35's, 7" of lift, fender cutting, with 4.11's

[wescam]

Perhaps a less expensive alternative is to spend money on the vehicle as it is now with quality protection (skids all around, rails) and recovery (winch, maybe aftermarket bumpers front and rear).

This way you have a moderate amount of lift, a decent off road tire size, and can wheel where a taller, but less sturdy/prepared rig can go.

FWIW, I regeared to 4.56 to run 32" tires, so you don't want my opinion on gearing the rig as you described it in the original thread.

Just be safe with whatever you do.

 

[BrettM]

the bottom line here is what is the goal?

if the goal is a "cool big XJ" on 35s (show truck) then yes, go for it, buying 35s will be a good use of your money and will accomplish your goal. however a show truck does not belong on the trail and is irresponsible to bring it on the trail where it will break.

if the goal is to gain offroad capability and/or have more fun this could be much better accomplished by leaving it on 33s and investing the money in lockers, a better rear axle, 297/760 shafts for the front, gears, skids, etc.

 

[ChuckD]

As for the safety feature...school them...don't bash them and try to get them to not build something. Show them how to drive it safely instead of poking fun at them or saying things like "I pray for whoever wheels with them"...that's just a pisspoor attitude and to me THAT'S what doesn't belong on the trails.

Great, go wheel with him with his 35's and D35. I'll pray that you have a fun time fixing his junk. You better make sure you bring some extra spares, he'll need them.

 

[BillR]

But why do you care if someone doesn;t have the right gear ratio? Give them the advice and move on.

The right/wrong gear ratio doesn't make them unsafe. And having axles that are a little less the qualified for the tires or the terrain doesn't make them unsafe...just means they may break something...big whoop.

I think the point here is when it comes to running in a group. If he's running by himself like that, you're right; "big whoop". HOWEVER, if he's running with a group of wheelers and driving an OBVIOUSLY underbuilt rig, then it becomes the problem of everyone in the group. I'd never leave anyone on the trail, but I'd be more than a bit peeved if the guy breaks and holds the group up when a little common sense and "correct" parts could've possibly avoided it.
During BOTW here in AZ, we came upon a very stuck TJ that was on a trail well beyond his OR his rig's capability. After Mark Hinkley got him out of the jam, HE WANTED TO FOLLOW US FURTHER! :gag: He was politely told to turn around, and that he was not equipped for this type of trail. He did the smart thing and LISTENED!
Putting 35s on stock axles and nearly-stock gearing IS going to cause problems if he leaves the mall parking lot. After a time or two of holding up a group of wheelers, I doubt he'd be welcome to come along anymore.
If he's cool with that and likes to run alone, have fun. :wave:

 

[Big Red]

Wrong.
I have 4.88s with 33s, and will not go bigger without new axles.
Brakes, ball joints, TREs not up to task, IMHO.
With 35s, I would personally go with 5.13s, minimum.
I assume you have an 8.25 axle.
Go outside now and toss that in the dumpster, along with the 30.
You can run 35s on a 30 and an 8.25, and you can drive with your feet.
Neither is a good idea.
Find yourself a 1978 F150 and take the axles out.
Toss a Detroit in the rear and an Electrac up front with the 5.13s, or even 5.38s.
Ought to be good to go.
HTH.

Sounds good, but why not go with 5.38/5.43 gears in them. That's what I was advised to do and cannot wait to wheel my jeep and drive it with the new found power I should have after 35's and 4.56 gears in my hp30/44.

A hp44/9" combo are great axles to work with. I wish I could afford a selectable locker in my hp44, but I'm going with a detroit for simplicity and dependability and will probably do a ram assist to help with steering my 35's or 37's.

I think the point you're missing is this; if you're 18 and on a budget don't go to 35s with 7" of lift.
Go with a properly set up 3.5" of lift, trim, 31s or 32s, lockers, and learn to drive. Not near as sexy but 100% more capable of actually doing what it's supposed to.

