randomhero199

I'm new to the forum, looking at buying or building a JKU. I've owned desert prerunners, vehicles with sway-away, fox and king coilovers, so I'm familiar with them to an extent.

My question is, is the cost worth the hype? It seems like going with a nicely sorted traditional coil spring long arm lift is roughly half the $$. The other thing I've noticed after looking at thousands of photos, very few JKU's are actually running these kits, and most of them that are running coilovers are very serious builds. The issue I can see with coilovers cost wise is at at first glance it doesn't seem bad, roughly $4500 for most kits... BUT doesnt' include any arms, bump stops, steering, track arms - nada! That really drives the cost up to have a similar setup as a traditional coil spring kit.

I'm sure some of it depends on your plans. Mine are selling our newer RZR XP1k-4 door and having the jeep replace it, but also be a DD. I'm wanting to do a couple 5-12 days trips this year, mainly Continental Divide area, and also some of the off-road parks in Texas, but not looking to beat the hell out of a $50k jeep (if that makes sense).

The the on-road, and off-road really that much better with a coilover setup?

Wrangeler X

I have the same question. I wheel as much as I can and Offroad I'm pretty good for the stuff I do. I'm always chasing the on road quality because it is my DD.

Northridge 4x4

Biginboca

I don't think they are worth the hype when you are talking bolt on coilover "kits". When you are talking custom mounted set ups that can utilize them in proper geometry and make use of 14" or 16" coilovers then absolutely they are worth it. You can adjust ride height with spacers on traditional springs it accomplishes the same thing as adjusting the coilover. And you can get 12" travel with traditional set ups also.

The 2 people I know locally that have installed bolt on kits told me they wished they had not spent the $$ and said they found no advantage over what they had before. But there also isn't any prerunning within 1000 miles of here either so maybe if you have that type of terrain there is a difference?

JKZinger

Don't take advice from someone that doesn't own them. I have been running the EVO bolt on coilovers for 3 years and they are much better than the coil kits I have run. I use them for rock crawling, high speed desert stuff and on road they are fantastic. Well worth it if you can afford it.

TweakJK

This is all true.

bolt on kits may ride great, but a good ride is all you get when you are running a 12" coilover. If you want more flex, you have to go with a 14" or 16" in the front and install it right. The JK has tons of room to keep the body low and the upper shock mount high as long as you dont mind moving the battery, fusebox, ABS stuff, etc.

These are 14's with minimal cutting to the plastic subframe and no relocated parts under the hood. 1" higher upper shock mount would have been perfect, but this works until I get around to it.

Invest2m4

I agree with biginboca. Of the three people in my group that run that kit, all regret it.

There is too much compromise in those kits. Do they work ok? Sure. Is it worth the cost? I can't see how.

And it seems fairly pointless when all you're getting is a max of 12" of travel. However, I'd guess most don't have 12" thanks to bump stops.

Invest2m4

Agree. I have 16s all around. Top of my towers are about even with the top of the engine compartment. I run 4" of lift and have 7" of uptravel.

It really wasn't that much work to make them fit and this was on a 2013, so not as much room in the engine area.

sea bass

What are you doing in the rear?

TweakJK

Nothing yet, I am running a pretty much stock setup using 2.5" lift AEV front springs. I'd like to do some serious stretching of the rear axle with some long coilovers coming through the body and tied into a cage. Fuel cell in the rear and a triangulated 4 link, but that is a ways off.

TweakJK

That looks great. I guess that's as far as you can go without cutting holes in the hood!