How much $$$ would it cost to do all these mods?

[txj2go]

Whatever you do.. please don't waste money upgrading the Sport axles...

I agree, I think that is a good place to draw the line.
A sport with 33s and small lift will do just about anything most owners would want to do. I've taken mine on some trails that were all I wanted to do. In March we did Elephant Hill, last week we did Mosquito Pass, Saints John trail and Radical Hill. I don't really care to do anything more difficult than those. Next on my list is White Rim and Flint Trail, neither of which is as challenging as what I've already done. If you want to do the popular difficult trails in Moab, then get a Rubi as a starting point. Or if you want to do the difficult rated trails in Colorado. Otherwise why spend the money.

Sponsored

 

[Fsttanks]

Hello,

I am looking at ordering a 2021 Wrangler unlimited sport. How much (ballpark) would it cost to do the following;

lockers
re-gear for 35's (what ratio? 4.56?)
35" tires
what size lift, to fit 35's?
quick disconnect for the sway bar


How much, about, would that cost to have a shop install?


I am trying to decide between ordering a Sport and building it the way I want, and ordering a Rubicon from the factory . ..


Thoughts ?

More then it would in the long run then just simply buying a Rubicon. Trust me I have been down that road a few times. This time I just went ahead a bought a Rubicon. You have to also factor that the Sport axles are NOT “Dana 44s” they are 30s which are a bit more challenging to add taller gears and locker to without causing stress issues.

With 4.10 gears standard in the Rubicon you would not need to install 4.56 gears to handle 35” tires. 37” tires yes as those start to suck a little more power and gear upgrades start to make more sense.

Not knowing what lift size also indicates you have an experience gap with off road driving. In this case less would be more. This will keep you from reliance on technology and more on driving skill. Put your money into belly armor and a quality winch. Both provide more peace of mind off road then a over tall lift.

 

[LiveToWork]

Lockers are the only thing I don't know about.

Regear is ~$2k
35s (wheels and tires) ~$2250
At least a 2" lift ~$1.5k
Quick disconnect ~$150

So you're at ~$6-7K in just parts depending on what lockers run.

Figure ~$1K labor.

You're at ~$8k ballpark. Rough ballpark, depending on which lift, tires, wheels, etc you want. This is probably the low end.

You would be better served just getting a Rubicon Xtreme Recon, tbh. Custom order for ~6-8% off invoice.

Maybe spend ~$5K more but you get factory install and full warranty on everything, plus a truckload of other upgrades (axles, interior, resale, etc).

2250 for wheels and tires? How is that even possible? My 35" mud tires/cheap wheels were 3800 for 4, and my 35" ridge grapplers on the daily wheels were around 3700 for 5. Both these setups are cheap cuz i got the ridge grapplers $100/tire off

 

[191185]

Thanks for all the replies guys... Looks like I will go with the Rubicon. ..

Maybe I should have given more back story here, I am new to Jeep's (besides watching them on youtube) but not new to offroading.

I just sold my two Polaris RZR's, and looking to switch to a jeep.

This year alone, I have taken the RZR's to Moab twice, Black hills, Alpine Loop Colorado.

I plan on taking the jeep to places like Taylor park, Alpine loop, Moab, Black hills a few times a year.


At this time, I don't see myself modding past 35's and lockers... leaning towards the Rubicon xtreme at this point.


How much can I expect off with the "tread lightly" discount? 5-6% of invoice ? How much is that off MSRP?

Has anyone tried the Costco discount route? we're trying that this week, and will compare to the tread lightly discount. .

Thanks!

 

[displayname]

2250 for wheels and tires? How is that even possible? My 35" mud tires/cheap wheels were 3800 for 4, and my 35" ridge grapplers on the daily wheels were around 3700 for 5. Both these setups are cheap cuz i got the ridge grapplers $100/tire off

It's totally possible to spend $2200.

It's also totally possible to spend a whole lot more.

 

[191185]

OK, building a sport vs rubicon I get the following prices;

Sport, bare bones, only the trailer package for the aux switches ~ $35,000

Rubicon, only options gorilla glass windshield, extreme package ~ $53,000


Is there really $18,000 worth of bad a$$ mechanical upgrades in there ? WOW!

 

[mwilk012]

OK, building a sport vs rubicon I get the following prices;

Sport, bare bones, only the trailer package for the aux switches ~ $35,000

Rubicon, only options gorilla glass windshield, extreme package ~ $53,000

Is there really $18,000 worth of bad a$$ mechanical upgrades in there ? WOW!

You are comparing apples to apple pie

 

[ThirtyOne]

OK, building a sport vs rubicon I get the following prices;

Sport, bare bones, only the trailer package for the aux switches ~ $35,000

Rubicon, only options gorilla glass windshield, extreme package ~ $53,000


Is there really $18,000 worth of bad a$$ mechanical upgrades in there ? WOW!

I’ve been where you are. I got the Rubicon.

for 35s honestly you don’t need the Extreme Recon. 4.10 gears are fine even with the manual. You are getting Beadlock capable wheels with that which are nice but there are cheaper options.

you can get $1200 for your rubicon takeoffs and apply to wheels/tires. You can hold off on lift. I think over time there will be extreme recon takeoffs at a very reasonable price.

