Heavy Jeeps
04-28-2017, 02:55 PM
#1
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Heavy Jeeps
Just wondering how the heavier jeeps compare off road. I have a 2013 2 door manual with regular add ones like bumpers, winch and skid plates. I have prorock 60s coming and just got my 37 nittos and Hutchinsons. I mounted one of my tires on the wheel and that thing has to be about 140 pounds. It's heavy! I got to thinking about all the weight I am adding and am concerned about how heavy this thing is getting. How will all this extra weight effect its performance off road? I am in the northeast with lots of rock gardens and ledges. Am I over thinking this? I must be adding 800+ pounds of unsprung weight
04-28-2017, 03:59 PM
#2
JK Super Freak
That weight from axles, armor, and wheels/tires is not necessarily a bad thing off-road because it's all down low. This can even make you more stable and improve wheeling performance by effectively lowering your center of gravity.
On road it's going to affect your mileage.
I think most of us would prefer to have the axles, armor, and wheels/tires you are running and would happily live with any added penalty lol
On road it's going to affect your mileage.
I think most of us would prefer to have the axles, armor, and wheels/tires you are running and would happily live with any added penalty lol
04-29-2017, 05:46 AM
#5
JK Enthusiast
I think that generally speaking, weight is a hindrance...
Having said that, bumpers/rails/skids/winch are all benefits that outweigh their lbs penalties. Going alum. here makes sense if your wallet agrees.
Additionally, stronger axles are a security benefit, and keep the weight as low as you can go helping COG.
It's a double edged sword.
Lighter builds will be easier on drivetrain, and just may make it up steep climbs where a heavier build cannot overcome gravity and available traction.
On the flip side, I have seen light vehicles not make it in places where the contact pressure of the heavier vehicle allows traction.
Six of one, half dozen of the other.
Performance builds for rock bouncers and desert racers (and such) is all about weight removal, but keep in mind they are not sacrificing safety/toughness/survivability to do so.
so, pulling the interior, sound deadening, going light weigh seats, yanking AC/Heater, stereo etc. etc... probably will make the rig work better... but, at that point you really need to be looking at a dedicated trail rig, or buggy.
For a weekend wheeler and daily driver, I don't think 200lbs (Alum. vs steel) will be measurable regarding trail performance.
Having said that, bumpers/rails/skids/winch are all benefits that outweigh their lbs penalties. Going alum. here makes sense if your wallet agrees.
Additionally, stronger axles are a security benefit, and keep the weight as low as you can go helping COG.
It's a double edged sword.
Lighter builds will be easier on drivetrain, and just may make it up steep climbs where a heavier build cannot overcome gravity and available traction.
On the flip side, I have seen light vehicles not make it in places where the contact pressure of the heavier vehicle allows traction.
Six of one, half dozen of the other.
Performance builds for rock bouncers and desert racers (and such) is all about weight removal, but keep in mind they are not sacrificing safety/toughness/survivability to do so.
so, pulling the interior, sound deadening, going light weigh seats, yanking AC/Heater, stereo etc. etc... probably will make the rig work better... but, at that point you really need to be looking at a dedicated trail rig, or buggy.
For a weekend wheeler and daily driver, I don't think 200lbs (Alum. vs steel) will be measurable regarding trail performance.
Last edited by Mike H.; 04-29-2017 at 05:55 AM.
05-01-2017, 10:05 AM
#7
Former Vendor
Just wondering how the heavier jeeps compare off road. I have a 2013 2 door manual with regular add ones like bumpers, winch and skid plates. I have prorock 60s coming and just got my 37 nittos and Hutchinsons. I mounted one of my tires on the wheel and that thing has to be about 140 pounds. It's heavy! I got to thinking about all the weight I am adding and am concerned about how heavy this thing is getting. How will all this extra weight effect its performance off road? I am in the northeast with lots of rock gardens and ledges. Am I over thinking this? I must be adding 800+ pounds of unsprung weight
As a general rule, JKs do not cope well with a lot of weight. From the rev happy V6 to the squishy coil springs, they just don't respond well performance wise. It's definitely something worth considering.
