Hello good people of JK forum. I have been doing alot of research, but im still new to all this so i would love input.

Currently i have stock suspension on 33s (sport) 2door. Im going to 35s in the immediate future and want to upgrade my suspension for both durability and lift-to-fit-tire purposes. Im really having a hard time deciding between 2.5 and 3.5 metalcloak kit.

I know for 35s 2.5 is a non brainer. But i really think my end goal are 37s, i dont ever see myself going for 40s. Currently i really enjoy building up my jeep and plan on doing it all myself, the only thing im weary about is re gearing, so i will probably outsource that.

My current suspension build plan is lift>replace front and rear driveshafts > 35s > geometry correction >big break kit/ball joints>weld on truss for front axle (possibe regear here, but would be a waste on d30?) and likely up to a year of on/offroad testing while saving up and spending money on non jeep things. Then im thinking going to d44 front axle, regear both and slap on 37s.

most likely this is all going to be a progression aside from lift+tires+driveshafts happening at same time.

Anyway. I have to decide by end of this month on 2.5 vs 3.5 since metalcloak is likely having a memorial day sale and im ponying up the cash for the lift then. I have read that 2.5 on 37s is an option somewhere, but im not 100% sure what that involves. Would love any input on lift or my plan in general.

 

Back in the early days of my build, I had no lockers back in those days while my buddies did. It was a good real-world comparison when we’d roll up to something and I’d immediately see whether the lockers made a huge difference or where they weren’t needed. Most of the time when you have lockers you turn them on way more often then you need to. I say that cuz it’s kinda the same thing with tires. I was on 35s still as my buddies moved up to 37s. I can tell you that it was very rare we rolled across an obstacle where that extra bit of tire made the difference as we were all on similar lifts. I eventually moved to 37s, and they moved to 40s…..and the story remained the same. When you’re in a jeep on 40s you then just see the buggies doing things you can’t do. I’m glad I stopped at 37s, but I can tell you that they aren’t really worth the extra work and wear and tear on everything IMO. That extra weight is the biggest killer IMO. Some folks will bring up that you can get things like Milestar Patagonias and others that don’t weigh as much….well, I guess if you want crap tires, sure. Anyhow, not trying to get going on a rant so will keep it productive. Surely you’ve been through the 37’s sticky at the top of the modified section and you can make your own decision about that jump.

If you’re going to go with a 3.5” lift, you’d better plan on full set of control arms with that 2dr rather than control arm brackets up front. You’re going to need to extend that wheelbase back out in the rear, especially if you plan to do 37s. Easier to get by with the factory arms in the rear on a 2.5” lift. Keep in mind that those MC lifts are likely to net you more than the stated value.

The D30 is always a real pickle. It’s hard to put any money into one. I wouldn’t put time and money in a truss at all, gussets only and a possible regear if you plan to be with that axle for 1-2 years. Even hard to put serious money into ball joints for that axle but they will be your biggest weak point with larger tires. Not sure what you’re thinking in terms of going to a D44 front, but I’d suggest if your future involved moderate or aggressive offroading then it needs to be aftermarket and not simply a rubi axle. I built one of those, done that, not worth time or effort IMO. If you can do everything yourself sometimes it can make sense, but you still end up with a weaker axle than the aftermarket options and you spend more than you think you are going to. Ball joints are the same weak point in the 44 axles. If you really think you are going to 37s then I’d be thinking about Rare Parts BJs, probably cheaper mid-level BJs for a D30 axle and better ones for more permanent future axle.

You didn’t mention traction control in your plans. I’d much rather have 35s/2.5” lift/rear sectable locker and eventually a front locker more than 3.5” lift on 37s. Going to be so much easier in the long run and you’re going to do 95% or more of what you think 3.5” lift and 37s is going to do.

Everything above is just 1 person’s opinion so take it with a grain of salt, food for thought, then set your own course and move forward. I might have missed something above.....just sitting at work and those were initial thoughts that came to mind.

 

really appreciate the thorough response. I am definitely going with full kit with adjustable control arms.

I think for me and my personality type, im just not going to be satisfied with 35s for a long time. Knowing myself i will keep building. Going back to my main question- are 37s on 2.5 ever a viable option?

I am in Oregon so the trails here are fairly limited in terms of difficulty and there is no real rock crawling, though i dont discount possible trips down to cali or utah in my future. My main motivation is to overbuild something bulletproof that im never really worried about breaking things when im off road. I am a pretty careful driver in the first place, so coupled with having more than i need mechanically, i think i can avoid any serious issues. You never know of course, but here's to hoping.

In regard to lockers, admittedly this is a bit of a blind spot in my research, my plan was to get some real experience with the inital build before making that desicion

 

I have a 2013 JKR running MC's 2.5 and 37s with just cut fenders. I also did RPMs full aluminum steering and PSC's big box steering. Last year I drove out to Moab and did Hells, Top of the World, fins, and the trifecta. There's no way in hell I'd go for the 3.5 on a 2dr. I was able to lead a 4xe and a locked 4dr with through the entire run of the trifecta and pull them out at the waterfall with no issues. After day 1 I did cut my front fenders a bit and removed the rear flares, but those went back on easily once I was home and don't rub around town. The 2.5 nets you more than advertised as its meant for 2.5 with metal cloaks whole armor set up and there are plenty of lighter alternatives to keep you a bit higher. But the 2.5 from MC and 37s is no problem.

Make sure you do the whole "game changer" or get full control arm sets. With them dialed in I was comfortable enough to drive from SC to Utah and offroad without suspension pushing the tire into the pinch seam. I would recommend springing for steering upgrades, being able to one finger turn the wheel while not worrying your tie rod will crumple as you push off a rock is great.

I do think you should go ahead and think about front axle replacement and a re-gear with a rear locker, you'll be happier in the long run. While lockers aren't the magic solution for everything sometimes they are the only way up esp in wet conditions. Lugging with 3.21s sucks.

 

you don't need 37's for Moab. You can drive most of the trails just fine on stock tires.

 

To be fair, nothing is a matter of need here. I could buy a buggy and do these things. Or i could just stay out of the woods and drive a corolla.

I WANT to eventually go to 37s. I just want to make sure i dont shoot myself in the foot by buying 2.5 lift if my eventual goal is 37s. I like the look of 35s on 3.5, so that wouldnt be concern for me. Im planning on replacing both driveshafts and investing in adjustable control arms so the angle shouldnt be much of an issue.

Having said that i do like having lower center of gravity, so if I can get away with 2.5 and eventually throw on 37s ill probably do that. And judging by one of the responses that is a possibility. I am worried i will lose some articulation doing that, but honestly i doubt ill find myself in a situation where thats going to matter much anyway.

Having said all that my main motivation right now is the building process. I really enjoy putting in work on my jeep and seeing results (or even lack of consequences). My goal is not to have the most capable offroad rig imaginable, though im certainly planning putting my jeep through the paces off road. My goal is to build up a bulletproof rig im proud of.

Thanks for weighing in folks! I really do appreciate all the input. I welcome any additional thoughts as well, be it in philosophy or build itself.