[Wolffman201]

What does swapping out your stock differentials for larger ones do for your jeep?

Should i put lockers on? What are lockers, what are they for?

When i put a 6" lift on my jeep what else do i need to do to it so something doesn't break?

What should i be doing to my Jeep first before i go trail riding?

As an inexperienced "wrencher" should i learn as i go or take it to a mechanic? I'm a quick enough learner but i don't want to be jacking up my Jeep.

What projects are the most difficult thus requiring a mechanic?

I'm not dumb but i need help being put in the right direction with building up my Jeep...it all seems overwhelming because i want that kick *** jeep i just don't know where to go with it or even where to start.

I want a 6" lift on my JK and the ability to go where ever i want. Please HELP!

[omnicitadel]

Originally Posted by Wolffman201

What does swapping out your stock differentials for larger ones do for your jeep?

Should i put lockers on? What are lockers, what are they for?

When i put a 6" lift on my jeep what else do i need to do to it so something doesn't break?

What should i be doing to my Jeep first before i go trail riding?

As an inexperienced "wrencher" should i learn as i go or take it to a mechanic? I'm a quick enough learner but i don't want to be jacking up my Jeep.

What projects are the most difficult thus requiring a mechanic?

I'm not dumb but i need help being put in the right direction with building up my Jeep...it all seems overwhelming because i want that kick *** jeep i just don't know where to go with it or even where to start.

I want a 6" lift on my JK and the ability to go where ever i want. Please HELP!

If you are going to regear and you feel like burning some money lockers are a good way to do it. However because you are running the 3.73 gears you do not have to change out your carriers to regear so it is literally spending extra money money. (Lockers will keep both tires on the axle moving at exactly the same speed at all times, if you have a dana 30 this is a quick way to break a drive shaft if you are running larger tires. Personally I prefer to stay open / LSD in the front)

a 6" lift is lots of lift... I would research around and see if you really want to go 6", 3.5" or 4" is enough to break into the 37" category, but if you are a 2 door this will involve better drive shafts as they will break rather quickly. Yet again you may want to beef up the drive shafts (if not the entire axle) to run 37's.

It might be a good idea to fully armor the underside to your likening before going big on the trails. If you really go with a 6" lift and 37" tires your center of gravity is going to be drastically changed. So you might want to make sure you have some one there to flip you back over.

As for wrenching your self. Most things are common sense and a bit of reading to do. With patience you could do the lift your self (so long as you have the tools, as there are quite a few required). As for re gearing your self and installing Lockers etc, It is highly recommended that you find an experienced 4x4 / racing shop to do this as if done wrong the failure is catastrophic.

Just ask questions if you are not sure and use the search button above...

[N2rock]

You ask "What do I do?"

Answer: Slow down! Take some time to learn- don't rush into anything. Sit back and do the build slowly- one step at a time, learning everything about each mod before jumping into it.

Yeah you want a Bad-A$$ rig. But you're going to waste a ton of money if you just dive in without the knowledge.

I highly recommend you go wheeling a few times bone stock so you can get a feel for your rig and know what you need to do with it. Then get on this forum and jkowners.com and read everything.

2 years ago I had never wheeled, never turned a wrench on any vehicle, didn't know the difference between a locker and a disco- had no idea what a locker was and thought disco was a type of music. Slowly I learned by reading. And built up my rig.

Building up a rig is not cheap! And to avoid wasting money you need knowledge. And you can't get that knowledge with one single thread.

[Little Green]

Look up hitmoney's rig, Sweet looking and probably one of the coolest rigs on here. Agree with above, slow down a bit. 6" is an insane amount of lift and may not be necessary. The key to a stable,capable off road rig is low center of gravity coupled with the right sized tire for the Job, since you can't go around replacing tires all the time, pick the right size to start 37's or 40's can be done with a 4" long arm lift kit and flat fenders. This will give you a more stable ride and you may not have to modify as much. Clearly regearing is going to have to be done but unless you are a mechanic I would not mess with them. Most lifts can be done if you have all the right tools up to and including a welder as in some cases you have to weld new mounts. Keep in mind that 37 or 40" tires are so large that they are almost(settle down you guys rocking 40's) impractical for daily driving. Most guys on here get by with 33 or 35's. They look great, are still very practical for daily driving and solid offroading. These JK's are remarkable machines stock and with some upgrades(small lifts with 35's) can do just about anything. Now, If you are building a purely off road machine, start a new thread and take LOTS of pics.

[BigJerm]

6” of lift won’t get you anywhere if you don’t know how to drive it. Follow the suggestions of others… SLOW DOWN. We all want that BA rig but without proper research you just end up buying something and replacing it later because it was the wrong decision. Sounds like you need to do a lot of research. Plenty of info on here and JKowners.com. Pick 1 thing, say lift, and research it until you have your answers, then move on.

But to help you with one thing, what to take for trail riding. I speak from east coast wheeling but this is our normal stock or not:
-Fire extinguisher (mandatory for a lot of the private parks here)
-At least a 20’ recovery strap
-At least 1 D-ring
-CB radio
-Simple tools
-Some vehicle fluids
-Food and water
-Change of clothes if you are going to be in the mud

[Wolffman201]

i appreciate all the help everyone, even though it got a little hostile. I've begun researching the sh!t out of everything i can and doing little stuff that won't change my Jeep too much. I'm looking for a smooth little trail to take it on. Again thanks for everything and any further advise will, again, be much appreciated. I joined this site to get some insight and you guys have provided that along with some much needed perspective. Happy trails, I'll post any and all upgrades.

[thejafe]

Originally Posted by N2rock

You ask "What do I do?"

Answer: Slow down! Take some time to learn- don't rush into anything. Sit back and do the build slowly- one step at a time, learning everything about each mod before jumping into it.

Yeah you want a Bad-A$$ rig. But you're going to waste a ton of money if you just dive in without the knowledge.

I highly recommend you go wheeling a few times bone stock so you can get a feel for your rig and know what you need to do with it. Then get on this forum and jkowners.com and read everything.

2 years ago I had never wheeled, never turned a wrench on any vehicle, didn't know the difference between a locker and a disco- had no idea what a locker was and thought disco was a type of music. Slowly I learned by reading. And built up my rig.

Building up a rig is not cheap! And to avoid wasting money you need knowledge. And you can't get that knowledge with one single thread.

This is an excellent post, and excellent advise .

[thejafe]

Originally Posted by Wolffman201

What should i be doing to my Jeep first before i go trail riding?

You need to ask yourself what you want to do with your Jeep first. "Trail riding" can mean many things.

Do you want to rock crawl? Do you want to drive scenic mountain passes? Does body damage concern you? Is this a vehicle that will be driven on highways most of the time?

[Kryptes]

Pick up some recovery gear and a CB then contact a local group or club and follow them out onto the trails. You will not only quickly learn about off roading but also what you need and don't need. I have seen stock jeeps do better then jeeps with 4-6" lifts / tires because the drivers of the built up ones knew nothing about picking their lines and how to wheel properly. Take your time and enjoy building it up the way is best for you.

[tricked919]

where in NC are you?

[Wolffman201]

Marysville, CA about 35 min NE of Sacramento. I'm stationed at Beale AFB