Which is why our boarding is the last thing you do to your rig. I’m holding out as I decide what if anything to do next before outboarding.
Rubicon Express Long Arm Replacement?
- Thread starter Temecula TJ
- Start date
Which is why our boarding is the last thing you do to your rig. I’m holding out as I decide what if anything to do next before outboarding.
If you can get the tune lined up, you can enjoy a nice outboard right now.
Did you loosen the lug nuts before or after getting the tire off the ground? (You are a ridiculous person)
The way I see it, if the angle difference is as insignificant as JJ says, there’s no reason to postpone the outboard. You already have the shocks.
Just my 2 cents.
Those who know have been arguing for many years that there is more immediate and overall improvement with an outboard supported by a good shock tune than there is with a mid arm. The money and effort should be prioritized on getting good shocks in place.
OP
All the bushings and flex joints are shot. According to someone at Rubicon Express they are "reorganizing" and are not currently manufacturing anything. I have broken control arm bolts that are seized in the sleeves which I haven't been able to remove with brute force.
OP
I believe the bushing are the MTPEG ones. They have an hour glass shape. Like I said the flex joints are all shot, some with the bolts sheared and seized in the sleeves. I'll admit I never made much effort to maintain them.
OP
So it's not feasible to run coilovers on factory width axles? I can also admit that I am pretty ignorant when it comes to understanding suspension geometry and shock tuning.
It is feasible. There is a whole lot more to it than a simple shock outboard because of the added diameter of the coils surrounding the shock body. The rear towers need to be moved past the inner wall of the frame rail towards the gas tank, if there is one. And there is an inherent length limitation due to packaging restrictions. This all assumes you want things to fit nicely.
Which is why it would be nice to see pics of Joe's work on how he did it on stock width axles.
Once again, What are we biased for or against? Instead of talking in circles, you can just come and say your thoughts clearly so that we can have a discussion.
@Temecula TJ .. try and fix your existing suspension and invest the money in good shocks and whatever needs done to get those good shocks working properly (good uptravel and down travel) in your Jeep with existing axles.
This means getting a shock outboard and tuned shocks (and I specifically mean 2.0s, since getting 2.5s fit in with stock axles and working properly is not something that is done easily). Note that an outboard and long travel alone by themselves doesn't fix things, you need the right shock tune to go with your vehicle and it's specific peculiarities, otherwise it's just there only for looks and probably does more harm than good.
If you are looking to upgrade to bigger/wider axles and run coilovers and whatnot, then go nuts.
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It is very feasible. But, unless someone is fairly magical, there are some pretty hard limits unless you compromise things you really shouldn't. With the stock width and 35's at 4"ish of back spacing, about the most you can swing is a 12" travel 2.0. Even then, they will generally swing all the way through the frame in the rear. I'm not comfy with other than a significant reinforcement on the inside of the frame for them to swing into. As such, the work goes up a bit but it is very doable.
The compromises would involve screwing up the backspacing and or making the rear wider with spacers. I'm not a fan of that at all and we really prefer in order to get good steering that we keep an eye on the back spacing and keep it around the 4" mark. Some folks will lean the shock way back to get it out of the way of the tire and I prefer to keep it approximately at a right angle to the lower control arm.
So, front slightly wider than the rear, same as factory, good back spacing, shock angle reasonably good, 35's, it gets very tough to get more than a 12" travel 2.0 in there.
That's sad, we were just getting to know each other. Was it the request for pictures that did it?
So do the rear uppers have superflex joints on both ends or a mtpeg on one? I may be able to fine some parts for you. RE was very popular up here so I possibly could scrounge up some stuff for you.
He's gone, but for future readers - I fell for the midarm before outboard fallacy but we out boarded my short arms anyway and it's awesome with a quality tune. I've taken a few friends who are into racing and car performance out on dirt roads and they are floored every time. Anything washboard I have to even point out to most of them.
