I dont do rock crawling, I'd say I'm more of a conservative driver, but I'm wondering if 35in MT/R's and a 2.5"(shocks/springs) lift will be too much for the stock axles/balljoints to handle on forest roads and mild trails(Gallagher Head Lake trail if you are familiar). We tend to be way out int he middle of nowhere so I really don't want to have a break down if I happen to be by myself.

Not overly concerned, but just trying to make sure that I'm not setting myself up for a disaster.

Thanks!

Rob 12B1P

The bigger tires will effect things more than the small lift. Ball joints and u-joints will wear faster but its not like they are gonna explode driving down the highway. Try not to spin your wheels and avoid wheel hop and you should be fine for the stuff you are describing.

Bkeeper

Look at the MT/R in 305/70/17 (34") They fit right between 285/70/17 (33") and 315/70/17 (35"). They look well balanced with a 2-2.5" lift and do not have as many "issues" that may or may not arise with 35s. I ran them for a few years (30k miles) before moving up to a 35. Only reason I did is I needed more of an AT and the choice in ATs is limited in 305s.

As long as you do not run a locker on your front D30 (let your T/C do the work) and don't mash the throttle to often in 4L you will be fine with 35s. Factory D30 and D44s front axles have the same wear issues with 35s because almost everything except the inner shafts and gear sizes are the same.

TreyJK

My D30 handles 35's just fine. For extra peace of mind, you could weld on some C gussets.

ricon

TreyJk hit the nail on the head! I've seen quite a few guys running the D30 with 35s (and some with lockers and 5:13 gears). If your not doing any significant rock crawling, like you mentioned, I don't see a problem at all. I've been running 37s with my D30 for last several months with no issues, BUT, I haven't hit any significant trails (mostly fire roads).

And like Rob mentioned, keep an eye on your ball joints and u joints!

bluebear

Would chromoly axles be overkill ^ ? Sorry to hi-jack OP

jadmt

35's on a rubicon are no big deal unless you really pound it. I have 1.5" RK lift and 35x12.5-17 Toyo AT2 which are a prefect overland tire. Very tough yet smooth riding. Go with flat fenders so you don't have to go so high. Lots of places tho a roof top tent is going to get ripped off.

jk1975

Deleted

Mark Doiron

Check out my mod list on my profile, and my videos of how I use my Jeep at YouTube DigitalByDoiron. At 153K miles, I've had a few failures. But never anything that left me stranded.

Clark Collins

Mark: I see that you have an aftermarket front driveshaft. Did your stock shaft fail? I'm running less lift than you and hoping to not have to replace driveshafts. What failures have you had?

With my set up I'm expecting to have to replace ball joints at some time, but hoping that everything else will hold up. My Jeep is my DD and I don't do any serious rock crawling. I have less than 35K miles on it so far and have not had any failures yet, but have only had the 35s on for a couple of months. The rubi axles have c gussets, RCV front shafts, G2 shafts on the rear and ruff stuff dif covers.

I also really enjoy your videos. They are always an inspiration to those of us less traveled.