Might as well use a horse and cart. oppps, camel and cart seeing as water is in short supply at times.
Two year circumnaviagtion of Africa in my 2007 JKUR - The Road Chose Me
- Thread starter Dan Grec
- Start date
Might as well use a horse and cart. oppps, camel and cart seeing as water is in short supply at times.
Captian obvious to the rescue. ah ha ha. I would say they had a helicopter to air lift the cars to places they could drive and film. ha ha.
KlausVanWinkle
Explorer
The payload difference has nothing to do with the axles or springs. All the Wranglers have the same GVWL. The rubicon just comes with more options that eat into that payload.
I agree that you could get away with a Sport. My friend is doing the same thing since he has no intention of rock crawling. I saw a sub-$400 rear LSD option on the build sheet. That with 3.78 gearing would be fine. Ronny Dahl's dad's Jeep is a sport with open diffs and he keeps up all over the Outback. The conditions in the OHV parks and beaches of Western Australia are probably more extreme than you'll encounter on African tracks. But I'm no African expert. You could also swap in Rubicon Hard Rock edition 19/20 and 60 springs for super cheap. But an ARB 1.5 lift with BFG AT KO2s in a common size is probably the way to go.
I agree that you could get away with a Sport. My friend is doing the same thing since he has no intention of rock crawling. I saw a sub-$400 rear LSD option on the build sheet. That with 3.78 gearing would be fine. Ronny Dahl's dad's Jeep is a sport with open diffs and he keeps up all over the Outback. The conditions in the OHV parks and beaches of Western Australia are probably more extreme than you'll encounter on African tracks. But I'm no African expert. You could also swap in Rubicon Hard Rock edition 19/20 and 60 springs for super cheap. But an ARB 1.5 lift with BFG AT KO2s in a common size is probably the way to go.
Go with the Rubicon
The best reason to go with the Rubicon is for the Dana 44 front axle. The bigger R&P on the D44 will take more abuse than the Dana 30 will. While you may not plan on any heavy 4 wheeling, it only takes one incident to strip that diff, and you won't have any parts support to help repair it. With the bumpy, muddy, slippery roads, that kind of incident isn't out of the question. You lose some payload, but gain durability.
The 4:1 transfer case is handy in those cases where you will have to wheel it, which takes some of the sting out of the loss of payload.
The best reason to go with the Rubicon is for the Dana 44 front axle. The bigger R&P on the D44 will take more abuse than the Dana 30 will. While you may not plan on any heavy 4 wheeling, it only takes one incident to strip that diff, and you won't have any parts support to help repair it. With the bumpy, muddy, slippery roads, that kind of incident isn't out of the question. You lose some payload, but gain durability.
The 4:1 transfer case is handy in those cases where you will have to wheel it, which takes some of the sting out of the loss of payload.
KlausVanWinkle
Explorer
The sport transfer case would probably be better for the kind of conditions he's likely to encounter. And for the price difference, you could have a dynatrac prorock 44 front axle installed.
Omar Brannstrom
Adventurer
Here in Sweden Europe my 2013 Rubicon unlimited 10th Anniversary have a payload of 545kg that is 1 201.51933 pounds
That payload is from our "road government" the Transportstyrelsen
Payload=Maxlast
Omar Brannstrom
Adventurer
We say for two people for 20 days without gasstations, shops, water etc, a rather extreme situation.
1 passenger = 75 kg
2 Helinox chairs =2kg
1 Helinox table = 1kg
2 madrasses Exped 1kg
2 sleeping bags 4 kg
1 Fridge 40 liter 16kg
Water 100 liter. 2.5 liter a day for one person. 5x25 =125kg. I added 5kg for every empty water can
Tools = 20kg
Personal items = 20kg
Medical bag = 1kg
Tent = 4 kg
Food = 30kg
Kitchen stuff = 10kg
Petrol 100 liters 5x25 = 125kg. I added 5kg for every empty jerrycan
Extra battery = 20kg
Solar panel = 5kg
Total for 20 days for 2 people= 459kg (1011.92 pounds).
My payload 545 kg-459kg= 86kg
As I am 86kg (about 189.6 pounds) under the payload I can bring a lot more with me.
You can increase the payload if you take out the rear seat.
I dont know if I have forgotten som vital heavy stuff here but I dont think so.
So the payload is more than sufficient for overlanding with 2 persons in a Jeep Wrangler unlimited for 20 days without any possibility to get supplies.
In the payload at 545kg, its with the driver and full tank of petrol or diesel. We are only 2 in my calculation, one driver and one passenger. So there is no second passenger. So I only add 75kg for one passenger.
My curbweight is 1995kg and it is the totalweight and that is included the driver (75kg) all standard equipment, full tank of fuel.
I come from Sweden (Europe) so we include a driver at 75kg, can read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curb_weight and probably they count differently in US.
My gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is 2540kg and - minus the curbweight at 1995kg gives me a payload of 545kg
1 passenger = 75 kg
2 Helinox chairs =2kg
1 Helinox table = 1kg
2 madrasses Exped 1kg
2 sleeping bags 4 kg
1 Fridge 40 liter 16kg
Water 100 liter. 2.5 liter a day for one person. 5x25 =125kg. I added 5kg for every empty water can
Tools = 20kg
Personal items = 20kg
Medical bag = 1kg
Tent = 4 kg
Food = 30kg
Kitchen stuff = 10kg
Petrol 100 liters 5x25 = 125kg. I added 5kg for every empty jerrycan
Extra battery = 20kg
Solar panel = 5kg
Total for 20 days for 2 people= 459kg (1011.92 pounds).
My payload 545 kg-459kg= 86kg
As I am 86kg (about 189.6 pounds) under the payload I can bring a lot more with me.
You can increase the payload if you take out the rear seat.
I dont know if I have forgotten som vital heavy stuff here but I dont think so.
So the payload is more than sufficient for overlanding with 2 persons in a Jeep Wrangler unlimited for 20 days without any possibility to get supplies.
In the payload at 545kg, its with the driver and full tank of petrol or diesel. We are only 2 in my calculation, one driver and one passenger. So there is no second passenger. So I only add 75kg for one passenger.
My curbweight is 1995kg and it is the totalweight and that is included the driver (75kg) all standard equipment, full tank of fuel.
I come from Sweden (Europe) so we include a driver at 75kg, can read more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curb_weight and probably they count differently in US.
My gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) is 2540kg and - minus the curbweight at 1995kg gives me a payload of 545kg
Last edited:
Omar Brannstrom
Adventurer
So as a I understand it I have a payload of 545kg for stuff and potential passengers, they dont count the driver 75kg and full tank here in Europe
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curb_weight
"Curb weight (US English) or kerb weight (UK English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables such as motor oil, transmission oil, coolant, air conditioning refrigerant, and a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations. For example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[1] Organizations may also define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations [2] define Curb Weight as follows: Curb weight means the actual or the manufacturer’s estimated weight of the vehicle in operational status with all standard equipment, and weight of fuel at nominal tank capacity, and the weight of optional equipment computed in accordance with §86.1832–01; incomplete light-duty trucks shall have the curb weight specified by the manufacturer.
Unladen mass depends on the manufacturer and can be the same as curb weight, however it is often the total mass of the car without a driver, fluid or any additional equipment."
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curb_weight
"Curb weight (US English) or kerb weight (UK English) is the total weight of a vehicle with standard equipment, all necessary operating consumables such as motor oil, transmission oil, coolant, air conditioning refrigerant, and a full tank of fuel, while not loaded with either passengers or cargo.
This definition may differ from definitions used by governmental regulatory agencies or other organizations. For example, many European Union manufacturers include the weight of a 75 kilogram driver to follow European Directive 95/48/EC.[1] Organizations may also define curb weight with fixed levels of fuel and other variables to equalize the value for the comparison of different vehicles.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency regulations [2] define Curb Weight as follows: Curb weight means the actual or the manufacturer’s estimated weight of the vehicle in operational status with all standard equipment, and weight of fuel at nominal tank capacity, and the weight of optional equipment computed in accordance with §86.1832–01; incomplete light-duty trucks shall have the curb weight specified by the manufacturer.
Unladen mass depends on the manufacturer and can be the same as curb weight, however it is often the total mass of the car without a driver, fluid or any additional equipment."
The d30 is not going to take that much abuse. Its not rock crawling, and having shock load applied to the gears. Plus the sports transfer case is better for everything except crawling. Jesus, people make out the sport to be a dodge dart or something. The sport in the hands of a good driver will go further than a rubicon in the hands of bad driver.
I'm not hating on the Sport, the Dana 30 on our Sahara has done us well. My thoughts on taking the Rubicon over the Sport are based in parts durability and support for this trip, to Africa. If he were staying here in the Americas, I think the sport would be fine. While he isn't planning on doing any driving that might put that axle at risk, the road conditions in Africa are rough enough to present the risk of breaking a R&P without going anywhere we would think of as hard 4 wheeling. This is worst case scenario planning, given that the trip is in a location with little or no market for replacement parts. Your thought of putting a Dynatrac 44 on the front achieves the same goal.
As for the transfer case, if you're not krawling, keep it in 4-hi. If you need 4-lo, why wouldn't you want the Rubicon case, with the lower gear ratio?
That also assumes a stock vehicle without heavy bumpers, winch, skid plates, roof rack, etc. which consume some of that rating.
KlausVanWinkle
Explorer
Aren't Dana 30s pretty common everywhere?
hell for the size, take an extra ring and pinion. pop it in the cubby in the back of the jeep. or under a seat. I bet on not having a problem however. Again, people talk like the 30 is made of glass or paper or what not. Mine has been used well, but not abused, and held up fine for 180,000.