Suspension advice

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nugaluga

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SO i have a new to me LJ and i was wanting some advice on building up the suspension

I would like to use it as a daily driver. I would like it to be off road worthy and be able to be stable at high speeds.

i would like to do the build over the course of 2-3 years.

i'm not a "mudder" or rock crawler, though i wouldnt' mind trying now that i have a jeep. I do like colorado, and camping and some of those mountain roads are pretty treacherous to get to the camp sites.

I'm used to driving very fast and nimble cars, so driving like a granny on this jeep is new to me.


I'd like advice on suspension mostly-
eventually i'd like a Low center of gravity (minimally lifted) Jeep, with wider axles, and meaner tires. 35? is n't out of the question. I wouldn't' mind bigger except its a daily driver. Lots of clearance to be able to navigate many types of terrain

Right now the jeep has 130k miles and the suspension in bone stock! It handles SO BADLY, and doesn't take kindly to bumps either. (Maybe i'm just used to sports cars?) - BUT i love it.

Budget 10-20k over the course of a few years

Would like to do the build in major sections/parts .

Thoughts?
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Throw the "low center of gravity" thing out the window. It's complete bullshit, and nothing more than some internet myth that started spreading like wildfire. There is really no merit to it whatsoever.

The first thing I would determine is what tire size you're going to run and build around that as well as the wheelbase.

Don't say, "Well, I night start with 33s and get to 35s". Save yourself the time, hassle, and headache (and money too) and ask yourself right here and now, "What size tire do I really want to run?".

If it's 35s, then 10-20k is a good budget to build a very capable rig with good quality components that can handle 35s. There's a lot of ways to do it, and you'll find many people have different opinions on which brands to use. I almost exclusively recommend Savvy or Currie components, as I know they are designed and tested probably more than any of the other brands out there.
 
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nugaluga said:
I would like to use it as a daily driver. I would like it to be off road worthy and be able to be stable at high speeds.
Click to expand...

While Chris has pretty much posted the correct answer, I bolded some of your words that lead me to say that stock TJs in decent condition meet all of these goals every day
 
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In all honesty not mine.
JEEPCJTJ said:
While Chris has pretty much posted the correct answer, I bolded some of your words that lead me to say that stock TJs in decent condition meet all of these goals every day
Click to expand...

The suspension is all original so if the Jeep was new yes I would agree but mine is 130k miles. I nearly lost control after hitting a small bump any of my sedans could handle.
 
Don't lose hope on the low center of gravity idea. Those who "disprove" the idea wheel in a very specific area. And in the case of this thread, those who say it is BS don't actually wheel at all. LCOG can certainly be useful depending on how you use your Jeep.


Otherwise, I'd say you have a very good foundation from what has been said above. Currie, Savvy, Genright are all great companies. Make sure you build your Jeep the right way, the first time. Don't cut any corners, you'll pay for it later. 10k-20k can get you a very very capable Jeep. 35's, Currie 4" lift, Tummy Tuck, Lockers, Gears, Axle Shafts, the list goes on and on. I'd do a lot of research, make an excel sheet with prices, and go from there.
 
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nugaluga said:
can the project be broken into steps. If so which parts first ?
Click to expand...
i would second @Chris and say build around your tires and do it correctly. i have a jeep that had a sub par lift on it and 35" tires. i am now going behind and swapping and adding parts. if i could do it over first thing id do is buy a 4" Currie lift $2400ish wheels and tires , do the re-gear $1500 and SYE $5-600 all at the same time. its hard to lift a jeep instates. i know ive gone through some rough spots because of the corners the PO cut. do it once and do it right. i also love Currie there stuff is built to last and its nice.
 
nugaluga said:
can the project be broken into steps. If so which parts first ?
Click to expand...

That’s how I did it. I put mine on 33’s with lockers, gears, suspension, wheels, and tires. I’m now on 35’s with a tummy tuck, rock sliders, bumpers, etc...

Only thing I can think of that you should do at the same time:
Lift, sye, driveshaft, and tires
Gears and lockers

You can definitely break it into stages. Just have to remember to do the “while you already in there” stuff to keep costs down in the long run.
 
nugaluga said:
In all honesty not mine.


The suspension is all original so if the Jeep was new yes I would agree but mine is 130k miles. I nearly lost control after hitting a small bump any of my sedans could handle.
Click to expand...


I'm not trying to tell you what to do but replacing worn parts with stock parts will still meet those goals I bolded. Of course if you've totally dropped the low center of gravity from your goals, there are many ways to get higher and still meet the others. Just be sure to check out all the advise from this sight and GO FOR IT!!!
 
