GPS says i was actually doing 85 mph...lol...speedo is flashed for 42" tires....but still good numbers

 

I'm not trying to get in a pissing match with SC vs. Hemi this is not the thread for it....I'm just making sure everyone knows the ups and downs of the SC....that "red lightning bolt" is unacceptable to alot of people (including me), not to mention the fuel delivery problems I had after the install...for $5,000+ it should be flawless...if not flawless kept off the shelves until it is...I had mine for 2600 miles before I sold it.

 

And with your current setup the SC definitely sounds like it's doing a hell of a job, but unfortunately for me, when I swapped to 5.13s I can cruise at 70 on the highway without any problem at 2k rpm. So it makes me wonder if a SC is best for those with stock gears, because now I rarely get above 3k rpms unless I'm passing or mashing the gas to get on the highway. When you go to 5.38s I'll definitely be interested to see how you think it's responding to the change and where you find the powerband, etc.

 

lol I didn't get the impression he was trying to come off like a toughguy and he's the only person on this forum (that I know of) who's had both a SC and now a Hemi, so I'd say he's got good firsthand knowledge on both.

PS: I'll take internet tough guy's opinion over unfunny d0uchebag 9 out 10 times. lol The 1 out of 10 is because I actually chuckled at Ted Danson's pants.

 

Good idea for a new performance thread so we can compare:
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/modified-jk-tech-2/0-60-before-after-71258/

 

I think a lot of the banter here is unhelpful. Most folks I know would rather have a hemi all things considered but realistically the cost is $20Kish versus $5K-$7K for an SC. Not very many can self install the hemi but I bet quite a few could do the SC. That is a price swing of 3x-4x. For that reason along I think a lot are considering the SC like myself. I have no doubt that a hemi will give more HP and more torque and be available all the time. Downsides? What if I need to sell my Jeep or trade in? I can take of the SC and sell it separately if I desire since you NEVER recoup the cost of upgrades like that. If money were no object I would by a hemi without giving it a second thought. Since it is I am considering an SC seriously and trying to read all opinions to see what is the real gain and usability. Some of the SC posts come across as a little over the top in their power claims and the hemi guys cr*pping all over the SC doesn't help. Any fool could figure a hemi is going to be more powerful. Is it worth 3x-4x more? I guess that is subjective and depends on the money you either have or are willing to spend on your rig. Hopefully the feedback continues but it would be nice if the emotion and unsubstantiated claims could be dialed down a little.

 

You're in about the same place I was a month or so back. I came to the conclusion that for my needs I wasn't sure the SC would make any appreciable difference based on:
1) Everyone says the SC really helps get up to speed on the highway, etc. Well regearing to 5.13s did this for me. I have ZERO problems getting up to speed and it seems the best results with the SC are based on vehicles with stock tire sizes and stock gearing.
2) Despite claims of lightning bolt free environment, almost everyone has had issues getting it tuned properly. In fairness I believe there's just been an update released to alleviate this, but I'm not sure. I want to install something and not worry that the lousy computer in the JK is going to hate it and put me in limp mode.
3) Installing a SC gets you 6mpg increase city and 12mpg increase highway. Nobody in the real world has achieved anywhere near that. As a side note, personally I wouldn't be installing a sc or a hemi to increase mpg, but making a claim that cannot be duplicated by anyone but the company who claims it.

Basically in the end I decided it was a hemi or nothing. In fairness I do have to say that I haven't ridden in a JK that's set up like mine with a SC installed so I have no real world comparison point. I'm just going on the info I've read that RIPP published, as well as everyone's input who's bought one. Of about 5 people I can think of on this site who've got the RIPP kit 3 absolutely love it, and 2 removed it. The two that removed it I believe have steeper gears than those who kept it.

So perhaps everyone with a SC (Ripp or other) could please state their gears as it seems to make a difference in terms of how happy you are with the product.

 

I am not sure I would see the connection with gears unless it was a computer calibration issue. My biggest concern with the SC is lack of low end oomph. This is already the JK's biggest problem and unfortunately is an RPM range you have to spend the majority of your time in unless you drive around with your foot in it constantly. I would love an extra 100HP or so at freeway speeds but I can see where it might be disappointing if that is all you get for your $5K-$7K. Conversely a hemi would solve this very problem straight away. At $20K+ though I just can't justify the cost. I would be driving a $50K Jeep and while I dearly love my Jeep and could afford to do so if I desired I can't even justify this to myself much less my wife.

 

I'm in the same boat as you are. With a kid in college and a kitchen to be remodeled, and frankly these uncertain economic times, I just can't justify the bucks for a Hemi. The SC is doable though. My problem so far is the same as your's - the location of the increase in power. I would happily sacrifice big HP numbers at 5000 rpm, which I never see now, for more power down low. It would be great to have addititional power come in at the high teens. But at the very least we need major torque increases where we live - in the 2000 to 3000 rpm range. With enough power there we would never have to downshift on the freeway except for a full throttle passing manuever.

I'm biased towards RIPP because of their responsiveness on the forum but they don't seem to be willing to get the power to come in down low. I know Hesco is claiming that they have power coming in at a lower rpm but their HP and torque numbers seem to be lower. I recall reading about Hesco having a two speed or two stage blower or some such. I'm willing to spend the money but I want the power ban where it will do the most good for my heavy rig.

I think a ton of SC's could be sold if they made power in the 2000-3000 rpm range and cost between 3500 and 5000 (tops!) and were owner installable. And while I think claims of 6-11 mg increase are ludicrous a gain of 2-3 would be nice.

 

On one of the forums the RIPP guy commented that the 6-11 mpg increase was babying it and not realistic. He was going to get the verbiage changed on the website. Personally the MPG issue is the least of my concerns so that is a non-issue. It has been said repeatedly that the engine design is simply weak at the low end and it is going to tough to overcome this. It does sound like different SC approaches might address this but not without some sort of tradeoff which might or might not be doable. The stupid throttle tip in is half the problem and I wish we could correct this somehow.

The previous poster metnioned the $50K as a starting point and is correct. I already have about $7K in upgrades lined up between gears, suspension, and tires and I know I will be taking a moderate approach. Realistically a semi-built Jeep unlimited could be:

$28K base for Unlimited Rubicon
$25K for hemi swap
$10K for moderate lift, tires, wheels, gears, bumper, winch
=
$63K which is a bit excessive for a lot of us. When I bought my Rubi there was a similarly built 2007 available for $40K if I recall the asking price correctly. That would be a $23K hit in resale value IF he got asking price. That right there says a lot. Clearly you don't do these mods with ROI in mind but I am not in the habit of throwing money away either. It is all part of the equation anyway. For those that can and will afford a $60K+ rig I say good on you and I bet that it is an absolute blast to drive. Don't cr*p on those that are looking to bring that cost down below $45K though and still have a rig that brings a smile to their face.