JMayps

New to the forum here. Looking for some recommendations on building up my 2013 sport 2-door. Right now I have falkon wild peak ATs (285s) that came with the jeep. I've been doing a lot of research on suspension lifts vs BB, tires, and what I can do with a Dana 30 front axle. Honestly there are so many ideas at this point that I am unsure what to do first. My goal is to build my jk over time to be able to run more difficult trails while maintaining my jeep as a daily driver. Right now I want to upgrade to 35" tires, add a 2.5" RK lift, and reinforce the Dana 30 until I can upgrade to a stronger front axle. Any recommendations / considerations for upgrading a jk sport to maintain its ability as a daily driver while increasing its off road capability. I'm going to be moving from the PNW to North Carolina in a few months and would like to upgrade my tires, reinforce my front axle and add a lift before I leave. Any advice for getting started with upgrades, which to do first, and a way ahead for future add-ons to my JK. Thanks for the help!

afpilot82

There are plenty of threads on the site covering the pros and cons of building up the Dana 30, search around a little. Read the stickies in the modified section if you haven't already. RK lifts get good reviews, so you're probably good to go there.

Are you driving the Jeep all the way to NC? If so, why not wait to put on the gas mileage killing bigger tires?

nthinuf

What is your budget?

How soon are you looking at getting rid of the d30? Figure that out before you get too far into the housing upgrades. (go ahead and get prices on a gusset install just so you have the info). Here is a decent comparison thread on a d30 build vs buying a prorock. Wouldn't hurt to do something similar yourself.
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/modi...-build-274896/

Have you read through the "My Thoughts On Lifts" thread? (stuck right to the top of this modified area). Have you read at least a dozen "what gears should I get?" threads? Figure out what all of the various components actually do, and get feedback on what gears people are using/recommending for that tire size, with your model/engine/transmission, living in similar locations/elevations, etc. Go into it with a good understanding of the costs you are looking at.

If you have to have the 35's now, a cheap spacer lift will do just fine for a year or two until you decide on the specific lift you want.

JMayps

Hey thanks for the replies. The budget will be around $4k before I leave for NC. Waiting to get bigger tires does make sense and is something I'll consider. Read the "my thoughts on lifts" a couple times now and based on that will be sticking to a 2.5", but may start with a budget boost. I'll continue doing some research in regards to regearing and the Dana 30. I don't plan on replacing that for a while.

mrayedwards

better consider regear with the 35s and wanting to take on tougher trails. The sport will be real doggy with the stock gears and 35s. I am very happy with 4.88 regear.

JMayps

Just read the post on whether or not to upgrade a Dana 30. Makes sense and I think I will wait. I do need new tires before I move as mine currently are very worn and I don't have a usable spare anymore due to a trip on the white rim trail. Who would of thought there would be nails in desert. Went through the top and out the sidewall.