2010 jk rubicon 2 door. 315/70/17 cooper stt.
jeep will be trailered everywhere and only used off-road. That being said, what’s the most cost efficient way to lift or modify the rig for good climbing and crawling? As in I’m looking to Frankenstein something or get a kit. But a lot of $$$ is spent on making the jeep have good on-road manners. That’s not my focus. Thanks!

 

Well, there's the age-old debate on what's better, good skid plates or a good spotter.

If you have a good spotter, then it makes sense to keep the Jeep as low and light as possible. A lower center of gravity is always good. You can put bigger tires on to gain clearance by cutting out anything that rubs. No lift necessary! And you don't have to lug around all that armor weight. Even aluminum skids add significant weight.

If you are wheeling with people who may not know a good line from a bad one, or if you venture out on your own sometimes, it's better (IMO) to have a lift and armor up. The armor will add weight (bad), but will also keep the center of gravity low.

If you want to lift cheap, you can go up to about 2 to 2.5" of spacers without much else. You'll want to watch your suspension, driveline, brake lines, and other dangly bits. That rear driveshaft is pretty short in a 2-door, so it wouldn't take much lift to make that a problem - especially if you still have the OEM Rzeppa shafts. Also cheap but a bit more work is body spacers. Not as many suspension or driveline problems with a body lift, but you'll have to watch hose, fan, and other clearances. Might get 1.5-2 inches that way.

If you do some research on the weak points of the JK, you might find a few things you'll want to upgrade before something bad happens. For example, the JK front axle knuckles are known weak spots, Rubicon or not. You might want to invest in some reinforcement gussets before they bend (if they aren't already bent). Inexpensive if you have decent welding skills. Same thing goes for track bar mounts, front and rear - they need reinforcement before you break them off. Basically, a free upgrade if you have some scrap metal and can cut and weld.

Then you can do what I do. Wheel until something breaks (preferably "starts to break"), then figure out how to upgrade that to prevent it from happening again.

You have a Rubicon, so your lockers and sway bar are already covered.

 

...the more lift you have the more clearance over rocks and such you'll have - if yer gonna get a lift and if it's gonna be off-road-only, you might as well get the tallest lift you can, and a long arm kit is the best way to gain the most of a lift. Reinforce the cage while you're at it.

Armor is a lot less spendy than replacing a gas tank or an engine/transmission oil pan, and everyone scrapes the belly - everyone, so I'd recommend an entire suite of belly armor for the gas tank, belly, and the engine/transmission - Barnes or Artec, etc. SOLID rock sliders and bumpers, and of course a winch. When it comes to armor weight is irrelevant, and while you don't want to have more than necessary you will need what is necessary to prevent damaging the underside. There are some aluminum belly armor kits, but I don't like aluminum because it is nearly impossible to upgrade or modify with standard welding skillz.

You can get up to 37s with the standard front and rear axle upgrades like was mentioned - gusseting, sleeves - get all of it, including RCVs...unless you want to jump to 8-lug axles, but if you want to go with 40s or taller you will need 8-lug axles anyway...and really the trusses and gussets never hurt on them either.

Black Friday sales are coming so you picked a perfect time to purchase stuff . I have an Iron Rock Off Road long arm kit on my '14 JKU and love it - very solid stuff. Gas tank is from Barnes 4x4, and I fabbed my own belly/engine-trans armor from 3/16 plate steel, and sliders n bumpers are 1.9" drill stem pipe. Maybe consider buying a decent welder and make your own armor.

 

Once you start with the mods - it's a rabbit hole that's difficult to walk away from.

There are lots of videos out there demonstrating the off-road capabilities of a factory stock Jeep, and for what you say you will be using your wrangler for - your wrangler is likely capable enough.

With limited funds available, if I was you, I would spend my money on recovery gear - namely front & rear bumpers and a winch.

The knowledge that you can self-save yourself should you get stuck will greatly enhance your enjoyment of the sport.

My 2 cents ....