Trying to decide

[MattW]

I bought my 2024 JLU Rubicon at the end of April. I have been looking at a bunch of different aftermarket parts. Currently I am trying to decide between A Metalcloak lift or the Rock Krawler. i saw a kit from each one and like them both. I then looked at the warranty info and it seems the Metalcloak warranty is lacking significantly. Rock Krawler is the direction I am leaning in now. My jeep came stock with 4.88 gears and the 3.6L engine. i am planning on 37 inch tires and a 4.5 inch lift. My concern is, will that combination be a good one. Do I need to replace or at least split the stock fenders?. Will the engine handle the tires with that much lift? I am recently retired and want to enjoy this thing but I am hoping with the current gearset that I will be able to do what i want with minimal risk. Any advice is appreciated.

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[Punkn89]

Hard to beat Metalcloak game changer ride quality. No experience with Rock Krawler, but I have read their springs start to sag more than others after awhile.

 

[yokramer]

Are you doing this for looks or to actually use? If for looks it wont matter just get the cheaper one and drive it, both those companies make a quality kit. If youre actually going to use it, the v6 and 4.88s on 37s is a tried and true combo youll be fine.

 

[MattW]

Are you doing this for looks or to actually use? If for looks it wont matter just get the cheaper one and drive it, both those companies make a quality kit. If youre actually going to use it, the v6 and 4.88s on 37s is a tried and true combo youll be fine.

Yes, I will be using it. I am not a hardcore crawler. The wife and I plan to hit the trails once I get all the parts I want and we decide where to go. Thank you for the information. Happy Wheeling

 

[yokramer]

Yes, I will be using it. I am not a hardcore crawler. The wife and I plan to hit the trails once I get all the parts I want and we decide where to go. Thank you for the information. Happy Wheeling

To be completely honest with you Im far more of a leave it stock till what youre doing with it cant be done stock and then add more. Start with under body protection and wheel it, when you start having trouble doing what you actually do then add tires, you can do 35s without a lift and contrary to popular belief around these parts a 35 is a big tire and will get you over far more than you ever expect. Remember Jeeps have been doing the Rubicon on 33s for decades. IMO save your money on tire and lift and spend it on wheeling vacations and build your Jeep for what you are going to do with it not what youtubers and people that just need the look do.

 

[MattW]

To be completely honest with you Im far more of a leave it stock till what youre doing with it cant be done stock and then add more. Start with under body protection and wheel it, when you start having trouble doing what you actually do then add tires, you can do 35s without a lift and contrary to popular belief around these parts a 35 is a big tire and will get you over far more than you ever expect. Remember Jeeps have been doing the Rubicon on 33s for decades. IMO save your money on tire and lift and spend it on wheeling vacations and build your Jeep for what you are going to do with it not what youtubers and people that just need the look do.

This is my 3rd jeep. The other 2 I had were on 33s. This came stock with 33s. The other 2 were Sahara's. There is a lot of mud and water crossings here in central Florida. Some things the stock set up can handle and others not. I don't doubt it is capable. I want to have something a bit more that what I have had so far. We have taken it out on a few trails fairly local to me. Being that I recently retired, I have the opportunity to do some upgrades that I had planned with the other jeeps, so I will take advantage of that. As far as the vacations, the wife is a travel agent, so we can pretty much go whenever we feel like it. We are just settling in for a bit. Once the mods are done, we will be planning more outings. I do appreciate the advice and concern. I also agree with you for the most part. The mods are just something I "want" to do, not necessarily a "need".

 

[yokramer]

This is my 3rd jeep. The other 2 I had were on 33s. This came stock with 33s. The other 2 were Sahara's. There is a lot of mud and water crossings here in central Florida. Some things the stock set up can handle and others not. I don't doubt it is capable. I want to have something a bit more that what I have had so far. We have taken it out on a few trails fairly local to me. Being that I recently retired, I have the opportunity to do some upgrades that I had planned with the other jeeps, so I will take advantage of that. As far as the vacations, the wife is a travel agent, so we can pretty much go whenever we feel like it. We are just settling in for a bit. Once the mods are done, we will be planning more outings. I do appreciate the advice and concern. I also agree with you for the most part. The mods are just something I "want" to do, not necessarily a "need".

