Has anyone ever used them for any major parts? I was looking at getting some rubicon axles from them but wanted to solicit any feedback before dropping that kind of cash.
Baseline 4x4
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I've never heard anything bad about them, I live kinda close to to them. I just did a quick search to find anything bad about them and nothing came up.
They seem to have good reviews on Google and other locations. Based on @Cimmerian's experience, probably a reliable vendor.
Curious - what are they charging for a full set of Rubi axles? What are you building with them?
Curious - what are they charging for a full set of Rubi axles? What are you building with them?
Thanks. Seems like a legit company.
Price depends on whether you get the rubicon recon or regular rubicon and it’s about $1,000 difference between the options.
As far as a build, I’m looking to just run something like 285/75r17 or 34x10.5r17….whichever I find the best deal on. The reason for going this route is that’s it’s about the same price as re-gearing the D30/44 and you get lockers.
What's the thought behind the pizza cutters, instead of the more commonly available 35x12.5"? (not questioning anything, just curious
)For anything below 35"s, I'd suspect you'd be fine with a standard Rubicon D44, unless you're absolutely pounding this thing week in and week out. The Recon axles do kick up the performance a bit, giving the J8 housing assembly up front and slightly thicker brackets. I assume you plan on doing lots of rock crawling? TN has some wicked trails where wheel speed is helpful, so if you're looking to take all the hard lines, "overbuilding" won't hurt anything (except your wallet maybe haha!). That said, I don't think the Recon's are as stout the Spicer Ultimate Dana 44, so if ultimate strength in the smallest package possible is your target, it would be something to consider.
I don't do rock crawling, mostly trails and overlanding. My '07 Sahara is factory stock with no lockers, etc D30/44 with 4.10s and it performs fine. I'm also on 285/70/17s. I plan to regear to 5.13s this year but that's only because my Jeep is a dog at the altitude I'm at (over 5,000 ft).
Essentially what I'm saying is if you don't actually intend to push your Jeep to where you NEED new axles, why spend the money?
Essentially what I'm saying is if you don't actually intend to push your Jeep to where you NEED new axles, why spend the money?
It’s running the larger tires. If I were starting with anything other than the 3.21s, i probably wouldn’t do it. Especially if i started with 4.10s.
What's the thought behind the pizza cutters, instead of the more commonly available 35x12.5"? (not questioning anything, just curious
For anything below 35"s, I'd suspect you'd be fine with a standard Rubicon D44, unless you're absolutely pounding this thing week in and week out. The Recon axles do kick up the performance a bit, giving the J8 housing assembly up front and slightly thicker brackets. I assume you plan on doing lots of rock crawling? TN has some wicked trails where wheel speed is helpful, so if you're looking to take all the hard lines, "overbuilding" won't hurt anything (except your wallet maybe haha!). That said, I don't think the Recon's are as stout the Spicer Ultimate Dana 44, so if ultimate strength in the smallest package possible is your target, it would be something to consider.
Thanks for that last comment because it’s about $300 difference between the recon and ultimate 44. I considered that approach but then you get the “might as wells” and then you are spending $10K.
The idea behind the 285/75s is that it sits at 33” true but doesn’t require the spacer that the 12.5s require. I’ve read I can easily keep my oem wheels (I have a 75th anniversary model). Then run a 1.5-2” lift and be done.
So the whole idea behind this approach is going through baseline and get a standard set of axles geared at 4.10 out the door with lockers. If they aren’t bent, it’s cheaper than re-gearing.
What year is your JK and what transmission? I’m assuming a 6-speed since you mentioned 3.21 gearing. With a 3.6L model and 4,10’s, you’d be okay (not great) bumping up to 4.10’s with a true 33” tire. With an auto trans, you’d still be undergeared (and especially so with a 3.8L!).
I’m running 285/75’s on my daughter’s Islander and it will rub ever so slightly with her factory Islander/Rubi springs and aftermarket wheels with 4.75” BS. Obviously it rubs a little more when flexed out but still manageable.
I suspect you’re still going to need spacers no matter what, as mine rubbed the exact same amount when I had these on my ‘08 JKU with 2.5” MC Gamechanger lift. Granted, I’m not familiar with the 75th anniversary edition wheels but they look like typical JK offerings of that era and if Google Search is to be believed, appear to have 5.5” backspacing.
FWIW, we just put 5.13’s in the Islander. It’s likely to be my son’s “winter” vehicle next year when he gets his license (at which point my daughter will get a smaller XUV for college). If that turns out to be the case, I’ll 100% be picking up a UD44 front axle and some 35”s
What year is your JK and what transmission? I’m assuming a 6-speed since you mentioned 3.21 gearing. With a 3.6L model and 4,10’s, you’d be okay (not great) bumping up to 4.10’s with a true 33” tire. With an auto trans, you’d still be undergeared (and especially so with a 3.8L!).
