I recommend doing the front axle completely and then worrying about the rear. I just learned just how strong the Artec armor kit is when I had an accident last week and the front passenger wheel was hit so hard that it broke the wheel but the shop just checked and the axle isn't bent.

I upgraded the front shafts after breaking a stock shaft and will do the rear shafts after the truss is installed. So far I haven't bent/broke a rear shaft but definitely want the piece of mind of having the stronger axles and having the stock axles as spares.

 

You do have me thinking again.
Here's my plan for the next year or so...
Do the front with sleeves, gussets, CA skids, BJ's.
Do the rear with either a truss or upgrade the shafts to chrom-alley..
I did bend a flange on the rear shaft, thankfully it didn't snap, with my old jeep... it wasn't hard to do...
Jeep fund currently has this mod covered..
then come back and install the Artec truss on the front if I think it's needed... so far I'm on the fence... my buddys think I'm over building the front... which is ok.
anyhow this route does put some strength in the rear initially.

Rubicons on the trail list next year.. so I'd like the jeep to be a little stronger all the way around.

 

Since so much of the work is removing and installing the axle my suggestion is to do all of the armor to the front when you have it out. I decided not to do sleeves when we did mine since I thought the truss will be enough so hopefully I don't regret that one day. I personally think you can't overbuild the front since it's definitely the weak link in the jeep.

Our group needs to schedule a Rubicon run, we always get a couple of Moab trips and a Ouray trip in every year as well as a few other trips but since we are spread across Utah and Colorado we never end up going west. We are planning a Marble, Crystal, and Devils punch bowl run this year.

 

You definitly make good points and ones I have debated about for some time now..
My Jeep fund finally hit $2K so I have several routes to go.. If I could weld that would save money etc...

I have done the Schofield pass 5 or 6 times, both directions.. it can be a very busy trail with the razors and ATV's etc... there are very few places to pass in several sections so try and send a spotter out ahead...

definitely do Pearl Pass from Crested Butte to Aspen.. it's one of the prettiest passes I have been on in Colorado..
it makes for a long day but you can do a big loop, Crested Butte to Aspen via Pearl Pass back down to Marble via the hiway then over Schefield pass back to Crested Butte... or via Kebler pass to Crested Butte... Lead King Basin is also a nice loop to include... if a out and back to crested butte.. check out my youtube page... JKJeepit...

maybe one day will meet up in the Moab area... I try to go once to twice a year.

 

This exactly. If you wheel hard enough and with large enough tires that you are trussing the rear axle and sleeve/truss the front, you have the wrong axles. Let's say you do wheel that hard - sure, you just saved the tubes. Are you ready to open the check book for ball joints, bearings, axles shafts, etc? I blew up a year old front D44 this year, as well as 6 month old Synergy ball joints, one front hub assembly, both rear wheel bearings, one drag link.... That's six months on 37s.

I recently posted a picture of a guy with a trussed front axle. Pretty cool how the Artec truss held both sides of the axle tube together after it snapped in half.