Suspension setup for Expedition travel in a 2005 Jeep Rubicon Unlimited

[leelikesbikes]

Ome

i just switched from RE coils and shocks to OME, the ride quality is night and day difference, im still running my RE superflex links. i put a 3/4" spacer in the front to level it out a bit (the ome kits sit *** high) im running 35" mtrs on 8" wide wheels with just a little trimming. OME has way more spring rates and shock valvings available if you talk to the right person. i got mine from dirk@ DPGoffroad, and he really treated me right, we went over went over all my accessories and intended uses to get the spring rates/valvings just right. for the price you can't beat the ride quality of OME

 

[BPage]

@Nwood

Awesome setup!!!!! Just what I was thinking... I am even planning on doing a 1.25" body lift to incorporate the tummy tuck down the road.


So how does it ride on the highway? Do you feel like you have a smooth ride, or is it still choppy due to the short wheelbase? I would imagine that you could dial in your Rancho's to the softest setting and float down the highway, then dial them back up for a more firm offroad ride... is that correct? :drool:

 

[nwoods]

@Nwood

So how does it ride on the highway?

Compared to what? It's still a Jeep rolling on 35's. Between bumpsteer, wind noise, and various rattles, it's hard to tell.

There is one particular stretch of road here in SoCal on the 91 east, in lane #2, that rattles the heck out it, but yeah, virtually everywhere else was very street able. We had no problems hopping in for a 3, 4, or 12 hour drive to our destination (other than fuel mileage!)

Graham rode with me once and remarked frequently how smooth it went compared to his TJ. As for tuning, I usually ran the reverse. Firm on the road (due to high CofG), and soft on the trail. Or, it depended on my load out. I sampled several different springs, including Currie, RE, some yellow ones (not OME I think?), and even SkyJackers before learning about the AEV springs, and the AEV's were amazing in comparison.

 

[nwoods]

If you really want soft floaty ride, you probably want something like a GenRite long arm kit.

 

[grahamfitter]

Graham rode with me once and remarked frequently how smooth it went compared to his TJ.

I think that was after I put new seats in the TJ, too. Based on that ride I ended up buying a stock 2005 LJ Rubicon which now sits on OME and 32" BFG ATs and is complete enough for me. (Complete with a new engine and gearbox but that's a different sob story.) Every once in a while I think a tummy tuck (without body lift) would help but a little finesse goes a long way.

Thanks for the ride!

 

[BPage]

Hey has anyone thought about buying those suspension seats that 18 wheeler trucks have. You know the ones that have suspension built in so the seat moves up and down as you go over the bumps?
Don't know what they cost but it might be another solution instead of messing wih the suspension?

 

[toddz69]

Hey has anyone thought about buying those suspension seats that 18 wheeler trucks have. You know the ones that have suspension built in so the seat moves up and down as you go over the bumps?
Don't know what they cost but it might be another solution instead of messing wih the suspension?

Just came across this thread when I was searching for another topic. In the "olden" days, some off road race vehicles (including one I co-own) had suspension seats in them to help compensate for lack of suspension travel. The ones in our truck are Bostroms. They have several inches of travel. If you unzip the seatcover for the back of the seat, you'll be greeted with 2 coil springs and what is probably a long-ago worn out hydraulic damper. The ride is unnerving as there is a delay between hitting the bump and the seat reacting to the bump. Plus if you're wearing shoulder harnesses and lap belts, the harnesses loosen when the seats compress. We have the seats in for historical displays, etc. but run modern racing seats when using the vehicle in current events.

Todd Z.

 

[steventexas]

Been there, done that.....the shovel had to go!

I tried the Pro comp 2" with their shocks and had a mushy mess.
I needed dual purpose capability and I'm not willing to compromise on either.
I read, studied and reasoned. I looked at what the engineers had to say.
AEV nth degree engineered complete system with tummy tucker made the most sense. These guys said it works and when I see what else they were building I decided to trust them. I'm glad I did. Thanks Kent! It is worth every dollar.
4.5 for TJ with 4:88's, rs9000's and 35" TAKO's. 2200 rpm at 70 mph with the auto trans.
Im in N. Texas and have a quite a few miles of road before the trail.
This thing handles like a sports car, then crawls like a cat.
I got a total of 7.25" additional clearance at the transfer case over stock with 31"s.
Yesterday I loaded the rear (without seat) and the trail rack with cases of #10 cans of food for the ranch.
No drop and very little steering variation from the weight.
Let the good times roll! See at Overland Expo 2012.
attached pic is with the 2" pro comps and the "shovel"

