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How capable is the Rubi.....

3K views 38 replies 22 participants last post by  larry0071 
#1 ·
out of the box?
New member here, and about to be a new owner. Been admiring them for awhile, thought about new Raptor, thought about new ZR2, but decided to go this route.
What else do I need , besides a bikini top, to get started?
 
#3 ·
In the four years of owning mine, I've found that it will go anywhere I choose to go. The only limitation I've found is that the supplied tires aren't great in snow and the rear locker only works in 4-Lo. Tires are an easy fix, but I do wish the rear locker could be engaged in 4-Hi.
 
#7 ·
Depends on your intentions.

Completely different beast than a Raptor or ZR2.

In the JEEP world a stock Rubicon is VERY capable. There are plenty of CJ's, YJ's, TJ's and XJ's out there with thousands of dollars in upgrades that a stock JKR or JKUR is just as, or more capable than and MUCH easier to drive home in.

Jeep world limitations would really only be breakover clearance (4door) and armor (skids and bumpers).

What you need and how you set it up will depend on how you use it.
 
#8 ·
A Rubicon is a great starting point and very capable. I trailed a guy with a stock Rubicon on a Jamboree in Ouray. He never slipped or had trouble with a line. I have owned two now and I am very pleased. I am also surprised and humbled at what the Rubicon can do. I seriously doubt I will ever reach it's max.

Be sure to post pics and share.
 
#10 ·
I had my first jeep (Rubicon) for a year now. Not bragging, bit I am amazed at how it wheels compared to other jeeps. Yes the other jeeps with open diffs complete the trail spinning, bouncing, using momentum, etc., the Rubi just crawls over it with ease.
 
#16 ·
The only significant difference between a bone stock Rubicon with 4.10 gearing and a big built up Jeep on 37s+ is...clearance and a little difference in capability of stock suspension to flex. That's it. The majority of the cash you dump into big built Jeeps is to compensate for running bigger tires and flex. Stock Rubicon tires are actually fairly decent.

You as a driver will exceed your pucker limit far far before the bone stock Rubicon even comes close to reaching its limits.
 
#18 ·
That's all great news. I'm thrilled to not have to buy more for the car. With my GT500, it was known there were mods that needed to be done to make the car what it should have been from the factory. With this car, I pretty much plan to stow the hardtop, put on a Bestop, and drive it.
 
#25 ·
Literally just avoid cruise control, vary the RPM and give it a couple good open throttle a few times while cruising and you'll be good.

I took some back roads home keeping things under 55 for the first 40 or so and then hit the highway varying around the 55-65 mark for a break in. the manual will have all the break-in advice, but I think I'm pretty close.
 
#23 ·
I've managed to get mine stuck twice. Once was on a sand dune that I high centered on (and would have been ok had I been a better driver), and once in DEEP mud ruts that I fell into (and would have avoided had I been a better driver). Both times, the jeep was sitting on its frame and no amount of locker-awesomeness could save me.

I have since done stuff that made me seriously reconsider my life choices, but I never felt like the jeep couldn't do it.

I've compensated somewhat for my bad off-roading ability by getting a lift and 35's for a bit more clearance, and buying a winch because I really don't want to sit under a tree for hours again waiting on my buddies to come save me.

The lift was optional, the winch was mandatory.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
#24 ·
Simplest Sport/Rubicon Philosophy

1. If you want to build up/"invest" in your Jeep gradually a Rubicon is a good way to go/begin.

2. If you want to "'go large" at the onset, "invest" heavily up front, and end up with a custom trail rig faster go the Sport route - accumulate your parts up front, buy the Sport, put it on jack stands and knock out the build up in a few weeks. Largely done at that point (you'll always want to make changes).

The Rubicon costs more than the Sport but gets you legitimate trail capabilities up front and an OEM warrantied drivetrain for a few years. Of course you have the limited 32" tires and the somewhat limited ground clearance of an OEM Jeep.

The Sport route at least for the Jeep portion is less costly and avoids buying package components you're just going to remove and sell off at a loss. You trade those Jeep purchase savings for the specific build-up parts you want.

Of course you self-warranty the whole Sport project - but it's been that way in the do-it-yourself Jeep community for decades.
 
#28 ·
Hey, I know Espanola well! I lived in Santa Fe for 8 yrs, and now Abq. I'll be driving from Colorado Springs back home. So, I'll vary the speed, take a few open throttle runs, and not go over 75 or so. Wish I could have the Bestop installed , but no place to store the 3 piece hardtop for the trip home.
 
#30 ·
Wow, that is some stuck pic above!

I flew down to Albuquerque and the dealer had an employee that lived in ABQ. The employee drove me to the dealer in Espanola. It was all really neat the way it worked. I flew down the night before and ended up back home the next night with all the paper work done and new Jeep in the driveway. I love those roads around Durgango. Very scenic for sure. New Mexico is my state of birth. I was born in Las Cruces, NM.

Be safe and enjoy. You don't get to do this very often.

I love my Red Rubi.
 
#32 ·
I cannot remember how much I paid for the winch, plate, etc. I did get the Warn winch on sale and I am so glad I got the synthetic rope. So far, I have only used it to tear stuff out of my yard and pull out one stuck car in a snow bank but it is very impressive. If you get a Warn winch be sure to get the remote kit to operate it.
 
#35 ·
Call 4WD.com (1-800-555-3353) and ask for the "white boxed" Smittybilt X20 comp series 10,000 or 12,000 LB winch. They are around $400 and are about the very best option in that price range. They are the exact same S/B X2O Comp series as the colorful retail boxed ones you see on the web site, but are white boxed and not advertised.

Steel cables hurt... a lot. They can break and kill you or your Jeep. They develop broken wires that hurt like hell sticking into your flesh. They kink and look like hell. The only advantage is if you have to winch in a situation where the cable is being forced down into rocks, like your on a hill climb and run the cable up the hill the rest of the way and across the flat top area to a tree. The cable could end up on the ground in that situation and a steel cable is more forgiving.

For 98% of your winching needs, a synthetic is more pleasing to use. It is light weight, very strong, easy to manipulate, does not return high power rifle like energy when it breaks, is hugely less likely to kill you or your jeep if it breaks. I would generally recommend synthetic rope unless your a person that is doing odd things that may be better served with a cable rope.
 
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#37 ·
Extremely capable! The Rubicon's tcase is a must for manual rock Crawlers. 4.10 gears and shocks are much better. E-Lockers will be your biggest advantage over other vehicles.

Check out my build thread, I got a pretty decent video showing what my stock* Rubicon can do.

*Aside from 4 door springs and new tires, it's a stock Rubi on the trails.

First thing you should invest in is armor. Start with the weak points: diffs and oil pan. Then work your way through capability: front and rear bumper. By then the factory gas tank and tcase skid should be sufficiently beat up and you can replace those!
 
#38 ·
It's really capable. But then you start going out with people that have a lot of money in their Jeeps, and their idea of what trail you guys are doing today is maybe a little more than you planned on.... It's all good though.

My upgrade philosophy is to just use it and break stuff. Replace what is damaged with something better, rinse, repeat. That way, you're not upgrading stuff you aren't using.
 
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