I was sitting at my desk and thinking. I am trying to decide on the next item to review and what to install on the Jeep. In the middle of that thinking, I realized something.
For every part I contemplated using, there was another complementary or necessary part. Complimentary parts aren’t so bad, you can choose not to install them. Necessary parts cost money and you have to install them.
Take for instance larger tires.
This was more of an issue on older Jeeps but it still holds true in some cases. Buying a large tire usually requires buying new wheels. Depending on the model Jeep, or another vehicle, it may also need a suspension lift.
You decide on a 37-inch tall tire that has a nice look to it and only needs a little more room to fit. They will even fit with your stock wheels. You decide to buy a 3.5-inch lift so the tires have plenty of room. The specification for the lift tells you to buy new wheels with less than 4.5-inches of backspacing. If you don’t the tires will rub the control arms. The more you change the slipperier the slope.
You got new wheels, new tires, and the lift. Everything is great, right?
The short answer is yes-ish. On a 2-door JL you “should” upgrade the rear driveshaft. The factory CV joint is under immense strain with a 3.5-inch lift. If you decide to upgrade the driveshaft do you opt for a transfer case yoke or axle yoke?
Now that you have larger tires should you buy new gears? Oh, if I buy new gears and decide on the axle side yoke I should do them together.
We keep sliding down that slope faster and farther. Did you get a programmer to change the tire size? Whether you do it yourself or have the dealer program it that’s not optional. We slid a little bit more.
What do I do?
That’s a great question. To date, there is no known cure. This is a disease. It is “Gear Acquisition Syndrome” or GAS. You may have heard the term used in reference to other hobbies as well. The only known medication is to make small purchases on a regular basis. This will keep the disease from completely ruining your credit with large purchases.
You want to avoid large gatherings of off-road vehicles. Stay away from FaceBook forums. Definitely do not associate with other like-minded persons.
