The 2WD is the best JK of all ...

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Tue Dec 19, 2006 3:08 pm

I know this may sound funny, but if you are going to buy a JK for offroad and plan on really moddin it out, the 2wd will save you some serious money up front. Put in an AtlasII, D60 front and rear, ect. Why pay for the stock 4WD stuff if you are going to pull it out anyway. Just rip out the stock engine and transmission and start with a clean slate.

Start with the 2WD 4-door model and add:

2.8L Diesel with a 6 speed tranny
AiRock adjustable Air Suspension (4" - 6") or other lift
9" Portal axles front and rear or D44/D60
Atlas II/Klune combination
Selectable Lockers front and rear
35" with Beadlocks
Caged with ExoSkeleton

Hey, a guy can dream can't he?

zjmikey · **Joined:** Mon Jul 11, 2005 1:01 am **Posts:** 90

Thats probably NOT a good idea..

you will also have to change out the transmission!!!!.. they use a different output shaft/spud shaft configuration

My suggestion would be to buy a stripped down bone stocker X package.. its only a $700 premium over the 2wd and then you could part all the stuff out and actually come out ahead

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Tue Dec 26, 2006 12:15 am

Let's see: I stated in my original post the tranny and engine would be pulled...that could be sold.

Base 07 Unlimited X 2WD Base...$20,410

Base 07 Unlimited X 4WD Base...$22,410

Difference of $2000.00 plus the sale of the stock engine/tranny...say you can get $1000 for the tranny/engine (that is on the low side)

That gives you over $3000 with the initial sales tax savings minimum

chefdab · **Posted:** Tue Dec 26, 2006 1:19 pm

Yeah but you can't do all of that for anywhere near $3k. Axles with gears and selectable lockers alone will cost that much, if not more. You'd still have to spend quite a bit out of pocket.

Big D · **Joined:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:08 pm **Posts:** 349

I guess it all depends how far you want to go. Bone stock Rubicon is more than enough for many people. 32's, skids, lockers, and antisway bar disconnects. and full warranty!...

But hey if you have the time and money, then the sky's the limit!!

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Wed Dec 27, 2006 1:23 pm

Not really posted to start an arguement...lol. Just if you really are going to "build" a "big" Wrangler...2WD is not a bad start. A Rubicon is basically $29,000 to $30,000. For $10,000 you could build a monster that would be custom.

I also didn't mean to imply that the $3000 would cover the build....just a good start.

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:08 pm

I paid about $25,000 for my 06 Rubicon, and from what I understand the 07 is even cheaper. If you want to build a monster budget ride than start with a late 90's for the independent suspension (here come the tomatos') Throw on a set of dana 60 axles with your locker of choice and an atlas x-fer. Or 2 atls x-fers for the ultimate crawl (probably around 7:1). But if you have the money than do whatever floats your boat. I don't know that I would start with 2wd unless I knew it was never going to hit the pavement before I put my savings into it.

Just my $.02 :wink:

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 27, 2006 8:10 pm

Quote:

Or 2 atls x-fers for the ultimate crawl (probably around 7:1).

Save yourself some money and get the new 4-speed atlassII,you can get it with u-joint and axle breaking 10:1 ratio!

zeero · **Posted:** Thu Dec 28, 2006 1:54 am

10:1

Geezus....axel breaking doesn't start to describe what 10:1 will do :wink:

chefdab · **Posted:** Thu Dec 28, 2006 2:06 am

zeero wrote:

10:1

Geezus....axle breaking doesn't start to describe what 10:1 will do :wink:

Not to mention warping your brakes trying to keep it from moving at idle.

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Thu Dec 28, 2006 5:58 pm

chefdab wrote:

zeero wrote:

10:1

Geezus....axle breaking doesn't start to describe what 10:1 will do :wink:

Not to mention warping your brakes trying to keep it from moving at idle.

That is why you should wheel a man. with that much crawl

jason thompson · **Posted:** Thu Dec 28, 2006 10:31 pm

DarbyWalters wrote:

Not really posted to start an arguement...lol. Just if you really are going to "build" a "big" Wrangler...2WD is not a bad start. A Rubicon is basically $29,000 to $30,000. For $10,000 you could build a monster that would be custom.

I also didn't mean to imply that the $3000 would cover the build....just a good start.

