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What can $5000-$6500 do for a stock JK rubi

6K views 51 replies 22 participants last post by  Redbeardredjeep 
#1 ·
So I'm getting a 2012 completely stock black rubi in I think around 5 months, and after thinking about how buying a jk rubi with all the mods already on it... I thought of the fact that the previous owner has probably wore that thing out to priced on the trails. So I've decided to go for 2012 rubi that a soccer mom probably had lol. But now that I've made that decision, the prices of completely stock 2012 rubicon are way cheaper than the ones I was looking at before which were modded out already. So now that I have like an extra $5,500 from when I thought I was saving up for a already modded out 2012 rubicon I don't really know what I can get for that amount. What I want to get is 35s all terrain or mud terrains with a 3" or 3.5" lift with 17" rims . Front and possibly back bumper, a winch, new gears,lockers and axle, and maybe new hood, and of coarse LED lights with LED hood lamps... So that would be my IDEAL setup to have, but I don't know how much of it I can actually get with $6000. I'm willing to save up till like $7000... But I don't want to save for only my jeep because I have other things I want to get for my savings and things. And if your asking why I don't look it up myself is because instead of spending 4 hours researching every single thing, I rather just have someone who already knows everything about pricing and mods to tell me in an answer. Thanks so much y'all! Happy j waving!
 
#2 ·
Send me the money and I'll show you :)

Before I or anyone else can answer your question, what to you want to do with said jeep? Dirt roads, play in mud and sand, rock craw etc? Look pretty going to the mall?

I have a 2015 JKUR that is mostly stock. When I bought it, I didn't know chit about lifts, wheel tires etc and funds were limited. So I decided for protection. I bought a full set of skid plates and seat covers. I will take my jeep just about anywhere and run it naked most of the time. Since then, I have upgraded the bumpers, added a winch, more lighting and more bling.

Also, try perusing Craigslist for jeep bling. I got a teraflex spring leveling kit with rancho xl9000 shocks for $400. There are good deals in Craiglist.

As previously stated, where do you want to play?
 
#4 ·
Send me the money and I'll show you :) Before I or anyone else can answer your question, what to you want to do with said jeep? Dirt roads, play in mud and sand, rock craw etc? Look pretty going to the mall? I have a 2015 JKUR that is mostly stock. When I bought it, I didn't know chit about lifts, wheel tires etc and funds were limited. So I decided for protection. I bought a full set of skid plates and seat covers. I will take my jeep just about anywhere and run it naked most of the time. Since then, I have upgraded the bumpers, added a winch, more lighting and more bling. Also, try perusing Craigslist for jeep bling. I got a teraflex spring leveling kit with rancho xl9000 shocks for $400. There are good deals in Craiglist. As previously stated, where do you want to play?
I'm mostly going to go offroading on the beach because I live on a island (Corpus Christi TX) so there isn't really any places where there is large stretches of rocks it's all sand basically... But yeah I'm definitely not a mall crawler or want to be one, I go offroading 2 times a week with my truck and all my friends have jeeps and that's why I want a super capable jeep BUT I still want it to be a daily driver as well.:)
 
#3 ·
#6 ·
If you are getting a rubicon you don't need lockers, regear and an axle.
- Rubicon model already comes with electronic lockers.
- It comes with front Dana44 which is good up to 35, maybe 37 if you dont do extreme rock crawling.
- Rubi already comes with higher numerical gear set 4.10 which is fine for up 35".

