It's definitely more proportional now especially considering in the pics it has 500+ pounds of cargo in the back which is far more than it will normally have in it even when when we go camping or on trips. The TF carrier is extremely stout, and it doesn't feel any different than with the Duratrac on it. I've actually had people behind me on the trail compliment how solid it looks going over bumps and ask me what carrier it is. I'm also very pleased the tire does not block access whatsoever to the rear access handle. My biggest annoyance with the AEV carrier was how it was offset to allow access to the handle, but considering this is the largest tire I will ever run (I'm actually serious this time lol) I am glad I went with TF and kept it centered.
The Big O JKUR build thread
- Thread starter MTSN
- Start date
It's definitely more proportional now especially considering in the pics it has 500+ pounds of cargo in the back which is far more than it will normally have in it even when when we go camping or on trips. The TF carrier is extremely stout, and it doesn't feel any different than with the Duratrac on it. I've actually had people behind me on the trail compliment how solid it looks going over bumps and ask me what carrier it is. I'm also very pleased the tire does not block access whatsoever to the rear access handle. My biggest annoyance with the AEV carrier was how it was offset to allow access to the handle, but considering this is the largest tire I will ever run (I'm actually serious this time lol) I am glad I went with TF and kept it centered.
They look great, I have their broke *** almost copies of the salta, the pro comp Rockwell. closest wheel I could find that looked like them but half the price. ha ha. Needed to go inexpensive because of other commitments. But I love them.
I made a few updates this weekend to the Jeep. In the same theme of pulling off the spacers, I decided to remove another potential point of trouble by replacing the JW Speaker Evo 2s with Evo Js to remove the wiring harness. I bought them a year ago, and the harnesses that came with them did not work great from the start (FYI - they were NOT JW Speaker harnesses). I had to replace them which worked great from that point forward, but I was always a little concerned I'd have another failure in the future when it was most inconvenient.
I also added the Tuffy hood lock to prevent any easy thefts of the lights or anything under the hood. Some will probably wonder why I chose Tuffy over Mopar or Bolt since those are keyed to your main ignition key, but they also require riveting the locks to the Jeep. The Tuffy one uses existing holes and bolts down and is extremely stout. I saw it used first hand last week, and I decided it was the best for me.
Lastly I decided to do a little cosmetic mod. I was going to pull the Jeep letters off the front grill, but my wife said she liked them and didn't want me to take them off. I decided to use some Plasti Dip that's been sitting in the garage for about 2 years, and it turned out pretty good actually. I'll see if it holds up over time, and if not I'll pull off the emblem at that point.
And of course the pictures:
New Evo Js:
Tuffy lock and Plasti Dip:
The install from the top after it's all put back together:
Final product:
I also added the Tuffy hood lock to prevent any easy thefts of the lights or anything under the hood. Some will probably wonder why I chose Tuffy over Mopar or Bolt since those are keyed to your main ignition key, but they also require riveting the locks to the Jeep. The Tuffy one uses existing holes and bolts down and is extremely stout. I saw it used first hand last week, and I decided it was the best for me.
Lastly I decided to do a little cosmetic mod. I was going to pull the Jeep letters off the front grill, but my wife said she liked them and didn't want me to take them off. I decided to use some Plasti Dip that's been sitting in the garage for about 2 years, and it turned out pretty good actually. I'll see if it holds up over time, and if not I'll pull off the emblem at that point.
And of course the pictures:
New Evo Js:
Tuffy lock and Plasti Dip:
The install from the top after it's all put back together:
Final product:
One of the things I was somewhat worried about was how well the 37 would fit in the cutout of the stock rear bumper especially with the way I have my tire carrier adjusted low and as tight against the body as possible. I'm glad to say it fits in perfect with maybe another .10" inch clearance at the bottom. Also I noticed I was definitely going to have clearance issues with the factory rock rails and pinch seam, so the shop that originally did the lift went ahead and trimmed them for me - at no charge!! That's one of the best reasons for finding a great local shop and building a relationship with them - they said I didn't need those items trimmed with the 35s I had on before, but they would have trimmed it at the time if I did. Since I upgraded tires, they went ahead and did it now. Wow! They also added the AEV 4.5" lift bumpstops in the back to keep the tires from rubbing the fenders at full stuff.
