Lifted 2012 JK's - Skip the Y-Pipe & Just Get a 1310 Front Driveshaft

wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I just wanted to post this up as a public service announcement as I get 2012 owners asking me this question all the time. If you lift your 2012 Jeep JK Wrangler more than 2.5", you will have issues with your factory front drive shaft making contact with the exhaust cross over. However, rather than wasting your money on a Y-Pipe kit that can cost upwards of $300, please do yourself a favor, spend the extra $150 and just upgrade your front drive shaft to a 1310 drive shaft like the kind that J.E. Reel or even Coast makes.

So you know, an aftermarket 1310 drive shaft or even 1350 drive shaft will be narrower in diameter, will not have a slip shaft boot and will not make contact with your JK's exhaust cross over as would be the case with a factory drive shaft. This is a shot of a factory drive shaft installed on a 2012 JK with 3.5" of lift and at a full droop...

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Now, this is a shot of our J.E. Reel 1350 front drive shaft installed on Rubicat with 12" coil overs, no exhaust modifications and at a full droop...

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As you can see, the shaft is not making any contact with the exhaust cross over and there is plenty of room to spare. Also, on the 2012 JK's, the taller you go, the more of an angle you will have at your output shaft CV joint. At just 3.5" of lift, this angle will be sever enough to cause the CV boot to fail prematurely and so, even if you were to install a Y-Pipe, you would still end up having to replace your front drive shaft sooner than later.

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Need I say, do yourself a favor, spend just a little more cash and do things right the first time around.

This has been a public service announcement from your WAYALIFE.com Administrator :cool:
 
Awesome Info - Heed the Warning

Awesome info. I spent about $75.00 re-routing my cross pipe further back toward the cross member armor brace (I needed something fast like hours rather than days). However, like you said, I should have just bought a different drive shaft in the first place.

I would highly recommend your option before mine and in fact, I'm in the process of buying a new drive shaft now.


Thanks for posting this info up!! :thumb:
 
Thanks for the post. I've been preaching this from day one. But not a damn person listens...


FYI to anyone running shocks and not coil overs. 27.5" extended length shock is the max you can run with a 1310 driveshaft before hitting the exhaust.

Which is a good length for 3-4" kits.
 
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My coast drive shaft still hit ever so slightly at full flex. has a small silver ring around it from the paint being worn off. But the stock was horrible.
 
ChrisB said:
Thanks for the post. I've been preaching this from day one. But not a damn person listens...


FYI to anyone running shocks and not coil overs. 27.5" extended length shock is the max you can run with a 1310 driveshaft before hitting the exhaust.

Which is a good length for 3-4" kits.
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are those numbers from your JK? if so, you have a manual and the t-case sits further back. that number would be greater on an automatic.

nacho said:
My coast drive shaft still hit ever so slightly at full flex. has a small silver ring around it from the paint being worn off. But the stock was horrible.
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interesting, you're the second person to say as much. do you have an manunal or auto? also, are you running short arms? we are running long arms and that would change the arc that the axle travels in. either way, slight contact like that is something i could live with.
 
wayoflife said:
are those numbers from your JK? if so, you have a manual and the t-case sits further back. that number would be greater on an automatic.



interesting, you're the second person to say as much. do you have an manunal or auto? also, are you running short arms? we are running long arms and that would change the arc that the axle travels in. either way, slight contact like that is something i could live with.
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Auto and 6 speed will work with these numbers, both are tight but work. I'll find some photo's....
 
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nacho said:
My coast drive shaft still hit ever so slightly at full flex. has a small silver ring around it from the paint being worn off. But the stock was horrible.
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Nacho, I know that exhaust tubing has a smooth radius, but just a word (and photo) of caution, beware of the small silver rings where paint has worn off!! Always better to have a little more clearance, than a little less :rock:

IMG_0512.jpg
 
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GCM 2 said:
Nacho, I know that exhaust tubing has a smooth radius, but just a word (and photo) of caution, beware of the small silver rings where paint has worn off!! Always better to have a little more clearance, than a little less :rock:

IMG_0512.jpg
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whoa! was that your drive shaft?? :clap2:

because of the exhaust cross over on a 2012 having been moved so far forward, clearing it is definitley a challenge. all the spacers and relocation kits are far from optimal solutions, some are quite pricey and, if you're running skids like what evo makes, will cause the cross over to make contact with them. running an aftermarket shaft is so far, the single best solution to the problem i've seen and, it comes with the added benefit of addressing the angle at the output shaft. based on the options available, i might be willing to settle with the "little less" clearance even though it may come with other risks. it's either that or, you'd have to run shorter shocks.

