XR observations

[onemoreokie]

@robtown so what's it doing or not doing that you need to change it? Why do you have to change it?

When he starts bottoming out his suspension on the grocery store speed bumps like mine you need to do something.

It’s nice you want to be an apologist for Stellantis but this “design” isn’t stellar for people who load up their rigs and off-road.

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[AcesandEights]

That's what bump stops are for. Apologist, haha, ok.

 

[OCEANDIVING954]

After reading the XR forum stuff I had my dealer add the Longer LCA when she was just delivered from factory....Happy I did it...My XR Ruby build also included the Steel bumper package..I have no bottoming out thus far..I am sure the factory added heavier duty springs to compensate ... When i add a winch, ill test it and go from there...

 

[robtown]

@robtown so what's it doing or not doing that you need to change it? Why do you have to change it?

I mentioned it earlier in this thread and probably should have quoted that post, but I’ve hit the front bump stops a couple of times already with only about 500 miles on since the added weight (bumper, winch, steps) and have about an inch or so of clearance on the bumps.

I also tow this Jeep behind my RV which has a fairly long overhang aft of the rear wheels. The rear of the RV can bounce around quite a bit on rough roads or dips on the highway at speed. While the tow bar has flex, I’m sure some of that force transfers to the Jeep and could be contacting the bump stops while towed without my knowledge.

Better to be safe than sorry, plus I’d like to get the lift back up to the original height.

 

[Monster1926]

i don’t think they are long enough. I have them on my stock 392, same lift as an XR. They brought it back to the mid 5s for caster. If I was going 2.5” springs I would go adjustable LCAs or geo-brackets if you don’t rock crawl it. Those brackets take a beating in the rocks.

They’re not, my XR on the alignment machine with the Mopar LCAs is showing 5.6 left caster and 5.8 right caster.

 

[stumblinhorse]

They’re not, my XR on the alignment machine with the Mopar LCAs is showing 5.6 left caster and 5.8 right caster.

Yup that is what I saw. Should have been on there from the factory for XRs and 392s. Puts caster back to where it should be for the factory lift they have.

 

[oceanbretzke]

The value of the XR is in the case where buying the package gets you the same or similar upgrades that you would have done to a basic Rubicon if it wasn't available.

If you were going to buy wider (cooler looking) wheels and 35" tires and then re-gear to 4.88s, its a no-brainer.

Even if you replace the tires/wheels with something from the aftermarket, XR take offs are selling for $3500. So its starts to look good for just the lift, shocks, gears, and tire carrier.

Of course if you intend to go "beyond" that, then it gets into the same discussion that people have been having for years about Sport S vs Rubicon. It makes no sense to buy a rubicon if you are going to be replacing the axles, gears, wheels, tires, etc.

Agreed…. Plus you can’t even get the items afterwards no where near the cost of the XR option price. XR is a great deal.

 

[2manyhobbies]

I added a 3/4” spacer, and recovered the height lost when I added the winch and bumper. When I can access better equipment, I’ll flex it out and see if I am going to install hydraulic bump stops to gain more up travel. I don’t plan to go higher than 35s because the top of the door to my garage is too close to the open SOT as it is. ?

The more I think about it, the clearer it is to me that the XR package should have come with 37s. The gearing is a bit low for 35s (for me - auto with 3.6). And the lift combined with the crazy long jounce tubes - makes sense for 37s.

 

[Mocopo]

I added a 3/4” spacer, and recovered the height lost when I added the winch and bumper. When I can access better equipment, I’ll flex it out and see if I am going to install hydraulic bump stops to gain more up travel. I don’t plan to go higher than 35s because the top of the door to my garage is too close to the open SOT as it is. ?

The more I think about it, the clearer it is to me that the XR package should have come with 37s. The gearing is a bit low for 35s (for me - auto with 3.6). And the lift combined with the crazy long jounce tubes - makes sense for 37s.

I bet the did the XR as a way for people to get 37s with minimal modifications.

 

[J_Winslow]

I have the XR on my rubi and I was always planing on a lift. I bought the XR for the front axle gears and brakes. That alone justifies the 4k option imo.

The really nice wheels are a bonus and it's easy to sell the take off tires and suspension parts.

I think the misconception is peopke think it's only a 1.5 inch lift and factory 35s.

The factory 35s and the lift are the weak parts of the XR as BFG KO2s are crap tires for off roading imo, and the lift is still a "factory" suspension so it cannot flex and overall poor off road.

 

[DLRubiXR]

Thanks for the answers.

This will be my daily, I've got the steel bumpers, will be adding a winch and live in the giant pothole called Baltimore. So the reports of bottoming out around town make me feel like I've already got to modify the suspension from the start.

The rubis with metal bumpers have stronger springs to address the additional weight. So you and I shouldn’t have any concerns with just a winch of 100 lbs.

 

[Jtphoto]

woah.. so the XR doesn't come standard with the longer LCA from the 2" mopar lift?

Doesn’t need them. The factory lift is barely an inch and a half. Put some weight on it and and it’s maybe a inch.
And yes if you are gonna put extra weight on the front you need new springs not less bumpstop.

 

[Jtphoto]

Well fellas I think I found out bottoming out problem and it isn’t the bumpstops.
as some of you know I have been sort of backing the longer factory bumpstops to protect the factory fenders from the bigger tires and have already swapped out to 2.5” springs. Turns out after a bit of wheeling this weekend I was feeling some contact on a couple whoops but it just felt too solid. I checked the bumpstop pads for contact marks but they were ever so slight. So underneath I went on a creeper as I want to see the suspension under full weight. Turns out I find a contact point. The trackbar is hitting the steering box shaft at the pitman arm when you compress the front suspension evenly. There is only about an inch and a half between the trackbar and that steering shaft. I will get a photo in daylight tomorrow and try and check a regular Rubicon to see if there is a different track bar.

 

[sts90]

So is there any option that can cheaply solved this problem with having to do a suspension replacement? As in, Is there a set a front springs that can be installed to fix up travel issue?

 

[AnnDee4444]

So is there any option that can cheaply solved this problem with having to do a suspension replacement? As in, Is there a set a front springs that can be installed to fix up travel issue?

Spacers are probably the cheapest option.

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