Yep at the end of the day its all personal preference and your Jeep. I just see a lot of people that get their first Jeep and are like "I need 37s and 4" lift to keep up the Joneses" when especially with the JL being as capable as it is stock.

 

[MattW]

Yep at the end of the day its all personal preference and your Jeep. I just see a lot of people that get their first Jeep and are like "I need 37s and 4" lift to keep up the Joneses" when especially with the JL being as capable as it is stock.

I agree. That is why I am asking about the combinations of lift and tires compared to my engine and gears. I haven't had to take things that far as of yet so I want to make sure my money is going to something that will benefit the overall package.

 

[Old Jeeper]

I bought my 2024 JLU Rubicon at the end of April. I have been looking at a bunch of different aftermarket parts. Currently I am trying to decide between A Metalcloak lift or the Rock Krawler. i saw a kit from each one and like them both. I then looked at the warranty info and it seems the Metalcloak warranty is lacking significantly. Rock Krawler is the direction I am leaning in now. My jeep came stock with 4.88 gears and the 3.6L engine. i am planning on 37 inch tires and a 4.5 inch lift. My concern is, will that combination be a good one. Do I need to replace or at least split the stock fenders?. Will the engine handle the tires with that much lift? I am recently retired and want to enjoy this thing but I am hoping with the current gearset that I will be able to do what i want with minimal risk. Any advice is appreciated.

Unless your Jeep is for show leave off the 4.5 lift. 3-3.5 is all the lift you need to do any trail and I have done them all, I hope and think.

As for the warranty on a lift kit, not sure why they would warrant it to begin with...I broke it doing Pritchett Canyon driving in reverse...send me a new set of parts!

The time frame from 2003 - 2006 was a heyday. Rubicon was the Jeep to own and I was there and according to Jeep, I had the first Rubicon delivered to the public, Lifts were being thrown on and you needed to stand in line to get them what started out in 2003 as a 3 in lift was a 10 in lift kit by 2006 and NO I am not kidding I owned Jeep shop in that era

Being an engineer I would put on any lift beyond 3.5 inches. BUT I could turn that 3.5 in into a LOT more because I knew tricks that would give you far more clearance and still only have a 3 in lift.

If you are a ROCK crawler then CoG is YOUR ENEMY! To keep your Jeep OEM stable, for every inch you go UP, you need to go out 1.5 inches on each side.

Now if you are a show rig, the lift it all you want...

 

[yokramer]

I agree. That is why I am asking about the combinations of lift and tires compared to my engine and gears. I haven't had to take things that far as of yet so I want to make sure my money is going to something that will benefit the overall package.

4.88s are the most common recommendation no matter the engine for 37s and you really cant go wrong with either of those 2 companies for lifts so go with the one that you like better. Metalcloak is usually hanging around the forums tho so that is nice.

 

[MattW]

Unless your Jeep is for show leave off the 4.5 lift. 3-3.5 is all the lift you need to do any trail and I have done them all, I hope and think.

As for the warranty on a lift kit, not sure why they would warrant it to begin with...I broke it doing Pritchett Canyon driving in reverse...send me a new set of parts!

The time frame from 2003 - 2006 was a heyday. Rubicon was the Jeep to own and I was there and according to Jeep, I had the first Rubicon delivered to the public, Lifts were being thrown on and you needed to stand in line to get them what started out in 2003 as a 3 in lift was a 10 in lift kit by 2006 and NO I am not kidding I owned Jeep shop in that era

Being an engineer I would put on any lift beyond 3.5 inches. BUT I could turn that 3.5 in into a LOT more because I knew tricks that would give you far more clearance and still only have a 3 in lift.

If you are a ROCK crawler then CoG is YOUR ENEMY! To keep your Jeep OEM stable, for every inch you go UP, you need to go out 1.5 inches on each side.