 

[Jim K in PA]

Just came across this thread when I was searching for another topic. In the "olden" days, some off road race vehicles (including one I co-own) had suspension seats in them to help compensate for lack of suspension travel. The ones in our truck are Bostroms. They have several inches of travel. If you unzip the seatcover for the back of the seat, you'll be greeted with 2 coil springs and what is probably a long-ago worn out hydraulic damper. The ride is unnerving as there is a delay between hitting the bump and the seat reacting to the bump. Plus if you're wearing shoulder harnesses and lap belts, the harnesses loosen when the seats compress. We have the seats in for historical displays, etc. but run modern racing seats when using the vehicle in current events.

Todd Z.

I have a 1973 IH dump truck with its original Bostrom seat. It works exactly as you describe! However, the newer (late 90s or so) Bostrom seats had the option of the seat belts mounted to the seat frame, so they would move with the rider as the seat moved. I have one from a bus that I am considering putting in my old binder.

 

[Jim K in PA]

I think that was after I put new seats in the TJ, too. Based on that ride I ended up buying a stock 2005 LJ Rubicon which now sits on OME and 32" BFG ATs and is complete enough for me. (Complete with a new engine and gearbox but that's a different sob story.) Every once in a while I think a tummy tuck (without body lift) would help but a little finesse goes a long way.

Thanks for the ride!

Graham - I "finessed" my LJ Rubicon with the shovel as long as I could stand it. The very first modification I did to the truck was an oil pan skid (Nth Degree). The second was installing a 1.25" JKS body lift, M.O.R.E. bombproof 1" motor mount lift, and a Rokmen skid plate. I still have the original suspension, but that TT made an immense difference in frequency of hangups. Having the smooth pan, and NOT having the down turned front lip, is well worth the $$. By doing the BL and the MML, I have zero issues with the T-case or trans shifter, and no issues with rear DS angle. If you do the TT without a BL or MML, you will have to use the a bracket on the T-case shifter to allow full movement, and you may have DS angle issues, especially with the 2" OME lift. BTW - the 1.25" BL also allowed me to go to 33" (255/85) tires with no clearance issues.


I am finally about to install an OME lift in my LJ. The 118k mile original suspension is overdue for replacement.

 

[squint]

My Gen 1 montero had a shock seat in it. It was great on road, but offroad, it was hard to "feel" the line. It was nice because you could lock it down.

x2 on the OME kit. I have an RE superflex on my LJ and my wife has the OME on her TJ. I thought I really liked the RE until I drove hers with the OME.

 

[rubiconscott]

I have a 05 LJ Rubi that use for exactly what you described... and then some

Here is what I have so far.

•Currie johnny joint suspension
•Antirock sway bar
•Rancho 9,000's
•vented rotors w/ ceramic pads
•teraflex extended, braided brake lines
•5.13 R&P
•Riddler diff covers
•Tom Woods drive shafts
•teraflex belly up skid plate
•Currie front and rear bumpers
•35" BFG KM2's
•Warn 9.5 ti
•Magnaflow Cat back
•AEM brute force intake kit
•VIAIR OBA
and a bunch of other doohickies and gizmo's









I am going to be installing the Genright 31.5 gallon safari tank in a few months and maybe a roof rack. I will have to address the weight issue and I don't know what I am going to do yet.
New coils and shocks?
ACOS?

 

[86cj]

LJ rear suspension

I loaded up my LJ for a trip to Moab in 2004, it had BDS 3" TJ coils, 3" Bilstein 5100's a 1.25" BL and 285-75-16 MT/R 's. It wheeled fine, but at freeway speed it would be on the rear bumpstops often. Back then no LJ springs were made yet, so I put some Air lift bags on the rear with good results. The 5100 Bilstein's are very good, the LJ handled much better with them. I run JKS arms all around and am happy with the front suspension and Currie HD steering. BDS does make a good product and is a fine choice for some people because BDS has local Installers that can also honor their great warranty.

.


I decided 35" tires are next, I am now installing Currie 4" bumpstops and AEV 3" HD springs with a 3/4" isolator and no Airlift bags. I agree with all the issues brought up about the rear geometry, I do like the ride but the feel is awful, even before the lift. If I am not happy with this combo I might consider custom rear leaf springs. I need a real muffler so a 4 link is out.


