Opinions on Expedition Rigs

[Saharicon]

So I have been doing a lot of research over the last couple weeks on a expedition rig to build. I will be selling the TJ sometime over the next couple months to drop the payment while I am overseas, and then deciding what vehicle to buy next.

I am going to be building more of an expedition rig, not for hard core rock crawling or anything like that. I get kinda bored with rock crawling after a little bit. So this will be more for long, exploration type trips. Probably 35s max, 1 locker, lots of camping/exp gear etc etc.

Im up and down on a couple vehicles so I thought id see some opinions.

and of course I love jeeps and always will, but at the same time I want to see something different, but then agian dont know if I can stray from Jeep.

1. 4 door JK - Its got room, very capable, tons of aftermarket and my first choice.

2. WK - I like the idea of a SUV style EXP rig and really like the styling of the WK and whats out there for it. Cons - its not a wrangler

3. 4th Generation Toytota 4 Runner. I really like them, but its not a jeep, IFS, not as much aftermarket support.

4. Always was throwing around Xterra but I really dont think Im interested in them.

Just looking for feedback and opinions or information I might of not seen that someone else knows.

[HeavyMetal]

I get kinda bored with rock crawling after a little bit.

emphasis on LITTLE BIT.

4 door JK, /thread

aftermarket support is a huge glaring point , offroad capability out of the box, stock tire clearance, you know this is the choice

[Buffalo Phil]

emphasis on LITTLE BIT.

4 door JK, /thread

aftermarket support is a huge glaring point , offroad capability out of the box, stock tire clearance, you know this is the choice

This.

[Saharicon]

emphasis on LITTLE BIT.

4 door JK, /thread

aftermarket support is a huge glaring point , offroad capability out of the box, stock tire clearance, you know this is the choice

Little bit, well I dunno. I dont mind driving around and hanging out with everybody, but something about sitting on a trail for 5hrs while 10 rigs try to limp there way through drives me nuts, I guess im just more into speed. like KOH, XRRA when it comes to rocks. Ive always been big on travel and exploring though, which is where EXPing comes into play.

[Buffalo Phil]

[Saharicon]

what phil!? what did i do now!?

[Buffalo Phil]

Nothing. I just thought that was the most appropriate smiley at the time.

[XJtheXtremeJeep]

Id vote a 4 door rubicon, all ya gotta do is throw on a small lift and 35's that or do a lil trimming for the 35's. Or you could just get the X model that you can option with a rear locker in the 44 and also 4.10 gears i beleive but if your doing 35's you mind as well start with a rubicon in my opinion just so you don't have to upgrade the axles and stuff, the last thing you wanna do is get 4500392532895732057 miles in the woods and break some dana 30 shit especially seeing that none of its dana 30 stuff bolts in to any other dana 30 previously made.

I wouldn't do the WK becuase of IFS, they look cool but they truly aren't THAT roomy, the v8 is cool but with 35's it would prlly be the death of the IFS and if you got the V6 you'd just want to kill yourself.

The fourth gen 4 runners are cool but once again ifs, and they aren't really known to be extremely powerful IE. you would def need to regear it. plus side is you can find em with a single locker.

And finally the xterra's kinda suck.. they don't really do anything well, and they aren't quick whatsoever. my friend has one with the 3.3 and it was like driving a volkswagen bus, and if anyones drivin one of those you know what i mean.

[Saharicon]

Thats another spot I was undecided with the JK, do I do the X and just upgrade axles to something real stout or just do the Rubicon and call it a day or will I end up just doing something with those axles too because our nature is to never be content with what we have

[HeavyMetal]

well are u gonna rockcrawl or get bored of it, lol

an X would be up to the task of expedition purposes, it is really more capable than people give it credit for out of the box IMO... but a TRUE all said and done exp rig should probably be an outfitted rubicon.

its all your money budget

crunch the numbers, do you want the BFG mts that come on the rubicon trim? will you go up in size? see what the cost diference is between a rubicon and an X and then see what itd cost to build similarly outfitted axles, there are other differences as well of course, t case and such.

[XJtheXtremeJeep]

I've heard of people running the jk 44's with no breaking on like 38.5s and stuff cruise around some jk forums, the new 44's are wayyy stronger than even the 44's out of the hp fords, they have stronger ring and pinions, bigger axle shafts inner and outer, bigger u joints, and the housing now is just as strong, in the beginning they were breaking but that is why mopar had that deal that they were selling complete axles with lockers for 1400 bucks, that was just to get rid of the stock so they didnt have to put them into any jk's and then have to do warrenty work because when you bought the axles they came with no warrenty then they stopped for 3 months and sold em for 3500 ea

[Quartney]

woo! JK

[Buffalo Phil]

Fixing the Saharicon is out of the question then? How would simply upgrading the axles under the Saharicon be compared to buying a brand new vehicle? What happens when something catastrophic happens to the new jeep? Will you be able to pay off the full jeep all at once? Will you have another vehicle as a daily driver? What mods do you plan to make to the vehicle to make it EXP worthy other then the package that comes from the factory?

[HeavyMetal]

woo! JK

sique tech advice

[HeavyMetal]

Fixing the Saharicon is out of the question then? How would simply upgrading the axles under the Saharicon be compared to buying a brand new vehicle? What happens when something catastrophic happens to the new jeep? Will you be able to pay off the full jeep all at once? Will you have another vehicle as a daily driver? What mods do you plan to make to the vehicle to make it EXP worthy other then the package that comes from the factory?

i imagine room being an issue in the codycon