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what to do ???

So here's the deal, I am about to come into some cash in the next month and can't decide what to do with my jeep. I am trying to keep the budget in the $2000-2600 range. It is a 96 2wd, currently I have the Rusty's BB and 31's on the stockers. Tires suck so they have to go, a few too many rubs on the lca's. Here is my problem: do I want to go big with the lift and tires now or do I want to convert to 4wd and do like a 3 inch lift for now. I am more into desert than crawling... but I don't like getting stuck : P Any advise would be much appreciated
 
BRADFORDXJ said:
So here's the deal, I am about to come into some cash in the next month and can't decide what to do with my jeep. I am trying to keep the budget in the $2000-2600 range. It is a 96 2wd, currently I have the Rusty's BB and 31's on the stockers. Tires suck so they have to go, a few too many rubs on the lca's. Here is my problem: do I want to go big with the lift and tires now or do I want to convert to 4wd and do like a 3 inch lift for now. I am more into desert than crawling... but I don't like getting stuck : P Any advise would be much appreciated
If you are more into desert than crawling, put $$ into suspension and a nice rear locker/gears, then when you do decided to convert to 4wd, all the suspension etc. will be dialed in already. And why is this in the for sale forum?
 
BRADFORDXJ said:
So here's the deal, I am about to come into some cash in the next month and can't decide what to do with my jeep. I am trying to keep the budget in the $2000-2600 range. It is a 96 2wd, currently I have the Rusty's BB and 31's on the stockers. Tires suck so they have to go, a few too many rubs on the lca's. Here is my problem: do I want to go big with the lift and tires now or do I want to convert to 4wd and do like a 3 inch lift for now. I am more into desert than crawling... but I don't like getting stuck : P Any advise would be much appreciated
You can do it either way. It really depends on you. You can have a lot of fun in the desert with 2wd and a lift and bigger tires and you can have a lot of fun with 4wd, smaller lift and smaller tires ;)

Lets look at it slightly differenty: how are you set on gears? If you have a stick shift that means you have 3.07's so then upgrading to even 3.55's for starters (to keep things on the budget) or 4.11's (ask me when you're at my place what rigs in the boneyards come with 4.11's :D ) will be an improvement and it will be deinately a step forward.

Also how much $ you figure a 4wd conversion will run you? Kind of guesstimating it should not be more then $500 ~$700(boneyard tranny and tcase and axles and driveshafts and linkage. That leaves you with more or less $1300 to $1900 to play with.
 
Is this a dd, cuz if not i say sell the 2wd if you can get money for it buy a 4wd with miles on it for cheap and with 2,000-2,500 you can do some descent shit to it and dont have to mess with converting it all over and all that crap. That way you can just do it all at once lift and gears.
 
Thanks, guys... after seeing pics of that last Rubicon trip, I am really leaning more towards converting to 4wd. I see the parts I need on these forums for cheap. I feel it would be better in the long run to spend $1000 on converting rather than spending that much just for shocks for the desert. As far as lift goes I am looking at the RE 4.5 or 5.5, I had my eye on the 4.5 but then I read a review saying how much better the 5.5 rides on the road. This is my daily driver and for the time being I share it with my wife. I guess I can always try to get her to increase the budget, because I want her and the kids to ride in comfort right : P
 
Kejtar said:
You can do it either way. It really depends on you. You can have a lot of fun in the desert with 2wd and a lift and bigger tires and you can have a lot of fun with 4wd, smaller lift and smaller tires ;)

Lets look at it slightly differenty: how are you set on gears? If you have a stick shift that means you have 3.07's so then upgrading to even 3.55's for starters (to keep things on the budget) or 4.11's (ask me when you're at my place what rigs in the boneyards come with 4.11's :D ) will be an improvement and it will be deinately a step forward.

Also how much $ you figure a 4wd conversion will run you? Kind of guesstimating it should not be more then $500 ~$700(boneyard tranny and tcase and axles and driveshafts and linkage. That leaves you with more or less $1300 to $1900 to play with.

I have an Auto tranny, so I am not sure what the stock ratio is

I figured about $700-800 for the converstion but I heard that I will have to get a 4wd tranny, something about the shafts being different ?? One other thing I have to do, hopefully won't be too much $$ is convert my rear end to 29 spline.

As far as gears we will have to see, I am looking to go 4.56's since that is the max I can do. Again I think I will have to increase the budget because I have to get tires, and not sure on the size because of the gearing.
 
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