Well I mean if you buy a jeep for off roading its good to be informed all the mall crawl mods will hurt you off road and waste money. Many, many guys actually believe giant wheels with thin tires are just as good off road..
35" tires, with a beefed up Dana 30, (axels, truss etc), and a rear trutrac limited slip is a great solution to light to moderate and even occasional aggressive wheeling. Which is what most of nearly everyone in the off road community does.
Wait til your buddy wrecks their rubicon showing off and swap your 30 for their 44 before the insurance picks it up, grab the t case while your at it, they dont check parts.
i know this is an old vid but just came across it. i like this channel in general but i am disappointed to see the Dana 30 hate just to maybe sell a 44 or two off his site. It's ridiculous. A modern (post 2012) 27 spline Dana 30 is absolutely fine for 35s. Not merely "acceptable" etc., but stout and trail worthy. If you have a Rubi or Willys with the 44s front and back great. But if you don't, and you don't live in Moab lol, then the only reason to drop the absurd amount of money on going to the 44 (with it's added weight) is if you're running 39+ and need to go to 5.38 at the diff. The 30 tops out at 5.13.
@@oldgrunt5569 Not only that, the JLs are M186s which were previously known as D30s, and are beefed up and stronger from the factory than older D30s. The strength of them is more comparable to a D35. M210s and M220s are great, but most people don't have $6g to drop on two used axles and all new gears.Most Wrangler owners are driving them mostly on the street, so crapping on an M186/D30 is low rent.
I don't shit on mall crawlers or anyone's cosmetic accessories. The whole point of Jeep customization is to customize it the way you want. I look at it the same way I look at motorcycles, ride your own ride.
I agree with you. One of the most capable off road vehicles in the world is the Mercedes G wagon. 3 factory lockers, horsepower for days, high clearance, good handling. Yet 99.9999% of them are mall crawlers. Why shouldn't they be? I wouldn't want to damage my 100K toy either. Get a 5000$ used jeep then beat it like it owes you money.
A Jeep is an off-road vehicle if you can’t go and don’t want to go off-road maybe you should buy a street car like a Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Honda, etc. If you want to have a vehicle that can take the top off buy a convertible, there are many convertibles the same price if not cheaper then a Wrangler. Don’t think I’m trying to say that you have to go off-road if you have a Jeep, it is really cool to be able to take the top off in 40 minutes to an hour. I’m just saying it would be cheaper to invest a street vehicle not made for harsh environments. I love my Jeeps and they’re great for street use.
I have a Dana 30 with 35” tires and locker, and have ran Moab along with other Jeep Jamborees and no problems. When something breaks ill replace it with a 44.
@@MrJoshcc600 If the Dana 30 was in issue from the start, the Jeep would've thrown a Dana 44 under the them from the beginning. The dana 30 has been around for so long, the only way you can break a Dana 30 wheeling it like and idiot.
He hasn’t really wasted that money on a d30 locker and gears IMO. It sounds like he has gotten good use out of them so far and there are plenty of guys like me with $600 XJs who would snap up a second hand d30 locker or gear.
@@GDLutz I agree. They say work smarter, not harder. I translate to wheel smarter, not harder. I got a lunchbox in my D30, under a 2000 XJ on 5" lift and 35's. When I had to meet the wife at the mall today so I could try on some boots (I hate new boots, nobody ever has a size 14) and I had to give her the debit card, who doesn't hate that? I made sure I found a good mud hole to play in first so I didn't look like a mall crawler. Perk for me is the local mall is on the river, I drove down to the riverbank and found a good marshy area and ripped it up turnin my silver XJ brown.
@@Hertacles Craigslist I my XJ was pretty rusty and trashed, but I paid $600 since it was a 4.0L with the 5speed manual. I also bought another one for parts for $300 that had rear ended someone and was bent in the front. Had a full good drivetrain, an immaculate interior and LOTS of other good parts. I’ve not made one good XJ from the two and have lots of spare part too. Not bad for $900 total.
Big bro dozer wheels are worse because they actually reduce functionality imo, I'm not a fan of the angry eye grills that stick out super far but I think a few of them are tolerable.
I love my angry eyes. With the fenders and bumpers and rock sliders it just brings together that aggressive look. I get compliments from a lot of people. But for some reason the jeeple hate on them
Thank you for stating how important it is to have the proper tire and wheel set up for off roading (as well as towing/hauling), and not just have a 20-24 inch wheel and some rubber bands on them. One thing I didn't hear you talk about was having wheels that are wider than the tire is, and how that is unsafe/dangerous. You did show some like that though.
I agree with almost everything, and I 100% agree with #5. Only problem with this list is the assumption we all have thousands to dump into our rigs. I run a d30, and will probably add a Lunchbox locker. My rigs a cheap XJ, and I don’t see any reasons to spend 3x more than I paid for it on a front axle upgrade when I can run my D30HP and just put a few $ into it here and there as I break things.
My dad used to run a hp Dana 30 on his xj with 35s and 4.56 gears and it ran perfectly fine until he sold the jeep. Keep in mind that the Dana 44 in the front of jk’s have the same weak outers as the Dana 30 so they’re only marginally stronger. Most of the damage I see from Dana 30 axles are in the knuckles and not the ring and pinion. If you’re swapping out for a Dana 44, get a true Dana 44 or just go 1-tons
I've owned 4 jeeps, cj5, cj7, wrangler 4 door and jk rubicon now think I liked my 304 cid cj7 the best for having fun without worrying about damage. All summer just under tauno top, no worry about rain inside or mud, etc. Just fun hunting and fishing. That's what jeeping is for me fine without all the Fancy stuff
As someone that goes off-roading quite a bit it disappoints me when my fellow Jeep folks view Jeeps as off-road only vehicles. Giving no value to a Jeep that is built for the road, or built for cruising. I grew up in parking lots looking at cruising classics and drag strips with muscle cars as much as I did a dirt trail. It honestly wasn’t until the early 2000’s that I really saw anyone in a Jeep take off-roading seriously. Until then it was classic pickups with a 6” lift and good mud tires. Maybe ease up the next time you think the only value to a persons Jeep is used on an off-road trail. If it’s someone else’s car, it doesn’t have any value to you anyway.
the part that i broke the most on my d30 is the outer axle.. and its the same part number as the d44 one! upgraded to cromo shaft with extreme spicer u joint (no needle bearing) running 35 krawler with dual t case.. im not light footed but i try to keep the jeep light
The rubber band tires crack me up. We were in deep blowsand and we came upon an abandoned mall crawler with beautiful 22 inch wheels and tires about 1/2 inch high. The issue that we could not figure out was how he got stuck, it was flat. But the Jeep looked good but would look better on the road.
Personally think the grumper has the same effect as armored fenders. While more practical, its all about the “armored” look for me personally. But can agree with every single other one to a T.
Bro dozer is a fantastic description. What really gets me annoyed is when people use oversized tires and complain about fuel mileage and handling issues at 80mph. Jeep actually makes a vehicle for that application and a Wrangler isn't one of them.🤣
I watched this just to hear you say “angry eyes head lights mod” but you didn’t say it :/ i respect all jeep owners (me being a 3rd gen 4Runner owner) except those that have those stupid fucking angry eyes.
I was waiting for that too! I'm not a jeeper but there are 3 jeeps on my street and all of them have angry grilles, angry headlights, and flashing rainbow lights... 2 of them have big pizza dish wheels (that are chromed and painted too). All these jeeps have more painted parts on them than my damn truck and car combined... I just dont' get it. Bros have turned Jeeps into the new Honda Civic.
Thank you omg. As a TJ owner nothing makes me cringe harder than seeing those stupid fucking angry face grilles. No Jeep modification in the history of Jeeps is any worse than those.
I’m not a fan of the Angry, but to each their own. Jeep’s are for personalization so who am I to judge. I only care about functional modes to make sure I can go farther.
Lol love this comment. I’m about to get a jeep and I can’t wait for all the jeep owners to judge me for getting an angry grille and red halo lights. God FORBIT anyone built what they like lol
I'm doing mostly stock on a 2014 - got a cheep angry eye grill for the daughter, and some multicolor halo headlights that shine into everyone's cabin as I'm cruising down the road (everyone hates me at night). That said, I've done some climbing, but that's not mostly my thing. Basically, I take it into the woods, hit the mud bogs and the tight trees hard, and take it off road into unexplored territory, and probably step on the gas too much. I've had a tree branch take out my front fender, and the beautiful interior of my Jeep looks like someone with a mud sprayer and went nuts inside the vehicle. That said, I have no idea what anything in this video is talking about - and while rock climbing is pretty cool, Mountain climbing through the trees, and hitting huge muddy areas at 30mph is a lot of fun (also, really expensive for body work, but whatever). I also hit the river beds and the bumpy roads hard, making my passengers hit the ceiling and flop around like rag dolls... Pretty funny, actually. Bottom line is you don't need a billion mods to have a good time. In fact, you can just tell by looking at them, that most of those beefed up vehicles haven't seen the grass, let alone an offroad adventure...
I'll be honest, lights before lockers is one I cannot agree with. Lights are so much more useful than lockers, and in so many more situations, that they make a lot of sense as one of the very first accessories to add to any vehicle. A spotlight and foglights is useful even on a vehicle that never leaves the road.
