04 Rubicon needs more power - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum

JeepnBlake · 11-26-2009, 01:20 PM

Picked up an o4 Rubi a couple days ago, and this thing is kind of slow tbh, It's all stock with 265/75/16's on it.

Help me weight out the options

Gen III/IV Swap

Good: Great power, Great Engine Bad: Electrical Gauges, Lockers etc won't work correctly.

Hemi Swap

Good: Mopar to Mopar, Electronics should work together Bad: Can only swap in an automatic.

Stroker

Good: No replacement for displacement Bad: Not a v8

Bolt on Crap

Good: Power? Bad: Low bang for buck.

Ideally I would like my Rubi to have 300 or so HP with everything working as stock, gauges lockers etc, while retaining a manual trans.

Can anyone settle the score here?

Jeffb_79 · 11-26-2009, 04:56 PM

Is money a factor? I'm assuming not really if you're talking about a hemi swap.
Have you thought about re-gearing before you jump head first into a $10k project?

mike4089 · 11-26-2009, 05:17 PM

i vote re-gear then decide

JeepnBlake · 11-26-2009, 07:45 PM

Stocker Rubi with 265/75/16's and 4.11s?

The Gearing to me is fine and dandy for where it's currently at, I'm just used to my 95 5.2 Grand Cherokee, and 81 AMC 360 Cj7.

I'm not saying this rubi needs to be a race car, but i don't think 275-300 hp is unrealistic for it.

I did the 258 to 360 swap in my 81 and it made it way more fun to drive, I'm just looking for something similar for this 1.

Jeffb_79 · 11-26-2009, 07:51 PM

Why would you think the gearing is fine if you want more power? If you plan on keeping the stock tire size, bump the gearing up to 4.56. If you plan on going larger, bump it up to 4.88 or 5.13 and then see if you feel like you need more power.

JeepnBlake · 11-26-2009, 08:10 PM

I like the "Interstate-Ability" It has now.

The main reason is I need something that will be Interstate worthy.

4wdParakeet · 11-27-2009, 09:01 AM

I would vote Stroker but I have one and it made my XJ fun to drive again. And that's with 33's and 3.55's. I looked at the V-8 swap when my motor shelled. But the time and money involved for this adaptor, that adaptor, now all my time wiring and probally screwing something up so I have to go back and redo it.

It was cheaper and easier to build a stroker. I spent 3k but it has Forged pistons, Moly rings, Lunati cam and lifters, 96 head and intake with a 5 angle valve job on head, 24lb ford injectors etc. It only cost so much because I had the machine shop actually build it for me too.

You can do it a lot cheaper than what I did it for. You can find replacement pistons for about 200 bucks vs the 600+ for forged pistons and moly rings. You actually have the better head and intake so you wouldn't have to find an upgrade like I did. If I would have put the motor together myself it would have cost me less than half of what I paid. But too me it was worth the money knowing it was built right.

Parakeet

Vecoplan · 11-27-2009, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeepnBlake

Picked up an o4 Rubi a couple days ago, and this thing is kind of slow tbh, It's all stock with 265/75/16's on it.

Help me weight out the options

Let me stretch... (neck cracking)...Ok... let's do it!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeepnBlake

Gen III/IV Swap

Good: Great power, Great Engine Bad: Electrical Gauges, Lockers etc won't work correctly.

Perfect analysis and most that have done it wish they had done something different.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeepnBlake

Hemi Swap

Good: Mopar to Mopar, Electronics should work together Bad: Can only swap in an automatic.

WRONG; Getrag 236/G56 Manual transmission works just fine. You still have to find an 04' Ram computer from a 5.7 driven Manual tranny vehicle (needle in haystack... as a matter of fact I'm looking for another one for a friend if anyone has found one). Tony/Chris can make your electronics a breeze and if you can fab up the mounts and run the cables you'll be good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeepnBlake

Stroker

Good: No replacement for displacement Bad: Not a v8

Bolt on Crap

Good: Power? Bad: Low bang for buck.

This is absolutely true... it is a fun thing to do though and if you happen to pick up a blown 4.O and can get it cheap/free then it is justiable... doing it to a running motor the dollars/gained HP ratio is a bit low... but you get to tell people you spent the last 2 months stroking in the garage... who can argue with that?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeepnBlake

Ideally I would like my Rubi to have 300 or so HP with everything working as stock, gauges lockers etc, while retaining a manual trans.

300- HP I'd say stock Hemi swap
400- HP I'd say 392 stroked Hemi swap with a good balanced cam to give you a nice idle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeepnBlake

Can anyone settle the score here?

GIGGITY...

JeepnBlake · 11-27-2009, 01:43 PM

Quote:

WRONG; Getrag 236/G56 Manual transmission works just fine. You still have to find an 04' Ram computer from a 5.7 driven Manual tranny vehicle (needle in haystack... as a matter of fact I'm looking for another one for a friend if anyone has found one). Tony/Chris can make your electronics a breeze and if you can fab up the mounts and run the cables you'll be good.

Woah shit man!! I had no idea... you da man

It's a bit rare, but now i've got a swap possibility. Thanks so much.

