xL8 APEKSx
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Garden Grove, CA
Hey guys...
I've got a problem here. I just started putting a few bucks into my first XJ, and I'm realizing I don't have deep enough wallets to make it as trail-worthy as I would like.
It's a 2001 w/ ABS so I've got a D35 out back. I just shelled out about $1700 bucks on a 4.5" RE, shocks, and 33's with wheels...which doesn't leave me too much to address the D35. I'm scared to even drive it on a fire road after all the things I've heard.
I read a lot of different things about it, from "if you finesse it, the D35 will be OK for moderate wheeling", to "it's a hand grenade with the pin pulled once you put 33's on it".
I don't know what to believe, and I am trying to figure out what my best value is in terms of balancing out money spent on the rear end and enjoying my rig for a while without having to spend another $3,000 to do full axles/gears/lockers.
It's not a full time daily driver, I have other cars to drive. But I do drive it on the street. I typically drive to the place I'm gonna wheel, and drive it home. It's also the dog taxi and large item hauler. My wheeling is I guess "moderate"...Holcomb Creek and John Bull are two of my favorites, as well as a few trails in the Panamint Valley and Death Valley areas:
http://www.myjeeprocks.com/reports/category/big-bear/holcomb-creek-3n93/
I will also be seeing a lot of snow in the next few months, and I'm scared to leave the diffs open as I dont' feel like getting stuck in the snow!
Please help me figure out what to do. I can't go full out right now - so I'm trying to figure out the minimum I can do to do some decent wheeling in the mean time, and save the major upgrades for later (after tax time maybe).
Here are the options I was considering:
1) Leave it stock (open D35), it will be OK in the snow for a little while ($0)
2) Throw a cheap locker (Aussie) in the D35 to get some traction in the meantime, just take it easy until you can upgrade the D35 in a few months ($260 ish).
3) Run a Super 35 kit with a Detroit; it should be OK for my usage ($850 ish).
...what other options do I have under $1000? I'm not very handy with DIY/JY stuff as I don't have any experience with the XJ yet, and I have only met one or two local guys so I'm not sure who I could sucker into helping me out with some labor (I coudn't go pull an 8.25 and swap it out by myself).
What would YOU do? Am I OK to wheel in stock form without getting an ulcer from worrying about the D35 so much? Should I lock it to get all I can out of it since I'm gonna be taking it relatively easy anyway? I still want to put some money into a rack and sliders, which is another $750 right there. Arrrrgh. I know I can't do everything. Is the D35 really that fragile once I go 33's, even though I do pick good lines and drive with finesse? Please help, I have a headache!!! :rattle:
I've got a problem here. I just started putting a few bucks into my first XJ, and I'm realizing I don't have deep enough wallets to make it as trail-worthy as I would like.
It's a 2001 w/ ABS so I've got a D35 out back. I just shelled out about $1700 bucks on a 4.5" RE, shocks, and 33's with wheels...which doesn't leave me too much to address the D35. I'm scared to even drive it on a fire road after all the things I've heard.
I read a lot of different things about it, from "if you finesse it, the D35 will be OK for moderate wheeling", to "it's a hand grenade with the pin pulled once you put 33's on it".
I don't know what to believe, and I am trying to figure out what my best value is in terms of balancing out money spent on the rear end and enjoying my rig for a while without having to spend another $3,000 to do full axles/gears/lockers.
It's not a full time daily driver, I have other cars to drive. But I do drive it on the street. I typically drive to the place I'm gonna wheel, and drive it home. It's also the dog taxi and large item hauler. My wheeling is I guess "moderate"...Holcomb Creek and John Bull are two of my favorites, as well as a few trails in the Panamint Valley and Death Valley areas:
http://www.myjeeprocks.com/reports/category/big-bear/holcomb-creek-3n93/
I will also be seeing a lot of snow in the next few months, and I'm scared to leave the diffs open as I dont' feel like getting stuck in the snow!
Please help me figure out what to do. I can't go full out right now - so I'm trying to figure out the minimum I can do to do some decent wheeling in the mean time, and save the major upgrades for later (after tax time maybe).
Here are the options I was considering:
1) Leave it stock (open D35), it will be OK in the snow for a little while ($0)
2) Throw a cheap locker (Aussie) in the D35 to get some traction in the meantime, just take it easy until you can upgrade the D35 in a few months ($260 ish).
3) Run a Super 35 kit with a Detroit; it should be OK for my usage ($850 ish).
...what other options do I have under $1000? I'm not very handy with DIY/JY stuff as I don't have any experience with the XJ yet, and I have only met one or two local guys so I'm not sure who I could sucker into helping me out with some labor (I coudn't go pull an 8.25 and swap it out by myself).
What would YOU do? Am I OK to wheel in stock form without getting an ulcer from worrying about the D35 so much? Should I lock it to get all I can out of it since I'm gonna be taking it relatively easy anyway? I still want to put some money into a rack and sliders, which is another $750 right there. Arrrrgh. I know I can't do everything. Is the D35 really that fragile once I go 33's, even though I do pick good lines and drive with finesse? Please help, I have a headache!!! :rattle:
Last edited: