Need help deciding between JKUR JKUR Recon or JLUR

F

Fargo

Member
Joined
Jan 20, 2021
Messages
55
Location
Fargo, ND
I currently have a 2005 LJ that I plan to keep, but I need a 4 door Wrangler to fit the whole family on overland vacations. Some time in the next year, I expect I will be making a purchase. Until then, I am trying to get my head around all the pros and cons of the JK and maybe a JL. Looking into JKs and JLs, I see pros and cons to each. The JK has proven reliable where the JL gives me some concerns. However, the JK appears to be notorious for bending the front axle. To the point where Jeep corrected the issue with the 2017-2018 Recon. They also put a stronger axle in the JL to help avoid the issue. So although the Recon looks like a great solution, I find the price of used Recons to be similar to used JLs with similar features. In fact, I can build a new JL with cloth interior and a manual transmission for only slightly more than a 3 year old Recon. So there is little to no cost savings in a Recon vs a JL. At which point I start to lean towards a JL. But if I look at older JKs, I can save $10,000-$15,000 or even more depending on how old and how many miles

So that brings me back to my question. Looking at a 2012-2018 JKUR, how likely am I to bend an axle? I will be running 35s at a minimum and doing easy to moderate trails in Colorado and Utah on vacation. But the Jeep also has to transport me and my family 1200 miles each way from ND to get there. So I really can't afford to have a breakdown on the trail 1200 miles from home. So the cost of buying a Recon or JL upfront might be worth it if the risk of bending an axle is too high.

So I really need to know just how serious this issue is? How common is it? When does it happen? Can a Jeep with a bent axle still drive 1200 miles to get me home or will I be stranded on a trail and need to find a local towing company and shop to take care of me? What does it cost replace the front axle if all the work is hired out? Any help and experience is appreciated. I can see this is going to be a toiling decision over the next year or so. Thanks.
 
If your concerned about bending a axle either Gusset the D30 or find a D44. If the axle does get bent alot depends on how much it's bent if it would be driveable.

Do you know what they are doing that bends the axle?
 
  • Like
Reactions: JFaciane
Bending axles comes from huge tires (lots of unsprung weight) and abuse.

A JL at the same price of a used recon won't be as capable as the recon.

The D30 can be made stronger but how are planning on using it? Overlanding generally doesn't involve bashing ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrjp and BLACKJKU
Stock can do a lot. Dan Grec drove a Rubicon from Alaska to the southern tip of South America in a Rubicon with stock axles and 34" tires.

It seems to me that people break things and bend axles when the skinny pedal overrides the grey matter
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrjp and JFaciane
BLACKJKU said:
If your concerned about bending a axle either Gusset the D30 or find a D44. If the axle does get bent alot depends on how much it's bent if it would be driveable.

Do you know what they are doing that bends the axle?
Click to expand...
I am only considering a Rubicon. So it would have a D44. I considered doing gussets as insurance. But I thought I had read that they would require additional bumpstop to keep them from hitting on something underneath. (Maybe that was with a full truss?)

I do not know how people are bending axles. I've just seen it all over the internet that they bend easy. That is why I was posting this. Trying to get more info before I purchase something.
JerryD said:
Bending axles comes from huge tires (lots of unsprung weight) and abuse.

A JL at the same price of a used recon won't be as capable as the recon.

The D30 can be made stronger but how are planning on using it? Overlanding generally doesn't involve bashing ;)
Click to expand...

I would be looking at a JL Rubi. So it would be as capable as a Recon if not more so. The JLUR can run 37s on 2" of lift.

I would primilary be doing overlanding stuff, but there will be some more difficult trails involved as well. I was under the impression it only took one good slip off a rock to bend the axle. I'll have to look into that Dan Grec trip. I'm not familiar with him.
 
I wouldn't be worried about a D44 axle bending, they are the same axles that were in older 1/2 and 3/4 ton Fords and Chevys and Dodges. Had them in my old wood cutting trucks and never had a axle issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrjp
Didn't JLs go with front axle disconnects? IMO, that is a weak point. Still, I think if you are looking at a Rubi, and you use your head, you'd be fine with either jk or jl.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrjp
JerryD said:
Didn't JLs go with front axle disconnects? IMO, that is a weak point. Still, I think if you are looking at a Rubi, and you use your head, you'd be fine with either jk or jl.
Click to expand...
The JL does have the FAD. And its things like that along with the engine start/stop feature and other electronic wizardry that cause me concern about future problems with the JL.

