Question for experts about full time transfer case availability

[Yawnie'sPapa]

The hood on my 2025 Rubicon X is exactly the same as the hood was on my 2018 JL Rubicon. No difference at all. I suspect that the word hood should actually be bumper.

That's Jeep for you - no proof-reading and no one bothers to see if the build and price site works.
Your suspicion makes sense.

but my Mojave does have a steel hood, and it's heavy as hell, and required the heavy-duty redline hood struts.
On the JT side of things we just figure Jeep has a warehouse full of the steel hoods to get rid of.

Sponsored

 

[Faded glory]

The hood on my 2025 Rubicon X is exactly the same as the hood was on my 2018 JL Rubicon. No difference at all. I suspect that the word hood should actually be bumper.

Apparently the steel performance hood is a thing now
@5:45

 

[Dusty Dude]

IF that transfer case is available in Sahara, I'd love to know it. I'd stick on the 33s and put 4.10s in it and call it good. I’m

Ok, I have a question: wouldn’t it be cheaper to change out the springs/shocks for standard Rubi parts and shorten the bump stops than to change out the gears on a Sahara?

 

[Yawnie'sPapa]

Apparently the steel performance hood is a thing now
@5:45

So they do have a whole warehouse of those 392/Mojave steel hoods to use up/get rid of.
It won't be a Rubicon hood per se, but just like the darned heavy steel hood on my Mojave.

So it won't be a standard Rubicon hood (on the left in pic) but will be the 392/Mojave hood, like on right in the pic.

 

[TXRubicon]

That makes sense on the one they dropped today, since that's the 392 hood, which is steel, but the Rubicon X doesn't get that hood. I suspect then just a misplaced spec on that sheet.

Apparently the steel performance hood is a thing now
@5:45

 

[Yawnie'sPapa]

Ok, I have a question: wouldn’t it be cheaper to change out the springs/shocks for standard Rubi parts and shorten the bump stops than to change out the gears on a Sahara?

Moot point since the transfer case isn't available in the Sahara.
The bump stop mounting is taller on the Rubicon recon
A guy on the Gladiator side pointed out that he had a recon JLU and if you removed the lift, you'd be on the stops all the time and have to cut and fabricate the bump stop mount area.

Would prefer 4.10 gears, but the Rubicon recon/X has 4.56 gears.

 

[JamesWyatt]

...Me, the weight is my concern.
This old man won't be doing the tire rotations - not unless I go to much lighter tires on it.
I've seen first-hand what adding weight to these does to power, and mpg. I watched it drop like a rock when adding weight to my Gladiators over the years - each of them...

If you go with the V6, then I agree. Any Wrangler and especially a Gladiator is too heavy for it.

I'm telling ya (listen this time), the weight of the JLURX is no match for the 2.0T with 4:56 gears. Great power and MPG. Are we listening yet?

Unless you live in the sticks, buy a lifetime balance and rotate from Discount Tire. They offer it for new vehicles.

My 2025 X hood is not steel.

 

[Dusty Dude]

Moot point since the transfer case isn't available in the Sahara.
The bump stop mounting is taller on the Rubicon recon
A guy on the Gladiator side pointed out that he had a recon JLU and if you removed the lift, you'd be on the stops all the time and have to cut and fabricate the bump stop mount area.

Would prefer 4.10 gears, but the Rubicon recon/X has 4.56 gears.

Going from 35’s to 33’s with the 4.56 gears really wouldn’t be a problem, unless you’re freeway cruising at 80+ mph.

It would definitely address your concerns about weight. Acceleration would be easier and could help with city mileage as well.

 

[JamesWyatt]

A few comparisons from personal experience if they help:

Scenario:

• I-25 heading north to Santa Fe, NM
• Moderate grade ~5% for sustained 2 miles, perhaps 7% at a spot near the top
• Altitude of around 6,800 feet

Anecdotal musings:

• 2023 Gladiator Mojave 3.6L all stock – couldn't hold 80 mph if four adults were in the vehicle, it would start losing speed near the top and drop down to 70 mph.
• 2024 JLUR X XR – 3.6L with factory 4:88s – easily holds power up but is screaming at 5,500 RPM in 5th to do it; downshift is jarring and disconcerting; transfer case gets a super high-pitched whine at that RPM that sounds like amplifier feedback at a rock concert
• 2025 JLUR X same as above but 2.0T with factory 4:56 – only has to downshift from 8th to 7th and easily does the entire stretch at only 3,200 rpm; you can barely hear that the engine has downshifted at all

I've also owned a 2022 Willys with the XR package and 2.0T/4:56 that was completely stripped down: soft top, plastic bumpers, crank windows, zero options other than the XR package. It was super zippy, but honestly so is my 2.0T that's loaded out with everything including the winch.

Of course if you never leave low elevation the V6 is fine. But I'm leery to ever own another one. At 20K when I traded my 2024, it was already starting to get the dreaded ticking.

