Is my Jeep too heavy?
- Thread starter MattJ
- Start date
jadmt
ignore button user
I run my 35's on AEV rims (5.2" backspacing) which are also fairly light but not as light as stock rims and the 255/80's on stock with spidertrax 1.5" spacers so ends up being 4.75" backspacing. If I know I am going to do some harder core offroading ie someting like the rubicon or dusy ershim I will run the bigger tires. If just milder stuff it is hard to beat the pizza cutters as they feel so good on the road and will handle most offroading with no issues.
I would post some offroad action photos but freaking photobucket crashed a while back and I am fighting with them. They claim my membership is expired even tho I have sent the pp invoice showing otherwise.
I would post some offroad action photos but freaking photobucket crashed a while back and I am fighting with them. They claim my membership is expired even tho I have sent the pp invoice showing otherwise.
sourdoughben
Well-known member
Just for reference my Wrangler Rubicon 2dr. (JLR) Weighs 5,180. It’s heavily mod’d too... https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/showcase/sourdough.1163/
calicamper
Expedition Leader
I met an interesting lady in the office next door to my buddies business a few yrs ago. Shes a vehicle accident researcher. I had no idea that was a thing. Her number one pet peve? Stuff on the roof of tall vehicles. Her biggest issue is with the jumbo roof boxes on your typical SUVs. Apparently they are a big factor in the roll over accidents she ends up working usually mini vans and big SUVs. I asked her about roof top tents and she nearly blew a fuse. She was an odd duck for sure but dang after hearing her go on about roof weight and roll overs anything Jeep would probably give her a stoke. LOLIncreasing the track width reduces weight transfer when cornering. Solid axle dynamics are bit different, so body roll angle will remain unchanged.
Widening the track with spacers or wheels puts more stress on the axles and especially the steering. Once you change the relationship between the kingpin axis and the wheel center, you are affecting steering dynamics, effort, and transient response.
Jeep wranglers have one of the worst rollover risks of any vehicle. Its something like 28%, which most trucks are lower at sub 22%. Thats in stock form. Before they are lifted, plastered with heavy gear, roof top tents, lifts, tall soft tires, and had the sway bars removed.
Both track width and COG factor linearly into the max cornering speed. Raise the CG by 20%, and the rollover cornering speed (theoretical) drops 20%. The inverse applies to track width. This does not take into account weight transfer, tire effects, and road variances, its just a snapshot of the cornering speed where the vehicle will tip over. Its a useful reference for how changes to a vehicle will impact the safe maneuvering speed.
Rasing the COG by 25% (not unusual with RTTS, roof racks, lifts etc), then removing sway bars, and using lower tire pressures, can result in the high speed maneuver performance dropping by 40% or more. It may not seem like a big deal until you need to avoid an animal at speed, and find yourself on two wheels...
Related, here is the euro safety assessment for the wrangler. Note the offset barrier test. Possible life altering injuries even at modest speeds. Not typical for modern vehicles, and easily avoidable with good design. I imagine the results would be much worse with another 2,500 of payload.
Official Jeep Wrangler safety rating
Euro NCAP safety rating of the Jeep Wrangler: detailed results, crash test pictures, videos and comments from expertswww.euroncap.com
yeah its a real risk and I suspect people here don’t think about it till they experience it first hand.
MOguy
Explorer
It blows my mind that people still to under stand the risks (or just don't care) of being top heavy and over loaded. I suppose many of us have been there but is the risk really worth it?
calicamper
Expedition Leader
It get more real when you consider driving riding in a vehicle is by far the most high risk thing most of us do especially daily.
sourdoughben
Well-known member
Back on thread subject. When talking about Wranglers and weight, there is a big difference between a JK vs JL Rubicon in their ability to handle it. Just saying.
MOguy
Explorer
One may be able to carry more weight than the other but top heavy is top heavy.
sourdoughben
Well-known member
Haha, You should be posting on the RoofTop tent thread
sourdoughben
Well-known member
Deployable out riggers like on rollover test vehicles.so basically what i am hearing is that if i want a RTT, make sure and get full steel underskids to offset the weight.
calicamper
Expedition Leader
In all reality its not just a jeep thing. There was a really good thread about 2yrs ago mostly mid sized truck guys and some full sized guys discussing the same problems and yes the risks. Very much identical points of interest and ideas.
More than anything there is soooo much compact gear to be had today that its really easy to exceed load limits be it Subaru tent camping, roof loads on Ford Expeditions and Jeep gear plus camping gear and passengers.
The gear out there today is very well made, very cool and usually pretty compact. Its so easy to have 500-800-1000lbs of stuff that can get packed into mid sized wagon. Going light and filtered down to less stuff is actually harder than just packing it all. LOL
When its just me and the kids. No wife. I pack like a backpacker given thats what I grew up doing. Plus my packing time is like 1/10’th the time and effort. Those trips tend to be more fun too. When the wife goes I have “Did you bring X” interrogation the first hour plus going down the road. So no doubt that impacts my planning and packing which always seems to mean pretty much every camping device like thing I own. Plus every personal comfort item/device one has in the 2500sqft house.
However!! In recent years I’ve managed to get the wife to realize its usually not the end of the world if something got left at home. LOL winning? Maybe... Sort of
More than anything there is soooo much compact gear to be had today that its really easy to exceed load limits be it Subaru tent camping, roof loads on Ford Expeditions and Jeep gear plus camping gear and passengers.
The gear out there today is very well made, very cool and usually pretty compact. Its so easy to have 500-800-1000lbs of stuff that can get packed into mid sized wagon. Going light and filtered down to less stuff is actually harder than just packing it all. LOL
When its just me and the kids. No wife. I pack like a backpacker given thats what I grew up doing. Plus my packing time is like 1/10’th the time and effort. Those trips tend to be more fun too. When the wife goes I have “Did you bring X” interrogation the first hour plus going down the road. So no doubt that impacts my planning and packing which always seems to mean pretty much every camping device like thing I own. Plus every personal comfort item/device one has in the 2500sqft house.
However!! In recent years I’ve managed to get the wife to realize its usually not the end of the world if something got left at home. LOL winning? Maybe... Sort of
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MOguy
Explorer
so basically what i am hearing is that if i want a RTT, make sure and get full steel underskids to offset the weight.
If you want to off set the weight (not really sure how effective it would be) the weight should have to be under your suspension. Adding weight lower and center is always better than higher or out past the axles.
MOguy
Explorer
They don't want to hear it.