What You Need to Run 37" Tires

I went and upgraded my tires to 37’s and now my Jeep Wrangler JK modification to-do list just got a whole lot longer. So in this video I’m going to share with you my plan for all the necessary upgrades I’ve got to do now.
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So when you go with bigger tires you are putting a lot more stress on your vehicle (your suspension has a lot more weight to deal with and your engine and drive line have to work harder to turn that new rotating mass) and for Jeep JK owners there are a few important upgrades that should really be considered when going with 37’s.
Now my Jeep is the Rubicon version and does have dana 44’s and they are a great axel, but they still need to beefed up a little to ensure I make it home safely off the trail. Ideally I’d love to have some big, strong dana 60 axels and call it good, but at 13k + it’s just not in the budget.
• But before we talk about axles, I know I’m going to get a few question about my lift. If you remember, when I installed the Rock Krawler overland lift kit and it had 3.5” in the rear and 2.5” in the front. The extra height in the rear is meant to compensate for tent, roof rack and all your load out gear on long trips. But when I have it fully loaded out, I just don’t see a big drop in the rear…maybe a slight drop, but not enough to warrant a full 1” extra in the rear. So I swapped out the front springs and now have 3.5” all around. ($170)
• Add another puck to my bump stops
• But bumping my lift means I need exhaust spacers or new drive shafts….. so I ordered some exhaust spacers ($40), but there is no doubt in my mind that the best way to go is new drive shaft. They will be strong and ….. when the budgets allows I will replace the drive shafts ($1000)
• Tire carrier I have received so many comments from you guys about needing to replace my tire carrier when I was running 35’s and I just kept putting it off. Now with 37’s, it’s the next on the list so I don’t break the stock hinges on my tailgate. There are three types of tire carriers, one that mount to where your existing one, ne that is incorporated with the bumper and one that is body mounted. I have been wanting to get new bumpers and haven’t decided if I’m going to get a rear bumper with an integrated tire carrier or not. A bumper/tire carrier combo is well over $1000 or just a tire carrier can be had for about $500 bucks… I’m still researching.
• C-gussets - (the end forging of the axle) these are an easy and inexpensive way to add some strength to my axles. They have to be welded on, so there will be that added cost. ($70, and I’m going to pay to have those professionally welded up , so $2-300)
• Heavy duty ball joints, these have over 60,000 miles on them with 35’s $500 and I have a friend that has the tools to do this or I may just have the shop do them when they do the C-gussets You can buy rebuildable ball joints which are a great option, but they are twice the cost.
• Front and rear chromoly axels ($1000 + labor)
• Axle Sleeves: Goes inside the axle housing and is designed to add strength…… I’m not sure If I’m going to do this or not, because there is a lot of debate out there if a dana44 really benefits from them… $300 (when you upgrade your axles, this is a good time to sleeve them to save on labor.)
• Axle Truss: So a truss is an external brace that gets welded to the axle housing. There is something that needs to be done by a shop with experience. I may do a truss down the road, but it’s not an immediate requirement for me, as I know many guys that are running 37’s on dana 44’s without them. Parts: $130, Labor $3-500
• Big Brakes: I’ve lost stopping power with these heavy beadlocks already, but it’s been amplified by these tires. I’m not sure yet what brake kit I’m gong with, but it’s a priority. They can run anywhere from $1000-$3000