Clayton Overland Plus vs Metalcloak Gamechanger - with towing

[lildev1972]

Hi
I have a 2023 Rubicon JT as a daily driver. We are into rock crawling and need a lift. We use the JT as a daily driver and would like it to ride nice on the road. We have an RSI Smart Cap on it with an Awning, so about 260lbs on the bed. We also tow a 3500lbs jet ski trailer and a bed full of gear to the lake, so want the lift to be able to handle these scenarios best

Sponsored

 

[Metalcloak]

Thank you for thinking about us. I'd recommend our RockLander, Overland-Focused, kits - available in 2.5" & 3.5" - you can learn more about them here.

In the mean time I will also send you a PM so you can ask more questions directly. - Matson

 

[Deadpool392]

Metalcloak makes quality parts, Clayton makes quality parts, you cannot go wrong with either. I have the Clayton 3.5 overland plus lift with Bilstein 5160 shocks, I tow a 2000Lb teardrop trailer (over 10k miles now) and I tow our SeaDoo Switch boat (3500lb ish), I only tow the boat around 10 miles to get it in the water. No issues with my setup, just needed a drop hitch.

 

[lildev1972]

Metalcloak makes quality parts, Clayton makes quality parts, you cannot go wrong with either. I have the Clayton 3.5 overland plus lift with Bilstein 5160 shocks, I tow a 2000Lb teardrop trailer (over 10k miles now) and I tow our SeaDoo Switch boat (3500lb ish), I only tow the boat around 10 miles to get it in the water. No issues with my setup, just needed a drop hitch.

Clayton 3.5 overland plus lift with Bilstein 5160 shocks - this is helpful I appreciate it.

 

[Deadpool392]

Clayton 3.5 overland plus lift with Bilstein 5160 shocks - this is helpful I appreciate it.

I like this setup, some folks think the Bilstein’s are too firm and make it ride rough. So if you like a firm ride, I recommend these shocks, if you want a softer ride check out other options.

 

[Main Line Willys]

Clayton also offers a HD spring.
But you may want the standard weight and use airbags when necessary.

 

[lildev1972]

Clayton 3.5 overland plus lift with Bilstein 5160 shocks - this is helpful I appreciate it.

I appreciate it. NO idea if we prefer hard or soft yet..... do your shocks and lift seem to ride like stock still or different?

 

[lildev1972]

Clayton also offers a HD spring.
But you may want the standard weight and use airbags when necessary.

Think air bags would be needed for our weight on the bed and weight when towing?

 

[Shamus]

Yes, in the pic my bed was full of stuff, an 80lb dog in the back seat and the trailer was tipping 3500lbs. My airbags were filled to 20-25psi to keep the squat minimal. I have Clayon 2.5" overland lift with diesel front springs, as mine is a diesel, and Clayton normal spring rate, not the HD springs, in the rear. I'm also running fox 2.5 shocks. Without the airbags I would of gotten a nice "Carolina Squat" with this load out.

 

[lildev1972]

Yes, in the pic my bed was full of stuff, an 80lb dog in the back seat and the trailer was tipping 3500lbs. My airbags were filled to 20-25psi to keep the squat minimal. I have Clayon 2.5" overland lift with diesel front springs, as mine is a diesel, and Clayton normal spring rate, not the HD springs, in the rear. I'm also running fox 2.5 shocks. Without the airbags I would of gotten a nice "Carolina Squat" with this load out.

lol great color and nice set up...... wonder if the clayton heavy duty springs would be helpful vs air bags?

 

[JTdiRtyD]

lol great color and nice set up...... wonder if the clayton heavy duty springs would be helpful vs air bags?

It really depends.

If you're always running extra weight, the springs are better.
If you're not always running extra weight, the bags are better.
If you're somewhere in the middle then it's a toss up.

With the springs and without all the weight you'll see close to a 3.25-3.5" lift in the rear causing excessive rake.

 

[djthumper]

What tires are you planning on running? Depending on your travels around Vegas it is nothing but rolling hills with travelling around the valley. I drive 70 miles round trip for work, across 2 mountains and 3 valleys.

I compromised and did a 2.5" lift with 35s. I would have loved to go to 37s to make up for the length of the gladiator.

 

[lildev1972]

What tires are you planning on running? Depending on your travels around Vegas it is nothing but rolling hills with travelling around the valley. I drive 70 miles round trip for work, across 2 mountains and 3 valleys.

I compromised and did a 2.5" lift with 35s. I would have loved to go to 37s to make up for the length of the gladiator.

lol NO idea yet on tires/wheels as trying to solve lift first. We use as a daily driver and do trails locally and have gone to AZ/CO/UT/CA for events/rides so far.

 

[Silverator]

lol NO idea yet on tires/wheels as trying to solve lift first.

If you can, try to think of it as an entire package / mod - tires, wheels, lift, steering, etc.. They really do all work together. Even if you don't do it ALL at once, thinking through all the options and how they will affect each other will keep you from backtracking and changing out things in the long run. Good luck!

PS - Clayton Overland 2.5 w/ Method 703's and Toyo Open Country 35x11.5's here.

 

[Metalcloak]

Purpose of a lift is to allow for bigger tires.

Purpose of bigger tires is to move your diff higher off the ground, allowing for more clearance.

The first question we ask, when talking with customers about their lift needs is tire size. Say, for instance you wanted to just go 35's and maintain a comfortable ride, you could do that with a stock lift.

Give our team a call at 916-631-8071 and they can talk to you about the possibilities for your rig - what you need, don't need, so that you are not just spending money for the heck of it.

- Matson

Sponsored