If you are looking at the manual you really want the 4:1 transfer case. Trust me. That’s another $1500 before labor if you get the Sport.

 

[191185]

Maybe I will hold off on the extreme package? that would drop it to $48,000 ...

I am opting for the 8 speed auto, forgot to mention that option.

 

[Jamrock]

It would cost way too much.

Not everyone needs a Rubicon but you do.

I have seen too much buyers remorse on this forum from people who want to do Rubicon level trails and didn't buy one. It is just too sad.

 

[rcadden]

2250 for wheels and tires? How is that even possible? My 35" mud tires/cheap wheels were 3800 for 4, and my 35" ridge grapplers on the daily wheels were around 3700 for 5. Both these setups are cheap cuz i got the ridge grapplers $100/tire off

As I said, $2,250 would be an extreme low-end. You could easily drop closer to $5K and beyond, depending on your wheels/tires selection.

OK, building a sport vs rubicon I get the following prices;

Sport, bare bones, only the trailer package for the aux switches ~ $35,000

Rubicon, only options gorilla glass windshield, extreme package ~ $53,000


Is there really $18,000 worth of bad a$$ mechanical upgrades in there ? WOW!

So....two factors to consider:

1. You can easily do a custom order through any number of high-volume dealers and get ~6-8% off invoice. That brings that $53K Rubicon down to ~$46K out the door. Much more palatable, though still ~$18K more than the Sport (cause the Sport would be ~$30K w/ discount).

2. Rubicon --> Sport includes a BUNCH more upgrades than just the lockers, lift, etc. You get a nicer interior, beefier axles, higher gears (even without the Xtreme Recon package), and other niceties. You can't really compare a Sport+Mods with a Rubicon (stock or Xtreme Recon), as there's a lot of "little" stuff that's not directly accounted for.

 

[displayname]

OK, building a sport vs rubicon I get the following prices;

Sport, bare bones, only the trailer package for the aux switches ~ $35,000

Rubicon, only options gorilla glass windshield, extreme package ~ $53,000


Is there really $18,000 worth of bad a$$ mechanical upgrades in there ? WOW!

Could you do it all for under $18K? Maybe, if you're buying all take offs or low end stuff and doing all the labor yourself. Like I pointed out with the wheels and tires (and others have as well) the cost of these things are going to be wildly variable.

When you look at the Rubicon XR, you're looking at more than your original additions list. Your list started as lockers, re-gear, 35" tires, lift, and quick disconnect for the sway bar.

The Rubi XR has all of those thing, but the it also has...
wheel upgrade
BFG KO2 35" tires (those are $300 each, almost 3x the cheap tires I spec'd above)
hinge gate reinforcement
electronic lockers
electronic sway bar disconnect
wider Dana 44 axels
3.6L with eTorque
Larger brakes
7" Uconnect
power windows
power door locks
power heated mirrors
internal dash controls for all that stuff
rock rails
vented hood
rubicon hood decal
red dash
leather wrapped steering wheel
high clearance fender flares
4:1 transfer case

So back to the point that this is kind of apples and oranges. You have to decide for yourself where your priorities are. You have endless options here, and doing the labor yourself will make big $$$ differences. But if you want to truly build a Sport up to everything a Rubi XR has, then I think you'll find the $18K difference is easily justified. Now if you don't want all of those things, you might be better upgrading from a sport with only the things you want.

I would also suggest you look into the High/Low Series by Donut Media on YouTube. They are currently doing a Tacoma Project. One Taco gets the lowest cost upgrades possible. The other gets a premium upgrade. That can help you decide where to spend your money too. Another big factor with this series, is they are only pricing parts... not labor. Look at the number of people the have working on the trucks in a dedicated garage and the hours they put in. If you want to build a Sport to a Rubicon, it's going to be more than a weekend project. Something else to consider while you weigh out the options.

 

[aldo98229]

I don’t understand people's fixation with re-gearing.

Drive the Jeep first. Get a lift and some 35s. Then drive it for a few more months.

Nine times out of ten, you won’t need to re-gear.

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

If you find another set of Rubi axles for $3k shoot me a private message, I'm on that like a pitbull on a poodle!

It seems people are asking for more $$ for take off axles these days... keep an eye on Marketplace on this forum:
https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/forums/transmission-axles-gears.140/

Also... try to frequent your local off-road shops.. leave them your contact info and ask them to contact you whenever somebody upgrades axles on a Rubicon.. if you show up with cash you will be able to negotiate a better price (remember whoever did the upgrade is going to be happy to get some money back in their pocket... LOL)

Also.. look for Facebook marketplace..

 

[CaJLMetalHead]

OK, building a sport vs rubicon I get the following prices;

Sport, bare bones, only the trailer package for the aux switches ~ $35,000

Rubicon, only options gorilla glass windshield, extreme package ~ $53,000


Is there really $18,000 worth of bad a$$ mechanical upgrades in there ? WOW!

Damn... what is the absolutely cheapest Rubicon build, how much would that cost? Get the cheapest Rubicon... you will not regret it...

Sponsored