jchappies

My options to upgrade my Jeep are to wait for the diesel or put a V8 in my current Jeep. My question is will the Rubicon D44's hold up to a 5.3L or a 6.2L GM motor? I'm about a year out from either buying a diesel Jeep(if they make it) or the swap. My gut is telling me to keep what i have and take it to Motech for the swap but i don't have unlimited funds and the axles can take a big chunk if i need to go to D60's.
What are your thoughts?
Jeep description in signature.

jedg

Well, I think it's a combination of items you have to consider.

1. What size tires to you expect to end up running? - the bigger the tire diameter, the more likely to break stuff regardless of the engine (though the engine will increase the chance)

2. What type of off-roading do you do? (run trails? rock crawl? rock bounce? mud runner?)

3. How heavy on the throttle are you and how much torque management do you run in the tune of the engine. (Robbie added some torque management into my tune. This really means that the computer decides if I've got too much throttle for a given throttle position, transmission gear, and vehicle speed and then adjusts throttle to ensure I'm not overdoing it. That's worked really well. It's most evident when I'm on the street and floor it. The computer will run the engine to almost redline, roll the throttle back, shift gears, roll the throttle back on. If you're outside the vehicle, it sounds like when you shift a manual transmission vehicle)

I have a MoTech 6.0L (L96) with a 6L80E and I'm running 37s. I have D44 front/rear with chromaly axle shafts. While I'm certainly not at the level of the folks out west, I'm game to try just about any obstacle and haven't broken anything (yet). I tend to not use the throttle to get over obstacles though.

So.. long way to get to your answer. I think you can run D44 F/R if you're a bit careful and you don't have a 'rock bouncer' approach to obstacles. I have for 3 years without issue.

All that said, I still plan to move to D60s down the road and so I'm saving up for that. That's more a function of my desire to accomplish MUCH more difficult obstacles and to get out of the small D44 ball joint and wheel bearing hub assembly swapping business.

Da20captain

I have F/R D44's as well with a 5.7 Hemi and 37's. I did go with a set of Ten Factory shafts in the rear. No issues.

Are you Santee as in SC?

jchappies

Thanks for the replies
I live in San Diego area
I already have Ten Factory shafts and a built front housing. I want the 6.2L but I may end up going with a newer 5.3L with a 6l80 that has the TQ and HP bumped up from the older 5.3L.
My goal is to keep the 35's because it barely fits in the garage now. To many people steel Jeeps here for it to sit on the street.

Any California V8's? I got question about smog. I know Motech builds a CA compliant package but in reality how does that play out with the smog station and DMV