stino
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Justin
- Joined
- Mar 29, 2018
- Threads
- 26
- Messages
- 257
- Reaction score
- 382
- Location
- Carlsbad, CA
- Vehicle(s)
- 2018 JLR
- Thread starter
- #1
Finally got everything to a place where I'm SUPER happy with the ride as my daily driver. Thought I'd share my journey.
The Jeep
2018 2Dr Rubicon
*Taken after step 2
Me
Brand new Jeep owner, generally pretty mechanical but no experience working on suspension.
4 years ago I owned a 2012 Ram 1500 Regular Cab with a 6inch spindle lift. No other experience lifted vehicles
The Setup
Before
SOFT, bouncy, tons of body roll, steering wander and bump steer
After
Firm-er but by no means harsh, planted, controlled
1. Installed 37x12.5x17 BFG KO2s
Temporary setup while I waited for my lift. Ran it for about 3 days. In that time I only rubbed once, going diagonally into a driveway - city driving only. I noticed a very slight decrease in power, MUCH less than I expected. I did notice a little more bump steer, but at this point I was still trying to dial in my tire pressure, so I'm not sure how much that can be contributed.
These tires ride nice and are VERY quiet. Similar to the stock 33s as expected.
2. Installed the EVO 2.5" Boost Lift
Seemed like a quality product, very robust. As a first time suspension tinkerer, instructions didn't blow me away, but weren't terrible. No issues. I was able to slap everything together at a very gingerly learning pace in about 10 hours.
Ride suffered a bit as I expected. Definitely seemed choppier. At this point body roll had become more of an issue.
3. Installed the EVO Front Overland Control Arm Drop Set
Seemed very well built. Install was somewhat straight forward. Unfortunately, I had a clearance issue with the exhaust loop on the drivers side that required some light modification. I'm fairly certain that I was one of the first 2 Doors to install a set of these, so my assumption is that maybe this was a 2 door issue that has since been resolved?
This made a significant difference in ride quality. The choppiness was gone, and it seemed to ride much closer to the stock suspension. IMO this is a must do if you can afford the ground clearance. No question if it's a daily driver.
4. Installed the Teraflex Rear Track Bar Axle Bracket Kit
Seemed like a decent enough product, no complaints. Was really impressed by Teraflex's instructions, significantly better than my experience with the EVO docs. If I were to compare the 2 manufacturers, EVOs products seemed WAY overbuilt, much more so than Teraflex. The Teraflex hardware seemed adequate in terms of stoutness, but a lot more finished and designed than EVO, which is less refined - I like both. Went on easy.
I didn't get much drive time before moving on to the next upgrade, but it definitely did center the rear axle. I'm not sure how much of an impact it made, exactly, but I would say it was slight from what I noticed. This is probably an okay skip, but its nice to know that all your geometry is no longer out of wack and it's relatively cheap.
5. Installed the JKS Adjustable Front Track Bar
This is an exceptionally quality product. I was very impressed. Weighs probably twice as much as the stock track bar. Installation was annoying, setting the track bar to the correct length was a time consuming process because it required you to disconnect it at the axle end for each adjustment.
This seemed to make a significant difference when it came to wander and bump steer. I feel like this is a very worthwhile upgrade.
6. Installed the Falcon 2.1 Shocks
As soon as you open the box, the craftsmanship that goes into these shocks becomes immediately apparent. The look and feel awesome, especially when compared to the stock rubi shocks. And again, Teraflex's instructions were a cut above the rest here, install was a breeze.
Wow, the difference these made was shocking. Absolutely night and day. Drives like a totally different Jeep. The mushiness, bounciness, nose diving and body roll - all gone. Bumps that used to throw the jeep into 2 or 3 rocks back and forth were now rebounding immediately. DO THIS UPGRADE. I'm happy with the Falcons but I'm sure there are other great options.
7. Installed the Falcon Nexus EF 2.1 Steering Stabilizer
Similar notes to the shocks. Instructions were great, quality was there. Was able to knock out the install in 1-1.5 hours.
Seemed to track a bit better, but the difference wasn't hugely significant. IMO worth doing, but an okay skip if budget isn't permitting.