Now if you are a show rig, the lift it all you want...

it is not going to be a show or trailer queen. Currently it is my daily driver. I have been going back and forth about the lift height. I figured the extra inch to 4.5 wouldn't hurt and would allow me to get bigger tires with ease int he future if I wanted to. I do want the 37 inch tires. My friend has a 3.5 lift on 40s but he had to split his fenders so they won't rub. I was hoping the 4.5 would help me avoid having to do that. I'm going to replace the front bumper as well. It won't be as wide.

 

[MattW]

4.88s are the most common recommendation no matter the engine for 37s and you really cant go wrong with either of those 2 companies for lifts so go with the one that you like better. Metalcloak is usually hanging around the forums tho so that is nice.

I hear alot of people jumping to 5.13 gears....i want to keep things so i can keep the 4.88

 

[Roky]

I bought my 2024 JLU Rubicon at the end of April. I have been looking at a bunch of different aftermarket parts. Currently I am trying to decide between A Metalcloak lift or the Rock Krawler. i saw a kit from each one and like them both. I then looked at the warranty info and it seems the Metalcloak warranty is lacking significantly. Rock Krawler is the direction I am leaning in now. My jeep came stock with 4.88 gears and the 3.6L engine. i am planning on 37 inch tires and a 4.5 inch lift. My concern is, will that combination be a good one. Do I need to replace or at least split the stock fenders?. Will the engine handle the tires with that much lift? I am recently retired and want to enjoy this thing but I am hoping with the current gearset that I will be able to do what i want with minimal risk. Any advice is appreciated.

Been running Rock Krawler for a long time…. Great lift, great company….Metal Cloak is also a great company, I just like some things better the way RK approaches them……I’m on 37s, and running 4.88s….works great….have any questions holler, also there’s pics in my build thread,

 

[Old Jeeper]

it is not going to be a show or trailer queen. Currently it is my daily driver. I have been going back and forth about the lift height. I figured the extra inch to 4.5 wouldn't hurt and would allow me to get bigger tires with ease int he future if I wanted to. I do want the 37 inch tires. My friend has a 3.5 lift on 40s but he had to split his fenders so they won't rub. I was hoping the 4.5 would help me avoid having to do that. I'm going to replace the front bumper as well. It won't be as wide.

I run right now, 35s on my 2024 JL R-X. I have no issues with clearance. IF I put on a lift it will be the JL 392 take-off I picked up for $500 bucks with shocks, springs etc. I can run 37s on that albeit I am not likely to...my retirement years in Florida the wheeling out here is NOT my cup of tea. I don't do mud and swamps and no rocks. I am a HARD CORE Rock guy. I long to get back to Moab.

Not sure how long you been Jeeping but I have been doing it since the mid 60s. Your Jeep JLUR, with a good set of tires can do 80%+ of the trails in America. To be honest, till you get into the 6++ trails a stock Jeep + tires will outpace your abilities by its self. A JLR (2 dr) can do 80% or more of the trails in the US with a good set of tires. Jeep WROTE the book on 4 wd!

I see you are here in FL, I am in Port Charlotte and looking to buy acreage somewhere N of Tampa, I hate this city living...

 

[MattW]

I run right now, 35s on my 2024 JL R-X. I have no issues with clearance. IF I put on a lift it will be the JL 392 take-off I picked up for $500 bucks with shocks, springs etc. I can run 37s on that albeit I am not likely to...my retirement years in Florida the wheeling out here is NOT my cup of tea. I don't do mud and swamps and no rocks. I am a HARD CORE Rock guy. I long to get back to Moab.

Not sure how long you been Jeeping but I have been doing it since the mid 60s. Your Jeep JLUR, with a good set of tires can do 80%+ of the trails in America. To be honest, till you get into the 6++ trails a stock Jeep + tires will outpace your abilities by its self. A JLR (2 dr) can do 80% or more of the trails in the US with a good set of tires. Jeep WROTE the book on 4 wd!

I see you are here in FL, I am in Port Charlotte and looking to buy acreage somewhere N of Tampa, I hate this city living...

I am now retired. took it early due to health issues. We are looking to move in a couple years as well. We want some land but don't need to be secluded. I know the jeep is capable. I just wanting to personalize it and make it mine.

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