Rubicon or Sahara

billiebob

Well-known member
The Willys Wheeler is a Sport plus all the electronics/connectiviy options.
3.73 is a great all around ratio.
 

Bullseye240

Adventurer
There is one HUGE difference between a Rubi and every other Wrangler and that is the 4:1 Rubi transfer case VS the 2.79:1 transfer case in everything else. The Rubi has a CRAWLING transfer case. I have an '05 TJR and I HATE it. But I use it to haul my work trailer and for that, I can live with it.

Drive one in 4LO before you decide. If you can live with never getting over 15mph in 4LO... you might like it. But I doubt you will. For the past 70 years EVERY 4WD came with a 2.70s??? transfer case. ONLY the Rubi has a transfer case to climb a waterfall. On the beach, thru a mud hole, you NEED wheel speed. The Rubi cannot give you that.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Sport/Sahara transfer case has better/superior 4LO ratios.

Lockers are an easy install.
Yep, everything you said about the stock Rubicon transfer case is correct but Advance Adapters fixes that with this: https://www.advanceadapters.com/categories/rubicrawler/237/
Installed one in my LJR and love it as it gives you so many options, 2WD, 2WD low, 4WD, 4WD 2.73:1 low, 4WD 4:1 low and 10.88:1 low for when you want to go nowhere fast.
 

Bobzdar

Observer
There is one HUGE difference between a Rubi and every other Wrangler and that is the 4:1 Rubi transfer case VS the 2.79:1 transfer case in everything else. The Rubi has a CRAWLING transfer case. I have an '05 TJR and I HATE it. But I use it to haul my work trailer and for that, I can live with it.

Drive one in 4LO before you decide. If you can live with never getting over 15mph in 4LO... you might like it. But I doubt you will. For the past 70 years EVERY 4WD came with a 2.70s??? transfer case. ONLY the Rubi has a transfer case to climb a waterfall. On the beach, thru a mud hole, you NEED wheel speed. The Rubi cannot give you that.

Contrary to popular opinion, the Sport/Sahara transfer case has better/superior 4LO ratios.

Lockers are an easy install.

This really isn't an issue on the JL's - they have 8 speeds and a manual mode so you can do 30 in 4 low if you want (but why would you?). Just ratchet it up a few gears. If I'm not on rough stuff I usually put mine in 3rd in 4 low, gives decent speed. However, if I don't need the lockers, there's no point in even putting it in 4 low. The 1st gear in the 8 speed is low enough to not even be necessary to drop to 4 low unless you're really crawling. I don't view it as a detriment at all, you've got the really low gearing if you need it and have plenty of gears if you want to go faster. There's no law (or even recommendation that I'm aware of) saying you have to stay in 1st gear in 4 low...
 

Buliwyf

Viking with a Hammer
Do any Jeeps other than the Ruby and Gladiator come with D44 axles? (or center sections at least)

I generally prefer the 2.73-ish low ranges. 4.0 might be a hair too low for my use. I doubt I'd ever put effort into finding one or the other though. You don't want to spend all day in 4L if the gears your selecting are available in 4H. Extra wear and tear on the xfer case.
 

billiebob

Well-known member
Rear axles, The D44 is optional on several packages. Front axles the D44 is only on the Rubicon.

But D30 front axles are plenty strong since 4WD only sends 50% of the torque to the front or rear axle.
The D44 rear axle is only specced for 2WD applications where 100% of the torque goes thru the rear axle.
 

billiebob

Well-known member
My YJ had 33s and 3.07s. I shifted into 4LO as soon as I turned onto a forestry road. Lots of guys are critical of the 3.07 ratio but on a gravel road, in 4LO I could run 60mph. It drove like an off road Mustang.

If you hate speed, the Rubi with 4.10s and the 4:1 transfer case is a good combination. But if you like fast driving, the Sport 2.72:1 transfer case is the better combination.
 

wild1

Adventurer
My YJ had 33s and 3.07s. I shifted into 4LO as soon as I turned onto a forestry road. Lots of guys are critical of the 3.07 ratio but on a gravel road, in 4LO I could run 60mph. It drove like an off road Mustang.

If you hate speed, the Rubi with 4.10s and the 4:1 transfer case is a good combination. But if you like fast driving, the Sport 2.72:1 transfer case is the better combination.
You can do the same thing in a eight speed jlu Rubicon and you still have eight lower gears when you need them.
 

billiebob

Well-known member
You can do the same thing in a eight speed jlu Rubicon and you still have eight lower gears when you need them.
its just not the same

The JL Rubi with 8 speed, 6000rpm, 53mph in 8th.
The JL Sport, 8 speed, 6000rpm, 8th gear, 79mph.
Making the Sport case a much better choice for a back roads burner.
60mph in 4LO with the Sport is 4500rpm.

60mph in a Rubi.... is 6800rpm.... for a few minutes only.

Those speeds are with 33s and 4.10 ratios.
 
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billiebob

Well-known member
its just not the same

The JL Rubi with 8 speed, 6000rpm, 53mph in 8th.
The JL Sport, 8 speed, 6000rpm, 8th gear, 79mph.
Making the Sport case a much better choice for a back roads burner.
60mph in 4LO with the Sport is 4500rpm.

60mph in a Rubi.... is 6800rpm.... for a few minutes only.

Those speeds are with 33s and 4.10 ratios.
60 mph in 4 Lo? Or did you mean 4 Hi?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk
 

billiebob

Well-known member
4LO, that is why I like the Sport Transfer Case. It runs like a Mustang on a forestry road. 60mph is only 4500rpm
 

Bobzdar

Observer
4LO, that is why I like the Sport Transfer Case. It runs like a Mustang on a forestry road. 60mph is only 4500rpm

This makes no sense - why on earth would you be in 4 low in those conditions? Just use 4 hi.

With the Rubi, you only need 4 low if you use the lockers, otherwise there's zero point as 1st gear in 4 hi is low enough to crawl slowly. Or you can put it in 4 low and manually select 3rd gear, which is what I do if I think I'm going to need the lockers at some point and can't be bothered to stop and shift the lever (which is what I almost always do). It makes zero sense to use 4 low in the conditions you're talking about.
 

billiebob

Well-known member
Obviously you use your Wrangler differently than I do and obviously you are not following the conversation.

Fact is 4LO in any gear in the Rubi is like driving a tractor. But 4LO in any other Wrangler is like, well it is like driving ANY other 4x4 built over the past 50 years. The Rubi is a one off with a very narrow, focused, specific use. My point is, if you love driving you will likely hate 4LO in the Rubi. But you'll likely LOVE 4LO in any other 4x4. The only guys who ever argue that point are the fanatics who swear the Rubi is the best 4x4 ever. Needing to justify their purchase and wanting to vault their ego into Rubi heaven.

Drive a Rubi before you buy it cuz the Rubi 4LO is incredibly limiting.... as you say you never use it. If you had a Sport you would love the performance in 4LO. YOU, should drive a Sport in 4LO.

But I agree, the ONLY time to use 4LO in a Rubi is if you want to crawl. .... Mostly because that is all it can do.

I put 25K miles a year on my Rubi. I like it because I tow a trailer almost every day.... and 4LO lets me crawl over rough terrain with a trailer full of tools.

I still love 4LO on a forestry road at 60mph in a Sport. Try it.
 

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