With the 6-7k you have, you can alk the rest with no problem and may be more.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk
 
#7 ·
I built this Rubicon over the past year with primarily beach driving in mind as well as trail riding and some rock crawling. I did all of this work myself and the list adds up to just over $5k. I also sold the take off parts to help off set the cost (Hard top, tires, wheels, springs & shocks)

WF popular lift as mentioned - TF 2.5" lift, drop brackets, Rancho shocks
BFG KM2 35" tires and Level 8 Punch rims from discount tire direct
ProCal programmer
E-autgrills front and rear bumpers from Amazon (paint is chipping off though)
Smittybuilt winch
Exhaust spacer
CB radio
Bestop soft doors to match the soft top - much lighter to take off
BedTread floor liner - too much sand in the carpet and bound to rained in
JeepBackBone trunk enclosure
KC off road lights
Bushwacker flat fenders
1.25" bumpstops

Just this month I had a shop change to 4.88 gears, front ball joints and weld on C brackets for another $2,400. Beach sand is different everywhere, but with the 4.10s, it was pretty much 4L 90% of the time here. The 4.88s let me use 4H again on the beach. 4.10s were definitely usable though.
 

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#8 ·
It'll get you a Rock Krawler 2.5 with Fox shocks, your choice of wheels and 35" tires, and armor all the way around. Check out my build thread but look at everything prior to December. That should give you a decent idea of what you can do for 6k, as well as a functional off road rig that looks good and works well.
 
#9 ·
A stock Rubi can easily do what you want without any modification. All you need is a recovery kit and an air compressor to air back up. Everything else is really be a matter of personal preference. I'd start with replacing the stock headlights. I'd follow that up with air compressor, deflators, and a recovery kit. It wouldn't hurt to add a front bumper and a winch but probably can wait if only go out with friends. If that's the case I'd lift it first. If you go 3.5", consider a new front drive shaft. Regardless of height, I would encourage you to put some thought into it as not all lift kits are the same.
 
#10 ·
I deal with NorthRidge alot and mention you are a forum member and probably get some savings (no discounts on package deals)

Keep the stock bumpers
RockHard Winch Plate $170

TERAFLEX 2.5IN BASIC SUSPENSION LIFT KIT with adjustable Rancho Shocks $820

TERAFLEX EXHAUST SPACER KIT $50

RANCHO CONTROL ARM GEOMETRY CORRECTION BRACKETS $140

JW SPEAKER 8700 EVOLUTION J SERIES HEADLIGHT KIT $1040

$1680 sofar


Quadratec is my #2
I like this winch, done about 10 pulls and no issues. Plus replacement parts readily avail. Also mention for forum discount.
Quadratec 11k Winch with Synthetic line $500

$2180 sofar

like Dr. Obbins I'm a Level 8 punch fan
LEVEL 8 PUNCH $595

BFGOODRICH MUD TERRAIN T/A KM2 $1555

$4330 + lift install, tire mount balance and lifetime rotation and lifetime certificates if you choose

Oh yeah forgot the Procal
ProCal $170 no discount
 
#11 ·
I'd stay at 2.5 and put on flat fenders for your 35's. Something like the JKS J-Spec with a set of lower control arms to correct caster. Pick a nice wheel and 35's and a tube flare like the Aries. A stubby front bumper, programmer and a few other accessories of your choice and you've got $5k in it.

It'd look a little like this:

 
#15 ·
What I want to get is 35s all terrain or mud terrains with a 3" or 3.5" lift with 17" rims . Front and possibly back bumper, a winch, new gears,lockers and axle, and maybe new hood, and of coarse LED lights with LED hood lamps...
Buy the modded Jeep ;)

Your laundry list can easily exceed 20k.

3k alone will cost you wheels + tires
3k on lift and not including labor

the rest will just add up $$$ along the way...
 
#16 ·
So if you live in Corpus, you're probably talking about doing a lot of driving on Padre Island National Seashore (PINS). And you won't have lots of freeway miles to get there - so pretty much the sky is the limit as far as lifts/tires go. But honestly, any stock Rubi would be fine on PINS or any other Corpus beach. But to look like a real Jeep I'd consider a 1.5-2.5 lift and 33 or 35 AT tires.

