Rubicon to Sport S suspension swap

[ShadowsPapa]

As noted above, just saying "Rubi springs" is not enough. Mfg. have always used different part number springs with different heights and/or rates for different options, such as heavy steel bumpers vs. plastic, etc.

That's absolutely correct. Depends on the options, etc. I listed numbers for two pair of Rubicon springs I KNOW of.......... one of those is a pair I bought, the other set of numbers is what a forum member said was on their Rubicon JT.
And same can be said for "Overland" springs - mine has one set of numbers, the next fellow with a JT Overland could have a different set of numbers.

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[NC_Overland]

That's absolutely correct. Depends on the options, etc. I listed numbers for two pair of Rubicon springs I KNOW of.......... one of those is a pair I bought, the other set of numbers is what a forum member said was on their Rubicon JT.
And same can be said for "Overland" springs - mine has one set of numbers, the next fellow with a JT Overland could have a different set of numbers.

My Overland is a loaded hard top, automatic with tow package. You'd think it has the stiffest springs available on an Overland, but they seem to be pretty damn soft.

Does anyone, anywhere have a list of the spring rates for the different spring stock numbers? That would be super handy.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My Overland is a loaded hard top, automatic with tow package. You'd think it has the stiffest springs available on an Overland, but they seem to be pretty damn soft.

Does anyone, anywhere have a list of the spring rates for the different spring stock numbers? That would be super handy.

Same here - a loaded Overland. The only option we failed to get checked was the remote proximity locks - which add almost no weight anyway. Hard top, tow package, all the bells and whistles otherwise.
It has a really soft ride. Almost bouncy now in the last few months.

 

[NC_Overland]

Same here - a loaded Overland. The only option we failed to get checked was the remote proximity locks - which add almost no weight anyway. Hard top, tow package, all the bells and whistles otherwise.
It has a really soft ride. Almost bouncy now in the last few months.

I'm so glad I have that, I have everything but adaptive cruise and the bed power outlet.

 

[busglad]

I purchased a Rubicon take off suspension yesterday for my Overland (automatic with tow package). I put the Rubicon Fox shocks on stock overland springs on it yesterday. It's a pretty nice set up. It still rides great, but it controls the ride a lot better and eliminates the bounciness from the rear when you go over bumps. Overall, it feels a lot more solid and less floaty. I have the full rubicon take off suspension, and eventually, I'll probably put the Rubicon springs on it, but its a huge improvement for now. I don't need any lift on mine, I only have 33.5" A/Ts on mine. I'll probably just do it because I can and have the parts and 3/4-1" higher wouldn't be a bad thing.

Those shocks are super stiff and very hard to compress by hand, I'd highly recommend jacking your Jeep up and putting jack stands under the frame so the suspension will droop. I should have done that from the beginning. The back two kicked my butt doing it with the Jeep on the ground. The front was way easier to do when I did it the correct way. I couldn't get a jack under it to compress the shocks by hand and I had to manually compress them and needed a second set of hands to slide the bolt through while it was compressed. I was able to do the first one myself. My arms were too tired to do it on my own for the second rear shock. They are substantially stiffer than my stock Overland shocks, which is why the ride is way more controlled.

edit: I've thought about just doing the front Rubicon springs to take some of the rake out of it, but I'm not sure if it would upset the ride balance F/R if I only did the front springs. I don't want it to be stiffer up front than the rear. They don't offer max tow on the Overland, so its the regular tow package with the 6k lb tow rating.

So...just to be sure...all you did was swap out the shocks - Rubicon on...Overland off - right? Did it change the rake at all? No...right?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

So...just to be sure...all you did was swap out the shocks - Rubicon on...Overland off - right? Did it change the rake at all? No...right?

Shocks suppress spring oscillations, they don't support weight.
Shocks won't change how a vehicle sits. So your gut was right - there should be no change. HOWEVER, when you swap suspension parts out if you tighten everything up with its feet dangling off the ground, you may cause it to sit different because the bushings are twisted, stressed and holding it up a small bit. Always tighten suspension parts to torque with the tires on the ground and the weight fully on them

I also own an Overland - I put Rubicon take-off Fox shocks on to suppress the "bouncy-ness" of the ride, firm it a bit.
I also put Rubicon FRONT springs on in place of the Overland springs up front - it brought up the front of MY Overland roughly 1". Some, in fact, most, say about 3/4" change for them.
Makes sense since Rubicon springs will come in a RANGE of "stiffness". A loaded Rubicon will get different springs than the base Rubicon. A loaded OVerland will get different springs than a base Overland.
So if my Overland had softer springs and I put springs from a loaded Rubicon on the front I'd expect a tiny bit more change than someone with a base model Overland or Sport who put on springs from a loaded Rubicon.