Agreed. Sure you have that sense of comfort when life takes you off the beaten path. 1 week of owning my jeep and I was led by GPS a few miles down a dead end dirt road in the woods in NH. Drop offs on either side. very sticky u-turn situation and man-o-man was it dark. The new LED group upgrade for the front works great, but backing up... no light at all on the OEMs.
@@matthewanderson6767 lmao wonder how the military keeps ever got by without lockers or cjs for that matter. Oh yes the people driving actually knew what they was doing. Logic over lockers any day
Regardless of the mall bro controversy, all I want now is to get the ugly jeep train mod, but I will refer to it as a deer (or drug cartel road block) repellant, enhances safety when combined with other mods like limb risers or if you're a little crazy, solid steel, external roll cage protection all around the jeep. Quite top heavy. Maybe not practical for very technical off road adventures.
I’ve never understood the angry eyes / grill replacements. I mean, I understand cars as a hobby and we all love modifications, but I personally would never do angry eyes or replace the Jeep grill with one of those things.
And it makes my TJ run Hotter, but I do like the fact that I don't have to clean bugs out of my Radiator fins, and it stops loose rocks from damaging my Radiator!,besides, for 30 bucks, I couldn't pass it up,what can I say,my 1st Jeep,at 57 years old (me) Jeep is almost 21yrs old
Some of us buy used jeeps and are stuck with the *ahem* Bro grills until they can afford to put on a more factory style grill. I, for example, have recently purchased my first Jeep. It's a 2015 JKU with a "Shark" grill with "Angry Eyes". it's easily my least favorite mod, but the smittybuilt bumpers, 2.5" lift, Pro Comp 17" wheels 315/70R17 Mickey Thompsons make up for it. When I can save up enough, I'm getting a factory style grill (painted flat black) and swapping it out. As far as wheeling goes, I'm a novice at best, but I'm not going to crap on someone else's tastes or skill level. That's what chases people away from the Jeep Community. That said, the wheel and tire recommendations are incredibly useful. What you didn't mention was the impact on drivability when you go big and lifted. Highway speeds on "not so perfect" roads becomes a little sketchy at best, terrifying at worst.
I had 15-inch wheels on 35's. that was the setup! man, even on some really gnarly stuff it took it all. never had an issue. also if you're looking for wheels get ahold of team Illuminata racing/ braid wheels in Birmingham MI. Paul is a great dude and makes the best off-road racing wheels in the world. all custom for less than most anything else you can get, he makes the wheels for my rally car
same i run 15” wheels on 35s and it’s on a dana 30 with RCVs and a truss and gussets then a stock 8.25. Thing just eats and over anything. Also love the thick tire look
Been wheeling a dana 30 in the front for 43 years... with 35" tires the last 10 years - there is nothing wrong with the dana 30 at all???? This is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard you say!!!!
Agreed...I too have a dana 30 with 35s stick shift...no issues...I did replace ball joints and tie rod and front track bar to Teraflex...but only after 100k...got 73k on the new stuff and is holding up great...greaseable and rebuildable...stay muddy my friend.
I agree with the desecration of the front of the Jeep but out where I live grumpers are necessary as you'll be replacing your front end often with how many deer are hit. Grills just don't do it.
Dirty 30’s on 35’s with a G-bomb all day long my friend. I go everywhere a new Rubicon can go and it doesn’t hurt when I scratch or dent my $2000 shitbox Cherokee. Dana 30’s can be made tough if you do it smart. Tubes, truss, almost alloy kit, C gussets, Volvo LSD, WJ brakes.
I have been a Jeeple all my life and have never been more disappointed in my fellow Jeepers than when I bought my 2017 JKU. I just turned 50 and had used my 92 YJ as my daily, my 86 Cj7 as my hunting rig and my 79Cj 5 as my beast crawler I'm somehow demoted to "Mall Crawler" status for wanting a little more comfort and a different approach to modifying it. My daughters got the angry bird grille for it and colored door handle inserts and grab handle kit. I took the anodized red on black color scheme over the rest of the vehicle, wiper arms, D rings and Fuel Stroke 18in wheels on Falken rubber. Funny how I'm Joe Cool in my 79 or 86.
Stock JK 30 tubing is the same as a 44. People complaining about tube bending on D30s should know that d44 stock can bend the same way. Weak point is the ring and pinion. Chromoly shaft it, 35” tires, be smart with your Petrie, and call it a day.
I’ve bent a 44 tube before that being said, I cant say that hear people complaining about bending tubes enexpectedly (that implies to me you were not abusing it; if you were it wasn’t the axles fault). I’ve broken Ujoints and shafts on 30s but never a R&P. I’ve also broken u joints and shafts on a D60 front. You know, I’ve actually broken 2 ford 8.8 shafts and those are beloved by jeepers. My scout came with a D30 front and drum brakes as a roller. So I tossed it right away because of the drum brakes (the first time I had to panic stop in a 40’s pick up with drum fronts was eye opening). I had a scout 44 that was usable so it got the 44 while i was getting the ford D 60 ready and I drove it like that for a minute. I would have never spent a dime on that D30 but I also had plans to make it a 1 ton driveline from the beginning. I wasn’t going to spend money on the 44 either. That is where this disconnect occurs in my opinion. You lose me at spending money on a D30. Also, we have differing philosophies of how much extra strength is built into our driveline vs how much abuse it can take. “Just take it easy” does not work for me, you could also say “just dont have oversized tires”. That is fine, I BUILD mine “smart” rather than being afraid of how close I am to its breaking point, especially if I am back coutry. I assure you that the designer of that axle never intended such a large tire or the forces imparted by it. In the proper context there is nothing bad to say about the Dana 30 axle. It is actually quite tough. I needed a NP203 for my doubler so I purchased a Chevy350, th350, NP203 as a combo pulled from a K5. I turned around and sold the motor for 80% of the purchase price leaving me with a TH350 and NP203. I used the 203 behind the TH400 in the scout and in front of the to be Ford 203. I knew someone that became in need of a TH350 so I traded that TH350 for approval of pulling, what is now my Ford HP Dana 60 front and NP203 out of the 79 ford down there in the field. That deal got me the adapter I needed, the transfer case that I was going to use part of and then turned into a $1000+ front axle all for about $200 maybe. Money for lockers and CrMo shafts goes to the proper axles for the application. Conversely I was in the early days of LS1 performance and I was launching 1.4X 60 foot times on a GM 7.5” 10 bolt. I know loads of people that exploded them, mine held until I pulled it for a 9”. That 7.5” that everyone dogs on, was hanging the front tires of that car in the air. The driver side tire would get about 2’ of air, it took repeat beatings on slicks and sticky surface.
yean this was entirely based around fitting their website into the video as much as possible. I get it, but it's mentioned way too much. We get it, we can get shit from your site. But I am now going out of my way to NOT purchase from you simply because you can't stop shoving it down my throat. One last thing, I am not liking or subbing within a damn minute of your video, so don't ask until we have seen more of your content, I know i'm not the only one who feels that way
I'm not a jeep guy at all but what's the difference between putting light bars and chrome wheels on a jeep and doing the same to a 2500 diesel truck that only goes back and forth to work and the grocery store? Let people live. Edit: UNLESS ITS A SQUATTED TRUCK!
The only thing I would point out is that you can’t tell if that 2500 pulls a trailer or not or whats in the bed. you can heavily infer a mall crawler is a mall crawler. Your point is valid who cares but you dont actually know what is in that pickup or what it was doing 5 minutes ago. A truck though, its more about style, the mods dont inhibit its use as a truck. A jeep with wheels like that? No way are they smashing those into rocks. I am in the heavy equipment/mining industry and everyone has truck albeit few are bro style. When I have 5,000 lbs of cutting edges in the bed of the pickup and its a stack of steel 6-12” high, sometimes I think about how NOONE has any idea that there is 5,000 lbs worth of steel in a stack with the gate closed because the truck looks normal. The time this comes to mind is when that civic cuts me off with all that weight as payload, I doubt that same civic would have been so aggressive if there was civic was sitting on top the bed rails as an obvious load. You might give that guy a bit more space but that civic is much lighter than this stack of steel that you cannot see... As to the bro style, my old neighbor hot-shots with a Dodge Ram, he has the wheels and the headlights and grill, to each their own. You could not be more wrong if you are implying that his truck does no work. It does nothing but pull heavy loads on the highway when someone needs something now.
I ran my Dana30 on 37's for a long time, broke 2 passenger side shafts over the years, and then swapped it with a rubicon 44 that I beefed up with a truss, gussets, ball joints and RCV axles. It's been holding up to a set of 39-13.5/17 BFG km3 tires. I've only broken a 1310 u joint on the yoke, so I may upgrade to a 1350.
I'm running one now with Motive gears and a True trac limited slip style on 35's beefed up. I'll up grade sooner or later but I'm with you, I've ran it for years with tubes inside 4.5 lift.
Only reason I whent with a 17 inch wheel with 33 inch tires is because I want to in the future go bigger to a 35 or 37 but need to save up to swap out my D30. This way I can still have a decent tire size and wheel some but it helps future proof my Jeep
I wonder where you got your "rule of thumb" for wheel size? Because the older one I know was just 15 inch wheels were all you wanted on anything 35" or smaller, 16 inch wheels for 36-40, 44-48 for a 17, and at the time you could only buy 50+ inch tires in 20 or bigger rims because at that weight you needed the biggest brakes you could get.