More importantly though, I'd look at getting:

- Better headlights
- Some cheap chinese aux lighting and an spod or clone
- Front/rear bumpers with recovery and hi-lift jack points
- Winch
- On-board air compressor
- D-rings, kinetic rope, and a tow strap
- 2 or 4 Traction Boards
- Shovel
- Hi-lift jack
- Better stereo
- Neoprene seat covers
- Rip out the carpet and bedline the interior
- Some sort of sun protection - bimini top, spyderweb shade, etc.
 
#17 ·
-Level kit.
-33s in something like Nitto Ridge Grapplers or KO2s (assume it is already geared 4.10 - would not be ideal but liveable. If it isn't geared 4.10, I would rule out bigger tires until you can regear).
-17 inch wheel of your choice
-Flat fenders. This will give you the look of a big Jeep without the related potential driveline a d steering issues that come with bigger suspension lifts.
-Rock Hard winch plate is great - I have run this for a couple years
-Winch. I prefer Warn. Don't need the fancy $$$$$ ones - a basic VR level is fine


No one can tell you what you want - we can only tell you based on experience, your budget and your intended use what we would recommend.
 
#21 ·
Seems like once you crack 50k if you are not upgrading axles or engine then you aren't doing it right, so I think that extra 30k will definitely get you there.

Some people (possibly savvier than us) can get to tons + turbos under 30k but that has to be a bare-bones build of lift + wheels + tires + axles + lockers + gears + turbo and A LOT of the work has to be done DIY since parts alone will come to about 30k assuming buying quality new parts.
 
#23 ·
It's not clear to me why, if you're mostly running on beaches, you'd need 35" tires and a 3.5" lift; bigger tires are useful for rocks, but won't add that much flotation. If your '12 Rubi is an automatic, you probably don't have 4.10 diff gearing, so going to 35" tires would pretty much require regearing, which other posts have informed you is quite an expense. 33" tires that are wide enough should handle sand just fine, you could lift 2.5" and not put the suspension geometry out of whack (another major expense to correct), and you wouldn't need to regear. Add your bumpers and winch and you'll only be out maybe $3-4K. The other items are mostly bling, and you can add them over time; no need to rush.
 
#24 ·
This will put it into some perspective, certainly some things could be done cheaper but other than the supercharger and axle/gear labor, I've done it all myself and bought some of it at wholesale price.

43k jeep
2500 metalcloak 3.5" lift
2800 17" wheels & 35" tires
600 spod
550 Rigid cubes, rear bu, 20" light bar
1800 warn f&r bumpers tire mount
900 Warn Zeon 10s winch
130 factor 55 shackle
550 amp steps (half price of shop cost)
430 nav tv lock pick w bu camera
100 grab handles
500 arb comp w mount & accessories
80 floor mats
6000 supercharger
1300 f&r 4.56 gears and axle shafts
1400 gear/axle/sleeves/gussets labor
200 headlights
1400 leather 3rd row seat
200 dvd for the kids
1300 soft top

That's about 23,500 in extras, that hurt a little to add that up..

Still need skid plates...


That being said, a cheap smittybilt front bumper and winch for 1k, 32" or 33" tires w 17" wheels and a 2" budget boost lift for 3k, a 20" Rigid Radiance light bar for 250, and an ARB Compressor with accessories and winching accessories for another 1000 and you'd be right there for your budget. Something to think about anyways.
 

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#25 ·
some of you misunderstood my post lol it's fine though, I don't have 60k to spend on the jeep in mods LOLL I have 25k to spend on the whole jeep entirely, and since most completely stock rub icons 2012 are 20k I have an extra $5500 to spend on mods for the stock jeep. I didn't mean I have 25k plus another 25k to spend on mods that would be amazing but I don't lol sorry for anyone who misunderstood that.
 
#26 ·
I got that Lizzy. I think what we are saying is that it will take much more than you currently have allowed in your budget to realize how you want your Jeep to be. A 3.5 inch lift done right plus wheels and tires will probably eat up you entire budget. This does not take into account gearing which should be done when jumping to 35's.
 
