Sponsored

Advice Needed - Trade Rubicon (family growing)?

cmcclintock

Well-Known Member
First Name
Chris
Joined
Feb 1, 2018
Threads
6
Messages
290
Reaction score
296
Location
California
Vehicle(s)
2018 Rubicon JL
Jeepmikey.
I think you can save the Rubi if you want. Play with the tire PSI...29-32 maybe if you haven’t. Maybe Reaeach softer shocks/springs if needed and or tires. Drive some others JLUs to see if any drive smooth enough for you young family (like a stock Sahara)and possible adjust your Rubi as you may be able to soften the ride so it is good/acceptable for the entire family.

I have Rubi that is driving pretty smooth and straight as an arrow( much better than stock of the lot). Below is what I added to get it there. Results may be different for others.

-2” Rubicon Express Spacer Lift.
-Rough Country front adjustable lower control arms.
-37” BFG KM2’s (D load rated)at 31 PSI.
-YETI SS adjustable track bar.
-Fox 2.0 steering stabilizer.

137A5D6D-5CE8-412D-AEAE-6CD9C81A19E5.jpeg
Sponsored

 

Wrangler847

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 15, 2017
Threads
63
Messages
424
Reaction score
252
Location
NY
Vehicle(s)
wrangler
That's what the wife's rogue is for :LOL: my JL is always home when we go out as a family. :jk:
 
OP
OP

jeepmikey

Well-Known Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Sep 3, 2018
Threads
22
Messages
224
Reaction score
201
Location
10021
Vehicle(s)
2018 Wrangler JLUR
It just doesn't make sense. Buyout on it is still enough where I'll lose money even with equity in it before lease is over. at 3K miles on the odometer and MSRP of $57K they want $46K. Whether I take it to Jeep dealer or carmax I'll get $39-42K for it. Not going to spend $2-300 more a month for a Grand Cherokee.

Going to keep the Rubicon for now - sell the AEV Borahs with KM3s and get into another wheel with KO2s. I had them before and ride was much better - truly have not been happy with these tires. May opt for the yeti track bar and new stabilizer to have a tighter ride and take it from there.
 
OP
OP

jeepmikey

Well-Known Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Sep 3, 2018
Threads
22
Messages
224
Reaction score
201
Location
10021
Vehicle(s)
2018 Wrangler JLUR
I have a Rubicon with the KO2's. I felt like the 19 Rubicon rides nicer than my 17 Sahara. But with that said, I don't know how rough of a ride you want. I just took it to Florida on an 1800 mile trip and was satisfied with the ride. My Suburban has the 22" wheels and it rides about the same as the Jeep though it handles a little better. My TRD Pro rides a little smoother because of the soft springs but my Rubicon is a lot nicer ride than a regular 4Runner. And I'm talking about smoothness, not handling. The Jeep is what it is when it comes to handling. In 2017 I passed on the Rubicon for the Sahara because it came with the mud tires. I like the ride of my 2019 JLUR
Going to sell my AEV borahs and KM3s - get into another wheel and K02s. I had the K02s on my JLUR that FCA bought back from me earlier this year (why I now have a 19) and thought the ride was better. Of course, anything like a Grand Cherokee etc will ride smoother but not sure it's worth $2-300 more a month right now to get out of existing JLUR and into Grand Cherokee. Will ride it out for a few more months, maybe buy this out and keep it as a summer car worst case.
 

Robs JL

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 26, 2019
Threads
21
Messages
179
Reaction score
83
Location
los Angeles, CA
Vehicle(s)
2018 JL Sahara
Need some advice. My wife and I live in NYC where we can only keep 1 car. That 1 car has been a 2019 JLU Rubicon. Black on black, every option available except the painted top. I'm running 35 inch KM3s on AEV wheels, Teraflex tire carrier. Some small things here and there.

Long story short, when we do drive it's longer distances. Only have 3K miles on the odometer. Problem is the ride is so rough, my 18 month old almost always throws up in the car - meanwhile our second baby is due in 2 months.

Is it the KM3s that the ride is so rough? I'm in final stages of a potential Grand Cherokee swap - just so not excited to be driving a Grand Cherokee like everyone else. Looked at an SRT but lease on it still ended up being over $1K. Can't justify that much for a Jeep.