Right on. A 3 to 4" lift and 31's or 32's make a good dd and wheeler on a budget. Many people, myself included, would have wished they stayed with 33's and 5" lift or so with the hp30/44 or hp30/29 spline 8.25 and would be o.k. I wanted to go bigger, but paid for it. It is not cheap and not for the faint of heart. A hp30/29 spline 8.25 can live with 35's if you take it easy and don't beat on it especially in FL or other places in the mud where it is alot more forgiving then the rock crawling trails here in Cali. Just don't sink lots of $ into those stock axles. If you do, hopefully you will be able to sell them and get back some of your $ when you want to move up to 44's from and rear or hp44/9" etc.

I think the practical limit for 8.8's is somewhere between 33 and 35.

"Beefy as a mother" and 8.8 should not be used in the same sentence togehter.

I've tried to polish the 8.8 turd for all it's worth. Broken housings and broken ARB's have been my reward.

CRASH

But Crash, you wheel your XJ like crazy and it has held up well. The 8.8 is a good axle, but it does have a limit. I think it can be run on 33's or 35's like you say. Anything bigger than 35's, or if you want it to be more reliable, step up to a ford 9" and run 35 spline alloy shafts. Look at the 9" stats compared to a dana 44 or 60.

http://www.sunrayengineering.com/nine.html

x2.
I have ~4.5" lift, with 33s, 4.88s, cut flares, and lockers.
Compared to the majority of the rigs I wheel with, mine looks like a stocker.
I am secure enough in the size of my genitals to drive a rig that WORKS more impressively than it LOOKS. Perhaps someday you will understand.
I can do 95 mph if I want to, albeit for short bursts, and I can set the cruise at 75 mph and turn 2800-2900 rpm all day while getting 14 mpg.
Not as impressive at the mall, but it gets the job done, ask around.
when I rolled the last rig, I lowered the new one ~2".
I assume you want to run 7" with short arms?
Who needs drop brackets, right?
If you want advice on how to LOOK hardcore for a couple of hundred bucks, then you are in the wrong place.
No one here wants to pay for the same parts twice, or the same mod 3 times.
QUOTE]

Run what works. If you are a starving student in college or high school run your nearly stock XJ with a 3" lift and 31's and have some fun. When you get older and have a better job then you can play with the big boys and get those big axles and tires. :laugh3:


Troy

 

[red91]

What it all boils down to is most folks (here anyways) seem to think if you don't have the 'perfect setup' you don't belong on the trails...at least not THEIR trails.

I Disagree. Most of the guys around here would winch you outta a bind. I'd go with them, and feel comfortable.

Is it SAFE to wheel with an inexperienced 18 year old kid with big lift and big tires...maybe...maybe not

I'm going with the NOT side of this. If he's inexperienced, and over his head, he needs to be in the passenger seat.

But I love how everyone is an expert when it is spoken about on an internet message board. ESPECIALLY when it's most often the so called 'experienced' drivers who are the dumbest.

Your not adept at making new friends, are YOU?

Now I'm not knocking any one particular person because I know very few folks here on a "FOR REAL" basis. But why do you care if someone doesn;t have the right gear ratio?

The right/wrong gear ratio doesn't make them unsafe. And having axles that are a little less the qualified for the tires or the terrain doesn't make them unsafe...just means they may break something...big whoop.

therin lies the answer to your question...I don't want to have to do repairs, or winch, or anything else simply becuase they WERE NOT prepared.

While I tend to dislike the "boyscout" mentality...BEING PREPARED on the trail is your best friend.

 

[CRASH]

But Crash, you wheel your XJ like crazy and it has held up well.
Troy

Except for cracked center-sections, spun tubes, and a broken ARB it has been great!

I'm ready for a Tera or ProRock.

40 spline sounds about right.

CRASH

 

[Big Red]

Except for cracked center-sections, spun tubes, and a broken ARB it has been great!

I'm ready for a Tera or ProRock.

40 spline sounds about right.

