06 Rubicon - back to the forest we go, but first…

[bucky]

Your Rubicon should have factory 4:10 gears. I have a manual and with my 32s I have no issues with power or acceleration. I pull a 1300lb tear drop trailer with 300-400 lbs of gear in the TJ. I have no problem going up the 6% grades here in the Western US maintaining 55mph.
Take your build slow. Run it for a bit and see what you need in improvements. Keep a note pad in the TJ so you can jot down your thoughts. Do it incrementally, that way you’ll be able to see what improvement you get and it’s easier to tell if it cause any issues. Too many people do everything at once and if there is a problem they have too many things to look at. This also helps with the budget. I would start with the brakes for safety reasons. When you’re out and about talk to the local TJ owners and see what they are running and why.
Fill out all the info of your TJ on your profile. It gives us better info to make suggestions for you.

 

[Dave of Earth]

Greetings from the other Vancouver (USA)!

I'm not a guru, but I have owned Jeeps for a few years and I have done a bunch of my own work on my 2005 LJR. So first - Congrats! The LJRs are considered by many to be the best of the best. Of course I'm not biased. That said, I think you need a second opinion. The prices per item don't seem out of line (Yes, I did the conversion - about 6 grand for us across the border). But it seems like a blanket estimate and together a lot of $$.

Also, I feel based on your needs you should not go with a 4 inch lift. It sounds like you could easily go with what many here have recommended - OME 2-2.5 inch lift. I would also consider sticking to 31s as the biggest tire. Sure, 33s and 35s look better - no doubt. But the second you start upping tire diameter you start upping the needs for your Jeep (gearing, HD steering components, etc) And the end result is it will drive like a lifted Jeep, which isn't as good as a non-lifted or modestly lifted Jeep. I know the above to be true because I went from a non lifted TJ on 31s to a 4 inch lifted LJR on 35s. I can tell you, mine is set up right. So it drives out just fine. But not as good as my TJ on 31s did. It's the nature of the beast on these.

So what would I do? I would first of all, as mentioned, re-evaluate your needs. Sounds like you have some gate keepers to deal with. Ask around if a 2 inch lift and 31s will get you over that. If not, you could easily still do 33s but you'll need either spacers (I use 1.5 inch Synergy hub centric) or wheels with the correct offset. I like the stock Rubi wheels personally, even though I have Pintlers. You may need to go to wider flares like I did (Crown 7 inch - cheap - under $200 US) or maybe some highlines which are a bit more spendy. Regardless - just know that Jeeps in their stock form are very capable vehicles. I ran my TJ over a bunch of gate keepers. Yes, there will be some scraping, but that's what skid plates are for.

So let's stick with 31s for now. Here's what I would consider -

2 inch OME springs

Bilstein or Rancho shocks to match.

Jeep XJ V8 steering components (I have Currie, but I think that exceeds your needs)

Factory control arms - you don't need adjustment with a 2 inch lift, but it's nice to have if you are willing to spend. Then just lower Zone or whatever and stock uppers.

Clearly you need the brake work right now. Sounds a little high for just front brakes. I would shop around. Anyone can do a brake job on a Jeep - you don't need a Jeep specialist.

Sway bar bushings are a nothing burger. I would for sure do that myself.

Skip the ball joints for now - they don't sound bad at 4/10 on their scale and that's really expensive

Skip the snake oil rust proofing crap - total waste of $$. I'm from Wisconsin originally so believe me, I know rust.


All that said I would consider doing it yourself. If you have a garage spot and any mechanical skill all of the above is very doable for the shade tree mechanic. I have done all of it on various vehicles, and more recently did the steering and alignment on my LJR. I used all Currie components, but as mentioned, for your needs Jeep parts for the V8 XJ are very good and way less $$. The Jeep community is super helpful and I'll bet a local would be willing to lend a hand.

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Thank you for detailed response. I won’t be doing any of the mechanical work short of simple bolt-one. I come from the Vespa world over the last 15 yrs and am aware of my limits, both knowledge wise and enjoyment wise.

I am in agreement all along that I do not need the lift at all. Or the tires. I do very much like the setup of the small lift and the 33”s. Being a Rubi, my understanding is I shouldn’t have to worry too much about gearing etc. I thought that the BL and MML are recommended so I will be asking about that at the shop. Also pretty set on the Ranchos based on the overwhelming acclaim they have received on this site.

I will get another quote for the breaks.

I ran 2” lift and 31”s on my 05 Liberty previously and got everywhere I wanted just fine. Including a couple of runs with the local club. Got some kudos from the wrangler boys when I kept up just fine

Thanks again. All your points are excellent and will help me make my final decisions.

 

[Dave of Earth]

I believe the steering components that Nevada72 was referring to is the 1998 Jeep ZJ V8 steering components which are much cheaper than the Currie steering components and much more heavy duty that the stock TJ steering components.
There is reference to the Moog ZJ steering components in the How to Guide section on this forum.

I will check that out thanks.

 

[Dave of Earth]

Your Rubicon should have factory 4:10 gears. I have a manual and with my 32s I have no issues with power or acceleration. I pull a 1300lb tear drop trailer with 300-400 lbs of gear in the TJ. I have no problem going up the 6% grades here in the Western US maintaining 55mph.
Take your build slow. Run it for a bit and see what you need in improvements. Keep a note pad in the TJ so you can jot down your thoughts. Do it incrementally, that way you’ll be able to see what improvement you get and it’s easier to tell if it cause any issues. Too many people do everything at once and if there is a problem they have too many things to look at. This also helps with the budget. I would start with the brakes for safety reasons. When you’re out and about talk to the local TJ owners and see what they are running and why.
Fill out all the info of your TJ on your profile. It gives us better info to make suggestions for you.

Yes this. The only reason to get all that quoted was to know my starting place. Same as I will do with the engine mechanic tomorrow. I didn’t have a Jeep last week and it’s not my daily, so if it sits for a month while figure the process and budgets that’s perfectly fine. There is some electrical stuff and cosmetics to do as well and I am able to do those on my own. Also this is a good time to brush up my knowledge on being forest ready and equipped.