It may seem controversial to do this video and you guys already made your disclaimer that people can do what they want to their rig. But...this is a channel for the off-road crowd, therefore content, product suggestions and perspective is going to be tailored to those of us who...off-road. A large number of mods people add for show, have no application on a purpose-built off-road vehicle. But, telling people what they want to hear just to ring the cash register is unethical, and it does not do people service when they get out on a trail and learn the hard way. And in my opinion, you guys are being honest. Better to be upfront rather than tell people what they want to hear. One or two product call-outs I didn't necessarily agree with because they don't interfere with off-road performance. But overall I get it.
I think there's plenty of trails that don't require lockers. At the Jeep clubs meets I've been to, most people don't own a rubi or have any lockers installed. I think they're definitely beneficial but if something keeps you out late on the trail I'm certain no one would be disappointed in having a couple good lights.
Good vid. My input is that I bought a Body Armor rear bumper and tire carrier. It’s nice and beefy but the bearings on the pivot post are way under sized. The movement of the tire carrier crushes the bearings. Contacted the manufacturer and they say it’s not a problem even though I met another owner that has the same issue. Please don’t make the same mistake we did.
Great video just found the channel! I know everyone prefers 17 or 18 inch wheels but what is wrong with 15s or 16's? On my wrangler im running 285 75r16 with more sidewall for a better ride quality. All major brands have that size so im confused why 17s? And i run trails with a d30 front.. Can't afford to blow 2+ grand on a d44 swap lol
I run the same tires on my 2dr JK. When I bought my wheels they were trying to convince me to go 17" cause I would get more options of tires. But I just love the look of more tire than wheel, plus everywhere I asked, they had the size I wanted for tires, so I was happy I went with 16" wheels. The only thing I regret is not going for 35" tires.
For the JL Rubis, anything less than a 17" you run the risk of rubbing the rim on the brake... I'm not sure if the same is true for the Sahara or Sport.
17-18 wheel size tires are normally cheaper and more readily available where I live. I still run 17 on my 09 jku Rubicon but 9inch wide with a costume offset wheel. I'm 5inch wider track than stock.
So I’m super new to the jeep community, my wife has always wanted one and recently we were able to get an all white JKU. There are things she’d like to do to make it “uniquely hers” and off road fun. But I’m noticing the Jeep community is pretty judgy about what you do with your jeep so now she’s “doing research” to make sure it’s ok to get certain lights, fenders, wheels, grumpy grills and whatnot and it turned from something she was dead set on modding it to make it her own, to now she’s not sure.
The jeep community is very against jeeps loosing their intended purpose. The difference between a "mall crawler" or "road queen" and a trail rig can be as simple as the tires and wheels that are used. Both have the same lift but 37's on 22's and 37's on 17's are very different. They tell different stories. Now with that said. This is your Jeep. Do what you want to it. Screw everyone else. If you want to use it offroad? Then hook up with people and figure out what you need to do to make your rig work the best where you wheel. Going to be a pavement princess? It does not matter what you do. Everyone is judging you already so might as well just make it yours.
Well I'd go offroad with the stock jeep and you will see what you need, just modding it without understanding the purpose of the modification is part of the judging
I never see so much hate for peoples choice for modding than with jeep wranglers. I dont have one yet and would do offroad, but for those that want to make them a mall crawler or show truck, more power to them. Not everyone need the same 35-37 inch, icon wheels, and prerunner bumper. Just let people be unique in their builds...except truck nuts, no truck nuts, totally agree.
It’s really the old dana 35 that was the turd. For a couple reasons, first of all it was undersized, under-built, and prone to breakage. The second issue with that was that it is a c-clip axle, which means once you break that axle shaft: nothing is holding it, and your wheel in. The Dana 30 has different versions, on a jk it’s probably too weak, but on say a tj... it was good up until 36” tires. Even still, on a tj with 36” tires I run a truss, sleeves and gussets. Ambiguous statements about the Dana 30 are sorta lame dude, coulda laid out which platform you were talking about so as not to spread misinformation.
I love what my lifted 4 door '14 JK can do on 37s and a winch❤ Rubicons rock! Front and rear strait axels are a must here on the Yukon the independent suspended vehicles expire pretty quick when exposed to terrain found here in Alaska especially in cold weather.
Its funny how peoples opinions vary. Lots of enthusiasts seem to hate it, but to me the Grumper is my #1 favorite Jeep mod on the market. Its really the reason I bought a Jeep.
@@trexthepony8614 there is no reason at all to elect to install an LSD when a proper locker is relatively the same. Another positive to not having an LSD is lunchbox lockers.
To me upgrading to a D44 from D30 isn't enough difference, heck they use alot of the same things. I'm of the opinion if a high pinion D30 isn't Skip the D44 and go D60
Nope. Pretty big difference if you compare the ring and pinion gears of the two. I wheeled my D30 carefully until I broke it. It was a ticking time bomb. I'm happy to have a D44 now.
@@JK_Joyride you do you, the axle tubes and c are the same and the axle shafts are very similar. especially if one plans to go 37 Plus there isn't enough to gain between the two to justify the labor and exspense.
@@romanpetty2390 Correct, the axle tube and C's are the same. I'm talking about the differential housing. The 44 Diff housing is larger therefore the ring & pinion gears are larger (stronger) than the the 30. That's what the weak point is.
@@romanpetty2390 Good for you! I would love a front D60 under my rig as well but unfortunately my budget didn't allow for it so I got my Pro Rock 44 years ago at a great price and running 38" tires with no issues wheeling it hard.
Im running stock axles on a 01 XJ. 3" RC lift, and Milestar 31"s on a 15" black daytona's. I do go offroad, but not extreme. Mainly to get further off the proverbial beaten path than most for remote primitive camping and fishing. As far as spare tire carriers, Im currently fabbing my own basket rack with a custom mount for my spare. Im planning to pull a small lifted trailer(approximately 4'x6) to haul all our tents, ice coolers etc, to free up cabin space. Good video though!
@KFC Man Depends on what you plan to do. I need enough clearance to get through undergrowth, fallen logs, and shallow mud/water. Nothing extreme. My brother and I are planning out another build that we will trailer with us at some point.
Hi, I enjoy your TH-cam videos…keep up the great work! I’m going to order a new Wrangler Rubicon and need some advice. I want a 2” lift with 35” tires which is now offered directly from Jeep (and under warranty)…but you can’t order that package with the 3.0 diesel (which I wanted). So my question is: Will the 3.6 etorque with the factory 4.56 gears be enough engine or should I go for the diesel and put the lift kit and tires on later? Thanks for your response.
I've never needed lockers....... until i added them. only autos but wow the difference on a rough trail... (or leaving the lake when i need a wash tbh) i dont think they're NEEDED but they do make quite the difference when you get stuck. they sure havent helped street driving in any way, but well worth the purchase.
I really do hate people that bash on others choices for their own stuff. Dude, it's not your jeep, get over it. They can do whatever they want. Not everyone has the same goal for their jeep as you. If they just want to look cool, thats fine. If they want the thing for snowy roads, cool. Get over yourself.
We have a 15’ JKU that I consider a pavement princess. 17” Method NV’s/35” K02’s on a 3” suspension lift (springs). We just like the look. I personally can’t afford to take ours off-road and tear it up 😂
I agree with the lockers but you're wrong about the d30. however if you have a rear d35 in the rear that has to be swamped out. I dd/wheel an old yj w/ c8.25 rear and tj d30 up front w/ chromo axles shafts , 35's locked. the key is be smart and don't have a heavy foot like you have one ton's . A lot of us have shoe string budgets and work on our rigs in the drive way and can't afford what you guys are selling lol
Hey, hey, hey! I have been running 35s (unlocked) on a completely stock Dana 30 in my CJ 7 for 8 years of HARD wheeling. No breaks yet! Slow as you can fast as you must! I have seen someone completely detonate a Dana 30 on 32s though lol
@@AM-gx2ur they have a few different headlight options. It looks like they have a set of “JL” style light in a 7 inch JK size that look cool . But I still may end up with a set of KC highlights gravity pro’s
On the topic of the Dana 30 and 35. I just recently absolutly ruined the spider gears in both of mine, running 35x12.50x15, and wheeling HARD at Stoney Lonesome OHV. Just put TruTracs in and Yukon gears. So far so good? Guess we'll find out.
Wow, that talk at 2:00 or so was nuts. Driving that doesn't include, hypersmooth roads, shouldn't be running, a wheel or rim that isn't, larger than half. It's like a quintuple negative, which I guess is a positive? Sheesh.
Having had 4 Jeeps, 1993 Wagoneer, 1997 TJ, 2005 Rubicon, and 2007 Patriot (sold). Don’t let anyone tell you what mods to perform. You’re educated, mod exactly how YOU want.
You think I wanna polish a turd? No. Guess I'll just hop on over to your website real quick,click the accessories link in the menu & pick me up a $3,000 axle housing instead of polishing a turd like you suggested. Thanks dude.
I installed a rear spartan locker in my xj before i bought lights lol. I'm not gonna do anymore to the axles till i put one tons under it, i only bought a stroker engine coz i broke my piston skirt all of a sudden. The best laid plans don't always work out especially if you use your rig. How many versions have ya'll went thru on your rig? And i came up with a new word....... jeeple. Jeep people. Jeeple are always awesome in my opinion, the real ones anyway
I ran a D30 with 35s. Only churned it with the stock 2.5 4cly and updated the 5 speed to a 6 speed to get an extra low 1st gear. It was a great rig till a Camano pulled out in front of me when I was doing 65. That was a really wild ride end over end 5 times....
