Sport (not S) with Max Tow, Opinions?

[Mastiff]

I'm a keep it simple kind of guy and really not interested in most of the gadgetry they are trying to push. I live in Arizona and have heated mirrors, among other nonsense, in my JK because I wanted the Rubicon hardware. I sat in a Sport Gladiator with crank windows and mostly stripped and felt right at home. I understand if I get the Max Tow package, I'll have the same axles as Rubicon, just without lockers. I can add lockers later. The 4:1 T-case turns out to be too low for anything I normally do, and the sway bar can also be done by the aftermarket, no big deal. So what do I really lose if I go this route?

By the way, is there consensus on whether lift is needed on these to fit 35's, and use them off road? Also, I read a 35" spare can go under the bed. Is this the case?

Thanks.

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[TheSolarWizard]

I'm a keep it simple kind of guy and really not interested in most of the gadgetry they are trying to push. I live in Arizona and have heated mirrors, among other nonsense, in my JK because I wanted the Rubicon hardware. I sat in a Sport Gladiator with crank windows and mostly stripped and felt right at home. I understand if I get the Max Tow package, I'll have the same axles as Rubicon, just without lockers. I can add lockers later. The 4:1 T-case turns out to be too low for anything I normally do, and the sway bar can also be done by the aftermarket, no big deal. So what do I really lose if I go this route?

By the way, is there consensus on whether lift is needed on these to fit 35's, and use them off road? Also, I read a 35" spare can go under the bed. Is this the case?

Thanks.

Spare fits
If you’re going off-road you’ll want a 2” lift for those 35s

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I thought max tow was only a Sport S option....... am I wrong - again?

Yeah I can see why they say 2" - I tried 34's under my Overland and they barely fit in the openings - would have rubbed or hit had I don't anything fun with it so didn't buy 'em.

 

[NaughtyGeek]

Rock rails, high line fenders, hood, front steel skid plate, suspension and "bling" trim aside from what you already listed are what you would lose. The Rubicon can fit 35" without a lift where, as stated, you'll need a lift with the Sport. If you're only wanting to go 35" and you're going to add lockers and sway bar disconnect it may be beneficial to price out what you want to install and add that to the price of the base Sport just so you know exactly what you're getting for what you're spending. Also worth noting, you have to get an automatic to get the max tow package.

 

[Mastiff]

Rock rails, high line fenders, hood, front steel skid plate, suspension and "bling" trim aside from what you already listed are what you would lose. The Rubicon can fit 35" without a lift where, as stated, you'll need a lift with the Sport. If you're only wanting to go 35" and you're going to add lockers and sway bar disconnect it may be beneficial to price out what you want to install and add that to the price of the base Sport just so you know exactly what you're getting for what you're spending. Also worth noting, you have to get an automatic to get the max tow package.

Bleh. The built in lift and higher fenders are important to me, and expensive to swap in. I didn't realize the lift was only needed on Sport. What is different about the hood?

Looks like Mopar has closed any loophole that would have allowed me to avoid a bunch of electronics I don't want or need.

EDIT: Well, I priced a Rubicon and a Sport and the Rubi is $7500 more MSRP. Lift, flairs and rock rail can probably be had for $3-3.5K or so. Rubi still has lockers though, which ain't cheap for selectables. In the end it would probably be pretty close to break even price wise, unless I just go without lockers, which would probably be fine for the mild off-roading I do.

 

[JESmith]

I also opted for a base sport with the max tow package. 35" tires would be a tight fit. With the stock 31" tires, I have 6" of clearance all the way around the tire. 35" tires would drop this to 4" of clearance. This measurement is sitting in my driveway with no load.

 

[WXman]

I have Max Tow and 35s required trimming the air dam to fit on road and they required a 2" front lift to clear off road. But, a set of good 2" spacers is like $50. No biggie.

 

[Rex3rd]

I thought max tow was only a Sport S option....... am I wrong - again?

Yeah I can see why they say 2" - I tried 34's under my Overland and they barely fit in the openings - would have rubbed or hit had I don't anything fun with it so didn't buy 'em.

Sport may be the bare bones model but she also can be equipped with max tow

 

[Rex3rd]

Bleh. The built in lift and higher fenders are important to me, and expensive to swap in. I didn't realize the lift was only needed on Sport. What is different about the hood?

Looks like Mopar has closed any loophole that would have allowed me to avoid a bunch of electronics I don't want or need.

EDIT: Well, I priced a Rubicon and a Sport and the Rubi is $7500 more MSRP. Lift, flairs and rock rail can probably be had for $3-3.5K or so. Rubi still has lockers though, which ain't cheap for selectables. In the end it would probably be pretty close to break even price wise, unless I just go without lockers, which would probably be fine for the mild off-roading I do.

Go with a sport s max tow without the goodies and technology. People are putting 35 Rubi take off rims and tires under them and taking the air dam off for clearance. Works like a charm

 

[Mastiff]

Go with a sport s max tow without the goodies and technology. People are putting 35 Rubi take off rims and tires under them and taking the air dam off for clearance. Works like a charm

Can you be more specific? What about lift and fenders?

 

[NaughtyGeek]

Go with a sport s max tow without the goodies and technology. People are putting 35 Rubi take off rims and tires under them and taking the air dam off for clearance. Works like a charm

The Rubi take offs are 33", not 35". That said, you can get 35s on a sport for less than the cost of the Rubicon and arguably you could get better lockers in there for the same money. At that point it becomes a question of if you want the factory integration or not. If you're not doing hard core rock crawling then the factory option may suit you best. If you want hard core, building the sport is most likely the better option.

 

[AJ-MJ]

I would think of the resale value. A stock Rubicon vs a heavily modified Sport w/max tow!

 

[Lynn_F]

Can you be more specific? What about lift and fenders?

The high line fenders that come stock on a Rubicon are available after market for ~$600-700. I believe that and removing the air dam is all you would need to run 35's. See below for air dam reference: 1st pic with and 2nd pic without.

 

[Mastiff]

I would think of the resale value. A stock Rubicon vs a heavily modified Sport w/max tow!

Indeed, but it depends how long you intend to keep it. At some point all the electronics start to break, so you either pay a fortune to keep fixing it, or end up going to resale with a bunch of non-functioning gadgets. Whether this is 5 years or 20, I can't say. In 5-10 the electronics will probably seem dated though. I predict simple controls and manual stuff will always be in demand on Jeeps. Especially older ones that people want to modify and wheel.

That said, nobody wants someone else's "heavily modified" anything. In my case, I'd just do a lift, factory fenders and maybe lockers. I'd likely wait until I found myself needing them, which (if I'm honest with myself) is unlikely to happen any time soon.

 

[Mastiff]

The high line fenders that come stock on a Rubicon are available after market for ~$600-700. I believe that and removing the air dam is all you would need to run 35's. See below for air dam reference: 1st pic with and 2nd pic without.

Thanks. Looks better without it anyway. I think the Rubi sits an inch or two higher also, are you saying no lift required for 35's with just the Rubi fenders?

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