Re-gearing Questions & Selectable Lockers
Recovery Vehicle
Joined: Dec 2016
Posts: 1,184
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Ah, dude! You gave all the right info! That makes things MUCH easier!
So then:
- Detroit in the rear: THIS is your drivability issue. Detroits are incredible, but reference my statement about sacrificing on road for off road and the Detroit is the poster child for demonstrating this. As this is your only vehicle, going the ARB route would answer the mail here.
- Larger tires: I parked my pretty well modified JKUR next to another Jeep on a larger lift and 37” tires. There was essentially zero difference in visible tire size between my 35s and the 37s. I’ve run the Rubicon in this Jeep on OEM tires and a 2” lift. Now with the 35s I have that same 2” lift and very minimal rubbing and only at the front end. My point is going from 33” to 35” will be negligible- especially when you look at the actual diameter differences between brands.
- Suspension: You are done. Sounds like a well thought out setup, minus the body lift. Personally, I’d launch that, stick with your tire size, put a selectable locker in and focus investment on armor.
- Gearing: Again, I’d leave it- especially if built by GBR. I’ve spent a lot of time with Bill and Tom when my office was just up the road from them, and they are well known to be the go to for diffs to be built. I’m pretty sure Bill told me he’s not nuts about ARBs in these diffs as they’ve seen failures and such (I think they are fans of trutracs at both ends working in conjunction to the OEM TC system). But the point is, I’d leave it alone- to include the T case. Bill and I used to get into it a lot comparing my JKUR to the Disco. Reality ends up being the rover axles are about the same strength as the much maligned Dana 35 used in Jeeps for many years and we debated ad nauseum about which is “better” and the bottom line is gearing is really what it boiled down to, with the Jeep being better. But hands down, the cool factor goes to the Disco- and Land Rovers in general.
My point on the whole is again, I’d leave it alone save swapping out the Detroit (for drivability), and losing the body lift (I’ve never been a fan of body lifts). As you noted, the departure angle is pretty lame in the D2, and it seems more prudent to me to focus on armor than what has already been done. If you are doing Rubicon level trails in a D2, contact in inevitable and you’d be better served to focus on minimizing body damage because you are already set for driveline stuff.
Lastly, I TOTALLY get the only car/no space to work or park deal, and as such, it really ends up being compromise. I spent a number of years trying to make my Jeep “nice” on the road with sound deadening and other conveniences. But reality is, it drives like crap on the road and really sucks compared to the D2. It can go faster, keep speed, and get appreciably better economy, but it is draining on how it wanders at freeway speed, whereas the D2 is stable, comfy, but… slow. The bottom line is you have to accept the machine for what it is to a degree and its limitations.
So then:
- Detroit in the rear: THIS is your drivability issue. Detroits are incredible, but reference my statement about sacrificing on road for off road and the Detroit is the poster child for demonstrating this. As this is your only vehicle, going the ARB route would answer the mail here.
- Larger tires: I parked my pretty well modified JKUR next to another Jeep on a larger lift and 37” tires. There was essentially zero difference in visible tire size between my 35s and the 37s. I’ve run the Rubicon in this Jeep on OEM tires and a 2” lift. Now with the 35s I have that same 2” lift and very minimal rubbing and only at the front end. My point is going from 33” to 35” will be negligible- especially when you look at the actual diameter differences between brands.
- Suspension: You are done. Sounds like a well thought out setup, minus the body lift. Personally, I’d launch that, stick with your tire size, put a selectable locker in and focus investment on armor.
- Gearing: Again, I’d leave it- especially if built by GBR. I’ve spent a lot of time with Bill and Tom when my office was just up the road from them, and they are well known to be the go to for diffs to be built. I’m pretty sure Bill told me he’s not nuts about ARBs in these diffs as they’ve seen failures and such (I think they are fans of trutracs at both ends working in conjunction to the OEM TC system). But the point is, I’d leave it alone- to include the T case. Bill and I used to get into it a lot comparing my JKUR to the Disco. Reality ends up being the rover axles are about the same strength as the much maligned Dana 35 used in Jeeps for many years and we debated ad nauseum about which is “better” and the bottom line is gearing is really what it boiled down to, with the Jeep being better. But hands down, the cool factor goes to the Disco- and Land Rovers in general.
My point on the whole is again, I’d leave it alone save swapping out the Detroit (for drivability), and losing the body lift (I’ve never been a fan of body lifts). As you noted, the departure angle is pretty lame in the D2, and it seems more prudent to me to focus on armor than what has already been done. If you are doing Rubicon level trails in a D2, contact in inevitable and you’d be better served to focus on minimizing body damage because you are already set for driveline stuff.
Lastly, I TOTALLY get the only car/no space to work or park deal, and as such, it really ends up being compromise. I spent a number of years trying to make my Jeep “nice” on the road with sound deadening and other conveniences. But reality is, it drives like crap on the road and really sucks compared to the D2. It can go faster, keep speed, and get appreciably better economy, but it is draining on how it wanders at freeway speed, whereas the D2 is stable, comfy, but… slow. The bottom line is you have to accept the machine for what it is to a degree and its limitations.
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