#30 ·
Terraflex Dana 44 front and rear with rcv, arb, gears and installation is 9k. 5k for wheels and tires. 2k for bumpers, 3k for a mid grade lift. 1k for winch.

So that's at 20k. For dana 44s. That doesn't include highbsteer, big brakes, spod, lightings, radio upgrades, interior upgrades, hydro steer, air compressor, or anything else.

D60s installed correctly you're looking at 15k to 17k.
 
#31 ·
Lol, I think we all understood you correctly. AND gave you a reality check on the costs.

Had someone told me 6 months ago if had dumped over 20k into a rig I paid 43k for......I would have laughed.

As I and another poster pointed out, you can get a good looking and capable jeep for the budget you're working with, but it won't get you all you want.
 
#32 ·
Like most of us, you have a good amount of mods that you are looking to do to your Jeep. One of the mistakes that can be made by new owners is getting to anxious to buy and install everything on day one with an inadequate budget. For instance, if you want a winch are you willing to blow 25% of your current budget on a high quality Warn Zeon? My point is, take a slower approach and buy high quality parts so you don't get stuck re-modding. A good set of 35's will cost you $1.5k or so and the regear alone that you are looking at is $1.5-2.0k. Buy quality and just realize this mod game is a marathon not a sprint unless you have endless funds.


OIIIIIIIO
 
#35 ·
Guys, I know everyone is proud of their rigs and is mostly loyal to the parts they bought. But you can get quality lift and tires for under her goal of $6,000

"The most popular lift on WF" can't be all that bad. I run it and it is great for my use. Can be bought and self installed under $900. 35" BFG KM2s mounted on Level 8 wheels with TPMs $2,500. 4.88 gears with welded "C" gussets and DH diff covers $1,700 installed. Sub-Total $5,100.

She is looking at the Rubi so obviously doesn't need to purchase the lockers. A decent winch $300+ and a decent front bumper $600.

Total $6,000. Then add the light bar at a later time.
 
#36 ·
But you forget you are trying to give her something she did not ask for. Many of us where just trying to tell her that $6500 is not enough to do everything she wants. We see it everyday here people throw good money after bad. She has a vision and if like most of us will not be happy until she reaches it. In fact that is half the fun of owning a Jeep. If we can't be out wheeling at least we can keep modding until we can.
 
#37 ·
I agree that $5500 is not enough to do everything you want to do.
So, go back and read what mommymawlcrawler typed.
Only thing I would do different is 34x10.50 all terrains.
A narrow tire works better on the sand than a wider tire, and all terrains work better in the sand than mud terrains.
 
#41 ·
That is totally dependent on the type of sand you are running here. Hell we got people here who have to trailer there rigs because they need to run paddles.
 
#38 ·
Lizzy got derailed... Bummer.

I can tell you that we have about $2500 in my daughters Jeep... She's on a tight budget. But she's got 33's, flats, rock rails, a front bumper and the cheap and cheaty 4dr springs 1.5" lift with front LCA's. I'll wrangle up a photo...
 
#44 ·
Here's the $2500 so far... She's planning 35's and re-gear at next tire change.



Doesn't take much to get them going in the right direction.
 
#42 ·
Awful lot of big Jeep talk for what Lizzy was trying to do.

5 - 315 KO2's and 5 - Sheriff's from DTD is $1775

WF popular TF kit with geo and 5000X from Krawl is $870

Procal is $170

Barricade Stubby is $400

Barricade Rubi rails are $200

Aries Tube Flares are $770

1/2" front TF spacer is $32

Barricade 9500 winch is $300

Barricade rear bumper is $300

Already has lockers, it's a Rubi

Re-gear to 4.56 is $1200 - Can do it here in PHX for $1000.

$6017 + install if can't do it. Most areas have a Jeep club that a few members will help for beer and pizza...

Pretty solid without using evilBay parts...
 
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