AiredDown05

I have told myself many times that I need another hobby, but nothing seems to satisfy me as much as building my own off road rig and off-roading with friends. After 5 years of trading in my prized 2012 JK for something more family friendly, I now have the resources to bring it back into my life. My goal is to build a capable jeep JK that is comfortable enough to take the family on a 5 hour drive up north, but also capable to tackle some of the more technical off road trails around the state (Michigan) and mid-west region. To this point I have a few builds under my belt, with some more extreme than others. These builds include two jeep XJs, a WJ, and a 2 door JK. All of these included long arm suspension upgrades with axle and differential modifications such as gearing and lockers. So I am capable of completing the more involved modifications that others may shy away from. After these builds though, I always arrived at the same conclusion... there has to be a better/cheaper way to do the build.

So before I jump into my next build I am reaching out to you guys, fellow jeep JK enthusiast, what are you opinions on the the best direction to go in when choosing the next jeep JK to build? I know this is a very broad question with endless possibilities, so here are some of my parameters that I have set for my build.

Build budget $20,000.00
Model: Wrangler unlimited (4 door)
Mileage and Drivetrain: Willing rebuild if necessary
Condition: Interior and exterior has to be clean and good condition.

Desired Modification:
Lift: 3 to 4 inches
Tire size: 37"
Drivetrain: Locking differentials, gear ratio
Exterior: Bumpers and winch

Based on the information listed above, I'm thinking my best bet is to find an early model Rubicon (2007 to 2010) in good condition and have a shop freshen up the motor and transmission. However, I'm also thinking it might be possible to get a better deal on a non-Rubicon model, but then I will need to definitely address the front axle and gearing to run 37" tires. There seems to be a good amount of non-Rubicon jeeps out there that already have lifts and bumpers, but I'm not sure that should out weigh the locker system and better front axle of the Rubicon models. Thank you in advance of any wisdom you're able to share.

karls10jk

$20k is a tight budget to run 37's the right way- even in an early model. It sounds like you need to be looking at flood vehicles and then you can just replace all of the components under the jeep to get everything you're looking for in your budget. Is there a reason you're looking at the JK vs another WJ? I know they take a ton more lift to run 37's but the price on the vehicle would be significantly cheaper. You could do like the folks are starting to do with the TJ/ LJ platform and put JK rubi axles under it so that you've got better axles (short of going 1 ton) and parts are widely available.

I enjoy my much lighter build but I can't see doing it for $20k with the crazy prices on these things. Most of them start in the $15k+ range and then you've got $2k in wheels/ tires, $2.5k in a functional lift, then you're pretty well tapped out and that didn't get bumpers, a winch, sliders, or account for a regear with lockers. I just did gears and it was $600 (plus some tools), adding even basic traction devices put you up over $1k. Once you've got the gears and lockers then you're looking at another $800+ for axle shafts. It just adds up and it seems tough to stay in your price range with your wants/ needs.

AiredDown05

Thank you for the input, this is some good information. I am not entirely opposed to increasing the build budget to $25k, it will just take a bit longer. This may just mean I hold off on the bumpers, winch, and maybe start off with 35" tires instead. What started me think about this build, is that lately I've been coming across 2007-2010 Rubicon models that are going for the $17kish price. Yes, these vehicles have higher mileage, but if they are well cared for, then I have a decent platform to start with since it comes equipped with a decent front axle, lockers, decent gear ratio. Even at $17k I'm not left with a ton in the bank for upgrades, but I think it would give me enough for a lift and tire package and provide me a pretty decent rig to get on the trails. The one major wild card here is the reliability of the drivetrain in such a vehicle. If the drivetrain needs significant work, then that $17k original price tag just jumped up to $20k real quick and I should have just went with a more expensive rig from the beginning. Another option I have is to look at the Jeep LJ models, I would prefer to build a 4 door, but the LJ does come with a more reliable powertrain and would probably fit my budget a little better.