Hey all, I've been wanting a JK for quite some time now and pretty soon I will be biting the bullet on a new 2012 Unlimited Sport. I plan on putting Dynatrac 60s rear and 44s front with a 4" inch lift and 37" MTZs. There will of course be extra weight added for front and rear bumpers as well as rock sliders. Winch is a maybe. This will be my daily driver with offroading maybe 1-2 times a month.

Now for the questions:

1) What gear ratio are you guys running with a 4" lift and 37" tires? How does that particular gear ratio handle highway/interstate speeds?
2) Is the 37" tire noise tolerable at speeds 55+?
3) Since I'm spending well over $20k on upgrades, I don't mind splurging on a lift kit. With that in mind, what are your experiences with high end lift kits, pros, cons, recommendations?
4) I know I have more questions but that's all I can remember right now and the wife is getting impatient for our lunch date. Thanks in advance for any help you guys can provide!

 

1- you will see people say 4:88 or 5:13
2- your answer will depend on tire, MT, AT, etc
3- most answers will be Teraflex
4- keep asking, people will answer

 

My suspension system recommendation for your set up would be Rock Krawler. You can go 3.5 or 5.5 but the 3.5 is definitely set up good for 37's. RK makes seriously solid components, has a great warranty and works great on the road and absolutely killer off the road. I love my RK set up.

Also, the noise of 37's on the road is going to be totally up to the tire you select.

 

..not to overly simplify..

1. I'm running 5.13's (auto trans) with my 4" and 37" GY M/T's. I can do 70-80 all day long, but you have to remember, an automatic transmission (gearing) in the 2012's are quite different (better), than 2007-2011 so you have to check with someone with a 2012 with the gearing/tire combo you seek. You may not need such a low gear ratio. I don't recall if you mentioned if you had a manual or auto, which also makes a big difference.

2. Like previously posted, it depends on what tire you ultimately run. Mine are louder than stock, but not intolerable. You may want to get a ride with someone who has similar tires that you're cosidering. Falkens are great on the road and quite quiet, they also work well on the trails, but some want a more agressive looking tread. GY's, BFG's, Nitto are some that I've seen out here on the trails.

3. There are many well thought of suspension kits out there. I'm running a teraflex short arm, because I got a good deal on them, but for more comfort, check out the long arm kits out there. What I can say is that the spring rate, on my setup, is a bit stiff, as compared to stock, but not overwhelming. Full Traction, Teraflex, EVO, are some that come to mind, but are not the only one's that would fulfill your needs. You have to also think on how you plan to use your Jeep (offroad), then consider the suspension kits that would fit your build/budget.

Hopes this helps pointing you in the right direction... of course, you probably have more questions. They're many more experienced and knowledgeable people on this forum. Pick their brains, like I have, and you'll be fine.

 

X2, like tchaap said.

Teraflex and Rock Krawler are both good companies, but my recommendation would be Rock Krawler. I had in my old TJ and now in my JK, 3.5'' with bilstein shocks. Ride amazing and a ridiculous flex for a good articulation.

- Heavy duty arms: Full steel
- Upgradable to any Rock Krawler lift kit
- Amazing costumer service
- Life time abuseproof warranty

For tires, ive tried 4 kind of 37'' MT, and 2 of them where quiet: BFG Km2 and GY MT/K

For gear, if you go with 37'', in a dana 30 4.88 or 5.13, but if you change your diif for a prorock 44 the 5.38 its a good choice.

Good luck!

 

1) Gear ratio 5.13's running comp tires and can go 80 (but not up a hill)
2) They are loud, but I have a stereo, and the soft top is loud too.
3) I am bias and really like our Long Arm system.
4) Add your questions as you go. Good luck!

 

Thanks for the replies. I should have been more specific- planning on auto trans with Mickey Thompson MTZ and ProRock 44 front/ProRock 60 rear.

If someone has a better tire suggestion vs the Mickey Thompson tires, I'm all ears.

I've read other threads and the most common suggested gear for my setup seemed to be 5.13 and 5.38, but like many other topics that debate went back and forth for decades. I hadn't considered the transmission changes in the 2012s...

Teraflex, Rancho, and Rubicon Express were the lift kits I had in mind, but I'll be sure to look into Rock Krawler. Definitely going with long arm. Any thoughts on Bilstein vs Fox shocks?

How about MPG? I'm not expecting anything heart-warming, more inquisitive than anything.

As for my application, I don't think I'll be getting into rock crawling anytime soon, makes me a little nervous being my DD but then again I've also never done any serious rock crawling before. Going to stick mostly to trails, hills, etc. No mud if I can help it. Hate cleaning that off.