As far as off road performance, a heavy vehicle requires you to "throw" it at steep obstacles, using momentum to get your fat ass over big obstacles and up hills. While that's all fun, it leads to more broken parts and less control. It can also lead to better photo ops, which is good is you're doing a wheelie up an obstacle and land it, it's embarrassing if you screw up and flop your rig. A heavy Jeep needs to be winched more, it's just the way it is.
You can offset a lot of weight a little with good shocks and a good crawl ratio. With a stick that becomes even more important. There are several ways to go with that but low gears in the diffs and a Rubicon case are a good start. With a stick, an Atlas II case with some crazy low gears is awesome.
Your Pro Rocks will keep you more planted and will help keep you more stable, so that's a big plus. But they add more weight to the total package so speaking to the scenarios above, you've gotta throttle up more go when you're getting up a big obstacle.
So, all this being said, added weight is a part of building a JK, but there are some things you can do to minimize the impact. If you need bumpers, try and stick to aluminum and if they're steel keep them small. For fender flares, consider clearancing the factory ones, doing something like MCE flares which has no weight penalty, or dropping the coin on aluminum flares. Only armor up to the extant that you need it based on the type of terrain you'll be wheeling. Corner armor is cool, but unless you're really bashing your JK around on the rocks, you'll probably never need it. Factory Rubicon under armor is adequate for most types of terrain. In the Northeast the rocks you see are generally sedimentary and will give before factory Rubicon armor does. You can also get most of the factory skid plating from a junkyard for cheap, so you if chew something up, you can replace it easily on the cheap. If you want to go with a full belly skid, which is never a bad thing, choose something in aluminum.
The last thing is deleting the spare tire when your'e on the trail. I don't like being without a spare, believe me. But there are a lot of scenarios where you can leave your spare at a hotel or in a trailer. If you don't have those options, deleting the spare tire carrier and bringing the spare into the back really helps the distribution of weight and helps with agility. You have a two door so storage is at a premium, but it's something to consider. Your spare Hutchinson looks cool, but I have direct experience with a 37 on a Hutchinson and that sombitch is heavy! Unless you're planning on rotating all 5 tires, you might consider grabbing a lighter weight rim as your spare.
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05-01-2017, 11:38 AM
#8
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I have a 2014 jku and just put it on scale because getting new springs. It came in at 5800lbs. Told that to rep and he said with all they put on there jeeps it was on light side! I just got back from Moab and it did great on 6-7 rated trails!
05-02-2017, 06:55 AM
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I can speak directly to this.
As a general rule, JKs do not cope well with a lot of weight. From the rev happy V6 to the squishy coil springs, they just don't respond well performance wise. It's definitely something worth considering.
As far as off road performance, a heavy vehicle requires you to "throw" it at steep obstacles, using momentum to get your fat ass over big obstacles and up hills. While that's all fun, it leads to more broken parts and less control. It can also lead to better photo ops, which is good is you're doing a wheelie up an obstacle and land it, it's embarrassing if you screw up and flop your rig. A heavy Jeep needs to be winched more, it's just the way it is.
You can offset a lot of weight a little with good shocks and a good crawl ratio. With a stick that becomes even more important. There are several ways to go with that but low gears in the diffs and a Rubicon case are a good start. With a stick, an Atlas II case with some crazy low gears is awesome.
Your Pro Rocks will keep you more planted and will help keep you more stable, so that's a big plus. But they add more weight to the total package so speaking to the scenarios above, you've gotta throttle up more go when you're getting up a big obstacle.
So, all this being said, added weight is a part of building a JK, but there are some things you can do to minimize the impact. If you need bumpers, try and stick to aluminum and if they're steel keep them small. For fender flares, consider clearancing the factory ones, doing something like MCE flares which has no weight penalty, or dropping the coin on aluminum flares. Only armor up to the extant that you need it based on the type of terrain you'll be wheeling. Corner armor is cool, but unless you're really bashing your JK around on the rocks, you'll probably never need it. Factory Rubicon under armor is adequate for most types of terrain. In the Northeast the rocks you see are generally sedimentary and will give before factory Rubicon armor does. You can also get most of the factory skid plating from a junkyard for cheap, so you if chew something up, you can replace it easily on the cheap. If you want to go with a full belly skid, which is never a bad thing, choose something in aluminum.
