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2010 Jeep Wrangler Sport JK 2 door lift and upgrade questions (Advice Needed)

2026 Views 8 Replies 5 Participants Last post by  Turbineguy
Hi! :wave:

First and foremost I want to stress that this vehicle is still my daily driver. The only time it ever really gets offroad is on occasional weekends when I am fishing or camping. There is no need to question my choices of tire size etc based simply on the fact that I will not be crawling over a waterfall covered by rocks. I have always wanted a lifted jeep with the "JEEP" look about it. Call it a "Mall Crawler" but I have a stable job now with the funds to get there and I just want friendly advice. Thank you. :2thumbsup:

Now that we have gotten past the formal introduction lets get to talking about the fun stuff! :)

I have recently damaged my jeep wrangler's bumpers and fenders and thought what better time to do everything I have ever wanted to do to my jeep when I first bought it back in 2010.

My Goals:
Be able to successfully drive on 37 nitto mud terrain with no chance of rubbing (daily driver) without fear of structural damage.

My Jeep:
Stock Jeep Wrangler Sport JK 2 door 2010.
Daily Driver
Rarely taken off road except for fishing trails and camping
Mainly a "Mall Crawler" but I would like my jeep to not explode into pieces if I ever drive in a gentle offroad circumstance mainly dirt roads or fishing trails. (It will never be driven that rough)

In order to get to these goals I have read that extensive upgrades need to be done to the vehicle including:

Lift (Please Recommend)
New Drive-train (How Necessary on a "Mall Crawler"?)
New front axle (I hear you need to upgrade to at least a D40 and put 5.13 gearing ratios)
The new gearing ratios (again I hear 5.13)
Sleeve everything
New bumpers and fenders (I don't really want to change these I like the OEM but I also like the stubby bumper and Bushwacker Flat Fenders)
Modification to be able to carry a full size spare.

I understand that I may be missing some things, and this is the main reason I am contacting JeepForum. I would like for you to recommend the ideal setup to get to this goal at a reasonable price (Yes my pockets are deep enough to consider reasonable as less than 10k).

I am also willing to accept advice on how to go to an intermediate step of 35's with the least additional work to finish the modification at a later date to get to 37s. (I dont want to get a 2.5 lift then turn around and need a 3.5 or upgrade my axle then need to go back in later and put new gears on it... etc(wasting money not getting to the end goal)

So if you could please respond with some friendly advice I would be greatly appreciative.

Thanks! :highfive:

Tyler Rash
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Hey Tyler, seems like a lot of overkill considering your needs... but you seem to have a grasp of everything involved. I'll let others chime in here as I'm typing this on my phone, but a short summation.
The 37" Nittos are a really heavy tire (about 91lb without the wheel).....you'll need a new front axle, and even then might want to reinforce it. As a DD, your gas mileage is gonna be rough. Also at 37" if you go 3.5" lift you'll probably need new driveshafts....doesnt matter if its a mall crawler, its the angle there that will eventually get you.
Personally, in your position I'd shoot for 35"s with a DD.....maybe 35"s, a 2.5" lift, sleeve/truss and gusset the front D30, 4.88 gears, and some flat fenders would get you where you want and take the sting out of the cost a bit. Because once you get the bug, you are gonna want this, and that....it never ends.........and trust me, the costs add up quick.