Hate to get rid of the Rubi, wondering if I fork over more for KO2s if ride will improve or if should just get into a Grand Cherokee.
I've got a Sahara running 35s open country RT and they run just as smooth as stock tires plus I've got the 9 way adjustable shocks from Rancho with the yeti track bar and it pretty much feels like stock on its softer setting. KO2 are also very smooth but maybe you should look into different shocks that are more suitable for highway if you do longer drives.
 

Sponsored

Poromenos

Well-Known Member
First Name
Dion
Joined
Sep 16, 2018
Threads
1
Messages
45
Reaction score
42
Location
New York
Vehicle(s)
2018 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited
Need some advice. My wife and I live in NYC where we can only keep 1 car. That 1 car has been a 2019 JLU Rubicon. Black on black, every option available except the painted top. I'm running 35 inch KM3s on AEV wheels, Teraflex tire carrier. Some small things here and there.

Long story short, when we do drive it's longer distances. Only have 3K miles on the odometer. Problem is the ride is so rough, my 18 month old almost always throws up in the car - meanwhile our second baby is due in 2 months.

Is it the KM3s that the ride is so rough? I'm in final stages of a potential Grand Cherokee swap - just so not excited to be driving a Grand Cherokee like everyone else. Looked at an SRT but lease on it still ended up being over $1K. Can't justify that much for a Jeep.

Hate to get rid of the Rubi, wondering if I fork over more for KO2s if ride will improve or if should just get into a Grand Cherokee.
Fellow NY’er here brother. I took a look at your wheel/tire sales thread. Your running 35 inch E rated mud tires on a stock Rubi suspension. Thats your problem right there. Mud tires are rougher and E tires are rougher ride. Dare i say much rougher. I have same JLUR and kept the stock wheels and C rated Ko2’s. I commute into NYC everyday from LI so i know the roads. Switch back and you’ll feel a world of difference.
 

offset_98

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2019
Threads
1
Messages
184
Reaction score
152
Location
Tampa, FL
Vehicle(s)
2019 JLU Sahara, 1993 Nissan 300ZX, 2015 Subaru Outback, 2011 Toyota Sienna
Need some advice. My wife and I live in NYC where we can only keep 1 car. That 1 car has been a 2019 JLU Rubicon. Black on black, every option available except the painted top. I'm running 35 inch KM3s on AEV wheels, Teraflex tire carrier. Some small things here and there.

Long story short, when we do drive it's longer distances. Only have 3K miles on the odometer. Problem is the ride is so rough, my 18 month old almost always throws up in the car - meanwhile our second baby is due in 2 months.

Is it the KM3s that the ride is so rough? I'm in final stages of a potential Grand Cherokee swap - just so not excited to be driving a Grand Cherokee like everyone else. Looked at an SRT but lease on it still ended up being over $1K. Can't justify that much for a Jeep.

Hate to get rid of the Rubi, wondering if I fork over more for KO2s if ride will improve or if should just get into a Grand Cherokee.
Don’t do it. We thought that too but then it happened in our van. Littles go through a car sick phase and grow out of it. My oldest is out my youngest should be soon as it happens with a lot less frequency now.

Good luck!
 
OP
OP

jeepmikey

Well-Known Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Sep 3, 2018
Threads
22
Messages
224
Reaction score
201
Location
10021
Vehicle(s)
2018 Wrangler JLUR
Fellow NY’er here brother. I took a look at your wheel/tire sales thread. Your running 35 inch E rated mud tires on a stock Rubi suspension. Thats your problem right there. Mud tires are rougher and E tires are rougher ride. Dare i say much rougher. I have same JLUR and kept the stock wheels and C rated Ko2’s. I commute into NYC everyday from LI so i know the roads. Switch back and you’ll feel a world of difference.
Going to swap out the wheels and tires to KO2s as you said - C rated and add the yeti track bar. Hopefully this at least becomes more tolerable. Tough to give up the Rubicon - my 5th Wrangler and with every option and 3K miles on the odometer makes it even harder to get rid of.
 

