Dont take this wrong dirtman cause I respect your contributions alot on this forum but I just want to rephrase this a bit on my experience since I dont rock crawl.

I live on the gulfcoast so not alot of hills but there are areas with them and I have a 2011 auto 3.73gears and 37s. Im by no means a heavy foot kinda guy in my jeep but it does ok with this setup for my kind of driving and some country bumpkin mud riding lol. I have also towed heavy loads for short distance. Like my tractor for instance, between the trailer and tractor there is round about 5500 to 6k pounds behind the jeep and I tow it at 55mph and 2500 to 2700 rpms once I get to 55 but I accelerate with it around 3200.

Dont get me wrong tho im pursuing a conversion when the money allows and I hope when that time comes the ecodiesel has a good track record and a swap kit cuz I love me some diesels lol.

Oh and thanks for the suspension break down write up you have. Its helped with alot of my questions

 

Just a quick pic of the jeep, tractor, and my usual jeep passenger lol

 

Not sure what rock crawling has to do with it, in 4 low the 3.8 is fine. I am talking about highway and hills. limping around with the od turned off at low speeds is not what I would call acceptable. And yes elevation and flatness will play a factor in the performance.

 

See told you I dont know crap about rock crawling lol. I thought I been reading the 3.8 was weak on the trails.

 

I dont get why v8 swaps (and everything else for a jk) has to be so expensive. Me and my buddy are swapping in a 6.0l lq4 with an nv4500 behind it all for 6k. 6k is for all of the parts. Underline all. Brand new crate tranny and the motor is out of a chevy work van. 6k also includes performance parts such as a high lift cam that wouldnt even be needed for the swap. Anyways, my point is why does a 12k have to be a starting point for a jk engine swap. Makes me sad.

 

Again alll parts maybe 6500. Wires, bellhousing, this bullshit, that bullshit. All.

 

I agree. Believe the same for axles. Why $15-$20k just for the axles themselves. If it was only bout $7500-$8000 for a v8 swap I could probably afford it one day.

However JSS have y'all had any luck with a diesel swap?

 

I will do a swap one day. When the JK joins the " not new " club and these silly prices drop. My SC is good but for premium fuel, more moving parts and shit mpg, might as well go V8. Speaking from experience.

 

Labor adds up So does making it smog legal.

 

I saw the Hemi mentioned here. The Corvette LS engines seem to be a better option for a JK/U, as they are lighter, don't tend to overheat like the Hemi, and don't crowd the engine bay as much as the Hemi does.