I know the JKs have issues with factory ball joints and they are not perfect either. But the thing that causes me the biggest concerns right now is the weak axle tubes. Searching the internet, you can find all kinds of post about people bending the tubes and every parts dealer like Quadratech, Morris, Extreme Terrain, Northridge etc, sells gussets and truss and sleeve to 'fix' the 'bend prone' axles of the JK. I've just seen so many comments about weak JK axle tubes that I have concerns. I'm surprised its not talked about more in this forum. Maybe the issue is blown out of proportion in other places. It wouldn't be the first time the internet was wrong :).
BLACKJKU said:
I wouldn't be worried about a D44 axle bending, they are the same axles that were in older 1/2 and 3/4 ton Fords and Chevys and Dodges. Had them in my old wood cutting trucks and never had a axle issue.
Click to expand...
Those old trucks used a D44 but the axle tubes are very different. The issue I see with the JK is the axle tubes bend. That is my concern.
 
I don't understand why the axle tubes would be different, the only difference I would think is the width on the truck axle being wider.

If someone out there that has a D44 in the front of there JK if they would measure the OD of the tube it would be easy to find out. It should be the same OD as the D44 rear that's used in the JK's.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrjp
BLACKJKU said:
I don't understand why the axle tubes would be different, the only difference...
Click to expand...
Yeah its weird. The JL also uses a "D44" axle and its entirely different than the JK. The JK is also different than the TJ "D44" in that the tubes on the JK are longer. But they are the same diameter. I think Dana 44 has become a marketing term and not just an axle size. So they continue to use that name even though the axle might be different than other Dana 44s.

At least that is how I understand it all.
 
If you are doing rock crawling and are worried about bending the tube, then just have it trussed. I don't know about clearance with no lift. I have a 2.5" lift and had mine trussed and c gussets welded on. I would talk with a couple of local jeep shops to get their opinions. I got mine done for around $200but had a friend do the welding and I pulled the axle with another friend. It would be significantly more if you have a shop do it.
Frank
 
My 17 JKU Rubicon Recon came with Dana M44/216MM Front Axle and Dana 44/226MM Rear Axle I think this is what you were saying that they changed the axle in the 17 & 18 recons. to bend these you are going to put some extreme abuse to them.
 
Chris said:
You're not going to bend any of the JK Dana 44 axles on 35s unless you drive like a dipshit. Especially if you add alloy axle shafts.
Click to expand...
Guess I need to read those threads closer to see what all those guys are doing then. Maybe they are driving like idiots.

I have zero concerns about the axle shafts. What I keep seeing is that the tubes bend. Many people think its the Cs but everything I have read points to it being the tubes that bend. It looks like the D30 and D40 use the same tubes but different shafts. Is that correct?
 
I have been running 35s on a Dana 30 for years without bending an axle. I go to a couple local offroad park at least once a month. I just keep in mind that my front axle is a possible weak point so I drive accordingly. I take it easy on the skinny pedal and try not to bounce too much. Also I figure if it ever does break it'll be a good excuse to buy 1 tons 👍😎👍
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrjp
Fargo said:
Guess I need to read those threads closer to see what all those guys are doing then. Maybe they are driving like idiots.

I have zero concerns about the axle shafts. What I keep seeing is that the tubes bend. Many people think its the Cs but everything I have read points to it being the tubes that bend. It looks like the D30 and D40 use the same tubes but different shafts. Is that correct?
Click to expand...

Honestly, I think they might be. I've seen so many people wheeling with JK Rubicons and 35s and never seen one bent tube.

I mean maybe I'm missing something, but I have yet to see it personally, and there's tons of JKs out here in the desert where I wheel.

The D30 and D44 use the same tubes, but different shafts, yes. The Dana 44 obviously has more splines and therefore stronger shafts.
 
Top Bottom