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JLUR 3.5" lift and 37" tires: Where do you find clearance in rear wheel wells?

Yellow Cake Kid

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Hi,
I am wondering what Rubicon owners, who have been down the road of lifting and stuffing bigger tires in the wheel wheels, end up doing as far as making sure the rear tires don't rub when the Jeep is weighed down with cargo and fuel.

I have glanced at discussions about positioning the axle, pulling fender liners, and cutting metal and I am wondering where most people end up after they start the process.

Thank you.
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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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OK, I will start.

My tire is rubbing the plastic OEM steel bumper liner. I would like to discard the plastic liner, but right behind it is a sheet steel body pinch seam that seems like it will act as a dull knife when my tire runs across it.

Is it inevitable that I am going to cut a corner off the sheet metal before I finish considering all the options?
 

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OK, I will start.

My tire is rubbing the plastic OEM steel bumper liner. I would like to discard the plastic liner, but right behind it is a sheet steel body pinch seam that seems like it will act as a dull knife when my tire runs across it.

Is it inevitable that I am going to cut a corner off the sheet metal before I finish considering all the options?
What model Jeep do you have?

Is it lifted? What size lift?

How many of the stock arms and linkages have been replaced?

What size are your tires?

I have a Rubicon with a 3.5" Metalcloak Gamechanger and 38x13.5's. I used the adjustable control arms to not only correct geometry, but to also recenter the axles at normal ride height. I chopped all fenders, and had to remove all that rear bumper to fender filler panels to clear the tires for regular road use. I still have to trim a pie slice off of the rear pinch seam, to clear the tire when stuffing the wheelwell. I could avoid having to trim as much, if I shorten the control arms, but I'm wanting maximize departure angle and it looks off when the axles are shifted further away from the bumpers due to the lift.

I asked the questions above, so we know what exactly you're working with.
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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Hi,
I have a 2020 Rubicon JLU with a freshly installed Gamechanger 3.5" lift with the Rocksport shock option. It is currently set up with three 1" bump stop pads in the rear corners.

I had made few quick trips up the hill and heard some very infrequent and short duration rubbing, but I couldn't figure out the specific cause. Yesterday after packing up the rear cargo area with gear and filling the tank with gas the rubbing became a persistent issue that caused us to retreat to pavement asap. The good news is that it was much easier to find the contact with the Jeep weighed down.

The axle placement looks pretty good, but the shop that installed the lift wants to take another look at it. I was very pleased with their attention to detail and realize that it is normal to have to work out these details.

I am looking at the "metal triangle" at the rear quarter and thinking that making it go away may be what we end up doing even if we try all the other things.

I have color matched OEM fenders, which I like a whole lot and would like to keep stock for a few years. I have a factory OEM steel bumper, which just happened to be on the Jeep when I bought it, that I am not anxious to replace but am willing too, although it seems that even if I do, the same metal triangle will protrude in the same place regardless of the bumper design.

Thank you.


.
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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...a Rubicon with a 3.5" Metalcloak Gamechanger and 38x13.5's. I used the adjustable control arms to not only correct geometry, but to also recenter the axles at normal ride height. I chopped all fenders, and had to remove all that rear bumper to fender filler panels to clear the tires for regular road use. I still have to trim a pie slice off of the rear pinch seam, to clear the tire when stuffing the wheelwell. I could avoid having to trim as much, if I shorten the control arms, but I'm wanting maximize departure angle and it looks off when the axles are shifted further away from the bumpers due to the lift...
I don't think I was ready to acknowledge that the rear axle may have to be pulled forward to let the 37" tires clear the wheel well sheet metal.

I think I assumed that if you centered the axle you "split the difference" and that was the goal. It seems to be centered in the wheel well and looks "correct" in that position.

Upon further reflection I can appreciate how the control arms swings up and back when the suspension compresses, so there is a benefit to biasing the fore aft position to the fore, although it introduces the compromises you have mentioned.