The last thing is deleting the spare tire when your'e on the trail. I don't like being without a spare, believe me. But there are a lot of scenarios where you can leave your spare at a hotel or in a trailer. If you don't have those options, deleting the spare tire carrier and bringing the spare into the back really helps the distribution of weight and helps with agility. You have a two door so storage is at a premium, but it's something to consider. Your spare Hutchinson looks cool, but I have direct experience with a 37 on a Hutchinson and that sombitch is heavy! Unless you're planning on rotating all 5 tires, you might consider grabbing a lighter weight rim as your spare.
As a general rule, JKs do not cope well with a lot of weight. From the rev happy V6 to the squishy coil springs, they just don't respond well performance wise. It's definitely something worth considering.
As far as off road performance, a heavy vehicle requires you to "throw" it at steep obstacles, using momentum to get your fat ass over big obstacles and up hills. While that's all fun, it leads to more broken parts and less control. It can also lead to better photo ops, which is good is you're doing a wheelie up an obstacle and land it, it's embarrassing if you screw up and flop your rig. A heavy Jeep needs to be winched more, it's just the way it is.
You can offset a lot of weight a little with good shocks and a good crawl ratio. With a stick that becomes even more important. There are several ways to go with that but low gears in the diffs and a Rubicon case are a good start. With a stick, an Atlas II case with some crazy low gears is awesome.
Your Pro Rocks will keep you more planted and will help keep you more stable, so that's a big plus. But they add more weight to the total package so speaking to the scenarios above, you've gotta throttle up more go when you're getting up a big obstacle.
So, all this being said, added weight is a part of building a JK, but there are some things you can do to minimize the impact. If you need bumpers, try and stick to aluminum and if they're steel keep them small. For fender flares, consider clearancing the factory ones, doing something like MCE flares which has no weight penalty, or dropping the coin on aluminum flares. Only armor up to the extant that you need it based on the type of terrain you'll be wheeling. Corner armor is cool, but unless you're really bashing your JK around on the rocks, you'll probably never need it. Factory Rubicon under armor is adequate for most types of terrain. In the Northeast the rocks you see are generally sedimentary and will give before factory Rubicon armor does. You can also get most of the factory skid plating from a junkyard for cheap, so you if chew something up, you can replace it easily on the cheap. If you want to go with a full belly skid, which is never a bad thing, choose something in aluminum.
The last thing is deleting the spare tire when your'e on the trail. I don't like being without a spare, believe me. But there are a lot of scenarios where you can leave your spare at a hotel or in a trailer. If you don't have those options, deleting the spare tire carrier and bringing the spare into the back really helps the distribution of weight and helps with agility. You have a two door so storage is at a premium, but it's something to consider. Your spare Hutchinson looks cool, but I have direct experience with a 37 on a Hutchinson and that sombitch is heavy! Unless you're planning on rotating all 5 tires, you might consider grabbing a lighter weight rim as your spare.
05-02-2017, 07:22 AM
#10
JK Jedi
Removing a spare tire does not help with weight distribution as the front of the JK is already heavier. Spare on the rear gives you more traction to the rear wheels. Rock monster wheels weigh in within 1-2 pounds of most other bead locks on the market unless you are running forged methods. Tires will have more of an impact as far as weight as many 37" tires weight more then a 40" MTR/K That being said, I agree that running without a spare is nice if you can do it and suggest having on board air and carry a good plug kit. Also if you can when wheeling get rid of the top and all the doors. When you buy a winch check the weights of it and run a synthetic line. Some winches are much heavier then others. Aluminum bumpers and fenders may cost more but are worth it for the weight savings and the fact they are not going to rust. 1350 dc driveshafts weight quite a bit more then a 1310 and most JKU's replace the rear shaft with a DC shaft when they don't need it. A standard driveshaft running a single 1310 joint on each end will be cheaper and lighter and fully flex on a JKU with 12" of travel. Don't armor your evap, relocate it. This will save you some weight and money. Be selective on your armor, full undersides look good but are overkill and heavy.