Clearance on stock bumper:
Trimmed and ready for flex:
Clearance on stock bumper:
Trimmed and ready for flex:
Longtallsally
Adventurer
Just curious, did you ever re-gear or beef the axles for the 37s? I like what you've done and how subtle it is.
Thank you. No I have not yet done anything to the axles. I have the factory 4.10 gears and adjusted for the tire size with the Procal, and it honestly drives extremely nice. I have been on the freeway around the Denver area multiple times now, and it has not felt under-geared or under powered at all. Keep in mind I live at 5,400 feet too, so that's pretty impressive IMO. I have not yet been up to the mountains where there are very steep and long grades, but I am sure I will have to leave it in 4th gear for those hills if not even let it kick down to 3rd.
There are a couple of reasons I haven't touched the axles yet beyond the fact it's driving wonderfully right now. The first is that as of right now, my tie rod ends, ball joints, etc. are tight and do not need replacement as confirmed by my 4x4 shop, and I have a feeling if there was any indication of wear they would have let me known. The second is that I consider any money enhancing the stock axle kind of a waste. The tubes and Cs from what I gather are the same as the D30, and the R&P and center section is the only part that's a true D44. I've heard of many people bending tubes and doing damage on much smaller tires, and people doing no damage on the same tires I run now. If I do any kind of damage to the front axle (or when many things need to be serviced on it), I'd rather just completely ditch it and start fresh with a Dynatrac housing with their ball joints, RCV axles, and deeper gears. I've read about people dropping close to $2k into a stock front D44, damaging it, then replacing it later. I'd rather keep that money in my pocket for now (time value of money is real) and do it right the first time when that day comes.
The KO2 is also an extremely light tire, and I have literally only added 21 pounds per corner with my setup over what it came from the factory with - and yes I weighed the wheels with a scale! I don't foresee the kind of extreme wear and tear like when people add super heavy steel and/or beadlock wheels with extremely heavy tires like the Toyo MT which combined could add 70+ pounds PER CORNER to the Jeep for a similar size tire. I cannot imagine how much more of a detrimental effect that kind of excess weight and rolling mass would have on the performance, especially if someone wheeled hard with that setup. My style has always been more of a gentle coaxing up ledges and rocks double footing it the whole time and do not bounce or gun it up stuff which should also help. All that said, I do think upgrading the brakes is probably a good idea, so regardless if I'm upgrading the axle at brake job time, I'll likely do a big brake kit up front. Was that a longer than expected answer for you?
Comanche Scott
Expedition Leader
Excellent fit of the spare! :victory:
Really looking good. Digging how well all the mods are pulling together. You have a great eye for detail. :beer:
Really looking good. Digging how well all the mods are pulling together. You have a great eye for detail. :beer:
Thanks Scott! I've tried to keep looking fairly low profile (bright orange doesn't help haha), and until the new wheels went on I had multiple people ask me if I had done any mods to it at all. I was thinking I wish my bank account felt the same way
Comanche Scott
Expedition Leader
lol! :beer:
I was thinking jeep should come out with a JK package called the "Pick Pocket". But then realized that's a standard feature on all the models.
I was thinking jeep should come out with a JK package called the "Pick Pocket". But then realized that's a standard feature on all the models.
It should be 71lbs per tire.
Yep that's what I found too. Oddly enough however, Treaddepot shows the weight as 67.60 pounds, but the BFG and Tirerack sites show 71 pounds. The 315/70/17 Duratrac weighs 60 pounds, but I was able to remove the spacers which weighed close to 5 pounds each. Switching from the factory Rubicon wheels, Spidertrax spacers and 315 Duratracs to the AEV wheels and 37 KO2 was only a net increase of around 7 pounds. Not bad for a full 2" larger tire.
Longtallsally
Adventurer
Thank you. No I have not yet done anything to the axles. I have the factory 4.10 gears and adjusted for the tire size with the Procal, and it honestly drives extremely nice. I have been on the freeway around the Denver area multiple times now, and it has not felt under-geared or under powered at all. Keep in mind I live at 5,400 feet too, so that's pretty impressive IMO. I have not yet been up to the mountains where there are very steep and long grades, but I am sure I will have to leave it in 4th gear for those hills if not even let it kick down to 3rd.
