Upgrading diff before suspension?

lulzpwndyah

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 3, 2020
Messages
329
Location
Los Angeles, CA
Hello I have a 2005 TJ 4.0 Auto. I don't know anything about it's past before me and it has a tired suspension. I'm unsure of the lift height or what suspension components were even used I had a shock throw oil all over the back of the Jeep so I went ahead and ordered the Super Ultimate OME hybrid suspension from DPG which consists of the following:
  • 4-OME Long travel Sport Series Shocks
  • 4-OME Coil Springs, (your choice of coil rates)
  • JKS “Quicker” Disconnects
  • JKS 1.25″ Body Lift
  • JKS 1″ Motor Mount Spacers
  • JKS Adj. Track bar (front)
  • JKS Adj. Trackbar (rear)
  • DPG 2″ Extended Bump stops (Front & Rear)
  • JKS Adj Rear Swaybar End Links
  • Full set of Currie adjustable arms
  • OME steering stabilizer
  • Currectlync steering
  • Spicer ball-joints
  • Extended brake lines
Am I missing anything for the suspension refresh? What would you add? Anyway the suspension components are going to take a while to arrive it's been a few weeks now and I only have the Currie arms/Spicer ball joints/Currectlync
Well i'm getting anxious and my plan was to install the suspension and then upgrade my Dana 35 to a super dana 35 w/ ARB air locker and upgrade the dana 30 as well with truetrac or maybe an air locker also...since my suspension is taking so long should I just do my differential upgrades now or continue to wait until after the suspension is installed? I'm running 31' tires and don't think i'll be moving past 31's possibly 33's down the line... long line.
 
I've got an 06 Rubicon with the 6 speed and the 4.10s turn 32s just fine. Really about the perfect gearing. I doubt that 33s would be worth a re-gear. But again, I have the 6 speed. What gears do you have now? Are they lacking with the 31s and auto? If it were me, I would wait until I know what tires I'd be running. If you are ok with your current gears and plan on changing tires in the distant future I'd wait till then to be sure I get the ratio I want. A lot of guys will say you need this gears or that gears, but they don't know what will make you happiest. Some folks have 3.07's on 35s and claim they are happy. So I would wait until you are sure what tires you end up with and then decide what you want. Just my opinion.
 
Well it's not just the regear- i'm adding beefier axles and a locker as well. The 33's would probably come in a few years not right now I like my 31's a lot right now and I think the axle or diff is going out. I get a clunking in the rear when I take off from a dead stop so I figured I might as well upgrade now. I'd prefer to not need a tow home so that's why I rather upgrade than wait for it to die.
Basically though i'm just wondering if it would be a wise choice to upgrade my diff/axles prior to installing my suspension or if I should go with the suspension first and then the Diffs/axle
 
It's not about running 31's ... i'm already running 31's
It's about reliability and swapping out anything that can give me problems. Since I know nothing of the history of this vehicle I figured just swap everything now. It also gives me the option to upgrade the suspension further down the line if I wanted to without having to do too much more. I'll have an almost completely refreshed Jeep and less things to worry about when I offroad. I worry a lot and having new and proven components gives me ease of mind.
 
If this is basically a 'preventive measure ' then go ahead and do the axles while you wait for the rest of your parts to arrive. That should help reduce the total downtime you have getting every done.
 
OME shocks are not the old style, nice riding, yellow ones of the past. the newer black shock reviews are not the best, unless you like a firm ride. It's all about opinions.
 
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That list sounds like overkill for running 31" tires.
I agree it's :cool: Overkill at it's finest for 31s. It will drag everything, so a winch and tow truck phone number are more important. I like to let people throw away......I mean spend their money however they want to.
 
A non-squishy body lift would be a good idea. The one you picked will never be full height, nor will it ever be a consistent height from one spacer to another. Nor will the attachment ever be tight.
 
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Gotta agree with JJVW on this one. For 31s a quality body lift will do all you want, and help set you up if you later opt for 33s. And a TON cheaper too.👍
 
A non-squishy body lift would be a good idea. The one you picked will never be full height, nor will it ever be a consistent height from one spacer to another. Nor will the attachment ever be tight.
Is that why I saw people recommending solid aluminum body lifts? I was curious as to the reasoning.
 
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If your set on what you listed above and are going to do it regardless And are waiting for the susp. parts, then why wait for that regear. Get it done
 
If your set on what you listed above and are going to do it regardless And are waiting for the susp. parts, then why wait for that regear. Get it done
I agree since you have already ordered the lift kit and your sold on what your doing and you know your going to rebuild the axles there is no reason to wait for the lift kit its not going to make any difference in the order to do your build.
 
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Did a little reading on the body lifts and it does look like aluminum would be a better option. I’ll probably order it soon.
I’m not understanding why it’s bad that it’s overkill though? Like this list makes me feel capable and like I shouldn’t face any problems of the quality variety.
I’ve seen other people rave about the ome setup and rave reviews of Currie I’ve seen some of the guys with the most knowledge say they’d go with a similar setup and 31s because that would suffice on 98% of trails
 
Also I don't think my gearing is okay for the 31s because i'm driving on the freeway and when cruising say at 50 or even 65 and I keep my foot on the pedal steady the rpms drop significantly to below 2k rpms but i stay at the constant speed. If I push the pedal back in the rpms will go back above to 3k but will accelerate slowly.
 
There is nothing wing with this amount of overkill. I might do something similar for a smaller build. I would be more likely to do similar as a setup for a future larger build. The reality is that things like Currie arms don't really show their value and usefullness until larger builds where the shock travels are longer and the axles need to be repositioned. Raise the skid as high as you can and thoughts about your plan will shift a bit.
 
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