Vecoplan · 11-27-2009, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeepnBlake

Woah shit man!! I had no idea... you da man

It's a bit rare, but now i've got a swap possibility. Thanks so much.

If money's not an option I have a nice full setup I could be talked out of: 5.7 Hemi with less than 11k miles on it full assembled to a G-56 manual siting in a crate in my garage. It'd have to be a pretty nice offer though.

Here is a link to Burnsville's site for some good pics of G-56 Hemi installs and some prices that'll give you a heart attack faster than yesterday's eating habits:

http://www.burnsvilleoffroad.com/Art...ished_TJs.aspx

JeepnBlake · 11-27-2009, 03:33 PM

I wish i had the $$$ for it now

but if you don't mind did you source everything from a ram 2500?

Vecoplan · 11-27-2009, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeepnBlake

I wish i had the $$$ for it now

but if you don't mind did you source everything from a ram 2500?

Yup... all came out of a 2006 Powerwagon I bought from the insurance company and parted out.

N8R · 11-27-2009, 06:38 PM

Hemi all the way.... Do it right the first time....

11-26-2009, 01:20 PM	#1 (permalink)
JeepnBlake Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Member # 143858 Posts: 9	04 Rubicon needs more power Picked up an o4 Rubi a couple days ago, and this thing is kind of slow tbh, It's all stock with 265/75/16's on it. Help me weight out the options Gen III/IV Swap Good: Great power, Great Engine Bad: Electrical Gauges, Lockers etc won't work correctly. Hemi Swap Good: Mopar to Mopar, Electronics should work together Bad: Can only swap in an automatic. Stroker Good: No replacement for displacement Bad: Not a v8 Bolt on Crap Good: Power? Bad: Low bang for buck. Ideally I would like my Rubi to have 300 or so HP with everything working as stock, gauges lockers etc, while retaining a manual trans. Can anyone settle the score here?

11-26-2009, 07:45 PM	#4 (permalink)
JeepnBlake Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Member # 143858 Posts: 9	Stocker Rubi with 265/75/16's and 4.11s? The Gearing to me is fine and dandy for where it's currently at, I'm just used to my 95 5.2 Grand Cherokee, and 81 AMC 360 Cj7. I'm not saying this rubi needs to be a race car, but i don't think 275-300 hp is unrealistic for it. I did the 258 to 360 swap in my 81 and it made it way more fun to drive, I'm just looking for something similar for this 1. Last edited by JeepnBlake; 11-26-2009 at 07:47 PM.

11-27-2009, 09:01 AM	#7 (permalink)
4wdParakeet Registered User Join Date: May 2006 Member # 72772 Location: olathe ks Posts: 84	I would vote Stroker but I have one and it made my XJ fun to drive again. And that's with 33's and 3.55's. I looked at the V-8 swap when my motor shelled. But the time and money involved for this adaptor, that adaptor, now all my time wiring and probally screwing something up so I have to go back and redo it. It was cheaper and easier to build a stroker. I spent 3k but it has Forged pistons, Moly rings, Lunati cam and lifters, 96 head and intake with a 5 angle valve job on head, 24lb ford injectors etc. It only cost so much because I had the machine shop actually build it for me too. You can do it a lot cheaper than what I did it for. You can find replacement pistons for about 200 bucks vs the 600+ for forged pistons and moly rings. You actually have the better head and intake so you wouldn't have to find an upgrade like I did. If I would have put the motor together myself it would have cost me less than half of what I paid. But too me it was worth the money knowing it was built right. Parakeet __________________ I know about the search button. It's like a needle in a haystack.

11-27-2009, 06:38 PM	#13 (permalink)
N8R Registered User Join Date: Apr 2009 Member # 133838 Location: Utah Posts: 65	Hemi all the way.... Do it right the first time.... __________________ 05 LJ/Five Seven Hemi/CRD60's/High Fenders/LCG 4Link/40's

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11-26-2009, 04:56 PM	#2 (permalink)
Jeffb_79 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Member # 109710 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 140	Is money a factor? I'm assuming not really if you're talking about a hemi swap. Have you thought about re-gearing before you jump head first into a $10k project?

11-26-2009, 05:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
mike4089 samoorian Supply LLC Join Date: Dec 2008 Member # 125421 Location: Springfield MO Posts: 1,102	i vote re-gear then decide

11-26-2009, 07:51 PM	#5 (permalink)
Jeffb_79 Registered User Join Date: Mar 2008 Member # 109710 Location: Fairfax, VA Posts: 140	Why would you think the gearing is fine if you want more power? If you plan on keeping the stock tire size, bump the gearing up to 4.56. If you plan on going larger, bump it up to 4.88 or 5.13 and then see if you feel like you need more power.

11-26-2009, 08:10 PM	#6 (permalink)
JeepnBlake Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Member # 143858 Posts: 9	I like the "Interstate-Ability" It has now. The main reason is I need something that will be Interstate worthy.

11-27-2009, 03:33 PM	#11 (permalink)
JeepnBlake Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Member # 143858 Posts: 9	I wish i had the $$$ for it now but if you don't mind did you source everything from a ram 2500?