Check out the "Definitive Lift Kit" thread in my signature, a lot of guys have posted their lift experiences and recommendations. I run a Currie and love it, the wife has an RK and is very happy (except the Bilsteins are too stiff for her). Metalcloak is getting a lot of buzz, very high quality stuff. A lot of guys here piece their lifts together based on needs and budget.
Driveshafts I recommend Adams, although a lot of guys here like Tom Woods and JE Reel. As far as the axle you can look for a takeoff Rubi D44, but if you decide 35" is enough you can look at something like the Artec armor kit (C gussets and truss) and maybe sleeves for the front D30. As far as fenders go, a lot of people like the Bushwackers....I wasnt a big fan. I went with and love the GenRight 4" steel tube fenders, and at 2.5" of lift you can run 37"s on those. Also really liked the Metalcloak fenders, like their lift they are high quality.
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Hey Tyler! Great to hear you're making the jump to an off-road capable Jeep! Your dana 30 front axle can hold 37s, but it is NOT recommended. Try to find a dana 44 Rubicon front axle from someone making the jump to a Dynatrac axle, ect. If you are able to find a JK D44 front axle it will be able to hold 37s. On a 3.5" lift and flat fenders you can run 37s with no issues on rubbing. I recommend the 3.5" Rock Krawler Mid Arm Flex kit if you do not plan on wheeling it a lot, but in the case you do end up wheeling more and want a "flexier" lift kit then I would recommend the 3.5" Rock Krawler Triple Threat Long Arm kit . You will need to order a new set of rims if you are going to run 37s also. Your gearing depends on what motor and if you have an automatic/manual transmission. Yes, 5.13s are ideal but some do not prefer them because the lack of power. As far as front and rear bumpers go, which exact style are you looking for? We carry everything from the stinger bumpers to brushguard bumpers. If you are interested you can PM me and list off parts you are looking at and I can make a cart and send you over a quote. Plus! You are a Jeepforum member so you receive the JF discount and free shipping! Hope this helped you out.

-Jim at Vertical4
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Great to hear you're making the jump to an off-road capable Jeep!
:rolleyes:
Lift (Please Recommend)
Metalcloak Duroflex Dual Rate 3.5 lift with ARB $1600 (note: you will get a bunch of recommendations for AEV. I personally think they are overrated, but for your stated purpose, it will work... roughly the same cost.) Either one of these is generally accepted as giving the best daily driver ride.
New Drive-train (How Necessary on a "Mall Crawler"?)
Adams 1320 driveshaft $460 (you could procrastinate this, since its only required once you tear your boot on the stock driveshaft)
New front axle (I hear you need to upgrade to at least a D40 and put 5.13 gearing ratios)
Not really for a mall crawler, but since you can afford it, maybe one of the new G2 Core 44s. You could probably get one for $3500.
The new gearing ratios (again I hear 5.13)
Not for a daily driver/mall crawler. Id go 4.88 $800 for regear of rear axle.
Sleeve everything
Nope. Not if you get new front axle. No need.
New bumpers and fenders (I don't really want to change these I like the OEM but I also like the stubby bumper and Bushwacker Flat Fenders)
Your choice. I'd suggest JCR... I have some and they rock. Your money. They look bad ***. $800 for bumpers. $500 for Bushwackers if you really want them.
Modification to be able to carry a full size spare.
Either buy tire carrier with rear bumper or get the teraflex hinge with adjustable tire carrier. I have the teraflex, because an extra latch would annoy me. $450 roughly

I understand that I may be missing some things, and this is the main reason I am contacting JeepForum. I would like for you to recommend the ideal setup to get to this goal at a reasonable price (Yes my pockets are deep enough to consider reasonable as less than 10k).
My suggestions would be well under 10K, even if you pay shop to do some of the easier stuff to do.

I am also willing to accept advice on how to go to an intermediate step of 35's with the least additional work to finish the modification at a later date to get to 37s. (I dont want to get a 2.5 lift then turn around and need a 3.5 or upgrade my axle then need to go back in later and put new gears on it... etc(wasting money not getting to the end goal)
Teraflex Budget Boost only. Plenty of people drive on 35s with stock everything else.

So if you could please respond with some friendly advice I would be greatly appreciative.
Hi... is that friendly enough.

Warning: I started off wanting a mall crawler... now I pound the heck out of me jeep.

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Hey turbineguy, pretty nice list....but you know you cant just regear one axle, right?
LVCapo said:
Hey turbineguy, pretty nice list....but you know you cant just regear one axle, right?
He's probably assuming the new front axle would come with matching gear ratio.
He's probably assuming the new front axle would come with matching gear ratio.
good point....should have pointed that out for *******es like me.
Hey turbineguy, pretty nice list....but you know you cant just regear one axle, right?
Yes you can, though it would be dumb.

If you look again, I suggested he buy a front G2 Core Axle (or something similar), Im assuming he is smart enough to order it with the same gears that he does the rear in.

Note: I'm not intending this to be a smartass comment... it was probably easy to miss my axle suggest.

Edit... just saw your post. No worries... I miss stuff all the time.
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