Seeking Experience - Need a 2-Door Suspension Solution (A Long Thread)

[JLUR Farout]

Hello,

I have a bit of a situation and am hoping someone here has some data driven suggestions. 2024 JL Rubicon X 2.0L 22Y package (35” Package). Purchased 08JUN24, built APR24. Brand new, 100% empty of me or gear and full fuel tank, CAT weigh scale read 2,340 lbs front and 2,380 lbs rear (4,720 lbs total) and 930 lbs payload per door jam sticker. After I added all my crap on the outside, underside, and inside with full fuel tank CAT weigh scale read 2,480 lbs front and 2,620 lbs rear (5,100 lbs total). The only changes since then are that the KO2s were replaced with Toyo Open Country AT3s in the same size. Total weight gain is 380 lbs.

Brand new, none of my crap in/on it, ground to bottom of fender lips were 39 5/8” on the rear and 40 3/4” on the front. Bottom of frame at the crossmember was 15”, bottom of rear diff 11”, and bottom of hitch 19”. Front bump stop distance was 1 3/8” from bottom of orange foam to top of contact pad.

Brand new un-modified it rode nice, no bump stop concerns. As I added things the front OEM springs lost their loft. I did some Google research and called Clayton Off-Road. After discussing my situation with them, I ordered their 1.5” lift JL spring set https://www.claytonoffroad.com/product/jeep-wrangler-15-rear-coil-springs-jl and https://www.claytonoffroad.com/prod...-jeep-gladiator-jt-05-lift-front-coil-springs. I had some Metalcloak front bumpstops from a prior Wrangler NIB so had those put in too. I trimmed off the bottom layer of rubber. 1 1/4” with Clayton springs and Metalcloak bump stops between the front pad and bottom of the stop, which seemed big since I was left with 1/2” of front up travel before the Clayton spring install. I did not measure the rear bump stop to pad. Installed at 3,817 miles. Aimed headlights, all the normal stuff. Hitch heigh read 19 1/2” and frame at crossmember read 16”. Had an alignment done, installed Teraflex 9950 shocks (length driven via phone call with Teraflex) to fix bottoming out of OEM red ones. Also installed Teraflex 0”-6” adjustable front track bar to stiffen up the wobble. To cover remaining issues that came up from the spring install, I mounted up the Mopar Performance front LCAs and that fixed the steering back to OEM.

Drove it down to CO and loved the trail time, did great. This JL is my daily. I drive 63 miles one way each day with zero stop lights and three stop signs each way on 55-65 MPH 2-lane truck trafficked WA neglected roads. As of tonight I am over 21,500 miles. Medical stuff over DEC and JAN allowed my leave bank to drop and miles not rack up as much.

As of last weekend, rear hitch is at 19” (no change), 15” frame at crossmember, rear bump stop to pad is 2 1/2”. Front bump stops show just under 1 1/4” of up travel. I am losing teeth and jarring kidneys over small road contours, bridge junctions, and small holes. BUT really only on a square hit. If one wheel goes into something reasonable or up over something before another, there is hardly a bump. This makes me dip, duck, and dive to not be perpendicular to expansion joints and such.

Okay, if you’ve made it this far, I am very appreciative. I realize some of my problem is the stupid long bump stop tubes that Jeep thought was a great decision. I need to do something different since my budget fix isn’t the solution any longer. I do have a couple concerns:

• I tow and just a bit of weight on hitch has me sink almost 1.5” with under 100 lbs of tongue weight. This makes me get flashed, messes with the steering, and reduces rear up travel. If I have camping gear inside, make it a 2” drop.
• I get about 17 MPGs right now on my drive to work….Jeep promised 23 highway on the sticker. Yes, I did a proper break-in for over 4,000 miles to include towing, throttle, mountain passes, no idling, etc.
• This is my daily driver so going up high like a Silverado or Ford pickup is not desired. I am totally good with my 11” at the differential and 16” at the frame since I’m not a rock crawler.

There are an abundance of lift kits out there. I fixed the above problems on my 2018 JK Rubicon Recon 2-door 6spd manual by adding JLU RR take-off springs. Seems just springs are not the solution on a JL. I know Metalcloak is really respected, Teraflex is not bad but typically China made, and with the luck I’ve had with Clayton I’m not too hip to rush down that route. I don’t have confidence the Mopar lift would work since the OEM springs gave up quick though that would not violate my 7 year unlimited mile Mopar Added Care Plus warranty. Looks like AEV is almost always out of stock.

Here are a few pictures of how it is set up. For further factoring I love to get out camping 1-2 weekends per month plus two 2-week mountain / woods trail riding trips per year. With me, my gal, and our gear all stored inside the JL I add about 580 lbs total over my daily carry. I am okay with a ride that is more stiff that does not kiss bump stops.

I appreciate your input. I have to make a change because paying on something every month that bottoms out easily while my girlfriend’s Cherokee Trailhawk 3.2L and Subaru Crosstrek 6spd just blasts over the same surfaces just sucks.

What she looks like tonight:

We live in the country so large shopping trips are sort of important:

I use my Jeeps like trucks, they do work.

