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Rubicon Suspension on 2-door Sport

geem03

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Thanks for the responses! The weather is looking promising for tomorrow so we are hoping to get the goodies installed...hopefully Mother Nature cooperates!

My initial plan is to drive it as is and see if the decreased caster is annoying. I can always order the arms and add them later as it seems to be a simple bolt-on from Brad's (@blnewt) thread. They look to run around $80ish shipped for the pair.
I didn't find the caster issue to be a problem, even after the alignment.... it was more the off set steering and pulling towards the right... but since the alignment, she drives just like before....
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The Fixer

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@blnewt wow, thanks again for this awesomely detailed writeup! My son and I completed the R&R of the suspension today in about 4 hours in my driveway. My initial impression is that it actually handles the potholes, train track crossings, and other road hazards we have in NJ much better than before. The ride is almost as smooth as my wife's JLUS (the longer wheelbase really makes a difference!) and so far I have no complaints. I didn't have any issues with the alignment either; it tracks just as straight as before, and the steering wheel is still centered.

The only deviation from your directions is that we removed both springs at the same time; shorter driver side spring first to give us more room to pop the passenger side out, then we installed the passenger side followed by driver side. And you are right, those upper rear spring pads were a pain to keep in place! I wound up holding it in while my son jacked the axle up and I aligned the spring.

I don't want to clutter your thread too much, but here's a before and after. :) I'll post the actual measurements tomorrow, but it was pretty close to 3" between the tires and suspension.

IMG_2929.JPG


IMG_2939.JPG
 
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blnewt

blnewt

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@blnewt wow, thanks again for this awesomely detailed writeup! My son and I completed the R&R of the suspension today in about 4 hours in my driveway. My initial impression is that it actually handles the potholes, train track crossings, and other road hazards we have in NJ much better than before. The ride is almost as smooth as my wife's JLUS (the longer wheelbase really makes a difference!) and so far I have no complaints. I didn't have any issues with the alignment either; it tracks just as straight as before, and the steering wheel is still centered.

The only deviation from your directions is that we removed both springs at the same time; shorter driver side spring first to give us more room to pop the passenger side out, then we installed the passenger side followed by driver side. And you are right, those upper rear spring pads were a pain to keep in place! I wound up holding it in while my son jacked the axle up and I aligned the spring.

I don't want to clutter your thread too much, but here's a before and after. :) I'll post the actual measurements tomorrow, but it was pretty close to 3" between the tires and suspension.
Looks awesome, glad you found the install thread helpful :)
Did you get the longer LCAs?
 

jeepingib

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Very cool thread. I have JLUR now, so it isn't something that I am considering. But I had a JK that I did this with. For my JK I used the tallest springs produced and put them on the lightest 2 door. Then I removed the bumpers, and side steps. Ripped out the back seat, and the carpet. I actually gained more than 3 inches with that, but still had very comfortable springs.
 

The Fixer

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blnewt said:
Looks awesome, glad you found the install thread helpful :)
Did you get the longer LCAs?
Thanks! I didn't pick up the LCAs yet; I'd like to drive it on the highway and see how it feels first. Around town it's great, but I only put about 10 miles on it so far LOL. Will definitely add them if it's wandering at speed though!
 

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2mnycars

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Interesting thread.
Our Jeep is a JLU stock. I'm wondering if this would be a good remedy for the wandering we're experiencing.
 
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blnewt

blnewt

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Interesting thread.
Our Jeep is a JLU stock. I'm wondering if this would be a good remedy for the wandering we're experiencing.
Your caster might be on the low side, every vehicle is a bit different although the Sports tend to be at least 5 degrees, that extra 1.5 degrees that the longer LCAs give you will typically help w/ the wandering at high speeds. Ideally caster in the 6-6.5 range is a good place to be :) There are those that like it even higher, especially as the lift & tire sizes get pretty large.
 