Great info to newbie Jeep owner.. love my new Rubicon limited with 20in wheels running 37x13.50 but plan on down sizing the wheel for sure because she’s not just a mall crawler. Lol
First goes first, love the videos 💪🏽 I’m a very new member to the Jeep community. I just purchased a 2021 Jeep Willys. I want take my Jeep off roading to some local places in the LA/ OC county area but am wondering what type of mods should I be looking towards upgrading too before doing so. Or If I don’t have to make upgrades to my Jeep. I have the Willy’s package so comes with 32’s, I believe Rubicon Shocks but Sport springs, LED’s and etc. Please respond back 🙏🏽
To be fair, you don’t need every mod in the book to go do some off-roading - that’s a common misconception. BUT since we do like all the different fun things you can do we would recommend checking out some of our more recent videos which talk about different advantages and disadvantages for the offroad world! Thanks for subscribing!
I refuse to wave at any jeep. You want to wave at someone, buy a motorcycle. The jeep wave is one of the worst part of ownership. Especially since you know as soon as you pass each other, you are saying all the things you don’t like about each other’s jeeps lol.
@@dmelson7502 lol! Well, XJ’s are the coolest so you gotta keep a tight circle. When I had mine, I didn’t have two nickels to rub together so “built” wasn’t an option. Just a totally stock ‘99 Cherokee classic. Wish I still had it. Sold it to buy my dads TJ. I’M SUCH AN IDIOT!
I have a friend that is exactly like this with everything they own. He gets the highest quality stuff, then is too scared to use it for what it was made for. He bought a $70,000 Jeep something, 4 wheel drive, winch, biggie tires, high clearance. We live in Arizona. He's had it for four years. He has never taken it into the desert, he has never taken it four wheeling. Mostly he washes it. That's it.
I have a Jeep that I don’t ever off-road with. I enjoy going to shows and I also love detailing cars so I always clean it. I don’t see an issue with it as long as he enjoys it. Not hate, just saying.
I spent 75k on my jeep and thats exactly the reason why im not going off roading. We buy new because we dont like scratches. Old jeeps are for off road.
While I agree with most of your points, I have to disagree on the Dana 44. Yes, if you're running 37" tires on a behemoth 4 door land yacht, then the "true" D44 is a good idea. But I know plenty of D30hp's running 35" without issue, especially in the lighter real jeeps. CJ, YJ, XJ, and TJ. I know you're plugging your products, but you should have addressed Rubicon front axles. They say Dana 44, share the ring gear and pinion, however they share the same axle tubes, shafts, and even the u-joint as the D30. So if you're saying those are weak points on a D30... Aren't they just as weak on a Rubicon 44? Again, I get that you're trying to sell a $4,000 axle, but how is that better than a few hundred dollars for a super 30 kit, Grand Cherokee knuckles with crossover steering and larger brakes... that rivals a stock true 44 in strength?... With better ground clearance, plus, you don't have to remove your axle and steering linkage.
I love hard rock, and run 35 in mudders on 15X8 in rims turned by a full float amc 20,with a detroit, and the "turdy 30" with super 30 shafts with a arb, and all using 4.10 gears. and stopping power via a hydraulic brake booster.
What i like about the jeep community is the knowledge and built vs bought mentality that i share. There's a lot of pride in ownership as well has hands on experience which the crawling and off roading community are very helpful and a team effort out on the trail. Something challenging i find in the jeep community is when a jeep isn't.. jeep enough or if you stray away from what jeeps are traditionally supposed to be. In the honda world, we call it ricey and here we call it mall crawlers. Whatever you want to call it, it's the balance between performance and aesthetics. Car enthusiast tend to hate the non-functional upgrades and of course, we all jizz to an upgrade that performs & looks cool. Apart of me wants to say "it's your jeep do what you want and ignore the haters" but there's another side of me also that agrees with the school of thought that a jeep is rugged, capable and an adventure vehicle and not a garage queen which when you 1990's fast and the furious mod a jeep... it breaks the hearts of the essence of the JeeP. But you know... i have a rifle with all sorts of ridiculous attachments and all mostly from Cal of Duty and i find it awesome. My friends think it's cool and it's fun to shoot in the desert. I imagine that i am a (insert term for cool vs functional) person to the gun community and the reason i don't know about the term is because i am not really a gun-enthusiast. So unless some guy says something to me, i'll keep buying rifles, add all sorts of dumb attachements due to mostly cool factor rather than functional. - I imagine... your mall crawlers are just as oblivious as they're not on forums and lving and breathing jeeps... their friends think it's cool, girls think it's pretty and they keep in Trucking. - TL:DR: Different strokes, but i will always be watching.
Find better Jeep mods here - bit.ly/2YEd1oL
they dont have anything for my jeep. =\
Why am I here... I drive a Corolla
Corollas need love too!
@@TrailBuilt 33's and a 2 inch lift ftw!
Reminds me of Kevin Spacey in American Beauty. Get whatever is your ‘79 firebird already!
Whats stopping you from putting jeep mods on it?
Its a sign, brother
Fairly new to the Jeep community; but one thing I’ve learned is there are a lot of great people, and some that love to pass judgement
Well I mean if you buy a jeep for off roading its good to be informed all the mall crawl mods will hurt you off road and waste money. Many, many guys actually believe giant wheels with thin tires are just as good off road..
The off road community in general is pretty great every community has it assholes but overall it's great
@@wtftony9975 true that. I believe the majority are great folks though.
@@Tritium1775 disagree just when people say other vehicles can off-road harder
The ones that pass the most judgement are the ones that can't have.
35" tires, with a beefed up Dana 30, (axels, truss etc), and a rear trutrac limited slip is a great solution to light to moderate and even occasional aggressive wheeling. Which is what most of nearly everyone in the off road community does.
I agree on beefing up the axle, but if you're buying a jeep and can find something with a 44 just go with that.
Agree. I have friends that have wheeled their 30 for years without any issues. The trick is they know how to drive.
Wait til your buddy wrecks their rubicon showing off and swap your 30 for their 44 before the insurance picks it up, grab the t case while your at it, they dont check parts.
i know this is an old vid but just came across it. i like this channel in general but i am disappointed to see the Dana 30 hate just to maybe sell a 44 or two off his site. It's ridiculous. A modern (post 2012) 27 spline Dana 30 is absolutely fine for 35s. Not merely "acceptable" etc., but stout and trail worthy. If you have a Rubi or Willys with the 44s front and back great. But if you don't, and you don't live in Moab lol, then the only reason to drop the absurd amount of money on going to the 44 (with it's added weight) is if you're running 39+ and need to go to 5.38 at the diff. The 30 tops out at 5.13.
@@oldgrunt5569 Not only that, the JLs are M186s which were previously known as D30s, and are beefed up and stronger from the factory than older D30s. The strength of them is more comparable to a D35. M210s and M220s are great, but most people don't have $6g to drop on two used axles and all new gears.Most Wrangler owners are driving them mostly on the street, so crapping on an M186/D30 is low rent.
I don't shit on mall crawlers or anyone's cosmetic accessories. The whole point of Jeep customization is to customize it the way you want. I look at it the same way I look at motorcycles, ride your own ride.
Right. Not everybody desires to go off-road some buy a wrangler for the ability to take the top and doors off in a hour.
I agree with you. One of the most capable off road vehicles in the world is the Mercedes G wagon. 3 factory lockers, horsepower for days, high clearance, good handling. Yet 99.9999% of them are mall crawlers. Why shouldn't they be? I wouldn't want to damage my 100K toy either. Get a 5000$ used jeep then beat it like it owes you money.
A Jeep is an off-road vehicle if you can’t go and don’t want to go off-road maybe you should buy a street car like a Ford, Chevy, Dodge, Honda, etc. If you want to have a vehicle that can take the top off buy a convertible, there are many convertibles the same price if not cheaper then a Wrangler. Don’t think I’m trying to say that you have to go off-road if you have a Jeep, it is really cool to be able to take the top off in 40 minutes to an hour. I’m just saying it would be cheaper to invest a street vehicle not made for harsh environments. I love my Jeeps and they’re great for street use.
@@cablenowadays6586 you mean in 25 mins... ;)
@@ch3z326 I mean I don’t get the point on why you give a fuck on what people do with there money
I figured he would top the list with "angry eyes"... I wasn't even aware there was an aftermarket grill that makes your Jeep look like a train.. lol
Think it's called the grumper grill
Lol I don’t think anyone did
I have a Dana 30 with 35” tires and locker, and have ran Moab along with other Jeep Jamborees and no problems. When something breaks ill replace it with a 44.
@@MrJoshcc600 If the Dana 30 was in issue from the start, the Jeep would've thrown a Dana 44 under the them from the beginning. The dana 30 has been around for so long, the only way you can break a Dana 30 wheeling it like and idiot.
He hasn’t really wasted that money on a d30 locker and gears IMO. It sounds like he has gotten good use out of them so far and there are plenty of guys like me with $600 XJs who would snap up a second hand d30 locker or gear.
@@GDLutz I agree. They say work smarter, not harder. I translate to wheel smarter, not harder. I got a lunchbox in my D30, under a 2000 XJ on 5" lift and 35's. When I had to meet the wife at the mall today so I could try on some boots (I hate new boots, nobody ever has a size 14) and I had to give her the debit card, who doesn't hate that? I made sure I found a good mud hole to play in first so I didn't look like a mall crawler. Perk for me is the local mall is on the river, I drove down to the riverbank and found a good marshy area and ripped it up turnin my silver XJ brown.