View attachment 130388
I’m running 285/75’s on my daughter’s Islander and it will rub ever so slightly with her factory Islander/Rubi springs and aftermarket wheels with 4.75” BS. Obviously it rubs a little more when flexed out but still manageable.
View attachment 130389
I suspect you’re still going to need spacers no matter what, as mine rubbed the exact same amount when I had these on my ‘08 JKU with 2.5” MC Gamechanger lift. Granted, I’m not familiar with the 75th anniversary edition wheels but they look like typical JK offerings of that era and if Google Search is to be believed, appear to have 5.5” backspacing.
FWIW, we just put 5.13’s in the Islander. It’s likely to be my son’s “winter” vehicle next year when he gets his license (at which point my daughter will get a smaller XUV for college). If that turns out to be the case, I’ll 100% be picking up a UD44 front axle and some 35”s
Your comments are super helpful m especially to add real experience for the setup I’m considering.
It’s a 2017 JKU and there’s nothing particularly special about the wheels except they are color matched to the bumpers that look like Rubicon 10 year anniversary bumpers.
So it seems like I’ll be in a rubbing situation even with the 285s and a modest lift.
But for now, it seems like there’s no real issues in pursuing the rubicon takeoffs from this vendor
For sure! These are a good upgrade over your current setup and can easily "grow" with your modest build plans and requirements.
Assuming yours is an auto trans, the 5.13's are perfect with 285/75's... my daughter's Islander can finally maintain highway speeds and accelerate/maintain up long grades. I'm only at 1500' ASL here by my house in PA, but we have some steep grades all around up (6-8% are common when leaving/coming back home from "the valley" below us).
The above screen shot from Google Earth shows the "8% grade" sign (one of many) that is the one we drive by the most often when heading to town. It's affectionately known as the "talking sign", since it corresponds to when we'd be able to shift out of 2nd gear and could have a conversation (or hear the radio) again...
On 5.13's now, the JKU is much happier and can maintain 30-35 mph up the entire hill without having to run above 4500 rpm!Assuming yours is an auto trans, the 5.13's are perfect with 285/75's... my daughter's Islander can finally maintain highway speeds and accelerate/maintain up long grades. I'm only at 1500' ASL here by my house in PA, but we have some steep grades all around up (6-8% are common when leaving/coming back home from "the valley" below us).
View attachment 130391
The above screen shot from Google Earth shows the "8% grade" sign (one of many) that is the one we drive by the most often when heading to town. It's affectionately known as the "talking sign", since it corresponds to when we'd be able to shift out of 2nd gear and could have a conversation (or hear the radio) again...
Yeah, I do have the automatic trans. The 3.8 wouldn't be in such ill regard if they had mated a different transmission to it I feel. They don't have grade signs on roads out here but it's very up and down and it can last for many yards and it's almost like a roller coaster. If I want to drive to Santa Fe in my Jeep, it's an adventure due to the incline and declines on I-25.
I’ve driven I-25 from ABQ to Santa Fe a few dozen times (I had a project in Los Alamos for a few months), and can confirm that it is indeed quite hilly. When we lived in Phoenix and would head to Flagstaff or Payson, it was uphill the entire time. My little 3.8 would have exploded on any of those 2+ hour drives
In my part of PA, and particularly where my house is, we are right on the edge of the “Valley and Ridge” portion of the Appalachian Mountains.
We have steep grades of up to 10%, but they are only a few miles long at the longest. That said, it’s a constant battle of trying to maintain speed uphill, and not overheating the brakes coming down the other side.
I had actually forgotten how hilly this area was until we moved back and I had my LJ. I was shifting so much my arm and knee were literally getting sore some days!
I’ve driven I-25 from ABQ to Santa Fe a few dozen times (I had a project in Los Alamos for a few months), and can confirm that it is indeed quite hilly. When we lived in Phoenix and would head to Flagstaff or Payson, it was uphill the entire time. My little 3.8 would have exploded on any of those 2+ hour drives
In my part of PA, and particularly where my house is, we are right on the edge of the “Valley and Ridge” portion of the Appalachian Mountains.
View attachment 130392
We have steep grades of up to 10%, but they are only a few miles long at the longest. That said, it’s a constant battle of trying to maintain speed uphill, and not overheating the brakes coming down the other side.
I had actually forgotten how hilly this area was until we moved back and I had my LJ. I was shifting so much my arm and knee were literally getting sore some days!
Yea the 3.8 can do it, it's just slow going. I just engine brake going downhill, honestly. Why destroy my brakes unnecessarily?
When I was a kid we lived in the Poconos in Tobyhanna but I can't remember it well enough to describe the driving. I remember my dad sent a few deer to heaven with his car though!