Oh, and mileage. That 2024 I had landed around 13 mpg average – 11 mpg into a heavy wind at 80mph, 15 mph with a tailwind. My 2025 with the 2.0T sits around 21 mpg at 80 mph; 60-65 it will do 26 mpg.

 

[2nd 392]

Going from 35’s to 33’s with the 4.56 gears really wouldn’t be a problem, unless you’re freeway cruising at 80+ mph.

It would definitely address your concerns about weight. Acceleration would be easier and could help with city mileage as well.

He just Might find one or two with new 33’s that would be delighted to swap for the 35’s acceptable if they pay for the tire shop to swap.
More Jeep ordering brilliance, 4.88 available with 33’s, but not 35’s. Huh

 

[JamesWyatt]

He just Might find one or two with new 33’s that would be delighted to swap for the 35’s acceptable if they pay for the tire shop to swap.
More Jeep ordering brilliance, 4.88 available with 33’s, but not 35’s. Huh

4:88s used to be available with 35s and auto 3.6L – 2026 build & price could be wrong, or maybe Jeep dropped the ability to order them that way. 33s only get 4:88 option with the manual trans because it needs them to keep up with the auto trans at 4:10.

As for tire swap: X has longer bump stops that would have to be cut off and replaced. Springs would have to be swapped unless you want a ridiculous gap between the tires and fenders. And the tires would look tiny under the extended flares, so swap those, too, having to deal with color match issues because X has body-colored flares.

 

[Dusty Dude]

He just Might find one or two with new 33’s that would be delighted to swap for the 35’s acceptable if they pay for the tire shop to swap.
More Jeep ordering brilliance, 4.88 available with 33’s, but not 35’s. Huh

I never understood that either. Most people would swap out to 37’s anyway with 4.88’s, so why not keep it available for both 33 & 35’s?

4:88s used to be available with 35s and auto 3.6L – 2026 build & price could be wrong, or maybe Jeep dropped the ability to order them that way. 33s only get 4:88 option with the manual trans because it needs them to keep up with the auto trans at 4:10.

As for tire swap: X has longer bump stops that would have to be cut off and replaced. Springs would have to be swapped unless you want a ridiculous gap between the tires and fenders. And the tires would look tiny under the extended flares, so swap those, too, having to deal with color match issues because X has body-colored flares.

OP wants a full time TC without the X package, so springs/shocks/33’s and shortening the bump stops on a Rubicon X were an option since he wants the body colored flares too.

 

[2nd 392]

4:88s used to be available with 35s and auto 3.6L – 2026 build & price could be wrong, or maybe Jeep dropped the ability to order them that way. 33s only get 4:88 option with the manual trans because it needs them to keep up with the auto trans at 4:10.

As for tire swap: X has longer bump stops that would have to be cut off and replaced. Springs would have to be swapped unless you want a ridiculous gap between the tires and fenders. And the tires would look tiny under the extended flares, so swap those, too, having to deal with color match issues because X has body-colored flares.

What- B&P could be wrong ! anyway, 33’s would be fine with the 4.56’s albeit a bit short legged for consistent very high speed. If he could live with the extra ~ 1 1/2” fender gap he would just have to recalibrate for tires. Simple

I have learned to live with fender gap after getting the new High Top fenders that make the 35’s look small. 37’s have to wait until I need tires. The gap doesn’t even set off my OCD anymore. …. much

 

[JamesWyatt]

I never understood that either. Most people would swap out to 37’s anyway with 4.88’s, so why not keep it available for both 33 & 35’s?



OP wants a full time TC without the X package, so springs/shocks/33’s and shortening the bump stops on a Rubicon X were an option since he wants the body colored flares too.

Yeah, I was just saying if he didn’t want the flares with the extensions after moving to 33s, he’d have to swap fenders with another vehicle of the same color. I guess he could swap with his current same color 4xe at the time of trade. Just seems like a big pain in the butt all the way around. The idea of cutting the bump stops and swapping to smaller tires makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

 

[2nd 392]

Yeah, I was just saying if he didn’t want the flares with the extensions after moving to 33s, he’d have to swap fenders with another vehicle of the same color. I guess he could swap with his current same color 4xe at the time of trade. Just seems like a big pain in the butt all the way around. The idea of cutting the bump stops and swapping to smaller tires makes me throw up in my mouth a little.

Going to smaller tires isn’t exactly typical here but the flare extensions could easily be removed. They riveted into the same holes with one extra hole needed to be drilled for install. Leave the suspension including the bump stops alone. An extra ~ 1 1/2” gap (XR suspension lift) is minimal and small compared to mine.
These fenders are designed to accommodate 37’s on a non XR.

… Swap for 33’s, remove extensions if wanted, recalibrate, done.
don’t sweat 1 1/2”
As @Dusty Dude said , 33’s with 4.56’s would also be advantageous in town.

Sponsored