@@GDLutz where do you find $600 XJs? I'd snatch one up in a heartbeat. The only ones I ever see are $5k or more or junked ones with no title.
@@Hertacles Craigslist
I my XJ was pretty rusty and trashed, but I paid $600 since it was a 4.0L with the 5speed manual.
I also bought another one for parts for $300 that had rear ended someone and was bent in the front. Had a full good drivetrain, an immaculate interior and LOTS of other good parts.
I’ve not made one good XJ from the two and have lots of spare part too. Not bad for $900 total.
I see that "fitment industries" vibe with all the wheels in the background😂
Except we do Jeeps, Toyotas, Trucks & SUVs
Lol, RIGHT! Because I’m pretty sure you can also buy Wheels from FI for an SUVs/Trucks
@@Zachnotfickle it's just a joke,chill🙄
@@turbotoaster275 I know I know, I was just agreeing with the guy above. It’s not a big deal it’s just interesting to be fair. But, no problem here.
Agree on all counts. My choice for worst mod: any form of angry eye grilles/bumpers/whatever. Why, just why!
Freedom of choice?
@@frankcastle9691 Good answer. Got a little carried away on that one!
Big bro dozer wheels are worse because they actually reduce functionality imo, I'm not a fan of the angry eye grills that stick out super far but I think a few of them are tolerable.
I love my angry eyes. With the fenders and bumpers and rock sliders it just brings together that aggressive look. I get compliments from a lot of people. But for some reason the jeeple hate on them
@@legitdelirium3446 Like Castle says, freedom of choice. Not my thing, but if you dig it, go for it.
Thank you for stating how important it is to have the proper tire and wheel set up for off roading (as well as towing/hauling), and not just have a 20-24 inch wheel and some rubber bands on them.
One thing I didn't hear you talk about was having wheels that are wider than the tire is, and how that is unsafe/dangerous. You did show some like that though.
Yes he did.
How many times can we squeeze an add for the website in here????
I don't know, but have you checked out our website at www.trailbuiltoffroad.com yet?!!!
@@TrailBuilt LOL, touché
About as meow,!
He could have at least 3 more times, I'm sure 😂
I agree with almost everything, and I 100% agree with #5.
Only problem with this list is the assumption we all have thousands to dump into our rigs. I run a d30, and will probably add a Lunchbox locker. My rigs a cheap XJ, and I don’t see any reasons to spend 3x more than I paid for it on a front axle upgrade when I can run my D30HP and just put a few $ into it here and there as I break things.
Amen to this.
My dad used to run a hp Dana 30 on his xj with 35s and 4.56 gears and it ran perfectly fine until he sold the jeep. Keep in mind that the Dana 44 in the front of jk’s have the same weak outers as the Dana 30 so they’re only marginally stronger. Most of the damage I see from Dana 30 axles are in the knuckles and not the ring and pinion. If you’re swapping out for a Dana 44, get a true Dana 44 or just go 1-tons
Does your dad know that you're gay?
I've owned 4 jeeps, cj5, cj7, wrangler 4 door and jk rubicon now think I liked my 304 cid cj7 the best for having fun without worrying about damage. All summer just under tauno top, no worry about rain inside or mud, etc. Just fun hunting and fishing. That's what jeeping is for me fine without all the Fancy stuff
Dam four tries and you still missed getting a TJ? TJ is peak jeep.....
As someone that goes off-roading quite a bit it disappoints me when my fellow Jeep folks view Jeeps as off-road only vehicles. Giving no value to a Jeep that is built for the road, or built for cruising. I grew up in parking lots looking at cruising classics and drag strips with muscle cars as much as I did a dirt trail. It honestly wasn’t until the early 2000’s that I really saw anyone in a Jeep take off-roading seriously. Until then it was classic pickups with a 6” lift and good mud tires.
Maybe ease up the next time you think the only value to a persons Jeep is used on an off-road trail. If it’s someone else’s car, it doesn’t have any value to you anyway.
Running 33s on my TJ for several years on stock Dana 30s and no problems. Offroading with no issues.
the part that i broke the most on my d30 is the outer axle.. and its the same part number as the d44 one! upgraded to cromo shaft with extreme spicer u joint (no needle bearing) running 35 krawler with dual t case.. im not light footed but i try to keep the jeep light
The rubber band tires crack me up. We were in deep blowsand and we came upon an abandoned mall crawler with beautiful 22 inch wheels and tires about 1/2 inch high. The issue that we could not figure out was how he got stuck, it was flat. But the Jeep looked good but would look better on the road.
should have stripped it for parts . its abandoned so fair game
@@cordellej 🤡
Personally think the grumper has the same effect as armored fenders. While more practical, its all about the “armored” look for me personally. But can agree with every single other one to a T.
"Buy once, cry once"
Bro dozer is a fantastic description. What really gets me annoyed is when people use oversized tires and complain about fuel mileage and handling issues at 80mph. Jeep actually makes a vehicle for that application and a Wrangler isn't one of them.🤣
I watched this just to hear you say “angry eyes head lights mod” but you didn’t say it :/ i respect all jeep owners (me being a 3rd gen 4Runner owner) except those that have those stupid fucking angry eyes.
I was waiting for that too! I'm not a jeeper but there are 3 jeeps on my street and all of them have angry grilles, angry headlights, and flashing rainbow lights... 2 of them have big pizza dish wheels (that are chromed and painted too). All these jeeps have more painted parts on them than my damn truck and car combined... I just dont' get it. Bros have turned Jeeps into the new Honda Civic.
Thank you omg. As a TJ owner nothing makes me cringe harder than seeing those stupid fucking angry face grilles. No Jeep modification in the history of Jeeps is any worse than those.
Angry eyes gang 😤✊💯💦
I’m not a fan of the Angry, but to each their own. Jeep’s are for personalization so who am I to judge. I only care about functional modes to make sure I can go farther.
4 runners are the rejects of the n family...
Remember folks jeep rule number 4. Only buy parts approved by internet experts. Youre not allowed to buy what you want.
Lol love this comment. I’m about to get a jeep and I can’t wait for all the jeep owners to judge me for getting an angry grille and red halo lights. God FORBIT anyone built what they like lol
(Mic drop) well said, Mr. Castle!
Of course the punisher guy says this
I guess you'll look cool stuck on trail with a broken axle, busted bead, and enough lights to signal batman for help.
@@ivanfromtheeast4709 LOL, nailed it
I'm doing mostly stock on a 2014 - got a cheep angry eye grill for the daughter, and some multicolor halo headlights that shine into everyone's cabin as I'm cruising down the road (everyone hates me at night).
That said, I've done some climbing, but that's not mostly my thing. Basically, I take it into the woods, hit the mud bogs and the tight trees hard, and take it off road into unexplored territory, and probably step on the gas too much. I've had a tree branch take out my front fender, and the beautiful interior of my Jeep looks like someone with a mud sprayer and went nuts inside the vehicle.
That said, I have no idea what anything in this video is talking about - and while rock climbing is pretty cool, Mountain climbing through the trees, and hitting huge muddy areas at 30mph is a lot of fun (also, really expensive for body work, but whatever).
I also hit the river beds and the bumpy roads hard, making my passengers hit the ceiling and flop around like rag dolls... Pretty funny, actually.
Bottom line is you don't need a billion mods to have a good time. In fact, you can just tell by looking at them, that most of those beefed up vehicles haven't seen the grass, let alone an offroad adventure...
What you think on 20-inch rims on 35 tires.
I'll be honest, lights before lockers is one I cannot agree with. Lights are so much more useful than lockers, and in so many more situations, that they make a lot of sense as one of the very first accessories to add to any vehicle. A spotlight and foglights is useful even on a vehicle that never leaves the road.
Agreed. Sure you have that sense of comfort when life takes you off the beaten path. 1 week of owning my jeep and I was led by GPS a few miles down a dead end dirt road in the woods in NH. Drop offs on either side. very sticky u-turn situation and man-o-man was it dark. The new LED group upgrade for the front works great, but backing up... no light at all on the OEMs.
Lol no . Lockers night and day difference.
This is for jeep mods not mall crawlers. Lockers are #1.
@@matthewanderson6767 lmao wonder how the military keeps ever got by without lockers or cjs for that matter. Oh yes the people driving actually knew what they was doing. Logic over lockers any day
The original ww2 jeeps were small and light enough that soldiers could get out and push or pull the jeep out of a lot of stuck situations.
Regardless of the mall bro controversy, all I want now is to get the ugly jeep train mod, but I will refer to it as a deer (or drug cartel road block) repellant, enhances safety when combined with other mods like limb risers or if you're a little crazy, solid steel, external roll cage protection all around the jeep. Quite top heavy. Maybe not practical for very technical off road adventures.
Modding a Jeep is a hobby in itself, nothing wrong wanting to mod it to only please yourself.
I have never seen one of those angry eyes grills in the wild. Please Lord keep me pure.
I’ve never understood the angry eyes / grill replacements. I mean, I understand cars as a hobby and we all love modifications, but I personally would never do angry eyes or replace the Jeep grill with one of those things.
Angry eyes and grill replacement is the worst.