CRASH

Are you still spinning tubes since you rewelded your diff to the axle tubes? I kind of went a bit over kill and had Ryan build me a 35 spline 9". I rather pay more now than keep breaking down and then upgrade later. I have yet to have a breakdown of any kind on 2 Con trips and 1 Fordyce trip on my hp30 arb 4.56/xj 44 detroit 4.56 on 35" MTRs, but I felt it was a matter of time so I started breaking out the cc. :laugh3:

Why do you want to spend all that $ on a Tera or Prorock when you can do the work yourself. You are offering to set up dana 44's in your spare time. Why not grab a full width ford 9" or dana 60 and build it with what you want? I would suggest the ford 9", it's so awesome and can be build so many ways from mild to wild.

I know you know what you are doing and I'm mainly just book/internet smart so I'm not telling you what to do. Just suggesting you upgrade your 8.8 if you think you need to. You already have the hp44 up front, why not bring it's buddy from the good old days when it was in a stock 70's f-150/bronco? Your hp44 misses its bud, good old 9" back there, the ford 8.8 is trying, but not the same. :laugh3:

I saw a few full width ford 9" axles come out of pnp this weekend for $60 or so. Just cut it down and get 40 spline axle shafts if you think you need them. I thought that 35 spline was plenty for me and I got a Strange Racing Nodular Racing "S" Series case good for 800 hp, pinion support, and a new 35 spline detroit locker. I think this axle could run 40" tires or so, I'm more worried about breaking my front dana 44 OX u-joint and Yukon 4340 alloy shafts with my 37's.

Troy

 

[Phil]

Hey, guess what, I'm young too. I was 19 when I bolted on my 35s.

I thought I would run stock gears for a while, then regear and lock one end, and be good to go.

I swapped in an 8.25 because I figured it was better than a D35, and I could go 29spl when I geared and locked it. But 8.25s only go up to 4.56.

35s and 3.55s was "ok" (not really) down in the flatlands, but sucked up in the mountains. Wheeling, 4H was was too high and 4L was right between where high and low should have been.

I swapped the 8.25 for a D44 and geared down to 4.88. I'd be 5.13 if the D30 went that low. Somehow - probably snow runs and good spotters on rocks - I didn't break my 260 joints. I've got 297s now, but I'm not going to lock the front.

Brakes are marginal and my steering link angles suck. You may have seen my thread on the SJ subframe. That's because my control arm angles suck, too.

But damn those 35s look cool.

Going to 35s and the lift needed to run them is an expensive project, to do it right. To me, the fact that you felt the need to ask if your setup would be good, shows that you really are not ready for that next step.

 

[Karl]

i dont want to here about being young and that being the reason that you stay on stock axels. Im only 17 and i am in the middle on a fullwidth 9" dana 44 swap. i work my ass off so i can do this. no help from my parents. i am not paying anyone for work other than haveing my gears setup and thats because i just dont have the balls to risk not getting them quite right and busting 400$ worth of diff. parts. so being young isnt that good of an excuse. oh and im going to 35 and 5.13, but thats only cause i will be on 38 by mid summer. i do get techinal advice and help when i need it from the guys in Peak Empire the local offroad club and if more than one or two of them tell me that i really need something that i really dont see spending the money on i go ahead and do it cause they have been there and done it. there is no reason to do something halfassed and then have to spend more money in the future to build bigger. do it right the first time and if someone with more expirence tells you your wrong listen to them.
Karl

 

[Big Red]

You've come a long way in a short time Phil. I remember the 1st time I saw your MJ in stock form on the Bowman Lake trail. Then I was with you when your MJ burned after all the work you had into it. You show your admirable character by dusting yourself off after your MJ burned and got right into a XJ again. Yeah, the leap to 35's is not for the faint of heart if you do it right. I'm looking to step up to 37's, but would probably be o.k. on 35's.

No one said this was a cheap hobby. This is one of the most expensive hobbies you can have if you build your jeep up right to run on 35's, or to even run on 33's or so and do the gears, swap out the dana 35 for a 29 spline 8.25 or xj dana 44, or .....$$$ The Jeep bug bites hard and you are usually sick for life. :laugh3:

Sounds good Karl. Working hard and building that XJ is good for you. Have fun :wave:

Troy