Thanks for the detailed reply, much appreciated!

As you say, sliders key. Just ordered Shrockworks sliders. Will do skid plates and rear locker before the Rubicon.

Very good plan. Quite a bit of initial expense, but at the end of the day cheap insurance against much more costly repairs to your undercarriage and body panels. You'll ALWAYS be glad you made those three upgrades.

Actually there were 2 stock TEs and only mods on those two were better stock size tires and rock sliders.

Yeah, but the Toyota engineers had a support crew including helicopters flying supplies in and out, and they didn't have their own money in the game! Anybody who wants to put their stock truck up against the Rubicon should do it and post lots of pictures!

So I guess your point is this: Spend lots and lots of dollars to run 35's, get it regeared, lose tons of efficiency not to mention reduced life of components, all to run a trail that's been run before by a stock vehicle just like yours? Good plan. Go with that.

I would say doing the Rubicon in a stock tr4 trail is just crazy. It might be possible, but the chances of making it without significant damage seems very low. These tests that mfgs do are pretty unrealistic. The trucks are driven/guided by trail experts and still come out looking like a smashed soda can.

I'm not saying the trucks are not reliable and capable, but you can't deny the need for ground clearance and travel... on level 5+ rock crawling trails like the Rubicon.

My guess is that it would be doable on 33s with aftermarket armor and bumpers. Front and rear lockers would be a big plus. Some type of mid travel suspension setup would also help. 35s on a 5th gen just seem out of reach at the moment.

It is obvious that running Rubicon with stock 5th gen doesn't make sense since almost all of us pay for these trucks out of our own earned dollars. MFG engineers don't pay a dim out of their own pocket to do the same thing, they actually get paid for!!!!! That's why running Rubicon will need some level of modifications but not so extensive to effect the reliability and fundamental design of the truck.

Have fun at Rubicon.

Nice post 1 engineer! I don't think you have seen the Rubicon. Have a great day!

Good advice. The plan will be 34" tires, sliders, skid plates and rear locker.

Rubicon Fails to Rattle 4Runner / Toyota Driver'Seat

2010 Toyota 4Runner Rubicon Trail First Drive

My post was not clear.
If you want to take a $40K truck, chop it up to run 35's (as you said in your 1st post) add several thousand dollars in mods to it just to run the Rubicon, a trail that has already been run by a stock version of the TE, then have at it. It would be way cheaper (and much cooler) to run the trail stock and then fix what you dented up. I posted the links so you could see the support staff was not all experts. Yes they had a guide. Big whoop.

I get what you are saying, I think we just have different approaches. You prefer a minimalist approach and I prefer to throw the kitchen sink at it. After all, it's a hobby, everybody enjoys it their own way.

All mfrs do the same thing. Here’s Jeep and their support staff on Rubicon getting the Trail Rated badging for the Grand Cherokee 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee tackles Rubicon looking to become Trail Rated - Autoblog After images 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee after Rubicon testing All that is needed is for it to makes it through to get the Trail Rated badge!

Ah the coveted Jeep Trail Rated badge.....

AX90028 SCX10? 2012 Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon - The Axial Rubicon Trek (teaser) - YouTube

Sorry about the hijack.

That is a tough way to do the 12 miles, the snake almost took it out! Thanks for sendIng that one on...