And it makes my TJ run Hotter, but I do like the fact that I don't have to clean bugs out of my Radiator fins, and it stops loose rocks from damaging my Radiator!,besides, for 30 bucks, I couldn't pass it up,what can I say,my 1st Jeep,at 57 years old (me) Jeep is almost 21yrs old
I like them. I'm getting one in the Spring.
I like the grill Well at least the one for the new Gladiator by fabfours
I want happy eyes. Where they at? Why can't we give our Jeeps the ol' Herbie the Love Bug kinda vibe? 🤭
37's on my 15" rims... Rides like a corolla on the road and claws rocks.... 81 CJ, OM617, Dana 60's.
I like those train front grill bumper combos, and I payed for the Jeep, soooo is in the way now
Do I have a jeep?
No
Do I keep watching all these jeep videos?
Yes.
Do I hope to have a jeep some day?
🤞🏼
What's wrong with going to the mall in a Jeep. It's a vibe and to each of their own. Can do whatever you want with your own hard-earned property.
Some of us buy used jeeps and are stuck with the *ahem* Bro grills until they can afford to put on a more factory style grill. I, for example, have recently purchased my first Jeep. It's a 2015 JKU with a "Shark" grill with "Angry Eyes". it's easily my least favorite mod, but the smittybuilt bumpers, 2.5" lift, Pro Comp 17" wheels 315/70R17 Mickey Thompsons make up for it. When I can save up enough, I'm getting a factory style grill (painted flat black) and swapping it out. As far as wheeling goes, I'm a novice at best, but I'm not going to crap on someone else's tastes or skill level. That's what chases people away from the Jeep Community.
That said, the wheel and tire recommendations are incredibly useful. What you didn't mention was the impact on drivability when you go big and lifted. Highway speeds on "not so perfect" roads becomes a little sketchy at best, terrifying at worst.
The Angry Eyes grille just doesn't look good in my personal opinion.
I had 15-inch wheels on 35's. that was the setup! man, even on some really gnarly stuff it took it all. never had an issue. also if you're looking for wheels get ahold of team Illuminata racing/ braid wheels in Birmingham MI. Paul is a great dude and makes the best off-road racing wheels in the world. all custom for less than most anything else you can get, he makes the wheels for my rally car
same i run 15” wheels on 35s and it’s on a dana 30 with RCVs and a truss and gussets then a stock 8.25. Thing just eats and over anything. Also love the thick tire look
Been wheeling a dana 30 in the front for 43 years... with 35" tires the last 10 years - there is nothing wrong with the dana 30 at all???? This is the most ridiculous thing that I have ever heard you say!!!!
Agreed...I too have a dana 30 with 35s stick shift...no issues...I did replace ball joints and tie rod and front track bar to Teraflex...but only after 100k...got 73k on the new stuff and is holding up great...greaseable and rebuildable...stay muddy my friend.
I agree with the desecration of the front of the Jeep but out where I live grumpers are necessary as you'll be replacing your front end often with how many deer are hit. Grills just don't do it.
In fact I hit a deer heading home right after I made this comment. lol 😆
Dayuung!
Dirty 30’s on 35’s with a G-bomb all day long my friend. I go everywhere a new Rubicon can go and it doesn’t hurt when I scratch or dent my $2000 shitbox Cherokee. Dana 30’s can be made tough if you do it smart. Tubes, truss, almost alloy kit, C gussets, Volvo LSD, WJ brakes.
I have a Jeep and I hate when people dont wave back😭
Lol I never wave
I wave when I can.
I have been a Jeeple all my life and have never been more disappointed in my fellow Jeepers than when I bought my 2017 JKU. I just turned 50 and had used my 92 YJ as my daily, my 86 Cj7 as my hunting rig and my 79Cj 5 as my beast crawler I'm somehow demoted to "Mall Crawler" status for wanting a little more comfort and a different approach to modifying it. My daughters got the angry bird grille for it and colored door handle inserts and grab handle kit. I took the anodized red on black color scheme over the rest of the vehicle, wiper arms, D rings and Fuel Stroke 18in wheels on Falken rubber. Funny how I'm Joe Cool in my 79 or 86.
Stock JK 30 tubing is the same as a 44. People complaining about tube bending on D30s should know that d44 stock can bend the same way. Weak point is the ring and pinion. Chromoly shaft it, 35” tires, be smart with your Petrie, and call it a day.
I’ve bent a 44 tube before that being said, I cant say that hear people complaining about bending tubes enexpectedly (that implies to me you were not abusing it; if you were it wasn’t the axles fault). I’ve broken Ujoints and shafts on 30s but never a R&P. I’ve also broken u joints and shafts on a D60 front. You know, I’ve actually broken 2 ford 8.8 shafts and those are beloved by jeepers.
My scout came with a D30 front and drum brakes as a roller. So I tossed it right away because of the drum brakes (the first time I had to panic stop in a 40’s pick up with drum fronts was eye opening). I had a scout 44 that was usable so it got the 44 while i was getting the ford D 60 ready and I drove it like that for a minute. I would have never spent a dime on that D30 but I also had plans to make it a 1 ton driveline from the beginning. I wasn’t going to spend money on the 44 either.
That is where this disconnect occurs in my opinion. You lose me at spending money on a D30. Also, we have differing philosophies of how much extra strength is built into our driveline vs how much abuse it can take. “Just take it easy” does not work for me, you could also say “just dont have oversized tires”. That is fine, I BUILD mine “smart” rather than being afraid of how close I am to its breaking point, especially if I am back coutry. I assure you that the designer of that axle never intended such a large tire or the forces imparted by it.
In the proper context there is nothing bad to say about the Dana 30 axle. It is actually quite tough.
I needed a NP203 for my doubler so I purchased a Chevy350, th350, NP203 as a combo pulled from a K5. I turned around and sold the motor for 80% of the purchase price leaving me with a TH350 and NP203. I used the 203 behind the TH400 in the scout and in front of the to be Ford 203. I knew someone that became in need of a TH350 so I traded that TH350 for approval of pulling, what is now my Ford HP Dana 60 front and NP203 out of the 79 ford down there in the field. That deal got me the adapter I needed, the transfer case that I was going to use part of and then turned into a $1000+ front axle all for about $200 maybe. Money for lockers and CrMo shafts goes to the proper axles for the application.
Conversely I was in the early days of LS1 performance and I was launching 1.4X 60 foot times on a GM 7.5” 10 bolt. I know loads of people that exploded them, mine held until I pulled it for a 9”. That 7.5” that everyone dogs on, was hanging the front tires of that car in the air. The driver side tire would get about 2’ of air, it took repeat beatings on slicks and sticky surface.
Just curious what size tires and lift is on that red tj at 0:54
I believe they were 37s
yean this was entirely based around fitting their website into the video as much as possible. I get it, but it's mentioned way too much. We get it, we can get shit from your site. But I am now going out of my way to NOT purchase from you simply because you can't stop shoving it down my throat. One last thing, I am not liking or subbing within a damn minute of your video, so don't ask until we have seen more of your content, I know i'm not the only one who feels that way
I'm not a jeep guy at all but what's the difference between putting light bars and chrome wheels on a jeep and doing the same to a 2500 diesel truck that only goes back and forth to work and the grocery store? Let people live.
Edit: UNLESS ITS A SQUATTED TRUCK!
No difference! You can put some chrome wheels and a light bar on a honda civic if you want!
The only thing I would point out is that you can’t tell if that 2500 pulls a trailer or not or whats in the bed. you can heavily infer a mall crawler is a mall crawler.
Your point is valid who cares but you dont actually know what is in that pickup or what it was doing 5 minutes ago. A truck though, its more about style, the mods dont inhibit its use as a truck. A jeep with wheels like that? No way are they smashing those into rocks.
I am in the heavy equipment/mining industry and everyone has truck albeit few are bro style. When I have 5,000 lbs of cutting edges in the bed of the pickup and its a stack of steel 6-12” high, sometimes I think about how NOONE has any idea that there is 5,000 lbs worth of steel in a stack with the gate closed because the truck looks normal. The time this comes to mind is when that civic cuts me off with all that weight as payload, I doubt that same civic would have been so aggressive if there was civic was sitting on top the bed rails as an obvious load. You might give that guy a bit more space but that civic is much lighter than this stack of steel that you cannot see...
As to the bro style, my old neighbor hot-shots with a Dodge Ram, he has the wheels and the headlights and grill, to each their own. You could not be more wrong if you are implying that his truck does no work. It does nothing but pull heavy loads on the highway when someone needs something now.
I ran my Dana30 on 37's for a long time, broke 2 passenger side shafts over the years, and then swapped it with a rubicon 44 that I beefed up with a truss, gussets, ball joints and RCV axles. It's been holding up to a set of 39-13.5/17 BFG km3 tires. I've only broken a 1310 u joint on the yoke, so I may upgrade to a 1350.
I'm running one now with Motive gears and a True trac limited slip style on 35's beefed up. I'll up grade sooner or later but I'm with you, I've ran it for years with tubes inside 4.5 lift.
Only reason I whent with a 17 inch wheel with 33 inch tires is because I want to in the future go bigger to a 35 or 37 but need to save up to swap out my D30. This way I can still have a decent tire size and wheel some but it helps future proof my Jeep
there's 21 guys out there running the fake grill, obviously!🤣🤣🤣
I wonder where you got your "rule of thumb" for wheel size? Because the older one I know was just 15 inch wheels were all you wanted on anything 35" or smaller, 16 inch wheels for 36-40, 44-48 for a 17, and at the time you could only buy 50+ inch tires in 20 or bigger rims because at that weight you needed the biggest brakes you could get.