of course, if you're running long arms like us, it doesn't appear to be as much of a problem even with more droop. :cool:
 
wayoflife said:
whoa! was that your drive shaft?? :clap2:

because of the exhaust cross over on a 2012 having been moved so far forward, clearing it is definitley a challenge. all the spacers and relocation kits are far from optimal solutions, some are quite pricey and, if you're running skids like what evo makes, will cause the cross over to make contact with them. running an aftermarket shaft is so far, the single best solution to the problem i've seen and, it comes with the added benefit of addressing the angle at the output shaft. based on the options available, i might be willing to settle with the "little less" clearance even though it may come with other risks. it's either that or, you'd have to run shorter shocks.

of course, if you're running long arms like us, it doesn't appear to be as much of a problem even with more droop. :cool:
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Sorry, I was answering in the snorkel thread you and I are having fun with :crazyeyes: No that is not my drive shaft, but you do know him though, our jeeps get mistaken all the time, but he runs 42"s and has a sweet LJ ;) I did tow him off the trail though. his damage came from after market full skid plates, one of the more popular systems. My point to Nacho was that, although driveshafts (the main tube portions is what I am addressing, not U-joints, yokes, etc) are incredibly strong, they are only strong until something scores or dents that relatively thin wall/gauge tubing. Think of it like an empty beer can, seriously strong until you just barely crush or dent a side surface, then its integrity is ruined and it becomes seriously weak.
 
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GCM 2 said:
Sorry, I was answering in the snorkel thread you and I are having fun with :crazyeyes: No that is not my drive shaft, but you do know him though, our jeeps get mistaken all the time, but he runs 42"s and has a sweet LJ ;) I did tow him off the trail though. his damage came from after market full skid plates, one of the more popular systems. My point to Nacho was that, although driveshafts (the main tube portions is what I am addressing, not U-joints, yokes, etc) are incredibly strong, they are only strong until something scores or dents that relatively thin wall/gauge tubing. Think of it like an empty beer can, seriously strong until you just barely crush or dent a side surface, then its integrity is ruin and it becomes seriously weak.
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:cheesy:

ah, i remember when luai did that. as mentioned, the edge of the skid plate scored the shaft and most likely compromised its integrity. i could be wrong but, i would hope that the drive shaft making contact with the round heat shield of the exhaust cross over would not have the same effect. being that the exhaust is hung on rubber hangers, i would hope that it would also give a little as well but, i'm sure time will tell either way.
 
I had to pull my new Reel and have it balanced properly by a local shop. Ended up needing a lot more weight than when it shipped from reel. Vibed bad at 60+.

When I reinstall it this week I'll get a better idea of how much more clearance my 1310 needs. It does rub, just not sure how much it will need to clear.

I have the tf spacers but would rather not use them.
 
matt said:
I had to pull my new Reel and have it balanced properly by a local shop. Ended up needing a lot more weight than when it shipped from reel. Vibed bad at 60+.

When I reinstall it this week I'll get a better idea of how much more clearance my 1310 needs. It does rub, just not sure how much it will need to clear.

I have the tf spacers but would rather not use them.
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what is your caster set at and what gear ratio are you running? post up a pic of your angle finder if you can so that we can be working off the same page.
 
matt said:
I had to pull my new Reel and have it balanced properly by a local shop. Ended up needing a lot more weight than when it shipped from reel. Vibed bad at 60+.

When I reinstall it this week I'll get a better idea of how much more clearance my 1310 needs. It does rub, just not sure how much it will need to clear.

I have the tf spacers but would rather not use them.
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Isn't JE Reel "local" to you?

I'm with you, I'd skip the spacers if possible. I was fortunate and didn't need it.
 
MTG said:
Isn't JE Reel "local" to you?

I'm with you, I'd skip the spacers if possible. I was fortunate and didn't need it.
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funny, you have the 3.5" evo enforcer kit don't you? i remember you had posted up pics that clearly showed you didn't have any drive shaft/exhaust cross over clearlance issues either. :thinking:
 
rock krawler short arms, evo plush ride springs and fox shocks. tons of travel.. Not to worry I have relocated my crossover. Long arms are the next suspension mod, but currently addressing the super strong factory axles :grayno:
 
wayoflife said:
what is your caster set at and what gear ratio are you running? post up a pic of your angle finder if you can so that we can be working off the same page.
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Somewhere around 4.5 and 4:10s in rubi axles.
 
MTG said:
Isn't JE Reel "local" to you?

I'm with you, I'd skip the spacers if possible. I was fortunate and didn't need it.
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Well not exactly local, but we are both in SoCal. It was cheaper to pay the $40 to have it rebalanced then to drive to reel or have to deal with shipping it. This way I get a second opinion and can sleep better at night.
 
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