Rubicon trail on 31s with rear locker
- Thread starter TheBlackPearl
- Start date
And how would you feel after that advice if he broke one of his Dana 35 axle shafts mid-trail on the Rubicon? Without spares for both sides, since either could break, he'd be screwed. Breaking an axle shaft when you're not far from the highway is one thing, breaking one in the middle of the Rubicon Trail is quite another. I would not run a locked stock Dana 35 on the Rubicon Trail. Period.
Something tells me Jodomcfrodo has never been on the Rubicon Trail or had to help someone who broke a Dana 35 axle shaft.
Even if some members tell you to go for it; the axles on a Dana 35 can be easily broken when locked even with 31s.
Right now you don't know what the condition of the axle splines are.
The splines could be in great condition OR just starting to twist which is the beginnings of a broken axle.
Experience tells me that you should plan for the worse and hope for the best; I would plan to bring spare axle(s) for the Dana 35.
Better to have them and not need them; then to need them and not have them.
Remember Murphy's Law !!!!
The Rubicon is a bad place to be ill prepared.
Right now you don't know what the condition of the axle splines are.
The splines could be in great condition OR just starting to twist which is the beginnings of a broken axle.
Experience tells me that you should plan for the worse and hope for the best; I would plan to bring spare axle(s) for the Dana 35.
Better to have them and not need them; then to need them and not have them.
Remember Murphy's Law !!!!
The Rubicon is a bad place to be ill prepared.
Plenty of people have run the Rubicon Trail with locked Dana 35 rear axles and factory axle shafts and lived to tell the tale.
It is more about driving skill, finesse and exercising the muscle between one's ears than it is about chromoly axle shafts, 35" tires or tall suspension lifts.
I recall this post from June 2019:
It is more about driving skill, finesse and exercising the muscle between one's ears than it is about chromoly axle shafts, 35" tires or tall suspension lifts.
I recall this post from June 2019:
Jerry Bransford said:
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
Well shit sheriff....
I thought he or she asked if they could do the trail only being locked in the rear with 31's. In other words can his Jeep tackle the trail with that setup...as in possible or not.
They acknowledged body damage is possible and no issue fixing it should an issue arise.
So instead of just answering the OP's question you want to scold and play the OMG power trip game.
You don't have a crystal ball and neither does anyone else. 100's of different things can go wrong on any trail. If you choose to live your life on what if...how do you even leave the house?
The OP didn't ask what he or she MIGHT break.
The OP asked can their Jeep do the trail being open in the front with only 31's. Is it possible? Yes or no.
It is in fact possible.
Good day.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
Holy hell....i didn't read the OP asking to play the what if game. Quite the opposite actually by their acknowledgment of possible body damage and fixing it if broke.
You could cover every component on that Jeep and say what if....
Better take extra sensors, an alternator, u- joints, ..better bring along an extra AX-5 while they're at it.
Can the OP do the trail with their Jeep on 31's being locked in the rear and open in the front?
It's simply a yes or no. That's it.
I prefer a definitive "maybe." Others have done the Rubicon trail with less. Some succeeded; some failed.
OP is running the trail on Thursday. We'll find out if his story has a happy ending soon enough.
I don't think there should be so much doom and gloom around running the Rubicon with your setup. Personally, I would install some quality 1541H axle shafts in the rear and keep the stock ones for trail spares. This should give you a good amount of security and confidence to get through the trail as long as you are smart with the skinny pedal and don't mind pulling some cable. Not sure if you are able to get shafts swapped in before the run though.
With stock shafts, you would probably be fine. But probably isn't too much of a game I like to play when wheeling. At the very least carry some spares. I would not feel comfortable running the trail without at least spare shafts, but I also think some members may be going a little over the top in their risk assessment.
With stock shafts, you would probably be fine. But probably isn't too much of a game I like to play when wheeling. At the very least carry some spares. I would not feel comfortable running the trail without at least spare shafts, but I also think some members may be going a little over the top in their risk assessment.
How come on the Jeep Jamboree USA site they say the following for the Rubicon trip?
“Any Jeep Wrangler JK Model with a stock factory rear axle is REQUIRED to install an upgraded rear differential cover and/or a rear guide plate. The following links show examples of the required equipment.”
Is the JK diff cover weaker than a TJ?
“Any Jeep Wrangler JK Model with a stock factory rear axle is REQUIRED to install an upgraded rear differential cover and/or a rear guide plate. The following links show examples of the required equipment.”
Is the JK diff cover weaker than a TJ?
Another who most likely has not done the Rubicon Trail to have any sense of what the trail is like or how tough it can be in spots.
If you had, you would realize it's a long-enough and remote-enough trail that you do NOT want to tackle it if any part of your Jeep build has a reputation for breaking as stock Dana 35 axle shafts do once a locker is installed. Is it likely to break? On that trail it's more likely than not. Is it guaranteed not to break? No. The Rubicon Trail is not one to take risks like that on. If you want to keep giving that kind of advice I'll disagree with it every time.
Is simply carrying spare shafts the answer? Only if you want to cause your group a significant delay while you stop to fix it and clean up the mess afterward. It's better to not drive a Jeep on the Rubicon or any tough trail as it can be in spots if you have a known weakness in your Jeep like the combination of a locker and a stock Dana 35 is.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
I absolutely love those posters that feel the need to whip out the resumes and sit back saying this or that won't work.
I've seen countless posts of yours telling a poster somethimg wont work yet we do them every day. Just go back and look at your post trying to help a fellow poster get a wheel lock off.
The point remains...
Can the OP's Jeep traverse the Rubicon as is. Is it possible? Thats the only question that was asked.
Thx
And I absolutely love those posters with zero experience in the subject offering their opinions why those with experience have no business offering advice. You simply have no clue on the potential difficulties of the Rubicon Trail and neither do you have any experience with broken Dana 35 axles. Your kind of inexperienced advice is less than worthless, it could cause problems for those who listen to it and then break on a long remote trail with replacement parts at least a day away.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
So you post in a different thread the Rubicon trail isn't that difficult (your words) then preach to the board though shall not....
The OP won't be the first person to traverse the Rubicon as his or her Jeep sits...will they be?
They also wouldn't be the first person to break down with any one of a myriad of different possible issues.
Hell people go in there with more built rigs and break...don't they?
He or she won't be the first in any of the above but they'll be the millionth one attempting.
P.s.
You've no idea what most here does, has done, etc in a rig. Not one iota.
Yet you think you know however and feel some soul validation? needing to compare resumes. That's usually the behavior of a child. In your case usually is with that grain of salt.
Rubicon88
TJ Addict
I wish him nothing but the best of luck and fun. I'm looking forward to the OP's experience as everybody seems to have a different take on that trail.
Since you drive a Rubicon with D44s; of course you wouldn't think otherwise.
I have wheeled for many years with friends along with groups where a Jeep has a Dana 35 and a locker installed with tires 31"+; IF you don't get overzealous with the skinny pedal you may be alright, but most people want to power thru when they get stuck instead of finessing thru. When too much skinny pedal is applied or slow crawling in 4 LO up a boulder where increased torque is applied; the chances you will break an axle are increased. I have witnessed several catastrophic axle breaks where the entire locker needed to be removed and the axle splines pounded out. Not a pretty sight.
My recommendation was not a "what if"....; I am just being realistic and don't want to see him being dragged the remainder of the trail which is why I recommended carrying to spare axles.
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