.
I have a set of Rancho 9000's on my truck and they are the third set I have hated in my life, buy Bilsteins.

 

[jscusmcvet]

If you do the TT without a BL or MML, you will have to use the a bracket on the T-case shifter to allow full movement,

On my 2003 Rubicon, when I installed a TT, instead of using a bracket on the tcase shifter, I pulled the console and used my dremel tool to clearance the metal piece that has the slot to controll movement of the shifter. You only have to make the slot about 1/4" longer. Reassmeble the console and you cannot even see it. Sorry, no pics, but if you look at that piece of metal, you will see immediately what I mean.

John

 

[Fargo]

I have a 2005 LJ Rubicon that I use for my expedition vehicle. Since I live in ND and the only wheeling I ever do is when I am on vacation 1000+ miles from home, I also needed a true expedition vehicle with good road manors. I think the first thing to keep in mind is to keep it as low as possible. The more lift you have, the more unstable it becomes. Also with more lift, the more you screw up your suspension geometry the higher you go. Once you raise your LJs suspension more than 2" you really need to look at adjustable track bars and trac bar brackets to try to correct suspension geometry. Since you have a 4" lift now you probably have done this already. But I would recomend looking it over to make sure everything is tight and in good order.

How big of tires will you run? For your use, it sounds like 33s (or 285/75/16) would be about right. If that is the case I would recommend something along the lines of a 2"-3"" Spring lift plus a body lift. (If your looking at a bigger tire, I would recommend the same lift but put on a highline fender kit.) I have no personal experience with the OMEs but I think that is the 2" I would recommend due to the wide variety of spring rates avialable. For a 3" springs I would recommend the Savvy or the AEV. I would also recommend getting control arms with Johnny Joints (Currie or Savvy).

How heavy is your rig? Keep in mind how heavy your Jeep is. For a lighter LJ with little armor I would recommend the standard OME spring. If your heavier some of the progressive springs or other stiffer springs might serve you better.

My setup: The current setup I have on my LJ is BDS 2" springs with Rancho 9000XL adjustable shocks and a 1" Teraflex body lift and Cooper STTs in a 285/75/R16. For extra weight all I have is Jeeperman rock sliderz, undercover fab oil pan, and a BSRK rear bumper with no tire carrier. I opted recently for the GR8TOPs exogate tire carrier due to its lightweight, no additional noise, and being able to open with the rear gate. So overall, I would say my Jeep is relatively light for a build LJ. Having said that. Here are my impressions of my Jeep.

The BDS springs are plenty stiff for an LJ. I believe that sometime in the last couple of years BDS changed the spring rates on their rear springs. Ther are now nearly as stiff as the poplular ZJ/LJ setup from OME. So for the most part you can disregard those who say the rears are too soft. I have never bottomed out my rear springs even fully loaded. Infact, I sometimes feel they are too stiff.

The Rancho adjustable shocks have pros and cons. I have never noticed a fading problem that someone here mentioned. However, I do find that they are not matched very well to the BDS springs with light tires. When I had a light tire on my Jeep the shocks had to be set at #2-#3 to control the rebound of the springs. Which lead to a stiff ride. But now with the heavier 285s I tend to run them at #1. I know it sound backwards, but the springs are better matched to a heavier tire and the shocks require less rebound damping. With my Ranchos set at #1 I have a firmer than stock feel, but not too harsh. I haven't had my new 285 tires off road yet, but with my stock MTS and the BDS/Rancho combo I found that turning up the shocks to #3 or #4 really helped to control the side to side wobble, even fully loaded. Since I just put the spare tire on my carrier last weekend, I am playing with the Ranchos again to find the best setup. They feel much better with a heavier rig. However, although I like the adjustability of the Ranchos. I can't help but to feel that if I got the proper springs for my Jeeps weight and shocks that were properly matched to those springs, I wouldn't need to make adjustments.

So my final advice is to pay attention to the weight of your Jeep. This will have a big effect on which spring and shock combo you choose. Sorry if I'm rambling in coherently. I just wanted to write a few quick points while at work. I'll review things later to see if I can offer more clarity. In the meantime, can you tell us a little more about how big of tires you want to run and how much weight you will be carrying on your LJ. That would really help in knowing what would work best for you.