what next?

[tjlboise]

Okay... so I went out on my first real run today, and it was AWESOME. We had lots of fun and it was a big turn out, but now I've got the disease. I need more upgrades, but I have no idea where to start. I know gearing is important, and that first and foremost, I need a bigger lift and tires. Thinking of going to a 4" with 33s. Now...should I do gearing, or lockers first? What are some good choices for these upgrades?. Thanks for any advice in advance.

 

[TLCJ5]

What gears & engine are you running now??
The 33"s will change your pwr to the ground,but I'd try em first & then decide how much gear you need...I have 33"s with stock 3:55 & a rear locker in my CJ & with only the 3 speed it's ok...maybe I'll get lower gears someday(most guys would) but so far it's been liveable & I'll probably go for a 4speed first.I like to run 'em til I can't do what I'd like(climb that hill,run that bog,etc) then I upgrade to get past that obsticle....don't forget some of the fun is the challenge & building your driving skill. IMHO too many guys build up too quickly to enjoy what they've got.

 

[Utah_jeepster]

When you re-gear your going to have to buy a new or used differential if you go into 4:10 gears or higher. Your current carrier or differential can only hold up to 3:93 gears. So re gearing and doing so sort of locker will need to hand in hand hear.
I know the cost of re gearing and new differentials are a major expense but it was the major change in my jeep as far as off road performance.

 

[tjlboise]

Wait a minute... I must be sadly mistaken here. I thought the YJ already came with 4.10 gearing to start with....guess im wrong there. The bigger tires are really for more clearance. I was definitely the little guy out there. Everyone around me was doing stuff like this:

 

[tjlboise]

While I was getting hung up on stuff like this:

 

[Jason4x4]

A lot of it has to do with experience and knowing how to pick a good line. I don't see any reason why you couldn't be doing what that XJ is doing in your YJ. It doesn't look that bad, really. Anyway, you could do a small lift and bigger tires, but I would also suggest rocker protection and some skids if you want to play in the rocks like that. If you don't armor-up, it'll come back to haunt you eventually. But again, before you go spending a bunch of money on lots of modifications, I would invest in seat time. You'd be surprised at what a mostly stock Wrangler can do when driven by someone who knows what they're doing. And by the same token, you'd be surprised at what a mostly stock Wrangler can get stuck on when they're driven by someone who doesn't know how to wheel it .

 

[tjlboise]

Haha!....touche.... in my defense though, I did have 3 spotters telling me what to do, and I followed direction perfectly. It was mainly my leaf spring bolts that were dragging. Broke two and bent two. That was my only carnage though, so not too bad. I got through eventually, just want a little more clearance. That's all.

 

[tjlboise]

She did do pretty well, for being basically stock though. You're right there. I made it over some stuff that I really didn't think I would. One guy in a TJ busted an axle, another guy in a TJ ripped of his rear bumper, and even another guy in an XJ completely crushed his exhaust and muffler. These guys were all very experienced, so I think I did pretty well considering.