I have a Sahara running 35's with a D30/D44 combo with the 3.23 in it (why oh why was Jeep so stupid to use these gears!?!?!?). I've actually been running this combo for a couple years now with some MILD wheeling and it hasn't bothered me too much. Due to my main job being construction, I find myself working on my jeep and hitting the trails more often than working on houses and making money. Which finally brings this to my dilemma....

Now that I'm on the trail more often I NEED better gears, BUT now that I'm not working, IM A CHEAP BASTARD!

Cant afford to swap to Rubi axles (ideal option)...
Could buy used gears, but would still have to buy master install kits and carriers because of the 3.23's so i might as well buy lockers and do it all once not twice, and i would still have to pay someone to install...
OR I was thinking of buying another set of D30/D44 combo with 4.10's and limited slip already installed ($300-400 per axle) and swap out the entire axle. 4.10's are not ideal but it would be a world of difference to what I have now and I could swap them myself and wouldn't have to pay someone.

Any thoughts?

 

Easy two step process.
1. Sell Jeep
2. Buy Rubicon!!

 

personally, i would regear and get the lockers. up front, get a super 30 kit and you'll have a very strong setup

 

x2 Or if you are up for an excersize patience you could do what a friend of mine is doing. Score the wrecking yards for crashed Rubi's. So far he has a Rear 44 w/E-Locker (low miles) from a front end wreck, the rear axle was untouched, he has 241 transfer case from a rollover........and alas is still searching for the front 44. He has been shopping around for about a year but is out less than $1K so far. Mind you he is not afraid to walk away if the price is to much.

 

Agreed.... but the bank account does not! And, besides the purchase of my Jeep, I don't finance ANYTHING I can't pay off that month.

Has he found many JK's in wrecking yards? Down here is SoCal, "Scotty's" has a capital on all wrecked Wranglers and they know what they are worth, and charge an arm and TWO legs for parts! It is near impossible to find one at a junk yard, regardless of what year.

 

They are few and far between admittedly, but patience is something he has in spades (he has 7 kids). We have wreckers up here that do the same thing as Scotty's, but sometimes you can get to them before they do.

EDIT: With the resale value remaining so high, he is seeing fewer of them as the insurance companies are paying to fix them. According to KBB mine is worth more in private party sale than I paid for it new!

 

If you can actually find a set of axles from a 2007 with 4.10's (2008 and newer didnt have 4.10's for the X or Sahara), then that may be the easiest. As you could do the work yourself in a weekend.

But you should be able to regear the axles for about $800-$1000. Thats with a shop doing the work. Although thats without lockers. If you are going to lock it up, you can add an another thousand to that.

The advantage of actually regearing your axles is you could go with 4.56's or something that would work far better than 4.10's. Yet still be HWY friendly.

 

How about NOT spending money since you're not working. That sounds like the better, and smarter, option.