(Apologies if this is in the wrong place.)
Hello all,

After recent consideration I've come to the conclusion that a Wrangler is probably my best choice for next vehicle. Currently driving a Forester XT (the turbo one) and looking for some more off-road capability. The Forester has decent ground clearance (8.7"), but my biggest concern is tires, and there isn't much option beyond Yokohama Geolandar ATs. While the Forester has done great at everything I've thrown at it, I'm looking for a more robust vehicle which I also plan on taking extended trips on and off-road in the future.

Currently I'm in Northern Utah, and have access to all kinds of trails, including Moab being just a few hours away. I plan on doing at least some kind of trail on a weekly basis. Watching videos of guys with 6" lifts and 37" tires slamming up massive rock ledges and breaking axles doesn't really seem like my cup of tea. I'm definitely more into just being able to drive on poorly maintained roads and some very minor rock crawling, but in a cinch be able to get through a stream or up some minor ledges, and most of all being able to depend on it to get me home. And for future on and off-road trips.

My biggest problem right now is determining which is right for me. Obviously the Rubicon is most capable off-road without modifications (diffs, axles, re-gearing, lockers, etc), however I don't know if I need a Rubicon. The 2 biggest bonuses to me of the Rubicon being the 4.10 gears, and stock lockers. What little I do know about really driving off road is that lockers are very valuable and even more so than 4x4 on its own.

Now, I'm not extremely handy when it comes to cars and have little experience beyond changing my oil and wheels, so doing things like re gearing, installing air-lockers, and full suspension swaps are probably beyond my capabilities. And from what I've been able to find online, the Sahara's optioned 3.73 axles aren't suited to handle 33s, let alone 35s reliably (I'm not too concerned about the power loss, but the dependability is a serious issue for me). Even the Rubicon's 4.10s aren't dependable with 35s, but are suited to handle 33s, at least from what I've read. This is a big reason for me leaning towards to the Rubicon over the Sahara, as dependability is my #1 concern, especially before capability. I know I could have the re-gearing, and air lockers installed in a shop, but is the difference in price between the Sahara and Rubicon enough to cover aftermarket re-gearing and air lockers (and installation), and is it worth it for my intended usage?

TLDR;
Main priority is reliability, definitely at least 33s, and possibly 35s down the line. Lockers are also very important to me, possibly open to aftermarket air-lockers and re-gearing.
Currently leaning towards Rubicon for lockers and axles. Aftermarket lockers/re-gearing is obviously an option on a Sahara but worth it only go as capable as a Rubicon, or only worth it if going beyond Rubicon capabilities?
Don't plan on doing anything extreme, I'm not into pushing my vehicle and parts to their limit, but always like to have more capability than I need.

What do you guys think? Thanks.

 

I say if you can find a decent priced Rubi with the 3.6 then that's what I would do. Already have the lockers and you might be ok with the gears, maybe even more so with a manual, if your going 33's. the stock lockers aren't bad. With air lockers you will have to get a compressor and do a lot more work to even get them functional. Not to mention they are expensive depending on what brand. With the type of trail riding you plan on doing I think you could just gusset the Cs on the front axle, maybe sleeve it or do an Artec kit, and when the ball joints go out just throw some HD ball joints in and I really think that's all you need. If you want suspension then maybe a 1.5" kit from rock Krawler or even just a budget boost or 2" synergy or whatever brand you think you might like should be all you need.

 

Thank you for the info, I haven't heard of gussets before and after looking into them, it seems like a great addon to improve the robustness of what I'm seeing is the common fail point from running large tires. For the prices I'm seeing it looks like a definite buy no matter which route I go!

 

One of the issues you did not bring up, but IMO is the biggest plus of the Rubicon over a Sahara is the 4:1 Transfer case. It gives you the ability to slow crawl up obstacles, and more importantly, slowly descend hills without having to use the brakes. To keep the RPMs up in the power band in a non-rubicon, means faster speed, which is not always best. Although you are not looking to do more hard core trails, once you get the Jeep bug, you may start reconsidering due to your proximity to Moab.

 

I suppose I looked over that feature as I'm used hill descent on anything even remotely steep in the Forester, and just brakes for anything else. As far as just crawling on level or inclined surfaces I have no experience with transfer cases and low range, so the transfer case ratio is a completely new concept to me that I need to look into. Thanks for the tip!

 

While the 4:1 tcase is awesome at slow technical crawling it isn't the best choice for most offroad driving. So far the standard tcase with the 2.72 has treated me just fine. That being said I would go with the rubi for the mostly good lockers and 4.10 gears.

 

Stock rubicon is extremely capable. I would recommend going there and then upgrade as needed.
Not all rubicons come with 4.10, so don't assume it is 4.10 if it's a rubicon.
Dana 44 axles can handle 35s. If your driving style is hard on the vehicle your will break stuff period. If you take it slower and good lines you will not be constantly break things.

 

Sounds like you're mostly interested in the type of off-roading that I now enjoy: Overlanding or expedition trips. You can click the link on my signature (assuming you're on a web browser and not an app) and see what mods I have. It is a 2007 X, but did come stock with the 4.10 gears (factory tow package), but I've regeared. Probably moot for you if you buy a Pentastar with 4.10s (and do ensure it has 4.10s since not all Rubi's do now). As for lockers: Yes, front and rear. As for Rubi axle advantage: I have 150,000 miles on my X with a few improvements to the front axle: Sleeves, gussets, chromoly axles, Synergy ball joints (and also lockers front and rear). People ask, "Would you get a Rubi if you had it to do over again?" Probably. Because it comes with the proper gearing and the lockers built in. But, I like the transfer case in my X and think that the transfer case in the Rubi is geared too low for best overland travel. However, most of my companions on my trips have Rubis, and since much of our travel is in 2WD (to keep that gas mileage up), having to suffer too low a transfer case gear ratio is something that just doesn't last very long. If you'd like to see how I use my Jeep, suggest you check out some of my videos at YouTube DigitalByDoiron ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yq51rHh8MY And be sure to check out this thread. There are a few thousand posts with rigs outfitted for expedition travel ...

https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-s...see-em-181613/

 

Thank you so much for your post, I am actually very much into overlanding type trips and this jeep would definitely be the workhorse for many trips as far north as the Arctic Circle, and as far south as Panama. I'm definitely going to check out all of your videos as this video is pretty much along the lines of what I plan on doing. How would you rate the suspension's capability to handle a jeep filled with all kinds of expedition gear, I have read that if you are going to go with aftermarket bumpers you should look into suspension modifications to handle the extra weight. However I plan on going with a 2 door, so I'm not sure if the 2 door has the same suspension, and weighing less total if this increases the overall carrying capacity.

Thanks

 

If you're already leaning towards lockers higher gearing, the Rubicon would be the best choice. Personally, I've got an X with the dreaded 3.21 gears (and I'm open diffs for now) and I run 35's. I couldn't afford the rubicon, so I've decided to build my own. There's other ways to lock your axle than the factory and ARB lockers. I'm toying with the idea of Detroit lockers for when I regear. I'm not saying this is the way you should go, but just that there are tons of options out there. If you can swing the Rubi price tag, go for it. I haven't heard a single person say they've regretted it.