Too much weight, coil springs?

[MikeG_CR]

I’m asking for help please from someone who knows. My Jeep suspension is terrible and after years of suffering it’s time to fix it. My best guess is I have too much weight for the springs, unless I run my Falcon 3.3’s on firm, the Jeep just wiggles and wallows all over the place. Would an HD coil spring in the front or all around be a solution? This is the Teraflex ST 2.5 with Falcon 3.3’s, it’s been terrible since new and less than 12,000 miles on the Jeep. My previous experience is with Carli Suspension on 2 Ram 2500 HD’s, one had a AEV steel bumper and winch and it too was too much weight for the springs so I’m inclined to think same issue here. The shocks are still good, if anyone who runs a winch, bumper, sliders/steps and has extra weight solved this issue I would appreciate your help. Use is spirited driving, washboard, washouts, big holes at a good speed, no rock crawling or slow technical stuff. Thank you.

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[Remorseless]

So I guess a question is - how much extra weight beyond the bumpers and sliders do you have? And did you get the rated 2.5" out of the lift? An easy way to tell if you've exceeded the expected load on the springs is if they lifted less than they were rated to lift.

 

[MikeG_CR]

More info: I bottom out on everything, even speed bumps just doing 15-20mph. It sucks I can hit the same speed bumps faster and more comfortable in my Porsche Macan Turbo with 21” rims or in my Ram 2500 HD’s with Carli Suspension on 37’s also as fast as I want and never bottom out. Also, if I stand on the front bumper with the winch/stinger there is no noticeable droop in the front end so I’m guessing with the dual rate coils, the weight has collapsed the soft rate, it rides around on the stiff rate and why it’s always felt like I’m missing and inch or two of travel.

 

[MikeG_CR]

So I guess a question is - how much extra weight beyond the bumpers and sliders do you have? And did you get the rated 2.5" out of the lift? An easy way to tell if you've exceeded the expected load on the springs is if they lifted less than they were rated to lift.

You can see I have the winch, stinger, sliders, fenders with a 37” tire on the back.

 

[MikeG_CR]

This was originally built by RubiTrux in NC and shipped down, I wasn’t involved in the coil spring rates at the time, just trying to fix it and my best guess is stiffer coil springs but I don’t know, please pardon my lack of knowledge.

 

[Remorseless]

You can see I have the winch, stinger, sliders, fenders with a 37” tire on the back.

Was just wondering what there was for weight beyond that. Any additional belly skids? Overlanding platform inside? Big box of tools in the cargo area? Etc.

 

[MikeG_CR]

Was just wondering what there was for weight beyond that. Any additional belly skids? Overlanding platform inside? Big box of tools in the cargo area? Etc.

No, just what I have listed is in addition to stock and it’s the front end that is my biggest concern/problem. Floor to fender there is just over an inch and a half difference with noticeable rake in the stance with front being far lower than rear.

 

[Bill_BCNtoNY]

I’m asking for help please from someone who knows. My Jeep suspension is terrible and after years of suffering it’s time to fix it. My best guess is I have too much weight for the springs, unless I run my Falcon 3.3’s on firm, the Jeep just wiggles and wallows all over the place. Would an HD coil spring in the front or all around be a solution? This is the Teraflex ST 2.5 with Falcon 3.3’s, it’s been terrible since new and less than 12,000 miles on the Jeep. My previous experience is with Carli Suspension on 2 Ram 2500 HD’s, one had a AEV steel bumper and winch and it too was too much weight for the springs so I’m inclined to think same issue here. The shocks are still good, if anyone who runs a winch, bumper, sliders/steps and has extra weight solved this issue I would appreciate your help. Use is spirited driving, washboard, washouts, big holes at a good speed, no rock crawling or slow technical stuff. Thank you.

@MikeG_CR in the first picture (front spring I believe?) can you measure the distance between the bumpstop and the plate?

If you're bottoming out on any setting except the hardest, you may not have enough travel. That happens to the diesel XR all the time, for example, given how heavy they are. What engine is yours?

 

[Nokones]

Instead of rewriting what I posted in other articles in this subject category, you should read what my findings and solutions were on this subject. https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/spring-rates-mopar-lift-kits.132674/

Here is my pre-trail weight with all the trail goodies, tools, and recovery gear, not including the driver and passenger and of course the cold beverages and sandwiches:

 

[Remorseless]

No, just what I have listed is in addition to stock and it’s the front end that is my biggest concern/problem. Floor to fender there is just over an inch and a half difference with noticeable rake in the stance with front being far lower than rear.

An inch and a half is a bit excessive, but the feel of the Jeep would come down more to how the shocks are controlling the movements of the axle and body. So potentially twofold - shocks not adequately valved for the weight (make sure your SP2 adjuster on the Falcons is set to the firmer position, this is separate from the knob adjuster) and your springs are already compressed a bit, meaning you've got less up travel before bump stop.

 

[MikeG_CR]

@MikeG_CR in the first picture (front spring I believe?) can you measure the distance between the bumpstop and the plate?

If you're bottoming out on any setting except the hardest, you may not have enough travel. That happens to the diesel XR all the time, for example, given how heavy they are. What engine is yours?

It’s only the 3.6L gasser but the winch is 75lbs, the stinger is 15lbs putting 90lbs+ on the front bumper. I agree, I don’t think I have enough travel, always seems it’s missing one to two inches

 

[Remorseless]

Instead of rewriting what I posted in other articles in this subject category, you should read what my findings and solutions were on this subject. https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/spring-rates-mopar-lift-kits.132674/

Here is my pre-trail weight with all the trail goodies, tools, and recovery gear, not including the driver and passenger and of course the cold beverages and sandwiches:

Dagum, how much weight in skids and bumper and all that? 5300lb is a lot for a 2 door.

 

[MikeG_CR]

@MikeG_CR in the first picture (front spring I believe?) can you measure the distance between the bumpstop and the plate?

If you're bottoming out on any setting except the hardest, you may not have enough travel. That happens to the diesel XR all the time, for example, given how heavy they are. What engine is yours?

This is what we have on the front

 

[Remorseless]

This is what we have on the front

Well that's a big part of the up travel issue - you only got like 3" before you're in the bump stop. Did your Jeep start off as an XR?

 

[Bill_BCNtoNY]

This is what we have on the front

those 2 inch bumpstop extensions also seem like a lot. Do you have any idea why they added that much? There must’ve been crazy interference with some part or sth…

I would try cycling the suspension without these on to determine the right amount of bumpstop. If you really need that much, you can either change the part that’s causing the interference or, as you suggested initially, go with (much) taller springs.

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