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JEEPCJTJ said:
I'm not trying to tell you what to do but replacing worn parts with stock parts will still meet those goals I bolded. Of course if you've totally dropped the low center of gravity from your goals, there are many ways to get higher and still meet them. Just be sure to check out all the advise from this sight and GO FOR IT!!!
Click to expand...
very true stock TJs are still badass.
 
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this forum is pretty great -
so in my head in goes something like this.
  1. body panels first (fenders)
  2. lift, sye driveshaft in one go
  3. settle on which axle route to go - and either buy tires next or ..
  4. i'd like to extend the wheelbase a bit like the currie axles - and potentially update the shaft on my current axles or get new axles - jk? (which would be a reason to do the tires later) - and regear?

Keep in mind if i messed some of what i said up earlier. I'm not a wrench and am beginning to learn the lingo here.
 
A proper wheel with the right back spacing might get the look you want without the expense of swapping to bigger, wider axles. If you have the Dana 44/Dana 30 combo, a few upgrades to those axles will more than handle 35's if that is your end goal. Normally, I'd say stick with 31's and wheel it for a while, and do the research, but LJ's just look so much better with a lift and 33's. I vote a quality 4" suspension lift, 33's with proper bs'd wheels. LJ's have longer rear drive shafts, so you may or may not get vibes. If you do drop the transfer case skid a little and do a SYE and DCDS. Get double adjustable rear upper arms. They will pay for themselves over time as your jeep build grows. When you are ready for 35's, do a 1" body lift and motor mount lift, then set yourself up for a tummy tuck to gain even more clearance. Of course, lockers, re-gear, bigger brakes, beefier steering will need to be addressed during this process.
 
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bobthetj03 said:
A proper wheel with the right back spacing might get the look you want without the expense of swapping to bigger, wider axles. If you have the Dana 44/Dana 30 combo, a few upgrades to those axles will more than handle 35's if that is your end goal. Normally, I'd say stick with 31's and wheel it for a while, and do the research, but LJ's just look so much better with a lift and 33's. I vote a quality 4" suspension lift, 33's with proper bs'd wheels. LJ's have longer rear drive shafts, so you may or may not get vibes. If you do drop the transfer case skid a little and do a SYE and DCDS. Get double adjustable rear upper arms. They will pay for themselves over time as your jeep build grows. When you are ready for 35's, do a 1" body lift and motor mount lift, then set yourself up for a tummy tuck to gain even more clearance. Of course, lockers, re-gear, bigger brakes, beefier steering will need to be addressed during this process.
Click to expand...
whats your take on the savvy midarm kit?
 
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I agree with @bobthetj03 description. That's a great route to take to 35's. And did I say that 35's look great on a LJ? 37's look even better, but it wouldn't just burn a hole in my pocket, it would burn my pants entirely, and I wouldn't want it for a DD.

For all Savvy Mid-Arm Questions, ask @Chris and see his build thread, "project pissed off wife" or something like that! I'd vote for it in a second if it's what you really need, but I doubt you do.
 
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nugaluga said:
whats your take on the savvy midarm kit?
Click to expand...

I very well thought out kit, but you better find someone who is familiar with setting up such a system. A shop that says they can install lifts and weld doesn't necessarily know how to setup the shocks and such. @jjvw runs this kit and daily's his jeep. He will have more real world input on that kit. @Chris can give you $$$, for he had his professionally installed and can give you hints on what to look out for. Once this particular kit is installed it will be very costly to go back if you decide you don't like it's characteristics.
 
JMT said:
I agree with @bobthetj03 description. That's a great route to take to 35's. And did I say that 35's look great on a LJ? 37's look even better, but it wouldn't just burn a hole in my pocket, it would burn my pants entirely, and I wouldn't want it for a DD.

For all Savvy Mid-Arm Questions, ask @Chris and see his build thread, "project pissed off wife" or something like that! I'd vote for it in a second if it's what you really need, but I doubt you do.
Click to expand...

For anyone considering the midarm lift, read @Chris's build thread for sure. It will definitely give you food for thought if you dive down that rabbit hole.
 
nugaluga said:
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ry-of-indecision-and-frivolous-spending.8537/
this thing has a 184 pages??!!
is the a tldr summary here? :):)
Click to expand...

The summary is, if you don't know what the advantages of the midarm kit are, you probably don't need it. a quality short arm kit and some well placed items will get you thru 95% of the places you point the wheels at. Do yourself a favor and read the thread when you have time. Maybe @Chris will chime in with some cliff notes for you.
 
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