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Am I crazy for liking the stock Sport suspension?

blnewt

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I'm keeping my Sport a low center of gravity setup. Running Rubicon springs and high fenders~good room for my Mickey Thompson 315/70/17s that are in my shed waiting for my Patagonias to wear out (won't be much longer lol). Won't be lifting any further and that tire size is my max. If I can score a set of Rubicon axles then it will be perfect, but with the 8AT and the Tazer I think it will do pretty well for what I plan to run.

OP, for what it's worth the Rubicon springs really give a nice overall ride, just a bit firmer but after a few hours behind the wheel you won't even notice the change (at least that was my experience). I also added the longer Mopar lift LCAs to keep my caster in a good place. Drives perfect down the road at high speeds (until crosswinds kick in that is) :)
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Yep, the 35's are going to affect your ride more than the mild suspension lift. However, if you decide to lift, I highly recomend the Dynatrac 2" lift, it was designed by the same engineer that designed your stock suspension. Rides just as well too
My Dynatrac lift rides better than stock by a long shot. I’m coming from the stock JLU sport s suspension.
 

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My Dynatrac lift rides better than stock by a long shot. I’m coming from the stock JLU sport s suspension.
Agreed, I’ve even heard it fixes some steering issues people are having. Although I can’t confirm all my steering issues were from the dealership setting the tire pressure too high
 

entropy

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I ran 33’s on my TJ sport and blew up the rear end at about 35,000 miLes. My experience wasn’t unique. (The Dana 35 isn’t great…) I took advantage of my miscalculation/misfortune and replaced the TJ’s rear end with a Ford 8.8 and re-geared to 4:56s. That was a great combination for that Jeep, but in retrospect I probably should have kept it stock and bought a Rubicon if I wanted to run bigger tires and more challenging trails.

I think the JL sport is a fantastic vehicle, and a very capable one bone-stock — WAY more capable than my old TJ was when it was new — but the Sport is not my first choice for mods unless you’re really going “whole-hog“. (Many folks buy the sport because they’re going to replace almost everything that adds cost to the Rubicon, like interior, suspension, axels, gearing, etc, etc)
This is an old thing. The new axles are way stronger than on the old jeeps.
 

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Even as an experienced Jeeper, I've been very happy with the stock suspension on my 2-door Sport, and am purposely limiting my tire size to whatever can fit within the confines of the stock rear bumper (might be able to barely squeeze a 32" tire back there). Only other mod I'm considering is sway bar quick disconnects, as I don't feel a compelling need to re-jigger the entire vehicle. My baby meets or exceeds all of my offroad expectations, and the lower center of gravity is just an added bonus that I can really feel on steep inclines. Clearly, I realize that a bone-stock Sport isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I've been very pleased and have been enjoying the simplicity for a change. It's actually sort of liberating...especially for my bank account! :)
 

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Dana 44 and Lsd came stock in my sport 2 door 🤷🏼‍♂️
That’s great news. I guess I’m not clear on the packaging options on the sport anymore — but the Dana 44 is a great upgrade! 👍
 

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Nothing wrong with the stock suspension, just don't shove 35s under it. Rubicon 4 door take off springs and shocks and 33/34" tires will be a good set up.

I'm also interested in the Dynatrac 2", but I don't want any more than that. And 34x10.50R17 tires have my attention right now.
 

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Nothing wrong with the stock suspension, just don't shove 35s under it. Rubicon 4 door take off springs and shocks and 33/34" tires will be a good set up.

I'm also interested in the Dynatrac 2", but I don't want any more than that. And 34x10.50R17 tires have my attention right now.
The 2” MOPAR lift with longer LCAs has been the perfect solution for me. The off-road ride is better than stock, and it’s a gem on the highway at speed, even with 37s. (BFG KO2, so true size is closer to 35” than 37”)

My 2019 JL is my 8th Jeep in 44 years, and this is the first time I’ve mounted tires larger than 33”. Never saw the need for tires that big on a smaller vehicle. But my wife and I love the 37s on the trail. It’s a stark improvement in ride, and between the lift, tires, and suspension, we ease over things that used to be a jolt or a whack, and we’re not hard core rock crawlers. We went all the same places in the old CJs and TJs, but now it feels like we’re doing it with a Cadillac ride.
 

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My 2 door sport had 33’s on it when I bought it. They rubbed on the top of the rear fenders when off road and loaded down. No problem with the rear bumper.
 

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I keep my Jeep Wranglers all stock, I add nothing but a 2" receiver hitch and wiring harness. I have found that a stock Willys will do anything I want, don't need no 35's, re-gearing, 2" lift kit, just a waste of money in my book. The stock suspension works for me, but I'm sure for many just spending more dollars on your Wrangler gives you pleasure, mine is money in the bank, oh I smile everytime I check my bank balance, do you. I'm not too sure that the old saying, "He who dies with the most and best toy's wins".
 

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I keep my Jeep Wranglers all stock, I add nothing but a 2" receiver hitch and wiring harness. I have found that a stock Willys will do anything I want, don't need no 35's, re-gearing, 2" lift kit, just a waste of money in my book. The stock suspension works for me, but I'm sure for many just spending more dollars on your Wrangler gives you pleasure, mine is money in the bank, oh I smile everytime I check my bank balance, do you. I'm not too sure that the old saying, "He who dies with the most and best toy's wins".
What is a bank balance ??...........🙂
 

flyer92

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My 2 door sport had 33’s on it when I bought it. They rubbed on the top of the rear fenders when off road and loaded down. No problem with the rear bumper.
Thanks for the info. That pretty much confirms my decision to go with 32"s, which aren't much larger than the stock tires. However the extra 1/2" will look a bit better and still preserve the vehicle's great driving manners, both on and off road.
 
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Thank you everyone for the great feedback and discussion! The Dynatrac suspensions sounds phenomenal, but I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone loving the way the Sport's OEM suspension works. FWIW, I'm a Jeep newbie but very experienced in all other things 4x4. I'm familiar with the change in handling characteristics moving to larger tires and how to differentiate the work the tires are doing from that of the suspension.

Curious, several here said absolutely don't put 35s on the Sport suspension. Can we dive deeper into why that is? Do the bumps need to be extended so much that uptravel becomes nonexistent? Are we just talking about fitment complications? Or are there other things I'm not aware of as a new Jeeper? I wouldn't be going wider than 11.5" or above a load range C, and I'm no stranger to cutting, chopping and hammering my way to big rubber so if fitment is the only concern then that's not particularly concerning to me. I know the axles can easily handle them also. What else am I missing? Thanks for the educational crash course!
 

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Despite you saying no spacer lift, I’d do 1/2” spacer all around (keeping with stock suspension geometry of a Sahara and Rubicon) and add $700 in Rubicon fenders. Then run 35’s….but you’ll want to err on the side of caution of not losing the ride you like with C load 35’s and there’s not a lot of selection for 17’s or 18’s.
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