It may seem controversial to do this video and you guys already made your disclaimer that people can do what they want to their rig. But...this is a channel for the off-road crowd, therefore content, product suggestions and perspective is going to be tailored to those of us who...off-road. A large number of mods people add for show, have no application on a purpose-built off-road vehicle. But, telling people what they want to hear just to ring the cash register is unethical, and it does not do people service when they get out on a trail and learn the hard way. And in my opinion, you guys are being honest. Better to be upfront rather than tell people what they want to hear. One or two product call-outs I didn't necessarily agree with because they don't interfere with off-road performance. But overall I get it.
I think there's plenty of trails that don't require lockers. At the Jeep clubs meets I've been to, most people don't own a rubi or have any lockers installed. I think they're definitely beneficial but if something keeps you out late on the trail I'm certain no one would be disappointed in having a couple good lights.
Right? Lockers void my warranty, I don’t need them to get down an old logging road. But it’s nice to be able to see when the sun goes down anyway.
Good vid. My input is that I bought a Body Armor rear bumper and tire carrier. It’s nice and beefy but the bearings on the pivot post are way under sized. The movement of the tire carrier crushes the bearings. Contacted the manufacturer and they say it’s not a problem even though I met another owner that has the same issue. Please don’t make the same mistake we did.
Great video just found the channel! I know everyone prefers 17 or 18 inch wheels but what is wrong with 15s or 16's? On my wrangler im running 285 75r16 with more sidewall for a better ride quality. All major brands have that size so im confused why 17s? And i run trails with a d30 front.. Can't afford to blow 2+ grand on a d44 swap lol
More tire and less wheel is always better than more wheel and less tire. Looks tougher and rides/performs better as well.
@@redheadmetalhead247 complete agree! People have told me before not to go with a 16 and it didn't make sense. Thank you
I run the same tires on my 2dr JK. When I bought my wheels they were trying to convince me to go 17" cause I would get more options of tires. But I just love the look of more tire than wheel, plus everywhere I asked, they had the size I wanted for tires, so I was happy I went with 16" wheels. The only thing I regret is not going for 35" tires.
For the JL Rubis, anything less than a 17" you run the risk of rubbing the rim on the brake... I'm not sure if the same is true for the Sahara or Sport.
17-18 wheel size tires are normally cheaper and more readily available where I live. I still run 17 on my 09 jku Rubicon but 9inch wide with a costume offset wheel. I'm 5inch wider track than stock.
So I’m super new to the jeep community, my wife has always wanted one and recently we were able to get an all white JKU. There are things she’d like to do to make it “uniquely hers” and off road fun. But I’m noticing the Jeep community is pretty judgy about what you do with your jeep so now she’s “doing research” to make sure it’s ok to get certain lights, fenders, wheels, grumpy grills and whatnot and it turned from something she was dead set on modding it to make it her own, to now she’s not sure.
The jeep community is very against jeeps loosing their intended purpose. The difference between a "mall crawler" or "road queen" and a trail rig can be as simple as the tires and wheels that are used. Both have the same lift but 37's on 22's and 37's on 17's are very different. They tell different stories. Now with that said. This is your Jeep. Do what you want to it. Screw everyone else. If you want to use it offroad? Then hook up with people and figure out what you need to do to make your rig work the best where you wheel. Going to be a pavement princess? It does not matter what you do. Everyone is judging you already so might as well just make it yours.
Yes do what you want to your Jeep, you paid for they didn't. I don't know why people or the Jeep community has to be so judgy.
Well I'd go offroad with the stock jeep and you will see what you need, just modding it without understanding the purpose of the modification is part of the judging
F the jeep community. Your wife shouldn't have to worry about and what she feels is nice to her jeep.
I never see so much hate for peoples choice for modding than with jeep wranglers. I dont have one yet and would do offroad, but for those that want to make them a mall crawler or show truck, more power to them. Not everyone need the same 35-37 inch, icon wheels, and prerunner bumper. Just let people be unique in their builds...except truck nuts, no truck nuts, totally agree.
ITS YOUR JEEP YOU CUSTOMIZE IT HOW YOU WANT
Power to the Jeeple! ✊🏻
@@TrailBuilt I’m gunna start saying that now XD
@@TrailBuilt lmao that made me laugh😂
Never had a issue with my aftermarket LOCKED HP30 on 33 and yes the jeep spends most of it's time offroad or snow wheeling.
Great commercial with some other stuff thrown in.
You dont need 17 didferent light bars mounted on. Just get a nice set of LEDs...
You have a set of headlights you’d recommend? Didn’t get the LED upgrade package w/ my Gladiator and stock lights suck.
@@mrhackett1984 just any set of leds are better than stock tbh... i bought mine on amazon for 100$ and they work fine
You mentioned the big brake kit teraflex ! Do you know the pad front and rear Dodge Ram year for it?
It’s really the old dana 35 that was the turd.
For a couple reasons, first of all it was undersized, under-built, and prone to breakage. The second issue with that was that it is a c-clip axle, which means once you break that axle shaft: nothing is holding it, and your wheel in.
The Dana 30 has different versions, on a jk it’s probably too weak, but on say a tj... it was good up until 36” tires.
Even still, on a tj with 36” tires I run a truss, sleeves and gussets.
Ambiguous statements about the Dana 30 are sorta lame dude, coulda laid out which platform you were talking about so as not to spread misinformation.
I love what my lifted 4 door '14 JK can do on 37s and a winch❤ Rubicons rock! Front and rear strait axels are a must here on the Yukon the independent suspended vehicles expire pretty quick when exposed to terrain found here in Alaska especially in cold weather.
Could someone please explain the purpose for those goofy cable from the hood to the roof?
Its funny how peoples opinions vary. Lots of enthusiasts seem to hate it, but to me the Grumper is my #1 favorite Jeep mod on the market. Its really the reason I bought a Jeep.
So gay
I don’t have a Jeep yet, but the Grumper makes me want to buy one.
Lockers are so expensive . Lights are like 100 bucks.
Limited slip does well enough
@@trexthepony8614 there is no reason at all to elect to install an LSD when a proper locker is relatively the same. Another positive to not having an LSD is lunchbox lockers.
@@danh8302 Yeah, but if your jeep came with a LSD rear, might as well take advantage.
Auto-lockers are under 300 normally. You can install in your driveway in a couple hours if you have basic tools and mechanical knowledge.
To me upgrading to a D44 from D30 isn't enough difference, heck they use alot of the same things. I'm of the opinion if a high pinion D30 isn't Skip the D44 and go D60
Nope. Pretty big difference if you compare the ring and pinion gears of the two. I wheeled my D30 carefully until I broke it. It was a ticking time bomb. I'm happy to have a D44 now.
@@JK_Joyride you do you, the axle tubes and c are the same and the axle shafts are very similar. especially if one plans to go 37 Plus there isn't enough to gain between the two to justify the labor and exspense.
@@romanpetty2390 Correct, the axle tube and C's are the same. I'm talking about the differential housing. The 44 Diff housing is larger therefore the ring & pinion gears are larger (stronger) than the the 30. That's what the weak point is.
@@JK_Joyride I know to many folks with bent Cs and axle tubes if I'm upgrading I'm going d60...
@@romanpetty2390 Good for you! I would love a front D60 under my rig as well but unfortunately my budget didn't allow for it so I got my Pro Rock 44 years ago at a great price and running 38" tires with no issues wheeling it hard.
I have 98in tires on my 1998 Mercury sable. No cap. best 4 wheelin rig I’ve ever had
Add to the list, high lift jack bolted to the doors of a gladiator. You bought an entire truck bed. Use it.
Im running stock axles on a 01 XJ. 3" RC lift, and Milestar 31"s on a 15" black daytona's. I do go offroad, but not extreme. Mainly to get further off the proverbial beaten path than most for remote primitive camping and fishing. As far as spare tire carriers, Im currently fabbing my own basket rack with a custom mount for my spare. Im planning to pull a small lifted trailer(approximately 4'x6) to haul all our tents, ice coolers etc, to free up cabin space. Good video though!
@KFC Man Depends on what you plan to do. I need enough clearance to get through undergrowth, fallen logs, and shallow mud/water. Nothing extreme. My brother and I are planning out another build that we will trailer with us at some point.
thumbnail instructions unclear, removed my front axle and my jeep handles terribly now. but it did fix the death wobble
The "grumpers" are awesome... Well at least some of them :)
Hi, I enjoy your TH-cam videos…keep up the great work! I’m going to order a new Wrangler Rubicon and need some advice. I want a 2” lift with 35” tires which is now offered directly from Jeep (and under warranty)…but you can’t order that package with the 3.0 diesel (which I wanted). So my question is: Will the 3.6 etorque with the factory 4.56 gears be enough engine or should I go for the diesel and put the lift kit and tires on later? Thanks for your response.
Send me (Fred) an email at thurston@trailbuiltoffroad and I can get you set up!
@@TrailBuilt that email address says it’s not valid.
I've never needed lockers....... until i added them. only autos but wow the difference on a rough trail... (or leaving the lake when i need a wash tbh) i dont think they're NEEDED but they do make quite the difference when you get stuck. they sure havent helped street driving in any way, but well worth the purchase.