The Jeep
2018 2Dr Rubicon
*Taken after step 2
Me
Brand new Jeep owner, generally pretty mechanical but no experience working on suspension.
4 years ago I owned a 2012 Ram 1500 Regular Cab with a 6inch spindle lift. No other experience lifted vehicles
The Setup
- 37x12.5x17 BFG KO2 @ 31 PSI
- EVO 2.5in Boost Stage 1 Lift
- EVO Front Overland Control Arm Drop Set
- Teraflex Rear Track Bar Axle Bracket Kit
- JKS Adjustable Front Track Bar
- Falcon 2.1 Shocks
- Falcon Nexus EF 2.1 Steering Stabilizer
Before
SOFT, bouncy, tons of body roll, steering wander and bump steer
After
Firm-er but by no means harsh, planted, controlled
1. Installed 37x12.5x17 BFG KO2s
Temporary setup while I waited for my lift. Ran it for about 3 days. In that time I only rubbed once, going diagonally into a driveway - city driving only. I noticed a very slight decrease in power, MUCH less than I expected. I did notice a little more bump steer, but at this point I was still trying to dial in my tire pressure, so I'm not sure how much that can be contributed.
These tires ride nice and are VERY quiet. Similar to the stock 33s as expected.
2. Installed the EVO 2.5" Boost Lift
Seemed like a quality product, very robust. As a first time suspension tinkerer, instructions didn't blow me away, but weren't terrible. No issues. I was able to slap everything together at a very gingerly learning pace in about 10 hours.
Ride suffered a bit as I expected. Definitely seemed choppier. At this point body roll had become more of an issue.
3. Installed the EVO Front Overland Control Arm Drop Set
Seemed very well built. Install was somewhat straight forward. Unfortunately, I had a clearance issue with the exhaust loop on the drivers side that required some light modification. I'm fairly certain that I was one of the first 2 Doors to install a set of these, so my assumption is that maybe this was a 2 door issue that has since been resolved?
This made a significant difference in ride quality. The choppiness was gone, and it seemed to ride much closer to the stock suspension. IMO this is a must do if you can afford the ground clearance. No question if it's a daily driver.
4. Installed the Teraflex Rear Track Bar Axle Bracket Kit
Seemed like a decent enough product, no complaints. Was really impressed by Teraflex's instructions, significantly better than my experience with the EVO docs. If I were to compare the 2 manufacturers, EVOs products seemed WAY overbuilt, much more so than Teraflex. The Teraflex hardware seemed adequate in terms of stoutness, but a lot more finished and designed than EVO, which is less refined - I like both. Went on easy.
I didn't get much drive time before moving on to the next upgrade, but it definitely did center the rear axle. I'm not sure how much of an impact it made, exactly, but I would say it was slight from what I noticed. This is probably an okay skip, but its nice to know that all your geometry is no longer out of wack and it's relatively cheap.
5. Installed the JKS Adjustable Front Track Bar
This is an exceptionally quality product. I was very impressed. Weighs probably twice as much as the stock track bar. Installation was annoying, setting the track bar to the correct length was a time consuming process because it required you to disconnect it at the axle end for each adjustment.
This seemed to make a significant difference when it came to wander and bump steer. I feel like this is a very worthwhile upgrade.
6. Installed the Falcon 2.1 Shocks
As soon as you open the box, the craftsmanship that goes into these shocks becomes immediately apparent. The look and feel awesome, especially when compared to the stock rubi shocks. And again, Teraflex's instructions were a cut above the rest here, install was a breeze.
Wow, the difference these made was shocking. Absolutely night and day. Drives like a totally different Jeep. The mushiness, bounciness, nose diving and body roll - all gone. Bumps that used to throw the jeep into 2 or 3 rocks back and forth were now rebounding immediately. DO THIS UPGRADE. I'm happy with the Falcons but I'm sure there are other great options.
7. Installed the Falcon Nexus EF 2.1 Steering Stabilizer
Similar notes to the shocks. Instructions were great, quality was there. Was able to knock out the install in 1-1.5 hours.
Seemed to track a bit better, but the difference wasn't hugely significant. IMO worth doing, but an okay skip if budget isn't permitting.
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