2mnycars

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Your caster might be on the low side, every vehicle is a bit different although the Sports tend to be at least 5 degrees, that extra 1.5 degrees that the longer LCAs give you will typically help w/ the wandering at high speeds. Ideally caster in the 6-6.5 range is a good place to be :) There are those that like it even higher, especially as the lift & tire sizes get pretty large.
Thanks.

edit: I'm frustrated that with all I've read and done the steering problem isn't fixed for Jeep JL owners.
Dead spot. Wandering....
(As an aside: years ago (about 1972 I adjusted steering boxes on 2 or 3 cars because of wandering. I don't know what the solution is here. Some Wranglers don't have the problem. I think the basic engineering was ok. That leaves bad quality of parts installed, or bad assembly practices.)

First thing I heard at the dealership was that "It's a jeep thing."
 
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Dewey7015

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I cannot seem to find the post, but someone listed a steering box brace...i wonder if that is a good "preventative" thing to get..
I am ordering my mopar 2" lift lca's, and then the new springs/shocks go in...
 

_thewick

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@blnewt - Cool write up!

I had a couple questions on here for you and anybody else who can chime in with experience...

1. Would you get the same lift effect with a JLU sport? I just bought a 2018 JLU sport and I’m thinking about doing this swap. All the reports here seem to say that the Rubicon shows are lifting their vehicles about 2-2.5” but it also seems like everyone is talking about 2-doors, which are obviously lighter.

2. Are all Rubicon shocks/springs equal? Also seems like there’s some discussion about shock number and specific vehicles with options, such as “4 door, tow package, steel bumper”, etc. Presumably because the heavy vehicles/options have heavy duty shocks? I haven’t really been able to find any actually confirmation o this, seems like the suspension is all just the same? If this is the case it would have an impact on my first question.

3. IF the Rubicon suspension really is giving 2-2.5” of lift, is this essentially the same thing as a JL spot getting the Molar 2” Lift Kit? I can’t really tell looking into this lift if it is specific to a trim level... it seems to me though that if the Rubicon really on 2” taller springs and shock than the sport, and the Mopar lift kit is a 2” Suspension lift, then wouldn’t it essentially do nothing to a Rubicon? But they’re not marketing it specifically at sports (as far as I can tell).

So I have some confusion here. Thanks in advance.
 

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blnewt

blnewt

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@blnewt - Cool write up!

I had a couple questions on here for you and anybody else who can chime in with experience...

1. Would you get the same lift effect with a JLU sport? I just bought a 2018 JLU sport and I’m thinking about doing this swap. All the reports here seem to say that the Rubicon shows are lifting their vehicles about 2-2.5” but it also seems like everyone is talking about 2-doors, which are obviously lighter.
JLUs will typically get a 1/2" less lift, so expect 1.5-1.75" lift

2. Are all Rubicon shocks/springs equal? Also seems like there’s some discussion about shock number and specific vehicles with options, such as “4 door, tow package, steel bumper”, etc. Presumably because the heavy vehicles/options have heavy duty shocks? I haven’t really been able to find any actually confirmation o this, seems like the suspension is all just the same? If this is the case it would have an impact on my first question.
The Diesel JLUR Springs will net the most lift, followed by the Diesel JLR. After that the JLUR w/ tow pkg, hardtop, steel bumper pkgs. Look for sets in the 60/61 & 90/91 or even 92 for the most lift (non diesels).

3. IF the Rubicon suspension really is giving 2-2.5” of lift, is this essentially the same thing as a JL spot getting the Molar 2” Lift Kit? I can’t really tell looking into this lift if it is specific to a trim level... it seems to me though that if the Rubicon really on 2” taller springs and shock than the sport, and the Mopar lift kit is a 2” Suspension lift, then wouldn’t it essentially do nothing to a Rubicon? But they’re not marketing it specifically at sports (as far as I can tell).
Can't help with that one :(

So I have some confusion here. Thanks in advance.
 

