Rubicon or Wrangler Unlimited and Build My Way Up?

S

Serj5.7

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Happy white Wednesday to you to Hello Eddie so I'm the new guy lol ... I am going to get my jeep in jan 2017 ... just not sure if I should pic up rubicon wrangler or wrangler unlimited and build my way up including axel ?? What would recommend ... I would like to be able to go anywhere , mostly overland but if I have to do some rock I don't wanna get sad face lol thank u


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Honestly, if you can afford it, I would get a Rubicon and build up from there. I have tried doing it both ways and I found that starting with a Rubicon is still the better way to go if only because it comes with a 4:1 transfer case. The sway bar front disco is a huge bonus as well and then there's the 44 axles with lockers which you can make work for you for what your needs are.
 
wayoflife said:
Honestly, if you can afford it, I would get a Rubicon and build up from there. I have tried doing it both ways and I found that starting with a Rubicon is still the better way to go if only because it comes with a 4:1 transfer case. The sway bar front disco is a huge bonus as well and then there's the 44 axles with lockers which you can make work for you for what your needs are.
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Pretty good advice here.
I went the other route, mostly due to the costs in my Country (60k+ new)
It really depends on your build. If you're thinking ~35's then a Rubicon would serve you well without major modifications.
If you're thinking 40's, then you'd probably be better off with a Sport/Sahara/etc as you're likely going to be pulling out everything that makes it a Rubicon.
 
Serj5.7 said:
Happy white Wednesday to you to Hello Eddie so I'm the new guy lol ... I am going to get my jeep in jan 2017 ... just not sure if I should pic up rubicon wrangler or wrangler unlimited and build my way up including axel ?? What would recommend ... I would like to be able to go anywhere , mostly overland but if I have to do some rock I don't wanna get sad face lol thank u


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Hey Serj,
There's a lot of little things you might want to add to your Jeep from the start that can add up quickly. I resisted the urge to spend a lot of money & I bought a used Sahara. I have upgraded tires, a better soft top, and I'm very happy. Don't try to build a big rock crawler if you won't ever use it. There's a lot a stock Jeep can do. Welcome aboard!!


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ScoobyCarolanNC said:
Hey Serj,
There's a lot of little things you might want to add to your Jeep from the start that can add up quickly. I resisted the urge to spend a lot of money & I bought a used Sahara. I have upgraded tires, a better soft top, and I'm very happy. Don't try to build a big rock crawler if you won't ever use it. There's a lot a stock Jeep can do. Welcome aboard!!


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I agree with Scooby.


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Kinda wish I had started out with a Rubicon but I would have eventually made the same modifications. If you aren't planning taller than 35's get a Rubicon with 4.10s and don't worry too much about pouring money into mods, Rubicon can do a lot out of the factory.


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Dont make my mistake. Follow the advise from Eddie and the crew. I wish would have studied more before pulling the trigger. My appetite was bigger than my budget so it would have been nice to start withthe better platform.

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Rubicon is the way to go. I wish everyday that I had the 4:1 transfer case and the D44 front axle. My build (on 35" tires and no plans to go bigger) would be almost complete if I started with a rubicon, instead now I'm searching for axles and transfer case. If you plan a fast build and have lots of cash to do it you can easily build a sport if you are planning larger axles (D60 or 80) right away.


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If I could start all over it would have been great to have a rubicon from the beginning. Stock Rubicons with some good tires and a winch are very capable and will get you a long way while you save for the fun stuff.
 
Rubicon. I went with the Sahara mainly because I found a steal on a used one. But everything everyone said about going with the rubicon is true to my situation. I've spent money faster than I'm comfortable because I didn't start out right.


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catahoula said:
I agree with Scooby.
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Well that never happens. Honestly, I'm on here daily often wishing I had this lift or that axle. In reality, I've come to grips with the fact I'll never really need that stuff enough to justify it for how I use my rig. Camping, fishing, or hunting take me places that a pickup would be ok, but I never worry about a thing. Except someone unzipping my top & robbing me blind. [emoji23]



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I had a Sport, first, and they are really very capable, but when my wife told me she'd like for me to get a 4 door, I told her I was getting a Rubicon. I took it to an off-road park, essentially bone stock. Having lockers, from the get go was great. There is a ton of difference in the transfer cases, too. I guess it depends on what you will do with it, but my vote is for a Rubicon.


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I'd swear every thread I found six months ago said, "Get the Sport because you can spend the savings on mods and you'll replace half the Rubicon stuff anyway." Just my luck. :cheesy:
 
Eugene said:
I'd swear every thread I found six months ago said, "Get the Sport because you can spend the savings on mods and you'll replace half the Rubicon stuff anyway." Just my luck. :cheesy:
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Depends how you are going to build it.
You can save money buying a sport and swapping over parts, but if you're not going over 35's there's really not much point anyway.
The upgrades in a Rubicon aren't really a make or break, the front axle housing isn't very good, nor are the lockers.
The swaybar disconnect/transfer case are the major bonuses in my opinion, but these are subjective.
I personally don't like the auto disconnect.
 
Eugene said:
I'd swear every thread I found six months ago said, "Get the Sport because you can spend the savings on mods and you'll replace half the Rubicon stuff anyway." Just my luck. :cheesy:
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Actually i think you are right. Though i actually went with the rubicon and refused to get anything else if i was selling my cj7 for a new jeep lol

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I had the same debate. I ended up choosing the Rubicon over the sport due to the 4:1, discos, resale value on takeoffs. Don't regret it. :thumb:


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I went with a Sport for budget reasons, and I like being married. However, through some good luck I have scored Rubicon axles and a transfer case for an awesome price, already geared to what I want for 37's. In the long run I will have a "Sortacon" built for less than what a stock one costs. But, if I had bought a Rubicon to begin with it would have been a lot less work.
 
I purchased a Rubicon for the many reasons listed. I don't intend to do an amazing monster build nor is my end game a machine that can traverse massive boulders while heading up an old waterfall. But if I did want to do those things and had the $, means and knowledge to do a fairly fast build I'd probably just have started with a Sport or Sahara (actually traded a Sahara on a Rubicon). The Rubicon gives me a great foundation to do those things while slowing the urgency of any upgrades if my goals do change, but should be all I'll ever need and more. With all that said, fuck, I LOVE reading and watching all the builds and videos of the JKs and others and I'm getting a pretty intimate knowledge of this vehicle which has quickly become the favorite automobile I've owned.
 
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