silverjk2011

Hey guys, I've been reading and lurking for quite a while. Learned a ton about JK's. Anyhow, I bought my 2011 JK last September with 17k the 3.8L with a 6 spd. It is a sport with 3.21 gears. It already had a rough country 2.5" BB with shock extensions. It currently has 33 inch tires on it. It is my daily driver. I haven't really wheeled or taken any trails with it yet besides one. I love the jeep and having a soft top in TN is awesome.

Now to the point. I want to start planning ahead with the mods I want to do to my jeep. I do want to probably do a regear first. 6th gear is obsolete right now to me, I never use it. We have so many hills around here I just don't waste my time. The biggest tire I will EVER run is a 35. I don't see myself ever going to 37's, not as practical for me not do I want the expense. For what we have in East TN, 35's will be fine. That being said, according to the gear chart, I think 4.10's would be a good compromise for me as this rig is on the road 90% of the time. I understand a lot of people dismiss this size because they always say you if you want to go bigger you're stuck. I also understand that you need a new carrier for the front Dana 30. I plan on keeping the diffs open for the time being since the JK has the brake locking diff. That would cover most of what I would ever do. I also plan on doing the swap possibly by myself with the help of a very qualified mechanic friend. So what all would I need for this swap, and where is the best place to buy?

Other mods I'll end up doing will probably doing will be stubbing the stock front bumper and mounting a winch inside of it. Removing and maybe replacing the rear bumper. When I go to 35's I plan on chopping the stock fenders. I also will probably remove the stock rear spare and get a ramp stamp. I plan on buying a full size spare that I will keep at the house unless wheeling, then it can go in the back.

I welcome any suggestions for any suspension upgrades that y'all suggest. I don't mind piecing together my own stuff together. I will upgrade shocks at some point, besides any linkages or things y'all recommend.

Sorry to be so long winded, but here are some pics. Let me know your suggestions.

Thanks,

Chris

silverjk2011

Forgot the pics

nthinuf

Wait to regear until you get the 35's. That way you don't kick yourself and want to do it again for 4.56's.

Then read through this one a few times before you start.
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/jk-w...gearing-82262/

Try 4WS and Northridge for gears and master kits, both generally have good prices/reviews. And as opposed to buying a new open carrier for the front, might be a great time to go ahead and get traction to offset the cost. ($390ish for a truetrac?)

Another thing you might do is to look around for a take-off set of rubicon axles. (if they are newer, verify that they have 4.10's). It'll definitely be more expensive than doing your own gears, but might be a great option 'if' you can find a set for relatively cheap.

silverjk2011

The more I look, the more I might lean towards 4.56's. Decision, decisions.

horrocks007

If you do it, just put in the 4:56's. You'll be fine even if you keep the 33's.

silverjk2011

Would I need a complete overhaul kit? I'm thinking of just leaving the diffs open because it's pretty cheap and would serve my purposes well now. So I can get just the install kits, gears and new carrier for up front for about 500. Not bad.

nthinuf

Depends on the shape your gears are in, and whether you can remove/replace/remove/replace/remove/replace/etc the bearings without damaging them.

I only mentioned the front traction since you are buying a new carrier anyway. Seems to be a good time to go ahead and upgrade.

silverjk2011

True, wouldn't take much to save up for that. For a DD wouldn't a LS make more sense to put up front?

nthinuf

The Truetrac is a limited. Great option, both front and rear. Gear driven, not clutches, so it will never wear out and need to be replaced. Just depends on needs, location and budget.

There are quite a few threads on it, read through a few and see if it might be worth the extra cost over the price of a new open carrier.

silverjk2011

A new open carrier is about 80 or 90 bucks. I'm on a budget for the time being. I believe I'll just leave them open. If I ever really decide to get serious, I'll ditch the 30 and get a 44.