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I ordered the Rubitrux take-off Rubicon springs and shocks. You get what they have on hand as this take-offs are super hot sellers for them. They don't don't look used at all - maybe just dealership miles. Here's what I received for $349 delivered:

Front
Springs: 3590 Left 3591 Right
Shocks: 2 front red-body nitrogen

Rear
Springs: 3659 Left 3660 Right
Shocks: 2 rear red-body nitrogen

Received 2 front lower control arms (68322798AA) from Moparpartsoverstock which are for the 2" MOPAR lift kit. $78 delivered

On my 2018 JLU Sport, I'm thinking there will be about a 1.5" increase front and back, but since I'll be adding a steel front bumper and a winch the idea of a front spacer lingers.
 
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blnewt

blnewt

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I ordered the Rubitrux take-off Rubicon springs and shocks. You get what they have on hand as this take-offs are super hot sellers for them. They don't don't look used at all - maybe just dealership miles. Here's what I received for $349 delivered:

Front
Springs: 3590 Left 3591 Right
Shocks: 2 front red-body nitrogen

Rear
Springs: 3659 Left 3660 Right
Shocks: 2 rear red-body nitrogen

Received 2 front lower control arms (68322798AA) from Moparpartsoverstock which are for the 2" MOPAR lift kit. $78 delivered

On my 2018 JLU Sport, I'm thinking there will be about a 1.5" increase front and back, but since I'll be adding a steel front bumper and a winch the idea of a front spacer lingers.
I just added a steel stubby bumper (about 110 lbs) and a Smittybuilt winch (about 80 lbs) and it seemed to drop about 1/2", I think I'm ok w/ that as it's not too noticeable. My springs #s are almost the same as yours except I have 59/61 in the rear. Since you haven't done the install yet it might be worth it to get a 1/2" to 3/4" spacer kit for the front.

The fronts are a bit tougher than the rear, so that 1/2" isn't worth my time at the moment, but doing it from the get-go, that extra $40 for the spacers w/ no additional install time would be a good idea in your case I think.
 

daveprice7

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I just picked up a set of 90/91 & 59/60 ... Couple quick questions for those in the know:

These are two numbers lower than the longest in the back and one number lower than the longest in the front (ignoring some of the newer configurations like JLURD). I'm guessing these came off a JLUR soft top due to the shorter rear numbers. For a soft top 2dr Sport with a winch bumper; does this seem probable to achieve a level lift overall without the need for spacers?

I was saggy in the back before adding the stubby+winch, now I'm pretty much flat. I'm hoping to reclaim the original ride height and a little extra with these takeoffs without looking droopy in the ass again... so I can start shopping for tires when these are no longer serviceable (serviceable is a highly subjective term BTW.......)
 
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blnewt

blnewt

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I just picked up a set of 90/91 & 59/60 ... Couple quick questions for those in the know:

These are two numbers lower than the longest in the back and one number lower than the longest in the front (ignoring some of the newer configurations like JLURD). I'm guessing these came off a JLUR soft top due to the shorter rear numbers. For a soft top 2dr Sport with a winch bumper; does this seem probable to achieve a level lift overall without the need for spacers?

I was saggy in the back before adding the stubby+winch, now I'm pretty much flat. I'm hoping to reclaim the original ride height and a little extra with these takeoffs without looking droopy in the ass again... so I can start shopping for tires when these are no longer serviceable (serviceable is a highly subjective term BTW.......)
My spring set was 90/91 and 59/61 so almost the same.

Since you also have a 2dr you should be fine. I also added a stubby front bumper and winch for a net 190 lb gain, I only dropped a 1/2", you should expect similar results.

Here's bone stock, then 295/70 tires, then a Rubicon suspension swap, and finally w/ the stubby bumper/winch added.

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubicon Suspension on 2-door Sport 100_4015.JPG

Jeep Wrangler JL Rubicon Suspension on 2-door Sport 100_4023.JPG
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubicon Suspension on 2-door Sport IMG_0253.JPG
Jeep Wrangler JL Rubicon Suspension on 2-door Sport IMG_0346.JPG
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