Help for a lost JLU sport build

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My JLU sport is bone stock, and first (and most importantly) I want to make the jump to 35's. This may necessitate a lift, but I'll live with a budget 1/2 inch spacer kit until I can afford a solid 2"-ish lift kit that retains the stock ride quality. I'm not gonna lie, this is a daily driver of a suburban/city college student in the west Phoenix area, who was lucky enough to get the best early-graduation gift on the planet. I know my way around local trails, but almost all of the mileage is going to be highway and street driving.

The issue lies, however, in the axles. I'm looking down the barrel of a $2,000 gun to throw lockers into my sport diffs, and the stress of wanting to re-gear for the bigger wheels is climbing. I've considered looking for entire rubicon axles to throw in, and kill two birds with one stone, but finding a set is a difficult process; and if I were to get the larger axles, with e-lockers and 4.10 gears, how would I integrate the lockers into the system, let alone access them from the useless slots I have in place of locker and window switches.

Any advice would be mountains of help. For now though, I'll be saving each minimum wage paycheck one at a time to fund this hole in my wallet.

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[Strommen95]

From what I can read here I would recommend being happy with what you got. You are going to pay to get a quality lift/shocks that doesn't sacrifice ride quality and quite honestly I doubt you'd put street 35's on so your Jeep won't ride the same regardless. There's so many people over the years who have lifted their vehicle thinking it'll be cool, put more aggressive tires on and regretted it very quickly. They paid a lot of money for the convenience of regretting a decision that didn't need to be done.

I'm assuming your local trails are easy and you say you're generally daily driving. I'm not understanding why you want to lift or put 35s on. It's one thing when there's disposable income but there isn't in this case. No offense but to go from my parents bought my Jeep, I can't afford a lift but I want Rubicon axles/gears + making minimum wage is quite the leap.

It wasn't too long ago that I was 18 and my grandparents went half with me on my JK. Believe me I understand the excitement and your point of view. Don't dig a hole here and save your money. Wranglers will always be around, Jeep shops will be around with them. Heck, the JL still has 7 or 8 years left. Time is on your side.

 

[GreyFox]

From what I can read here I would recommend being happy with what you got. You are going to pay to get a quality lift/shocks that doesn't sacrifice ride quality and quite honestly I doubt you'd put street 35's on so your Jeep won't ride the same regardless. There's so many people over the years who have lifted their vehicle thinking it'll be cool, put more aggressive tires on and regretted it very quickly. They paid a lot of money for the convenience of regretting a decision that didn't need to be done.

I'm assuming your local trails are easy and you say you're generally daily driving. I'm not understanding why you want to lift or put 35s on. It's one thing when there's disposable income but there isn't in this case. No offense but to go from my parents bought my Jeep, I can't afford a lift but I want Rubicon axles/gears + making minimum wage is quite the leap.

It wasn't too long ago that I was 18 and my grandparents went half with me on my JK. Believe me I understand the excitement and your point of view. Don't dig a hole here and save your money. Wranglers will always be around, Jeep shops will be around with them. Heck, the JL still has 7 or 8 years left. Time is on your side.

 

[Amaruq]

Agreed with the above. I guarantee you’re still going to have a ton of fun with your axles as is. Just get some good tires and a spacer lift and you’ll be golden as a low-wage college student. As someone who did the wrong thing in college years: save your money. You will need it.
Might not be the same because slickrock, but I did virtually all of Moab on sport axles and 33” duratracs in a JKU.

 

[ThirtyOne]

I know everyone says this but it is true - Rubicon take off tires and suspension. No it's not 35s. But it will do anything you need it to on the trails and it will look good.

I am in the same boat, and I have decided not to lift and go 35s until I can trade up to a Rubicon. Not what you want to hear but it is the logical answer. Sometimes we have to wait to get our toys. And I wheel it pretty frequently and rarely is there something I can't do.

If you are going to do it anyway just go ahead and put a cheap spacer lift on. Rubi axles, a true 2 inch lift, decent wheels, and 35s are usually not in the budget of a college grad.

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