Max tire size for.....?

[BADLIBBY]

...03 KJ w/ OME springs and struts, 1/4 top plate shims and 3/8 Clevis lift in front, 2 extra upper isos (on each side) in the rear.

I'm running BFG KO2s 265/70/16s on 16x8 wheels 0/4.5" backspacing, but I want to go BIGGER.

 

[MarksmanAkula]

...03 KJ w/ OME springs and struts, 1/4 top plate shims and 3/8 Clevis lift in front, 2 extra upper isos (on each side) in the rear.

I'm running BFG KO2s 265/70/16s on 16x8 wheels 0/4.5" backspacing, but I want to go BIGGER.

Are you willing to re-gear?

 

[tommudd]

Everyone always wants to go bigger until they find out that going bigger means regearing
Do you have JBA upper control arms yet ? If not you need them
and 32s is pushing it even for 4.10s, 4.56s would be perfect for 32s but ( not going to happen )
265-70-16s and 4.10s are perfect , 4.10s and 32s not so much
Stick with the 265-70-16s unless you just want to run around and say I have 32s and 4.10s
32s are only an inch taller, so you would gain 1/2 inch more height under your belly
Depends on how you want to use it as well, if only off road, then that is way different than building a DD/off roader

This comes from experience,
my 04 with 32s and 4.10s for way over 100,000 miles
and my 03 with 265-70-16s , 4.10s for the last 80,000 plus miles
Plus many other KJs I've worked on
Plus many more 4x4s over the years. go bigger/regear
32s and stock gearing runs hotter, works the transmission that much more shifting all the time , mileage drops way down , bad enough with 31s and stock gearing

 

[BADLIBBY]

Roger that. Yes I have JBA UCAs. My KO2s are around a year old so maybe I'll wear them out first and consider the regear.

 

[tommudd]

Consider the regear with what you have now, they ( 265-70-16s ) do better with 4.10s anyways
There is a reason I only went 2.5 inches on the 03 when I built it
I have the JBA coilovers so can go 4 plus inches but knew if I did I would want 32s and they just don't work as well with 4.10s as 31s do
If JBA still produced the steel front diffs I would went higher, went to 4.56s / 32s and been happy

 

[BADLIBBY]

So for regearing....cheapest way is to swap with a CRD or Libby 4-******?

 

[tommudd]

So for regearing....cheapest way is to swap with a CRD or Libby 4-******?

NO CRD, they do not have 4.10s in the USA, only 4 ****** gassers

 

[BADLIBBY]

Do I just swap the gears in the rear diff? Or take the whole axel? Furthermore, do you have any experience going to a Dana 44s from a JK Rubicon?

 

[MarksmanAkula]

Do I just swap the gears in the rear diff? Or take the whole axel? Furthermore, do you have any experience going to a Dana 44s from a JK Rubicon?

Cleanest way to swap them is to swap the axle as a whole. The 4 ****** Liberties had 4.10's in the same axle housings as the V6's. Just find a 4 CYL with confirmed 4.10's, pull and replace.

 

[BADLIBBY]

Cleanest way to swap them is to swap the axle as a whole. The 4 ****** Liberties had 4.10's in the same axle housings as the V6's. Just find a 4 CYL with confirmed 4.10's, pull and replace.

Is everything else the same?

 

[tommudd]

02-05 all the same, we;; 02s had drum brakes
But you can swap everything over,
easy job I've done half a dozen or so plus 2 of mine