Hello


I'm new to the jeep scene. I posted this in a different forum as well. So if you are a member at both, please excuse the duplicate posts.

I just bought a 2013 Rubicon and looking to build it into a Expedition jeep that can also do mild rock crawling when necessary. So I need some advice and suggestions on the right way to do this. Here is what I'm currently exploring and goals I would like to achieve.

First:

I do not want the lift to be lower than 3.5". Meaning after bumpers, racks, and winch it isn't lower than 3.5"

I will be running 17x9 wheels with 4.5 - 4.75 backspacing.

I need the jeep to fit under a 81 inch garage with lift, tires, and Gobi rack.

Money won't be a concern, doing it right the first time is.

Here's is what I am looking at so far.

Metalcloak 3.5" Game changer 6pak edition
Acos adjustable spacer front and rear to bring the suspension back to level from bumper sag and possibly go to 4" if the jeep can fit in the garage.

I'm looking for suggestions on items needed or missing, different build, or lessons learned. Any help is greatly appreciated

 

See this image.



A stock rubicon with that rack is 77 inches tall. Add on a 3.5 lift and you're at 80.5 total height. Unless you're leaving stock tires, it's not going to happen in an 81 inch garage. Even with stock tires it would be super close.

 

3.5" MC coils, giving 4-4.5" (seems to be fairly normal from what I have read?)
front acos giving a minimum of 1"
rear acos giving a minimum of 2"

What size tire, and how much weight are you loading it down with? (just from the backspacing on the rims, guessing 35's?)

If you want the acos, you might be better off with the 2.5" MC coils.

Also, if he doesn't reply to this thread, look up user Mark Doiron and search a few of his posts/threads. Lots of expedition type experience.

 

In addition to the garage height limit, a 3.5" plus lift sounds pretty tall for mild rock crawling. Also, there's a lot more side affects and additional to change when lifting that much. Here's a link to a sticky note on lifts, scroll down to the section about what components are necessary for a 3" and 4" lifts.

Mine is used as for expedition-mild rocks, see my profile for specifics. Below is what I'd call mild rock crawling with just 32" tires and a 2" lift, and a Rubi does pretty well just stock too. Currently it has 33" tires, and for long trips it still gets 19+ MPG on the highway with the 3.8L engine.

 

aye the thing to remember about stock rubicons, i they are already built for mild mountain goating along with off roading, lifts are more for the hard core crawlings, you might just wanna put your wrack on it and leave as is, or use 1 inch bumps to account for the extra weight, this way you still fit your garage opening, or just mod the door to go 6 inches higher, a local contractor should be able to do that for ya.

 

That is a lot of lift for an expedition rig--you will suffer because of higher COG, and if you're making room for tires larger than 35s, you will suffer because of poor gas mileage. I'm running 2.5" and 35s, as are the bulk of the folks with whom I travel who are in JKs, and we manage to make it over some pretty hairy terrain. Here are our a few of our credentials ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Yq51rHh8MY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFjr3hSzEu4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__eRvYZ9TXY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLkNU8d8w-c

 

 

Thanks all to have replied, and I will check the links posted... I'll try to answer some questions:

I will be running 35's and will be using the ShrockWorks stubby rear bumper with Jerry cans, rack, and Highlift mount. In the front will be a stubby (haven't decided yet) with winch bar and Warn 10-s winch. Include the Gobi rack, gear, etc...I assume there will be some weight. Right now I have a little over 13 inches from the hardtop to the top of the garage. I calculated 3.5" for lift, 2" for tires, and 6.5" for the rack. If I have to air down a bit, that's okay, but perhaps I am wrong on these measurements.

As for the expeditions, I have read a bunch of your posts Mark, and you have provided a wealth of information. I honestly can say you put more into Expedition than I will ever do. I guess I can redefine my needs a little bit. It seems the local scene is to travel to some remote areas, climb some rocks, camp the weekend, and head back. I want to be able to carry the gear to do just that and have the ability to handle my own.

I will look over the links suggested and perhaps start over.

 

Mark,

The green jeep at the 28 second mark and the 58 second mark in the Explore your world video. That is the general "look" I would be going for, but unsure of the set-up. If that is a 2.5 set-up....I could go with the Metalcloak game changer 2.5 or AEV 2.5 with MC duroflex control arms. I have budgeted for drive shafts regardless of the lift I install and gears.

 

I'd stick to as little lift as needed. The 2-door JKs are a bit of a challenge in the rear when lift height starts getting above 2.5"-3" (of actual lift). You start to push the stock driveshaft to its limits. Yes, you can buy an aftermarket, but there is a bigger issue with that. With a new driveshaft in the rear, you need to rotate the pinion up. On a 2-door, it is quite a bit. What you end up with is coil bow and a track bar bracket that is at a 15 degree angle. As the lift increase, the issue becomes worse. If you go that route, then the right thing to do is to cut the coil perches and track bar bracket off and weld new ones on (upside here is you ditch the crap stock ones).

I run the Metalcloak setup with the 6Paks. I'd recommend you stick with the ARB edition. Unless you plan to do some serious rock crawling, it is a headache that you get no value out of. The shocks need to be serviced regularly. They ride notably stiffer (my Dad has the same lift, but the OME shocks). You need to run the Overline fenders (the point of the 6Paks is uptravel, so if you don't make clearance for the tires, you have to use more bump stop and then you gain nothing from the shocks). Lastly, you'll want more back space if you do run those shocks and fenders. 4" or less.