Lift kit height and weight of mods

[ECP]

After reading through the forums, I think I understand that weight plays into the actual lift of a kit. Something like if you buy a 3.5" lift and then add things like steel bumpers, winch, RTT, recovery goodies to the tune of several hundred pounds of additional weight, you don't get the 3.5" of lift as the springs compress.

1) is this right?
2) My diesel (waiting on delivery) is heavier up front than the Pentastar (I believe 400lbs more). Could I use a lift for a Pentastar and go 4" then expect a 2.5-3" lift?
3) is really the difference between the diesel (and I presume 392) lift and the Pentastar just to account for the additional weight up front?

Trying to understand how much lift to get and to also account for mods I may put on.

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[Headbarcode]

I have the Metalcloak 3.5" Gamechanger on my 19 JLUR. It's currently sitting at just under 4" higher than stock. Weight added to the body/frame:
- Winch plate and winch added to the factory steel bumper
- Lighting on the bumper and cowls
- LOD Destroyer sliders
- Hinged tailgate reinforcement
- Aftermarket rear bumper
- 40" spare
- On board air with hoses and accessories
- A recovery rope, tire repair kit, and box of essential tools + torque wrench are always in the cargo area

Some weight removed:
- The sway bar disconnect motor and the front bumper skid plate
- the big factory muffler hanging behind the rear bumper

Adding a rooftop tent and all that added cargo weight that goes with camping would start showing some sag in the rear. Assuming the rtt and added stuff is removed between getaways, a set of air helper bags in the rear coils will get it back up at normal ride height. Simply remove them with the other stuff when not needed.

I highly suggest that you decide on tire size 1st, and that will dictate how much lift you need to properly clear the tires throughout full suspension travel.

 

[rkwfxd]

So 2drs come nose high. After armor etc I am 3/4” lower than stock and still nose high. Currently adding spacers to get front back to stock and rear about 3/4” higher than stock. I figure this will give me room to sag once loaded with gear etc…
My plan now is to wheel at this new “stock” height and figure out just exactly how much lift I really need. Even then Im guessing there is a good chance I will want spacers in there to get it just right.

My goal is to run a TRUE 37-38” tire, ZERO rib at full flex, comfy ride and as low as possible while still meeting all of these.

 

[ECP]

So 2drs come nose high. After armor etc I am 3/4” lower than stock and still nose high.

So all the weight dropped it 3/4". Interesting, thanks for the input!

 

[rkwfxd]

So all the weight dropped it 3/4". Interesting, thanks for the input!

Yes in front. I believe the rear was a full inch and it was already lower than the front to start. Plus these are empty measurements. Once you add folks and gear you lose more clearance.

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

My sport was sagged pretty bad from a 180 lbs bumper/ winch on the stock suspension, but it didn’t happen all at once. I lost over an inch in the front over the course of about 2 years. When I added the Mopar lift, I actually gained nearly 5” over what I started with fresh out of the garage, and a month later it’s about a 1/2 inch lower. I’m expecting it to settle more. I’m trying to get ahead of the game and add a 3/4” leveling kit to the front. The front is currently 1.5” lower than the rear, and am planning on adding more weight to the rear by means of a much heavier spare wheel/ tire, and steel bumper/ tire carrier. I’m hoping it will settle and look fairly level when everything is done.

‘I was honestly surprised how much settling happened. And surprised how little force it took to get my lost 1” back. Just pulling up on the bumper with 50 lbs of force got 3/4” back. The front springs are JUST a little too soft to hold that weight. An aluminum bumper over steel would fix the issue, but I’m pretty in love with my cheap-o steel bumper.

When new....

3 years old....

A month into the Mopar lift....

 

[dpike]

i actually just swung thru a dealer today to measure the height of a stock rubi and see what my sag is with my roofrack, rtt, cargo box & fridge, steel front bumper & winch, step sliders. i measured the stock rubi at 40-3/4" (front & rear) from ground to that trim lip around the fenders. i'm interested to what i am loaded.

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

i actually just swung thru a dealer today to measure the height of a stock rubi and see what my sag is with my roofrack, rtt, cargo box & fridge, steel front bumper & winch, step sliders. i measured the stock rubi at 40-3/4" (front & rear) from ground to that trim lip around the fenders. i'm interested to what i am loaded.

I experimented with my sport when trying to determine how much leveling kit to add. If I put my 120 lbs tool box in the back, it looses 1/2”. If I sit on the bumper (260 lbs) it looses another 3/4”. The suspension begins to stack pretty good beyond that. It looks like the first 1” of travel is very soft, but once you get beyond that point it firms up quite a bit.

‘This isn’t all rear compression though. The front lifts about 5/16” - 1/2” at the same time I loaded the back with 400lbs of stuff. This experiment was done with the Mopar lift installed.

 

[jbcrane]

My sport was sagged pretty bad from a 180 lbs bumper/ winch on the stock suspension, but it didn’t happen all at once. I lost over an inch in the front over the course of about 2 years. When I added the Mopar lift, I actually gained nearly 5” over what I started with fresh out of the garage, and a month later it’s about a 1/2 inch lower. I’m expecting it to settle more. I’m trying to get ahead of the game and add a 3/4” leveling kit to the front. The front is currently 1.5” lower than the rear, and am planning on adding more weight to the rear by means of a much heavier spare wheel/ tire, and steel bumper/ tire carrier. I’m hoping it will settle and look fairly level when everything is done.

‘I was honestly surprised how much settling happened. And surprised how little force it took to get my lost 1” back. Just pulling up on the bumper with 50 lbs of force got 3/4” back. The front springs are JUST a little too soft to hold that weight. An aluminum bumper over steel would fix the issue, but I’m pretty in love with my cheap-o steel bumper.

