Hi jeepers, newb here, first 4x4 and first jeep, so I'll appreciate all the help I can get. Here's what I'm concerned about. I have a 2007 JK Unlimited 4x4 X model...I've put a 4" rancho lift and 35x12.5x15 tires on it recently and it's moving rather sluggishly. I have been trying to do my homework and search the forums, but I'm still a little confused, so I thought I'd ask for some guidance. I plan on getting a good chunk of change soon (about $3,000 if things go right), and I want to strengthen my drivetrain. Buuuuut I don't know where to start, other than getting a new front driveshaft. ~$500...so what else should be done to beef it up? I've heard regearring and new c gussets (no idea what that even is) is a must to go with 37s or above (which i plan on doing) What should I regear to and how much would it cost? How do I know what type gears to get? What gears do I have? Or should i try to get completely new axels? Sorry for all the questions, but I'm completely lost here. Thanks so much...it's really appreciated.

Colby

 

i would save up the money and go with the dynatrac prorock44 or 60 (wich is a complete new housing with gears and lockers of ur choice,) make sure u get at least 5.13 gears cause ur planning on going 37 or bigger, i would go 5.38 cause u got an automatic...

if its ur DD I would go with the ARB air lockers,they are selectable witch means you got a switch in the cab that controls ur locker on/off but if u are building a buggy I would definitly go with the Detroit! Detroit locks ur both wheels all the time wich would use ur tires alot more on asphalt and it is a pain in the winter..

cause just the gears and lockers would cost 2600 labor included, but ur axels arent going to last, so u need to upgrade that too wich is 1000$ at least..

prorock44 are about 2700 for the rear only without brakes lol, it looks like alot of money but in the end just beefin up ur stock axels would cost u pretty much the same if not more depending on the labor

then you can put any size of tires you want without being broken on the trail

hope that helped cheers and good luck

 

You've got some huge choices to make.

The largest mistake that most wheelers make is starting to make mods without a clear goal in sight. Your use of the vehicle (daily driver-dedicated trailered trail rig), desired tire size, where you wheel (mud, rocks, trails), how you wheel (finesse or throttle down) and budget all make a large impact of the parts and pieces you select.

For me (and there will be some argument here) the best bet is to start researching wheeling areas near you. Check the areas out- and by this I mean just GO there(you don't really have to wheel)- see if you can talk with some of the users there and get a feel for the area. How are they built? What are they using that works? What doesn't work? What recommendations might they have for you?

In some areas you won't find rigs like yours but you can still find out what users use on their rigs to play in the area. Is it wide open or does everyone have major armor? Once you've determined what is necessary, you can then build a plan to outfit your rig. MAKE A PLAN. Too often money is wasted on parts that you quickly find you won't need. You could be spending money upgrading parts you should be replacing.

Be patient. Do your basic research before you spend any cash. It's very easy to spend $20K on parts only to find that $10K are still on your Jeep when you're done (if you can ever be done). Do it right and do it once. This is harder to do on a tight budget but it can be done.

A correction is needed- superjk10 had some good advice but he was incorrect on one point- Our ProRock 44 is for front axle applications only.

The stock front axle in your rig is a Dana 30. To get it to survive 37's will be a challenge. It can be done (as others here will surely mention) but it's usually a better idea to change out the front housing before you dump ANY money in it. Once you've got money in it you'll be reluctant to throw that money away. A moderate wheeler can make a ProRock 44 survive with 37's pretty easily but if you're a "floor it 'till I make it" guy, a 60 front end will be a better choice.

I know this has been long but I have one more bit of advice- when building your Unlimited, keep an eye on the weight of your additions. It is very easy to make these rigs big and fat. A lighter rig (but properly equipped) is always better. It takes less effort to move the rig and it's easier on all of your drivetrain components.

 

Thank you both so much for all of your information. I really appreciate it. My rig is a DD and my only means of transportation, so I will try to keep it sensible, but still able to go down just about any trail. Eventually I'd like to get some other vehicle and make this one a full time toy, but until then... You mentioned a D44 would be ok, but the D60 would be best...and you mentioned that I would need to change out my front housing...so does that mean I can just do the front for now, then save up on the rear? Any Idea what this would run me? I'm an overkill guy...whatever I do in life, I go at it balls to the wall. I'm very patient though, so I don't have a problem piecing it together as I get some money for it...I'm just having a hard time figuring out where to start.

 

Yes, you can do the front for now but that may not be the best choice. If you decide to go to the larger Dana 60 front end, you'll obviously order it with the gear of your choice (most likely 5.13 or 5.38). When you do this you'll need to change the rear gearing too. Going to a D60 front means you should have a 60 rear to closer match the strength of the front. Doing front and rear 60s at one time is cheaper than doing the front, changing the gears in the 44 then eventually going to a 60 rear. Sure it's cheaper in the long run but buying front and rear 60s is NOT cheap. This is problem with these choices.

 

Be sure to research the other considerations for new axles besides strength. Some choices will move you away from the stock 5x5 bolt pattern, and you may need new rims or spacer/adapters as well. Will your driveshafts need to be shortened or swapped out? Will you need a certain rim size to run the larger brakes? I haven't spent much time looking into it, so there are probably other areas of concern, just a heads up to do some homework if you go this route.

And definitely spend a few minutes looking at the PR44.


Unless it is already spitting grease, you can continue driving on it until you actually need to replace.


With an '07 non-rubicon, you have a d30 front axle and 'probably' have a d44 rear. (there is a small chance that you have a d35 rear). For gears, it is most likely that you have either 3.21 or 3.73. (but 4.10 was also an option in 07).
If you want to check it, go to the Vin Decoder in the research area here
hxxp://www.compnine.com/index.php

The prices for regearing will vary depending on location, but expect somewhere in the $1000-$2000 range for parts and labor for both axles. (check Dallas, you may still be able to get it for 1k there. Might be worth the drive). With the exception of 4.88's for rubicons, most jk gears are still being imported and there doesn't seem to be a big difference in them, so just compare prices and warranties. For the ratio to go with, start with the rpm chart in the Drivetrain Faq's. You have an auto, so you will want to go as high as possible (numerically). If you stick with the d30, you can go to the new 5.38's, but 5.13's would probably be the better choice from a strength perspective. If you move to a front 44 or 60, then consider 5.38's.

Gussets are little pieces of metal that are welded to the C's to strengthen them. The C's are tall, thin chunks of metal at either end of the front axle that look like, you guessed it, C's. Inner sleeves are metal tubes that are slid inside the axle tubes and welded in place. Outer sleeves are extra reinforcements that are welded around the outside of the housing. A truss is generally a long, thin piece of metal reinforcing just the top or bottom of the housing to help prevent bending.

 

thank you dynatrac for your correction i didnt know that.. why there is not a pr44 for the rear? theres probably a simple modification that can be done to that tho isn`t it?
thanks again

Denis

 

Denis-
The ProRock 44 is a high pinion unit. This means that in a front application it drives the 'drive' side of the ring gear. If we moved this to the rear axle it would driven off the 'coast' side of the gear. Low pinion is stronger in the rear axle and high pinion is stronger up front.

 

Don't know if you're in Dawson Creek much but I have a Prorock 44 in my 4 door if you ever want to check one out.

 

you got both front and rear?