I really do hate people that bash on others choices for their own stuff. Dude, it's not your jeep, get over it. They can do whatever they want. Not everyone has the same goal for their jeep as you. If they just want to look cool, thats fine. If they want the thing for snowy roads, cool. Get over yourself.
We have a 15’ JKU that I consider a pavement princess. 17” Method NV’s/35” K02’s on a 3” suspension lift (springs). We just like the look. I personally can’t afford to take ours off-road and tear it up 😂
I agree with the lockers but you're wrong about the d30. however if you have a rear d35 in the rear that has to be swamped out. I dd/wheel an old yj w/ c8.25 rear and tj d30 up front w/ chromo axles shafts , 35's locked. the key is be smart and don't have a heavy foot like you have one ton's . A lot of us have shoe string budgets and work on our rigs in the drive way and can't afford what you guys are selling lol
Hey, hey, hey! I have been running 35s (unlocked) on a completely stock Dana 30 in my CJ 7 for 8 years of HARD wheeling. No breaks yet! Slow as you can fast as you must! I have seen someone completely detonate a Dana 30 on 32s though lol
I have a jeep patriot 2007 and just want to lift with some bigger tires looking for best solution.
Head on over to our website and add in your specifics and you can see all sorts of good options for your Patriot!
www.trailbuiltoffroad.com
@@TrailBuilt thanks💪
Worst mod I’ve done is cheap Amazon LED headlights . They look cool during the day but when you need them to work they kinda suck at night ....
So true, done it ourselves!
Look up “AUDEXEN” on Amazon. A little pricier at $160, but like with everything you get what you pay for. SUPER happy with them.
@@AM-gx2ur they have a few different headlight options. It looks like they have a set of “JL” style light in a 7 inch JK size that look cool . But I still may end up with a set of KC highlights gravity pro’s
@@AM-gx2ur I ended up going with the KC Gravity pro headlights . They are amazing, definitely should have gotten them sooner !
On the topic of the Dana 30 and 35. I just recently absolutly ruined the spider gears in both of mine, running 35x12.50x15, and wheeling HARD at Stoney Lonesome OHV. Just put TruTracs in and Yukon gears. So far so good? Guess we'll find out.
Wow, that talk at 2:00 or so was nuts. Driving that doesn't include, hypersmooth roads, shouldn't be running, a wheel or rim that isn't, larger than half. It's like a quintuple negative, which I guess is a positive? Sheesh.
Having had 4 Jeeps, 1993 Wagoneer, 1997 TJ, 2005 Rubicon, and 2007 Patriot (sold). Don’t let anyone tell you what mods to perform. You’re educated, mod exactly how YOU want.
ive had 5 jeeps..na na na boo boo
@@neilvetter662 I’m old, not rich.
Guy said lights before lockers… this dude never been on the trails at 3 am
@KFC Man yeah exactly
You think I wanna polish a turd? No.
Guess I'll just hop on over to your website real quick,click the accessories link in the menu & pick me up a $3,000 axle housing instead of polishing a turd like you suggested. Thanks dude.
My TJ runs a D30 with truss, sleeves and c gussets and i don't care!
I installed a rear spartan locker in my xj before i bought lights lol. I'm not gonna do anymore to the axles till i put one tons under it, i only bought a stroker engine coz i broke my piston skirt all of a sudden. The best laid plans don't always work out especially if you use your rig. How many versions have ya'll went thru on your rig? And i came up with a new word....... jeeple. Jeep people. Jeeple are always awesome in my opinion, the real ones anyway
I ran a D30 with 35s. Only churned it with the stock 2.5 4cly and updated the 5 speed to a 6 speed to get an extra low 1st gear.
It was a great rig till a Camano pulled out in front of me when I was doing 65. That was a really wild ride end over end 5 times....
Is this company teamed with custom offset?
We're the cool offroad guys ;)
Great info to newbie Jeep owner.. love my new Rubicon limited with 20in wheels running 37x13.50 but plan on down sizing the wheel for sure because she’s not just a mall crawler. Lol
How about a tire carrier rear bumper for the Gladiator so I can put an air tank in the stock spare tire carrier?
Great videos and thanks
First goes first, love the videos 💪🏽 I’m a very new member to the Jeep community. I just purchased a 2021 Jeep Willys. I want take my Jeep off roading to some local places in the LA/ OC county area but am wondering what type of mods should I be looking towards upgrading too before doing so. Or If I don’t have to make upgrades to my Jeep. I have the Willy’s package so comes with 32’s, I believe Rubicon Shocks but Sport springs, LED’s and etc. Please respond back 🙏🏽
To be fair, you don’t need every mod in the book to go do some off-roading - that’s a common misconception. BUT since we do like all the different fun things you can do we would recommend checking out some of our more recent videos which talk about different advantages and disadvantages for the offroad world! Thanks for subscribing!
You nailed dude all 5!! Good job!
Thanks Robert!!!
I refuse to wave back at angry eye jeeps
Communist!
Frank Castle LMFAO. I’m full of shit. I wave at any of them. As long as they aren’t a Renegade of course
I refuse to wave at any jeep. You want to wave at someone, buy a motorcycle. The jeep wave is one of the worst part of ownership. Especially since you know as soon as you pass each other, you are saying all the things you don’t like about each other’s jeeps lol.
@@lukelambert4595 We XJ folks only wave to built XJ's. 🤪
@@dmelson7502 lol! Well, XJ’s are the coolest so you gotta keep a tight circle. When I had mine, I didn’t have two nickels to rub together so “built” wasn’t an option. Just a totally stock ‘99 Cherokee classic. Wish I still had it. Sold it to buy my dads TJ. I’M SUCH AN IDIOT!
I have a friend that is exactly like this with everything they own. He gets the highest quality stuff, then is too scared to use it for what it was made for. He bought a $70,000 Jeep something, 4 wheel drive, winch, biggie tires, high clearance. We live in Arizona. He's had it for four years. He has never taken it into the desert, he has never taken it four wheeling. Mostly he washes it. That's it.
I have a Jeep that I don’t ever off-road with. I enjoy going to shows and I also love detailing cars so I always clean it. I don’t see an issue with it as long as he enjoys it. Not hate, just saying.
so whats wrong with it, his rig his ride as long as he's happy with it ... thats all matter , stop shitting on what ppl do on their own
I spent 75k on my jeep and thats exactly the reason why im not going off roading. We buy new because we dont like scratches. Old jeeps are for off road.
@@rhyse4818 🤣🤣🤣lmao
While I agree with most of your points, I have to disagree on the Dana 44. Yes, if you're running 37" tires on a behemoth 4 door land yacht, then the "true" D44 is a good idea.
But I know plenty of D30hp's running 35" without issue, especially in the lighter real jeeps. CJ, YJ, XJ, and TJ.
I know you're plugging your products, but you should have addressed Rubicon front axles. They say Dana 44, share the ring gear and pinion, however they share the same axle tubes, shafts, and even the u-joint as the D30. So if you're saying those are weak points on a D30... Aren't they just as weak on a Rubicon 44? Again, I get that you're trying to sell a $4,000 axle, but how is that better than a few hundred dollars for a super 30 kit, Grand Cherokee knuckles with crossover steering and larger brakes... that rivals a stock true 44 in strength?... With better ground clearance, plus, you don't have to remove your axle and steering linkage.
Sounds like we could create an entire video covering this exact topic! Love the feedback!
I love hard rock, and run 35 in mudders on 15X8 in rims turned by a full float amc 20,with a detroit, and the "turdy 30" with super 30 shafts with a arb, and all using 4.10 gears. and stopping power via a hydraulic brake booster.
Way to gate keep buddy, the jeep community is full of some of the most elitist people I’ve ever met.
What i like about the jeep community is the knowledge and built vs bought mentality that i share. There's a lot of pride in ownership as well has hands on experience which the crawling and off roading community are very helpful and a team effort out on the trail.
Something challenging i find in the jeep community is when a jeep isn't.. jeep enough or if you stray away from what jeeps are traditionally supposed to be. In the honda world, we call it ricey and here we call it mall crawlers. Whatever you want to call it, it's the balance between performance and aesthetics. Car enthusiast tend to hate the non-functional upgrades and of course, we all jizz to an upgrade that performs & looks cool.
Apart of me wants to say "it's your jeep do what you want and ignore the haters" but there's another side of me also that agrees with the school of thought that a jeep is rugged, capable and an adventure vehicle and not a garage queen which when you 1990's fast and the furious mod a jeep... it breaks the hearts of the essence of the JeeP.
But you know... i have a rifle with all sorts of ridiculous attachments and all mostly from Cal of Duty and i find it awesome. My friends think it's cool and it's fun to shoot in the desert. I imagine that i am a (insert term for cool vs functional) person to the gun community and the reason i don't know about the term is because i am not really a gun-enthusiast. So unless some guy says something to me, i'll keep buying rifles, add all sorts of dumb attachements due to mostly cool factor rather than functional.
- I imagine... your mall crawlers are just as oblivious as they're not on forums and lving and breathing jeeps... their friends think it's cool, girls think it's pretty and they keep in Trucking.
- TL:DR: Different strokes, but i will always be watching.
that would be a tacticool rifle build
@@markraffensperger2339 mall ninja with a tacticool weapon system
@@markraffensperger2339 and if you play dress up with it you become a “TactiTard.”
@@markraffensperger2339 lol!
My front 30 is costing me more money. Now i'm thinking I should just upgrade the front.