I am all for no argueing but I will tell you this
Even 10K wont build you much I have close to 5K in my TJ and it is on 30's will clear 32's easy but that would put me at 7K+ cause I woulld need gears and I would want to put an OX in the back I had a T-case and a 30/44 combo on it if I were to do just a tera low kit and only put alloys in the axels I have that would put me over 9K and then I would want long arms and a top of the line lift wich is easy $3500+

If you dont count the $2000 I spent to get the 3.5" I have now it would still cost over 10K to build up a 4wd wrangler the RIGHT way so I would think to go with a 44/60 and all the gear that goes with it you would spend 20K+ easy
I was going to put a 44 up front then after doing all the reaserch even using the outters off my 30 it would still cost nearly 3K so I would think that you would eat up close to 6K just on axels

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:32 pm

The premise of this post was "If you wanted to build a new Unlimited, why pay for a 4WD unit?" You are going to remove all the stock running gear anyway so start with a cleaner slate and a few grand ahead of the game. The other reason was to get rid of the 3.8L stock engine. I am not saying it is a terrible unit by any means, but a nive V8 or Diesel would be trick.

desertkj · **Joined:** Mon Jan 30, 2006 8:24 pm **Posts:** 677

If I were just going to strip it and make a purpose built rockcrawler, I wouldnt buy the JK at all. I would just go get a tube frame buggy from a company like Poison Spider and go from there. I've always kinda preferred close to stock, individual, always improving Wranglers.

WV(0)IIIIIII(0) · **Posted:** Fri Dec 29, 2006 1:56 pm

DarbyWalters wrote:

The premise of this post was "If you wanted to build a new Unlimited, why pay for a 4WD unit?" You are going to remove all the stock running gear anyway so start with a cleaner slate and a few grand ahead of the game. The other reason was to get rid of the 3.8L stock engine. I am not saying it is a terrible unit by any means, but a nive V8 or Diesel would be trick.

I think I understand what you were getting at but my A.D.D. 4wdestroyed mind will only allow me to dream of other ways to do things

jason thompson · **Posted:** Fri Dec 29, 2006 7:40 pm

DarbyWalters wrote:

The premise of this post was "If you wanted to build a new Unlimited, why pay for a 4WD unit?" You are going to remove all the stock running gear anyway so start with a cleaner slate and a few grand ahead of the game. The other reason was to get rid of the 3.8L stock engine. I am not saying it is a terrible unit by any means, but a nive V8 or Diesel would be trick.

true by all means if you had an endless budget but you stated that it could be done for 10K and I know that it will cost much more than that to do what you are talking about doing
look at it from a real world point
Atlas II is 2K+
35" on real beadlocks 2K+
ARB's front and rear ,dana 44, 1500+
dana 44 complete maby 500 from a junkyard and you will still need gears and a rebuild kit maby shafts so 1500 is not out of the question if not more
and from there you will need a huge list of msc. stuff that always comes up

If you start off with a rubi and regear to 4.56 or even better 4.88 lift it 4" and slap on some 35's you should be good and spend around 5K tops
if you snap a shaft then replace the ones in that axel with alloys and be done
I would think 5K would even include paying some one elese to do the work

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Wed Jan 03, 2007 12:42 am

The "$10,000" was referring to taking a 2wd vs a Rubicon and using the $10,000 to build it better than a rubicon...that can be done.

jason thompson · **Posted:** Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:11 am

DarbyWalters wrote:

The "$10,000" was referring to taking a 2wd vs a Rubicon and using the $10,000 to build it better than a rubicon...that can be done.

if you are adding to the $10k then yes by all means but if you are saying that you could do it buying the 2wd for $20K and build it for $10K then no way
I would have my doubts about doing what you are talking for $20K over the sticker price

keep the stock drive train and build from there then maby just barely $10K but all you would get is after market parts that the rubi comes with

LOST TJ · **Posted:** Wed Jan 03, 2007 1:30 am

That is one of the cool things about any build up on a rig. If you build it the way you want to, then it ends up being your own one of a kind junk peice of art kinda thing. Buy it, build it and blow your money the way you want. Afterall, you are going the one that has to live with the end result.

Universeman · **Posted:** Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:16 pm

You got the wheels turning in my head Darby, heres my take on this, start saving now and buy an 07 2wd in 2010 for pocket change with no warrenty anyway and do the whole thing for way less then a new rubicon :-D

The 2WD is the best JK of all ...

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