When new....

3 years old....

A month into the Mopar lift....

He looks great. Question about the Mopar lift: I was talking with a local shop owner who had nothing positive to say about the Mopar lift, siting its poor ride quality. He all but promised I'd be disappointed if I did it. I explained to him my reasoning and he steered me towards the AEV, insuring me it rides better. Undeterred and still planning going Mopar - I'm wondering if the perception of stiff ride is caused by too little weight. On a stock Sport S it might ride stiff due to lower overall weight. But by the time you load additional weight like steel bumpers, winch, roof racks, shovels, jacks, refrigerators, chocolate labs, lip balm, etc. - it should cause him to settle into the new springs and smooth out the ride; like putting sand in the back of the pick up to help it ride smoother. You're running the Mopar lift and I wonder if you have any input.

Also wondering if the Mopar lift increases the carrying capacity. On the placard inside front door it says not to exceed passenger and cargo combined weight limit of 850 pounds. I'm wondering if that's different for other vehicles with different suspension. Does the Rubicon, for example, have a higher maximum weight limit? And will the weight limit change with the Mopar (or other) lift?

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

I experimented with my sport when trying to determine how much leveling kit to add. If I put my 120 lbs tool box in the back, it looses 1/2”. If I sit on the bumper (260 lbs) it looses another 3/4”. The suspension begins to stack pretty good beyond that. It looks like the first 1” of travel is very soft, but once you get beyond that point it firms up quite a bit.

He looks great. Question about the Mopar lift: I was talking with a local shop owner who had nothing positive to say about the Mopar lift, siting its poor ride quality. He all but promised I'd be disappointed if I did it. I explained to him my reasoning and he steered me towards the AEV, insuring me it rides better. Undeterred and still planning going Mopar - I'm wondering if the perception of stiff ride is caused by too little weight. On a stock Sport S it might ride stiff due to lower overall weight. But by the time you load additional weight like steel bumpers, winch, roof racks, shovels, jacks, refrigerators, chocolate labs, lip balm, etc. - it should cause him to settle into the new springs and smooth out the ride; like putting sand in the back of the pick up to help it ride smoother. You're running the Mopar lift and I wonder if you have any input.

Also wondering if the Mopar lift increases the carrying capacity. On the placard inside front door it says not to exceed passenger and cargo combined weight limit of 850 pounds. I'm wondering if that's different for other vehicles with different suspension. Does the Rubicon, for example, have a higher maximum weight limit? And will the weight limit change with the Mopar (or other) lift?

Compared to what I had, it is a significant improvement in ride quality. The first 1.5” of travel is very soft, then it begins to stack. The fox shocks are firm, but not unpleasant. My stock Sport was harsh, especially with the sagged front end. I had maybe 1” of travel left to the bump stops. It bottomed out often when both tires hit something square. The Mopar lift has about 4” of travel to it with the extensions.

‘Is the Mopar lift the best riding lift out there? No. Is it the best lift out there? Definitely not. But it’s purpose is to provide stock-like feel with a modest lift, which it does well. It does not increase load capacity though.

 

[jbcrane]

This is good input. Thank you. I think ride quality is enormously subjective. Compared to what, exactly is something harsh - or boat like and too soft? It's impossible to say. My Sport's suspension feels (really) good, compared to the plush Subaru (Tribeca) I came from. He feels responsive; nimble; agile. I'm reluctant to do anything to mess with that too much for 99% of the driving I'll do with him. My ultimate goal is to keep things as stock-like as possible, while gaining a little bit of ground clearance through slightly larger tires than what came stock. At the moment I'm leaning towards the 285/70's, and if that doesn't get me where I need to be, the Mopar lift. It appears this is the path you've chosen too, so I really appreciate your insight. Thanks again.

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

If you want to preserve ride quality, avoid load range E tires. The 285/70R17 KO2’s I have are offered in load range C and E. I have E’s on my JL, and my wife has C’s on her gladiator. I went with the E’s for the added sidewall plys since I do use it off road often, but the ride quality is night and day different between the two tires. Before the Mopar lift I had quite a bit of axle hop over bumps, and lots of sharp jarring pothole impacts. After the Mopar lift with its cushier springs and better shocks, it’s significantly smoother with less axle hop, but still not quite as smooth as my wife’s JT with the softer tires.

I do have to say, my JL does not feel responsive, nimble or agile. It drives like an old truck. But increasing castor from the 4 degrees it’s at after the lift to 6 degrees using adjustable LCA’s and adding the Synergy sector shaft brace should tighten up tracking stability and steering responsiveness.

Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t me saying I don’t like how it drives. I enjoy it. But this is a modified off road vehicle with twin live axles and a steering system using technology from a hundred years ago. It will never feel as responsive as a modern independent suspension vehicle with rack and pinion steering.

 

[engineXI]

If you want to preserve ride quality, avoid load range E tires. The 285/70R17 KO2’s I have are offered in load range C and E. I have E’s on my JL, and my wife has C’s on her gladiator. I went with the E’s for the added sidewall plys since I do use it off road often, but the ride quality is night and day different between the two tires. Before the Mopar lift I had quite a bit of axle hop over bumps, and lots of sharp jarring pothole impacts. After the Mopar lift with its cushier springs and better shocks, it’s significantly smoother with less axle hop, but still not quite as smooth as my wife’s JT with the softer tires.
steering.

What PSI are you setting your load E tires too?

 

[Fuel Fire Desire]

What PSI are you setting your load E tires too?

I chalk tested them and they wanted 34 psi. After 40,000 miles on them and rotating in the spare every 5000 miles they have completely even wear with another 20,000 miles left on them easily.

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