What to do? Stupid axle decisions...

[Jeffb_79]

So.... I'm sitting here in my boredom, starting to work on my build plan for next year. If everything goes as planned, my rubi's getting torn apart next summer. The jeep won't be my DD anymore, but it also won't be a trailer queen and I'll still be driving it around town whenever I feel like it, as well as making to and from the trail.

Here's my dilemma... My goal is to run 36" tires with as little lift as necessary. I won't go larger than 36" tires because in all honesty, that's already more than enough for anything the east coast has to offer. And I'm not moving out west .

I can build up the stock rubi 44's at a cost of around $3500. This includes shafts, lockers, brakes, and a regear. The axles will probably hold up decently as long as I'm not driving like an asshat, but I'll probably be wearing out ball joints and unit bearings fairly quickly.

I can source out new axles. 36" tires don't warrant D60's, and I'd kick myself in the butt every time I got snagged on a rock for getting them.
I could probably get a decent set of 9"s built for under $6k. That wouldn't cost much more than what I'd dump into the stock axles (assuming I could sell the stock 44's for $1k a piece).

If you're running rubi 44's with 36" or larger tires, feel free to chime in and let me know how they're holding up.

Any other options I'm not thinking of. What would you do?

[korisu56]

Rock out the full widths so you can lower your COG a little bit. Or man the **** up and make an expo vehicle

Talk to Rob and Damien at MVC, both ran Ford 9"s and looked/worked well. I think Damien is still on his.

[Jeffb_79]

Rock out the full widths so you can lower your COG a little bit. Or man the **** up and make an expo vehicle

I'm doing a mix between expo and rock.

[korisu56]

Figured, with the type of gear you run/bring with you. If you wanna keep it simple, build the 44's with parts that you can either have spares on hand or pick up at any pep boys. That way you're still in with the KISS methodology of the expo realm. The more complicated, the harder to keep the shit together.

Remember when you did all of this and you still can't get your steering locked down? The more shit you put together....

I'm going 34's with no lift so that I maintain stock components of just about everything in order to keep the ease of replacement.

Mind the disclaimer.

[Marinedawg]

I say build the 44's. Truss the rear and run Ried knuckles on the front. # link front 4 link rear. They will be strong enough for anything ot here. I have been beating on my and driving like an asshat at times. Still good to go. You already have them might as well build them. I will be going to 36s next.

Mine
Front 44 Ried knuckles, 30 spline shafts, Ox, 4:88, 3 link
Rear 44 trussed, 33 spline shafts, Ox, 4:88, 4 link

[Jeffb_79]

Very true, the ease of getting stock parts to replace anything that brakes is much simpler than trying to track down axle parts from a different make/model/year vehicle.
I'd also already have quite a bit of stock parts to use as spares.

[korisu56]

Yuppers. When I put my 8.8 in there, I had to remember different stuff for different vehicles. Now I just remember '84 CJ7

[Marinedawg]

That was my goal, but now I have Ford brake crap up front. Only thing not Jeep. Ease of simplicity bro. Then you build a trail only rig. When I get mine up here I am gonna go through it and clean it up. Long summer on the rocks and it needs some TLC. When I get it up here you are more than welcome to come check out the setup. Hopefully we get this house in Stafford.

[91YEEPER]

if your snaggin 60's on rocks and whatnot its apparent you need a bigger motor first for more momentum.

seriously build a set of 9's with 60 outers, i have a line on a set of 60 knuckles to lockouts.

i built my last one for under 1500 complete with 35 spline throughout and wilwood brakes.

[Jeffb_79]

if your snaggin 60's on rocks and whatnot its apparent you need a bigger motor first for more momentum.

seriously build a set of 9's with 60 outers, i have a line on a set of 60 knuckles to lockouts.

i built my last one for under 1500 complete with 35 spline throughout and wilwood brakes.

Yeah, I'm not upgrading motors until this one is done... it's only got 50k miles on it, so it's go a lot of life left. And I'm not running 39" tires to make up for clearance lost under the pumpkin.
And I've been thinking a lot about a set of 9's with 60 outers, but I'm also wondering if that won't be overkill.