How my daily kit is laid out. Tools, recover, medical, spare clothes, winter clothing, air compressor, etc.

Last two pictures show my loadout for a two-week camping trip for my lovely lady and I. This is the reason I drive this, so we can pack up and get out into the mountains and take care of ourselves, have fun, and be nimble.

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[autotragic]

Why don't you just trim the front bump stops you know the tubes you can just cut them down.

Just because they came from the factory too long does it mean you can't shorten them up.

If you really want to get fancy get you a set of King Air bumps from accutune. Unfortunately you went pretty balls deep with a lift kit that isn't going to work for what you're trying to do it looks like.

 

[JLUR Farout]

Why don't you just trim the front bump stops you know the tubes you can just cut them down.

Just because they came from the factory too long does it mean you can't shorten them up.

If you really want to get fancy get you a set of King Air bumps from accutune. Unfortunately you went pretty balls deep with a lift kit that isn't going to work for what you're trying to do it looks like.

I considered something like you propose, but my fear was doing that and the springs continuing to soften up, leading me to have to do it again. I do my best to buy once, cry once. Due to being tight with $ fixing up the house at the time (avoiding plastic swiping) I went budget. In two months that won't be an issue and am looking to do it right. Example, I saved coin with steel skids on my JLURD and hated life every time I had to drop them for services...not this time man!

 

[autotragic]

I considered something like you propose, but my fear was doing that and the springs continuing to soften up, leading me to have to do it again. I do my best to buy once, cry once. Due to being tight with $ fixing up the house at the time (avoiding plastic swiping) I went budget. In two months that won't be an issue and am looking to do it right. Example, I saved coin with steel skids on my JLURD and hated life every time I had to drop them for services...not this time man!

Oh you won't have to do it again this is what you do go to the nearest Jeep dealer take a tape measure and a creeper... Find a Rubicon just standard not with the 35-in tires and measure those bump stop tubes and then go home and cut yours to the same length. Make sure to cut them square and you're good to go reinstall the foam pads and Bob's your uncle.

Well kind of cuz now you're probably going to need different shocks again.

Yeah spring sag is real so what you might need to do instead of one and a half inch lift springs you're going to need two and a half inch lift springs to make up the difference. I do believe Clayton makes a heavy load rear 2.5 in spring or maybe they use a three and a half inch spring for the heavy load 2.5 but anyway contact them and they should be able to steer you the right way just to make sure.

 

[ColonelSanders]

Sounds like you need to shorten your bump stops, but I found my harshness over bumps was happening on the down travel not the bump up. Parked level I disconnected my shocks and let them fully extend and found they were not long enough to give 2” down past ride height. After replacing with longer Metalcloak rock sport red longer travel shocks I can hit speed bumps at 40.

 

[JLUR Farout]

Good evening,

I spoke to Metalcloak on the phone today. The attached is the solution that was suggested. No drop brackets due to being 2.5". I then called Epic Adventure Outfitters about the install. I can do it with tools and knowledge, but I do not have a lift which makes life much easier. Next week I will do a bit more research / calls.

I appreciate the suggestions above, but see the second picture below. The spring rate is too soft for the weight. I have cut the first pancake off, shortly after I had the springs installed. I do not want to bandaid it any further. I'm willing to do the Ramen and PBJ diet for three paychecks to get it done correctly in the spring.

 

[ldstruckn]

Accutune will absolutely custom build what you want. Not cheap but one and done.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Anyone suggesting that you just cut down the bump towers and reinstall the foam has no idea what they are talking about. The foam doesn't just push into a blank tube like a paper towel roll. If it did, every time you made contact with the axle it would just push in further. The cup the foam sits in is attached to the bottom of the tube and is not hollow. Cutting down the tube means welding a cup back on or you just made your bump stops useless. The hydraulic front bump stops require you to cut the tube down, but they mount through it with lock nuts above and below. Further, if your shocks are xr length compressed, even if you properly shorten the bump towers your bump stops are still useless as your shocks will bottom out. Sure you could install shorter shocks, cut and reweld bump towers, and increase the uptravel, but you'd still have a soft spring in the rear leaving the headlights pointing skyward under load. Higher rate/taller springs is the right fix.

 

[JLUR Farout]

I've settled on the Metalcloak Game-Changer 2.5" kit. Saving up $$ and aim to have it in by mid-May. Until then I will just deal with the bump stop beating. Thanks to those of you who chimed in on my question.

 

[JLUR Farout]

Today my hand was forced to do something. After the dealership visit yesterday for a new HPFP, and after a good wash session, on my 2.5 hr drive home last night the rzeppa joint failed. @Metalcloak had a sale today (Saturday). Sucks that without the FAD and the 1350 driveshafts are not encouraged because Northridge4x4 has one for under $350. Placed the order tonight for the kit in place of just a driveshaft and will install myself. I do find it odd that I have a screenshot (last image) from 31JAN2025 and the price is lower than it was on the sale day. Seems sort of odd to me that in 22 days the price would increase $340 regular, but then with 10% off be $430 off. But, Metalcloak did honor their 5% for Veterans so it came to 15% off.

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