The rubbing is happening on moderately rough terrain, so I think I will need to pursue a combination of solutions to become prepared for a full stuff scenario.

Comments, suggestions will be appreciated.

Thank you.
 

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I don't think I was ready to acknowledge that the rear axle may have to be pulled forward to let the 37" tires clear the wheel well sheet metal.

I think I assumed that if you centered the axle you "split the difference" and that was the goal. It seems to be centered in the wheel well and looks "correct" in that position.

Upon further reflection I can appreciate how the control arms swings up and back when the suspension compresses, so there is a benefit to biasing the fore aft position to the fore, although it introduces the compromises you have mentioned.

The rubbing is happening on moderately rough terrain, so I think I will need to pursue a combination of solutions to become prepared for a full stuff scenario.

Comments, suggestions will be appreciated.

Thank you.
Aftermarket inner fenders and trim the pinch seam is the route I took, works great. Excuse the mud..... 😁

Jeep Wrangler JL JLUR 3.5" lift and 37" tires: Where do you find clearance in rear wheel wells? B12F6698-0446-45CE-8CCD-AF24D7EA776F
 

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I don't think I was ready to acknowledge that the rear axle may have to be pulled forward to let the 37" tires clear the wheel well sheet metal.

I think I assumed that if you centered the axle you "split the difference" and that was the goal. It seems to be centered in the wheel well and looks "correct" in that position.

Upon further reflection I can appreciate how the control arms swings up and back when the suspension compresses, so there is a benefit to biasing the fore aft position to the fore, although it introduces the compromises you have mentioned.

The rubbing is happening on moderately rough terrain, so I think I will need to pursue a combination of solutions to become prepared for a full stuff scenario.

Comments, suggestions will be appreciated.

Thank you.
With 37's, you don't need to remove as much of the pinch seam, compared to 38's and up.

It's funny that Roky chimed in above, as I was going to suggest what he did with the lower corner to clear his 37's.
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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It seems like that rear end pinch seam is destined to be trimmed.

I guess I'll need to learn about fender liners. Are there any that offer benefits while allowing me to retain the trim ring or edge trim on the fenders?

How about comparisons of actual improved clearance? Are some of the sheet folded fender liners less effective than others?

Thank you.
 

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I used ram 1500 HD air springs with my mopar lift, problem solved, best 100 bucks I ever spent.
 

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Ahhhh.....the advantage of my RK long arm kit. My 37's don't hit anything and are centered at ride height. I'm running 2" of bumpstop front and rear.
 

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Yellow Cake Kid

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Ahhhh.....the advantage of my RK long arm kit. My 37's don't hit anything and are centered at ride height. I'm running 2" of bumpstop front and rear.
Do you mean to explain that the geometry of the long arm kit allows the wheel to move along a path that is nearer to vertical than the rearward tending arc made by the "mid length" control arms used by lift kits that do not require cutting off the OEM pivot mounts and welding new ones on?
 
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Yellow Cake Kid

Yellow Cake Kid

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I used ram 1500 HD air springs with my mopar lift, problem solved, best 100 bucks I ever spent.
Still dealing with day trip gear... may consider something like this when I start adding a full payload of camping gear
 

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On my JLR, it has:
  • MS 37's
  • Rock Krawler 3.5 Lift T-Rex (Mid arm in the front, Long arm in the rear)
  • Hydraulic bump stops
  • Rear Shock relocation kit (moves shocks up)
  • Artec rear fender liners
No rubbing issues

Flex 2_1.jpg


Flex 2_2.jpg
 

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@JeepScares

Yes,
On a JLR, one can only install a long arm on the rear due to the gas tank.

Jeep Wrangler JL JLUR 3.5" lift and 37" tires: Where do you find clearance in rear wheel wells? IMG_9733

On a JLUR, one can install a front and rear long arms.

Long arms are really great way to lift a Jeep
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