I bought a brand new 2011 wrangler unlimited sport, automatic, last weekend and have spent the last week reading and searching everything i can find to get as much info as possible before making decisions on the rout to go with my new Jeep.

The jeep will by my daily driver, but there will be the occasional off road excursion, beach, camping, big bend state park, nothing too intense. So based on the research i've done i think i came up with a good street setup that will work with my minimal off road requirements, and i'd like any opnions from people with more expertise and experience before i actually make it happen.

what im looking at is this.....Tereflex 2.5 lift kit with shocks....procomp 7005 17x8 wheels, with Duratrac 285/70/r17.....or procomp 7031 16x8 wheels, with 305/70/r16 Duratrac's

With either of these set up's, from what i've read, i shouldn't have to worry about regearing, and changing driveshafts, and all the other expensive up grades that larger lifts and tires come with, and i should be able to ride comfortably down the highway. If anyone has more insight into this or any helpful advise i'd love to hear it. Thanks in advance for all the help.

 

Have you found the FAQ's yet? Stickied to the top of this modified area. Lots of great info, but in particular, check the chart in the Drivetrain area. As a guesstimate, take an inch off of the mfgs listed tire height, and plug it in. That will give you the OD On rpms at 70. Then you will divide that number by .69 to get the OD Off rpm.
2400-2600 is generally where you want to try to get to.

The need for all of the extra components is a preference. If you think your jeep rides ok with nothing more than the basic lift, then save the money. If the handling is too flighty, look into caster correction. If you don't like the axles being offset, look into brackets or adjustables.

The driveshafts will be hit or miss. Odds are that you will be ok for a while, but there is always that chance that you will be the lucky one and blow a joint. Roll the dice.
And since you have an auto, you will also need to keep an eye on the big boot on the front shaft. Flex and look, if it is too close to the corner of the tranny, start looking at options. Ripping the boot isn't a big deal, but bashing in the corner of the tranny pan could be.

(and as another viewpoint to the recommendations in the above post, people are in fact losing shafts with as little as 2.5". Just depends on the overall setup. And luck.)

 

I heard that the 2011 JKs have a re-engineered skid for the tranny which is more of a bar than a skid. I haven't crawled under a 2011 yet - can anyone confirm? I heard the front DS won't rub it

 

I can confirm that it is more of a "bar."

Looking at my dads 2011 JKU tranny 'skid', it's different than my 2010 JKs tranny skid.

 

This is my setup.
3" BDS Suspension lift with the upgraded shocks
17" Addict rims
33" Nitto Trail Grapplers

It runs great on and off road. I may upgrade to 35's when I have the money to re-gear and my 33's run their coarse. It rides better than stock and I think it looks pretty good too. This setup cost me about $3800 installed but can be done cheaper if you look around for the best price and do the installation yourself. I have way more invested but for the basic lift this is what I got.

 

My guidance is to figure out what you want,
research more,
re-figure out what you want,
research more,
look at other peoples Jeeps and talk to them,
re-figure out what you want,
read about all the issues with lifts and how not to get them,
re-figure out what you want,
wait 6 months,
if it is still what you want then go for it.

 

...this is actually pretty accurate to my experience. I thought I new exactly what I wanted and then learned more and changed my mind ten times over the course of a year before I made significant mods. But, that's just my meticulous style.

I think you'll be happy with the set up described above. The longer you research and study, the more you'll potentially begin to lean towards 35's. Like mentioned above, turn off O/D and it gets you more into the rpm range you want and can live without regearing until it becomes a priority.

The TF 2.5 is a good choice from everything I've read on this forum, and you could always add adj trackbars and/or flex arms immediately or down the road for improved on road handling.....if you feel you need it.

Good luck and enjoy!!