I'm new to the jeep club and have been reading the forums constantly while waiting for my JK unlimited X to arrive. I know most of these topics have been discussed, but please do so again here in one place. I appreciate it.

I have finally decided (I think) to probably stay with 33's and a 2.5" TFlex BB for now. I do 90% city driving and no "hard core" wheelin'. I've decided on an A/T tire like the BFG KO's, Toyo A/T's, or the Terra Grapplers, etc., with some aftermarket wheels with around 5" of back-spacing.

My questions are:
1. With 4.10 gears, manual trans, and a 2.5" lift, can I add 35's later, if I so choose?
2. Do I pretty much [U]need[U] to add the spacer up front to level the vehicle, or is a matter of looks only?
3. Should I add the components (track bar bracket on rear, adjustable for the front) to compensate for the axle shifting a bit? Some people don't seem to notice the shift, but is it hard on the vehicle wear?
4. If I add other components, are there ones that are really important to do together during the inital installation, as opposed to "waiting to see" ( I hate performing or paying for labor cost twice)?
and lastly...
5. There are several tire size combinations that essentially add up to being "33's". ie -285/75/17 vs. 305/65/17 So, how do you decide?

I know this is a lot, but it's everything I'm losing sleep over! Thanks.

 

1) Yes, you can add any tire size you want any time as long as they 'fit'... 2.5" will clear the 35's under normal conditions (on the road)... off road at full flex you will rub.
2) It's personal preference
3) Adjustable trackbars are better... if your budget constrained... they could be added later.
4) At 2.5" of lift, there are a lot of good kits out there. If you plan to go bigger later, then 'yes' you will be paying twice for the same later. So it all depends on if your gonna stick to 2.5"
5) I'd go with a common size that has a lot of options out there. Also, make your decision based more on the tread type you desire along with quality of the tire. Most tire companies will have something that will fit your needs size-wise... so look at 'what kind' of tire you want (A/T, M/T, etc.) and then find a good balance with quality and price.

 

how did u get 4.10 gears on an X anyway??

my sahara with tow only gets 3.73

 

Huh, well...now I hope I'm not mistaken....

Crap! I just looked again, and apparently my ignorance allowed me to be confused by the sales people. I was under the impression that upgrading to the tow pkg simply upgraded to the 4.10's as on the Rubicon, because my salesman replied "Yes, I believe so." when I asked. Well, ok same questions as above, then with a 3.73 gear...can I / should I even do 35's with that?

:sad:

(Thanks for asking me about it, racer.)

 

You can do 35's w/any gears... it's just a matter of how much decrease in performance are you willing to accept. There are a LOT of opinions out there on this. I can tell you personally that I swapped gears when I went to 35's and I would have it ABSOLUTELY no other way. The best thing to do is try it for a while... see if you like it. If you don't, figure you'll spend another ~$1,500 for the gears (labor/parts).

 

it was possible to get 4.10 in the 07 model. I have 4.10 in my X with an auto transmission/ no tow. Maybe the sales guy was confused

 

Hmmm. Well, if that's the case, guess I'll just have to see what shows up! I have a great salesperson, so wouldn't be surprised if he at least made the gear request for me. Thanks for the info, esp. the cost of new gears (wow!)

 

You've got the 3.73 gears. Only the Rubicon has the 4.10 option for 2008.

I've got the TF 2.5" with front spacers, BDS relocation bracket and front adjustable track bar and I run 35's w/3.73 gears and it is not nearly as bad as I expected it would be. Gas is killin me though as I believe I am averaging about 11-12 mpg (I do NO highway driving).

Front spacers evened the front out nicely. I have no issues resulting from the lift (which I did myself) other than that it initially had a bit of tracking that lessened as the Cooper STT MT's broke in. Without getting into all of the band-aid argument, I also installed the superlift steering dampener which HAS improved the ride to the point where I would actually let my wife drive w/ the kids now.

 

Well, that's good to know. Thanks, all for the helpful information, you've helped make my decision easier!

 

yes on the O7 models, with 4.10 gears
the 08 models are different.... only the rubicons get 4:10's