Where and why did the LCOG with no up-travel fad get started?

Brian83

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Mar 25, 2019
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390
Location
Oklahoma City, OK
I seriously don't understand the low lift, large tire, no up-travel thing that seems to be sweeping the FB pages. All they want to talk about is how droop is the most important thing and how unstable TJs are in off camber situations. Where did this idea come from and why is it so popular?
 
The concept sounds plausible and sensible. People repeat what they have been told. Most don't know any better. Most don't put themselves into situations where these things really matter.
 
I see more of this type of build in a dedicated rock rig. Slower speeds maybe not requiring as much up travel from a comfort standpoint? Not sure if they’re really gaining anything since when you hit your bumpstops the body begins to raise, this raises you COG. I like my travel to be balanced for the way I use my Jeep.
 
I see more of this type of build in a dedicated rock rig. Slower speeds maybe not requiring as much up travel from a comfort standpoint? Not sure if they’re really gaining anything since when you hit your bumpstops the body begins to raise, this raises you COG. I like my travel to be balanced for the way I use my Jeep.
This is exactly why. Cone dodgers and slow rock crawlers don't need the comfort. And a low slung rig with lots of droop is super stable through rock trails. They are pretty terrible on side hills, and are all-around rough riding trail rigs. I don't like the style of build, but if you've ever wheeled with that guy he'll go everywhere you go, and maybe places you can't.

On my Jeep with swaybars (granted the front is stiffer than an Antirock), at full flex when climbing up or down the end that is light will lift some, sometimes a lot. Where the same Jeep described above will not lift and will be stable in a different way. I like to drive hard and fast in open terrain, so that lack of uptravel does nothing for me.
 
It seems to have really gained traction over the last few years but maybe I'm just seeing that because that's the time I've owned a Jeep. Personally I don't get it at all, even driving on a trail to get to rocks you often encounter baseball to football sized rocks on the road that make the ride suck even with decent up travel. I can't imagine being 2" off the bumps going over stuff like that. I always look back to how terrible the ride was in my truck when it was slammed on big wheels and everything made the back end bottom out on the bumps. It was miserable mostly on lower speed stuff and you didn't really notice on the highway. Maybe these people spend most of their time on the highway and don't notice or don't care.

But then again some people are willing to tolerate absolute dogshit for ride quality and look you straight in the face and tell you its great.
 
It seems to have really gained traction over the last few years but maybe I'm just seeing that because that's the time I've owned a Jeep. Personally I don't get it at all, even driving on a trail to get to rocks you often encounter baseball to football sized rocks on the road that make the ride suck even with decent up travel. I can't imagine being 2" off the bumps going over stuff like that. I always look back to how terrible the ride was in my truck when it was slammed on big wheels and everything made the back end bottom out on the bumps. It was miserable mostly on lower speed stuff and you didn't really notice on the highway. Maybe these people spend most of their time on the highway and don't notice or don't care.

But then again some people are willing to tolerate absolute dogshit for ride quality and look you straight in the face and tell you its great.
Most of the LOCG rigs I have seen don’t get hwy time, trailer rigs. They are usually big tire rigs. They use low tire pressure on big 42+ tires to compensate for lack of suspension on the small stuff.
 
I guess my comment is geared more to the 35s on 2" of lift crowd not dedicated trail rigs.
Ya. I don’t understand that. It’s their toy, build it how ya want.

There is a place for true LCOG builds. I just don’t think it is on a multiple duty rig like my own.
 
While some LCOG builds are actually real and perhaps well thought out (JK\JL's especially), I honestly believe many of these so called LCOG builds are just folks trying to fit bigger tires, but without a proper budget.

I would never call my 2" lift on 32's a LCOG build...it's a street rig that can do some decent off-roading. I call it OEM+. If I had a bigger budget for this particular project, I would have spent thousands more on a lift, SYE, adj arms, regearing etc. I would have much rather gone this way, LOL.
 
Anyone who installs a HighLine has the potential for a LCOG build with full flexibility.
I run mine with stock suspension, 33s and a highline. I had a 2" lift for a few years but removed it last year. I would say I have a LCOG TJ.
IMG_2223.jpeg


Personally, I think 4" lifts look silly..... unless you actually climb waterfalls.
 
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Just changed to 7.50R16s last week. 32" tall on 6.5" x 16" rims.
The ride is the best I've ever had in a Wrangler.
Directional stability on gravel is way better too.

Will be changing to 2" flares soon, my TJR is now skinnier than an SE.
DSC_0025.jpeg
 
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I also want to say it's not a fad, people have been doing this as long as I can remember, but I only started Jeeping/wheeling in 2000. Only in the last 5 to 10 years have Jeepers been realizing the benefits of uptravel. The stock mounting locations has limited uptravel on all Jeep builds.
 
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Just changed to 7.50R16s last week. 32" tall on 6.5" x 16" rims.
The ride is the best I've ever had in a Wrangler.
Directional stability on gravel is way better too.

Will be changing to 2" flares soon, my TJR is now skinnier than an SE.
View attachment 108891
Challenge accepted! Throw a tape on that bad boy @billiebob...

OK, your tires are skinnier, but the whole rig is about the same width as my SE.

Occasionally my SE gets accused of being a LCoG build. It's not. I'm working very hard to get the most capability possible out of the smallest envelope size possible. That means narrow and short. (and light) There are measurable benefits almost every time the SE goes off road, locally.

With a low lift build things can get tangled up rather quickly in the suspension. Limiting up travel is a quick and easy fix.

Just like every other build, most folks go for looks not performance. LCoG builds aren't immune to that. It's a fancy name to slap on a Jeep where someone wants big tires for the looks, but can't or won't put the effort and money into doing it "correctly". Just like long arms, LCoG can be a solution looking for a problem. Or bragging rights.
 
Where is the center of gravity and how do we know when it is low enough to solve the problem of a high center of gravity?

I think the term is mostly a catch phrase. And one that very few even know how to meaningfully apply the concept to a build.

To paraphrase another here, LCoG means fitting the largest tire with the most frame height that results in the most evenly divided shock travel. Any more height is arguably getting excessive. Meaning the overall build isn't any bigger than what is needed to get the most out of it.
 
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