Dune Crawler
New member
Once you start building and adding mods you won't be able to stop
total JK noob
- Thread starter rubbersidedownJK
- Start date
rubbersidedownJK
Member
now running the 2.5 for you guys with the 35's have you "had" to swap out DS's? what other things were essential for the smaller lift? or can you run stock drivelines for a while. with mine will mostly be a daily driver and then when im allowed time off a weekend rig to go to the better camping spots
14Sport
New member
It did on mine. The manufacturers advertised lift height is based on a fully loaded rig. As least MC is. I have steel bumpers, a tire carrier, sliders, and a hard top and I actually got 3-1/4" in the front and 3-1/2" in the back on the 2.5" lift. With the wheels I netted 4.5" front and 4.25" rear due to the added weight of the spare.
cozdude
Guy with a Red 2-Door
i currently still run the stock DS but i have an '11 so i dont have to deal exhaust like those with the '12+ have to. at somepoint (when i need it) i will swap both f/r ds for some coast or je reel shafts
Dune Crawler
New member
First jeep and first vehicle in the family to lift and mod so I'm the same boat as you. I went with a RC 2.5 suspension lift and 35's 
Mine (right) vs a jeep running 33's (left).
Mine (right) vs a jeep running 33's (left).
14Sport
New member
I haven't been able to test full flex yet to see if the front DS rubs the boot, but I have read where a lot of guys are running stock just fine at that height. My pinion angle is 4* and it rides like a champ. No death wobble. Rear DS looks good and it's a 2 door. I have 2" of bump stop and not having any problems yet.
14Sport
New member
Looks good! Any rubbing with stock flares at full flex?
It's not just the lift that'll get you needing to replace your shaft. Being that you have a 2014, installing shocks that are too long alone will allow for enough droop to cause the slip shaft boot from getting damaged on the exhaust cross over. If you are running 2.5" coils that yield closer to 3" of lift, the angle of the shaft will be enough to cause the CV boot at the output shaft to fail prematurely as well.
Assuming you got shocks that will allow for a greater amount of droop to go with your coils, you WILL damage your slip shaft boot at a full flex. Of course, that's only part of the problem. If you have a 3.6L motor, the angle of your motor to transfer case is sitting at a steeper angle and that will cause your front drive shaft to sit at a steeper angle too. EVEN IF you didn't damage your slip shaft boot, your CV boot will be in a constant state of pinch and WILL fail prematurely because of it.
That makes no difference in how long your CV boot will last or whether or not your slip shaft boot will get damaged when you flex your Jeep. If you never flex your Jeep, you right, you will never have a problem. If your shocks are on the short side, you won't damage your slip shaft boot either.
It "looks" good? Honestly, I don't know how you could say that if you really got 3.5" of lift in the rear. Anyone with any experience working on JK's knows that at about 3" of lift, a 2-door rear drive shaft will sit at steep enough of an angle that the output shaft and pinion CV boots will be in an constant state of pinch. Most people can get about 2 years of use or 30,000 miles but, if you're flexing your Jeep at all, it'll be less.
DManuel
Member
Just put 35 Toyo AT II on my 2010 Rubicon. Stayed with stock rims and left fenders intact. Required 1.5 wheel spacers and a pinch seem trim. Only lift is a 2.5 Teraflex budget boost - simply coil spacers and shock extensions. This is our daily driver and sees limited trail use as we have a second, built Jeep for the trails. We will get it out soon to see how much "stuff" we can get before the fenders start to cause issues. We plan to trim the stock fenders as needed. Just wanted to see how things look with 35s and stock rims, fenders. The budget boost has been on for about three years. Only other add-ons are diff covers, Teraflex tire carrier (to fit the 35 On stock rim) and sliders. Drives great on and off road. Still rides like stock. Just thought I would share as you can run 35s with little modifications and without spending too much money, aside from tires.
14Sport
New member
And my plan is to replace it with a Coast 1310 when it does.
I'm new to jeepin' and obviously no where near as knowledgeable as you. I was basing that statement on what I was told on other forums based on pics I posted. I do plan to upgrade the driveline as I go...driveshafts, gears, axles, axle armor (gussets and truss), ball joints, etc.. Thanks for the advice! Edit: My driveway is slanted so what I was showing was the difference in angle between the pinion and the TC.
Glad to hear that you have already made plans to address this. I hope you understand that I was just trying to make sure that others know about this as well and not just assume that everything will be fine as I was gathering from your post. Maybe it wasn't your intention but, that's how it came across to me and again, I just wanted to put things into perspective for others.
Well, you're more than welcome to believe what others have told you on other forums. Me, I can only share what I've learned over the last 7+ years working on 4 of my own JK's including one 2-door and countless others during that time. I'm just trying to help but of course, you can take it or leave it.
14Sport
New member
Sorry. I thought this post made it clear. I'll be more specific next time. I understand that lifting a rig requires more than suspension and wheels. But the additional costs are reduced with a lower lift. That is the only point I was trying to make. I willl refrain from sharing my little experience in the future. I just like to try to give back when I learn something but am by no means an expert. I'm just glad we have experts to chime in when necessary. So how does the rear DS look to you in the pics? Change it right away? Or can I get some miles on it? Thanks in advance.
rubbersidedownJK
Member
well i have to say, this is my first post to the site and its awesome to see the support and knowledge from everyone, makes ya know you have joined the right, and best forum. for the angles of DS where would you start looking at replacing DS and what affordable DS f.r would be the best bang or the buck? all soo new and almost overwhelming, awesome everyone likes to share!
Please don't misunderstand the point I was trying to make. I wasn't trying to put you down, just trying to put things into perspective based on long term experiences and knowledge gained during that time. Regarding your shaft, like I said before, you could probably get a couple of years out of them, maybe more if you don't flex out your Jeep. But, they still look pinched enough to cause premature failure. Having said that, I personally would just wait until I needed to replace them.
As mentioned, I would just keep an eye on what you have now as they will let you know when they are starting to go. When the CV boots start to fail, they will spit grease out on to the bottom of your tub and gas tank skid. Once you see that, it's only a matter of time before you start to hear it ratchet. When that happens, you are done. I would just keep it in mind to save up for a new front shaft if you have a 2007-11 with an auto or any 2012-up. If you have a 2-door, I would keep it in mind that you will need to replace it sooner than later as well with any lift 3" or more. you will also need to get adjustable rear upper control arms to set your pinion angle when you do so keep that in mind as well.
rubbersidedownJK
Member
okay great, thank you for the visuals, helps out a lot to see it that way. when looking at different rear D/Ss with the 2 1/2-3in better to get a enforced replacement? or one that is set up for a lift? sounds like a dumb question to me but knowing me i go about the wrong way... murphs law and all
What you would want to get is a double cardan u-joint style shaft. They are available in a 1310 and 1350 u-joint and I personally would recommend the later especially for the rear. Again, for the rear, you will NEED adjustable upper control arms to set your pinion angle. This is critical to do.
JK-JOHN-E
New member
my :twocents:, seeing that you live in California, I would just do a coil over now. Ultimately youre gonna want to run the big trails and do some serious rock crawling. especially if your hanging out with the WAYALIFE gang :rock:. So you might as well do 37's right now and get ready for the next JKX...because thats what we all want anyway. On the other hand if you don't want to go to all that expense, a budget boost with 35's,factory fenders, and new rims will do a fine job on most trails as will a stock JEEP. You might be surprised just how capable a stock JEEP is:standing wave:
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