resharp001

I have few buddies that continued on to D60s and 40s with superchargers. I am completely content with my set up for 2 reasons. First, I can't spare even an additional 1" of height or I will have built myself right out of the garage! Second, just about every person I've witnessed around me that built all the way out to 40s, they are now bored. These folks used to go wheel all the time and had a blast. Now they have nicely built jeeps, that they tow on a trailer behind now acquired F250s, and they hardly ever go out, and when they do, it's just not as much fun as less and less things offer a challenge. They built out of a DD and in to a toy. Like many things in life, it's about finding a level of contentment with what you have......I'm glad I reached that plateau.

MrChuckles

Been running 37's on stock axles and gears for a couple of years now. Never had a single problem with them, but I only do light trails and DD. I feel like most people just parrot that you'll have problems because they've heard others say it, or they've just wheeled the hell out of their Jeep and broke something. Not saying you won't have any issues, but for every warning you hear, there's a guy like me who is doing just fine... At least for now.

LDHunter

LDHunter

Despite my silly post regarding size matters I have been a hunter in some fairly extremely inaccessible areas for 40 years from Florida to Georgia and Alabama and even in Colorado for 5 years and with one exception I ran good quality off road tires that were 33" tall or shorter (usually BFG AT's) and I've been stuck twice in all those years where I needed help to get out and I've never even had a winch on any of my vehicles.

The one exception was when a local tire shop owner I knew mentioned that a guy had climbed out of his pickup when he got home from a bar and forgot he'd recently had 38" Super Swampers put in his truck along with a lift. He broke his leg pretty badly and he had his buddy take the truck down to the tire shop and put some factory OEM size tires on it.

The tire shop owner offered me those tires for an even swap for my 33" BFG AT's and I said OK. It was a lot of fun riding around on those tires for a couple of years but I never found any place I needed them more than I would have needed my 33's so when I eventually sold the truck I let the 38's go with it.

I'm aware that the Jeep follow the leader type of rallies can take you to many many places where 37's and taller tires are a big advantage but there is simply no place I never wanted or needed to go as a hunter or when I was just out riding that warranted really tall tires.

Would I like to have a Jeep with 37's that was set up really right? You BET! Am I willing to pay the bill for all the modifications and poorer gas mileage to get that? Not me brother. I really do like to look at them though and every once in awhile I look at one for sale that's already set up and tricked out and drool... LOL

jedg

I'll also point out that one of the more fun events (I try to attend one a year) is a Jeep Jamboree event. They limit you to 4" of lift and 37s. That's part of my motivation for sticking with what I've got. That kind of plays to what resharp001 said about being fun and exciting. Those events and the ones with my local club is what I enjoy most.

Eric Groenberg

Exactly...however...needed.

WaterRat72

I've run 35's with wheel spacers on the rig for 5 years now with 3 inches of lift. Stock Rubicon axles, drive shafts and ball joints. 4.10 gears from day one factory. Did the Rubicon Trail and done a lot more than that over the years without any breakage or issue whatsoever. In fact, I've had zero suspension issues for now just over 90k miles except for axle seal leakage.
I've since added Adams front and rear driveshafts, Synergy ball joints, RE track bar, and extended SS brake lines. Are you guys telling me that if I go to 37" tires and 5.13 gears that I will suddenly start breaking everything? Seriously?

A side note: 35's will take you everywhere you need to go.

resharp001

Are you going to slap 37s on, drive down the block and your jeep falls apart? No. But, if you want some real world examples of a few things.......

- you'll realize those Synergy BJs aren't quite as good as you think they are, which will lead you to stepping up to Rare Parts of gawd forbid the other pricey brand I shall not name.
- the flanges on those factory rear axle shafts will bend pretty easily, AND....don't think that chromoly shafts can't bend at the flange too.
- You likely don't have 3.5" BS wheels, which means buying new wheels or using spacers. spacers might not be the end of the world to you, but you'll likely be pulling those tires off more often to fix crap and I can promise you'll get tired of removing those spacers as well each time.
- Quite a bit of added stress on all steering components in general. TREs, DL ends, and TB joints have that much more added wear and tear (not to mention factory TB bracket on the axle if you're working with stock).
- if you use your lockers a lot, it's that much additional stress on the rubi locker that already doesn't have a great track record. Imagine how it feels after paying for a regear, for your locker to crap out and then realize the only option you have to another rubi locker is a new 35-spline locker which would then require new 35-spline axle shafts and yet another regear.

Those are just a couple things. I could go on and on. It's not that things are such a huge deal by themselves, but all this junk adds up and can create a lot of grief.

Will say it again. I'm not discouraging anyone from throwing 37s on, but a lot of people show up and don't have a clue what it really takes or what path lies ahead....they just know it looks cool. It's an expensive game to play, even if you're not out climbing big rocks, so I just try to shed a little light on things. People can do what they please.

WaterRat72

Understood and it's exactly this type of experience and help that is appreciated here. I've been having thoughts of selling my Rubi and getting into a JL bone stock Sport (the cheapest I can get my hands on) and then dumping about $15,000 into it. A lot of the work I could manage myself but some things I would pay to have done. I still don't know if I would bother going 37's however as my 35's have taken me everywhere I wanted to go including the entire Rubicon Trail which was no joke.

TheDirtman

Buy a used one that is already done. The JL prices are dropping like a rock. Buy a cheap new one and drop $15k and you might as well just burn that money.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto...094437484.html