mikestoick

Hello forum, kinda got a rant and would like to share my ill feelings with my 13 JK as of late.

First off, ive crept this forum for awhile, learning alot and being really tempted to start modding my 2dr gecko. So far the only mod ive gone with is a set of 275/70/17 cooper at/3s. Great tires but i feel for the mild/medium amount of off roading i do, they are too small and are lacking aggressive tread to hook up like i want. Eventually, Im thinking along the lines of a 2.5 aev inch lift to fit 35 GY dirtytracks. I have the funds to do all this right now, but as a 20 yr old college student, i dont want to spend more than needed or make the wrong move. Now, the issue is this, when i bought my jeep i was 18 and was just so pumped to totally buy my first vehicle. I didnt consider gears really and i got an auto trans thinking it would suit me better as it is my DD. Now im kinda regretting both options on my jeep, mostly the 3.21 gears tho. I know if i go 35s i MUST regear, but ive read lately that the carrier for the 3.21 is too small to simply throw the 4.56 gears i want in, also, if i get bigger tires, i must lift, and if im going to be in the axles regearing might as well lock at least one end eh? Thats what everybody says. What a giant cascade effect. So my fellow jeepers, at 20 years old should i just be content and proud with the jeep ive worked really hard to buy, just be a kid with a basically bone stock jk happy to pick up babes on the beach even though from a financial perspective i could mod or should i go for the mods? Thanks for reading this novel and encouraging me haha. Oh and yea, consider my jeep is my DD, i wheel in michigan mud and deep snow and wheel 3 times a month maybe (or at least could reallly use off road performance increases that often haha)

cctroupe11

23 here.

I'd definitely save up for gears. I think everybody with a JK gets the itch right after they get it to start modding. I already have. I'm just being patient with myself and saving up for gears, carrier, and install fees slowly, so that I don't break the bank. I'm running 37's on 3.21 right now and holy shit, they suck. Throwing 4.56 or 4.88 in mine within the next month or two.

You'll be happy with it when you get it where you want it. One of the things about owning a Jeep is making it your own.

stagedtrip

I ran 35s with my 3.21s powered by my 3.8 and it really was not that bad, my biggest problem was 4hi was basically unusable 4lo was still decent for climbing and getting out of a mudhole. I've since went 4.88s and yeah had to change the carrier but if you do add a locker than you won't need the different carrier. I didn't have the funds to do the locker so I'm still without and haven't had any real problems

nthinuf

It's your jeep and your money. If you want to dump money into it, then dump money into it. If you are just looking for someone to smack you in the back of your head and say 'no', call your parents.

None of the mods you listed are MUST HAVES.

With some work (trimming and chopped/flat flares, bump stops, backspace, etc ) you can run bigger tires. If you want to lift as well, there are plenty of very inexpensive BB options to choose from.

No one is going to MAKE you regear. If you can live with the lack of power, just press the OD/Off button and go for it, plenty of people are fine with this. (for a while, at least). If you do regear, yes you will need a new front carrier. $70ish, maybe? Or step up to a full case traction device if you have the spare cash instead of buying the open carrier. (truetrac would be my suggestion, about $300 more than just a new carrier - though you may be spending some extra to get it drilled?).

Olskoolkool

I have a 12 6sp with 35's 2.5 Rough country spacer lift and 3.21 gears. Does it work as a DD, Yes. Will it go off road, Yes. Will it win a drag race, Maybe? I can shift out of 2nd @ 70mph and use 6th any time over 80mph .
I say go for it. I didn't buy mine until I was 27, and I just had to have 35's, and bumpers and all sorts of stuff. My thought is I can always regear later. I'm no rock crawler, just hills, snow, sand, and a little mud ( gatta watch out for the inspection opening under the tranny). I have fun in it and I know that I have a good platform for when I want to take it to the next level. Have fun with it and I think the autos now have "auto stick" and you can put it in whatever gear you want. That should work well for driving in town at low speeds.
That being said I do have a set of O.E. 3.73 gears that I picked up cheep. Still in debate weather I'm going to install them or not. If you don't like the 3.21's I bet you could find some low mile 3.73's dirt cheep on here. Spend a few bucks installing them and wait until your ready to drop the big bucks on 4.56+.

TheDirtman

I would say at 20, once the jeep is paid off and you have your 6 month emergency fund built up then go nuts on the mods while putting 10% of your earnings away in savings. But it is your jeep, and with jeeps common sense and logic seem to get thrown out the window.

jk_sea

I think this is purely a question regarding finances. You get to decide.

The Jeep dude in me says YES, mod and make it cool, you're only young once.

The Jeep dude in me who's also been to college and worked, and spent a number of years not having a dime to my name, thinks about different things. Like savings - do you have enough? How will you pay for your Jeep when you graduate or it takes a while to find a job? Will spending this money prevent you from living on your own? Do you already save for retirement, and if not, why not? Do you have outstanding debt that should be paid down first? Is there anything you'd rather do with the money? Are you paying cash for the mods, or do you plan to finance them on a credit card?

Answers not needed, just things to think about. If money was unlimited, yeah, we'd all mod our Jeeps, but questions like above stop some of us from doing everything we want right away. The fact that you posted up about it makes me think you're experiencing some hesitation in your decision. If all your ducks are in a row, man, have fun with it!

mikestoick

haha yea man. More specifically i have 11k in the bank, recently single , about 3 more years in college which i am lucky enough to have my parents pay for and make real good money for a college kid. Also, i know this fits under dirtmans comment "logic going out the window" but my buddy is putting a 6.0l chevy in his cj5 and if he whoops my ass cause im undergearaed, hes gonna talk soooo much shit haha. In other words, i prolly cant live without power. Type of guy who dreams of an ls in my jeep one day.... Beat a corvette then conquer the rubicon all in the same day

mikestoick

Lastly, i will literally install every mod myself, even if it comes to an engine swap. I am friends with/work with many auto/mechanical minds. I think this way i could maybe cut my expenses in half?

mikestoick

Alot of what i am saying is stemming from my sister basically out wheeling me in her bonnnnnnne stock jku in some deep field snow last weekend.... What? Dont ask im still perplexed haha.