Sponsored

chcg12

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
Threads
2
Messages
213
Reaction score
143
Location
Chicago
Vehicle(s)
2014 JKU
Fellow NY’er here brother. I took a look at your wheel/tire sales thread. Your running 35 inch E rated mud tires on a stock Rubi suspension. Thats your problem right there. Mud tires are rougher and E tires are rougher ride. Dare i say much rougher. I have same JLUR and kept the stock wheels and C rated Ko2’s. I commute into NYC everyday from LI so i know the roads. Switch back and you’ll feel a world of difference.
Spot on advice!
 

SecondTJ

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 9, 2019
Threads
8
Messages
1,212
Reaction score
1,133
Location
Il
Vehicle(s)
Jeep
Have you test fitted both car seats yet? You’re going to have two rear facing car seats for several years to come, they take up a lot of space and JLU is not ideal for that.

Depending on you & your wife’s height, 2 rear facing seats in a Grand Cherokee can be tight too. I recommend looking at the Durango. It’s built on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee, but has a 10 inch longer wheelbase so it’s more spacious.
 

Rogues Gambit

Banned
Banned
Banned
First Name
Mike
Joined
May 2, 2018
Threads
44
Messages
2,364
Reaction score
4,016
Location
Jersey Shore
Vehicle(s)
'21 2dr Bronco Badlands, 2.3t Manual
Have you test fitted both car seats yet? You’re going to have two rear facing car seats for several years to come, they take up a lot of space and JLU is not ideal for that.

Depending on you & your wife’s height, 2 rear facing seats in a Grand Cherokee can be tight too. I recommend looking at the Durango. It’s built on the same platform as the Grand Cherokee, but has a 10 inch longer wheelbase so it’s more spacious.
Get a 5.7 and an exhaust, you'll thank me later xD

Still, babies will love having the doors off as you drive to get ice-cream in whatever borough you're in
 

xray

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ben
Joined
Dec 1, 2017
Threads
22
Messages
176
Reaction score
127
Location
San Diego, CA
Vehicle(s)
2023 JLU Rubicon
I know what the OP means about NYC. The roads get trashed from very, very heavy traffic and winter. Other than the 95, the other parkways like the Taconic have the whoops that develop (although I do remember my last trip whoops on the 95).

So various tips:
  • Back to stock wheels + KO2s. That's C rated, or some ultra light rim like the 313 from Method, but then the width increases so that doesn't help with sidewall flex.
  • Nitto has practically everything E rated, but someone will have to chime in on ride quality.
  • Different seats, perhaps? We have a very plush Maxi-cosi, and a newer wool Clek which is much softer than previous generations. Diono makes a very soft seat as well.
  • Fox race shocks --> you can adjust the anything on this shock and just go softer, hopefully while still damping things well. Fox can change the valving for whatever use you may have.
  • 30-33 PSI would be about right, as some posters have mentioned.
 
OP
OP

jeepmikey

Well-Known Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Sep 3, 2018
Threads
22
Messages
224
Reaction score
201
Location
10021
Vehicle(s)
2018 Wrangler JLUR
Agreed on all fronts. My AEV Borahs and KM3s are sold. I really hate to get rid of them because they look amazing.

On the other hand, don't want to pour a ton of money into the JLUR in terms of shocks, new wheels and tires, track bar etc when I can use that towards something else.

Honestly, as bad as this sounds - I'm just not excited to drive a Grand Cherokee or Durango. I've been getting pricing on the Grand Cherokee SRT - and I still think my JLUR is cooler. Issue too is how insanely expensive they are for what you're getting.



I know what the OP means about NYC. The roads get trashed from very, very heavy traffic and winter. Other than the 95, the other parkways like the Taconic have the whoops that develop (although I do remember my last trip whoops on the 95).

So various tips:
  • Back to stock wheels + KO2s. That's C rated, or some ultra light rim like the 313 from Method, but then the width increases so that doesn't help with sidewall flex.
  • Nitto has practically everything E rated, but someone will have to chime in on ride quality.
  • Different seats, perhaps? We have a very plush Maxi-cosi, and a newer wool Clek which is much softer than previous generations. Diono makes a very soft seat as well.
  • Fox race shocks --> you can adjust the anything on this shock and just go softer, hopefully while still damping things well. Fox can change the valving for whatever use you may have.
  • 30-33 PSI would be about right, as some posters have mentioned.
Sponsored

 
 



Top