There are a couple of reasons I haven't touched the axles yet beyond the fact it's driving wonderfully right now. The first is that as of right now, my tie rod ends, ball joints, etc. are tight and do not need replacement as confirmed by my 4x4 shop, and I have a feeling if there was any indication of wear they would have let me known. The second is that I consider any money enhancing the stock axle kind of a waste. The tubes and Cs from what I gather are the same as the D30, and the R&P and center section is the only part that's a true D44. I've heard of many people bending tubes and doing damage on much smaller tires, and people doing no damage on the same tires I run now. If I do any kind of damage to the front axle (or when many things need to be serviced on it), I'd rather just completely ditch it and start fresh with a Dynatrac housing with their ball joints, RCV axles, and deeper gears. I've read about people dropping close to $2k into a stock front D44, damaging it, then replacing it later. I'd rather keep that money in my pocket for now (time value of money is real) and do it right the first time when that day comes.
The KO2 is also an extremely light tire, and I have literally only added 21 pounds per corner with my setup over what it came from the factory with - and yes I weighed the wheels with a scale! I don't foresee the kind of extreme wear and tear like when people add super heavy steel and/or beadlock wheels with extremely heavy tires like the Toyo MT which combined could add 70+ pounds PER CORNER to the Jeep for a similar size tire. I cannot imagine how much more of a detrimental effect that kind of excess weight and rolling mass would have on the performance, especially if someone wheeled hard with that setup. My style has always been more of a gentle coaxing up ledges and rocks double footing it the whole time and do not bounce or gun it up stuff which should also help. All that said, I do think upgrading the brakes is probably a good idea, so regardless if I'm upgrading the axle at brake job time, I'll likely do a big brake kit up front. Was that a longer than expected answer for you?
Definitely the detail I was looking for.
I have to admit, I'm surprised that your experience is as such. I went to grad school in Denver, so I know the driving characteristics. Until I regeared my 4cyl YJ from that time to 4.88s, it was almost undriveable with 33s. 37s are a pretty massive move up and my JKUR with a 6 speed at stock 32s seems perfect at sea level, so it was just surprising as you've hit all the other hot spots. But I have to admit, you've just about got me sold that I could get away with 35s with no axle upgrades as my driving style is very similar of never bulldogging things.
Not sure I agree with all the rotational mass figures and not beefing or swapping, but it will be fun to see. Also, is yours Crush or Dozer? Dozer is of course the best color...
Definitely the detail I was looking for.
I have to admit, I'm surprised that your experience is as such. I went to grad school in Denver, so I know the driving characteristics. Until I regeared my 4cyl YJ from that time to 4.88s, it was almost undriveable with 33s. 37s are a pretty massive move up and my JKUR with a 6 speed at stock 32s seems perfect at sea level, so it was just surprising as you've hit all the other hot spots. But I have to admit, you've just about got me sold that I could get away with 35s with no axle upgrades as my driving style is very similar of never bulldogging things.
Not sure I agree with all the rotational mass figures and not beefing or swapping, but it will be fun to see. Also, is yours Crush or Dozer? Dozer is of course the best color...
I've had everything from a wheezy old CJ5 with 3.54 gears and bias ply 35s to high horsepower European sports cars, and I will say that all things considered the way the Jeep performs now is far more than acceptable. I would literally prefer this setup hands down over a stock vehicle for daily driving - in fact it's not even close. You also have to realize that your YJ was probably putting out 1/3 the power the 2012+ Pentastar motors are putting out, so that compensates tremendously over just gears alone. Depending on your axle gear ratio, I think it's highly likely you'll find it acceptable with 35s after a tune or adjustment with the Procal.
I also didn't say I wasn't going to upgrade the axle, I just think throwing money into the stock axle seems pretty pointless. You know it's a rational train of thought when you tell a shop you'd like to take your stock axle and spend a bunch of money on mods to beef it up, and they politely tell you they don't want to take your money twice - when you build up the stock axle then when you have to replace it. If I was into wrenching myself like I used to be and could slap some enhancements on myself for cheap, I might consider it, but I don't have the time, the space or even the tools any more to do it. I'd rather put aside money for a nice upgrade when I need it instead of just throwing money at something that might not prove to be necessary in the long run. Either way, I'll find out! Oh and mine is Crush which is clearly the best color ever put on a Jeep