I put REAR springs from a Sport S max tow equipped JT on the REAR of my Overland and it DROPPED the rear of my truck almost 1/2".

YOUR CHANGES MAY - or WILL - VARY - depending on the part number springs you have now vs. the part number Rubicon or other springs you get.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I'm so glad I have that, I have everything but adaptive cruise and the bed power outlet.

I may add a bed power outlet at some time later - I have thought about that, and now see that someone has actually successfully added the proximity locks to a Jeep that did not have them. I'd almost pay them to come do that to my JT - seriously.

 

[busglad]

Shocks suppress spring oscillations, they don't support weight.
Shocks won't change how a vehicle sits. So your gut was right - there should be no change. HOWEVER, when you swap suspension parts out if you tighten everything up with its feet dangling off the ground, you may cause it to sit different because the bushings are twisted, stressed and holding it up a small bit. Always tighten suspension parts to torque with the tires on the ground and the weight fully on them

I also own an Overland - I put Rubicon take-off Fox shocks on to suppress the "bouncy-ness" of the ride, firm it a bit.
I also put Rubicon FRONT springs on in place of the Overland springs up front - it brought up the front of MY Overland roughly 1". Some, in fact, most, say about 3/4" change for them.
Makes sense since Rubicon springs will come in a RANGE of "stiffness". A loaded Rubicon will get different springs than the base Rubicon. A loaded OVerland will get different springs than a base Overland.
So if my Overland had softer springs and I put springs from a loaded Rubicon on the front I'd expect a tiny bit more change than someone with a base model Overland or Sport who put on springs from a loaded Rubicon.

I put REAR springs from a Sport S max tow equipped JT on the REAR of my Overland and it DROPPED the rear of my truck almost 1/2".

YOUR CHANGES MAY - or WILL - VARY - depending on the part number springs you have now vs. the part number Rubicon or other springs you get.

Bill - this is helpful - thanks. My goal is to swap out the shocks only and not replace the springs. I'm going to add the Teraflex 1.5" leveling kit and would like to do the shocks as well. My assumption is that I should swap out the shocks first, determine if there's been any inadvertent lift/elevation change then determine whether I add 1" or the full 1.5" Teraflex components. Is that a sound plan?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Bill - this is helpful - thanks. My goal is to swap out the shocks only and not replace the springs. I'm going to add the Teraflex 1.5" leveling kit and would like to do the shocks as well. My assumption is that I should swap out the shocks first, determine if there's been any inadvertent lift/elevation change then determine whether I add 1" or the full 1.5" Teraflex components. Is that a sound plan?

I would do shocks first because then you can tell if the ride change is what you are after BEFORE any lift.
The shocks won't change how it sits, how high or low it sits, but will change the ride. In my case, I LOVE the change the shocks made to the ride of my Overland. Nice and firm, good road feel.
I'd suggest shocks, drive it - see if you like the RIDE, then determine where to go from there.
You will also be very familiar with the beast doing the shocks - be more prepared for the lift later assuming you do that part yourself as well.

I know that shocks don't support weight - on the other hand, these gas charges shocks sure have a heck of a push and I just can't help but think that if I can't push them together, or collapse them easily, they must support at least 4 or 5 pounds just from the gas pressure in them!

 

[busglad]

I would do shocks first because then you can tell if the ride change is what you are after BEFORE any lift.
The shocks won't change how it sits, how high or low it sits, but will change the ride. In my case, I LOVE the change the shocks made to the ride of my Overland. Nice and firm, good road feel.
I'd suggest shocks, drive it - see if you like the RIDE, then determine where to go from there.
You will also be very familiar with the beast doing the shocks - be more prepared for the lift later assuming you do that part yourself as well.

I know that shocks don't support weight - on the other hand, these gas charges shocks sure have a heck of a push and I just can't help but think that if I can't push them together, or collapse them easily, they must support at least 4 or 5 pounds just from the gas pressure in them!

Bill - dynamite/understood/thanks - will proceed accordingly. Thanks for the "expert" take - it's much appreciated.

 

[Jeeperjamie]

Bill - this is helpful - thanks. My goal is to swap out the shocks only and not replace the springs. I'm going to add the Teraflex 1.5" leveling kit and would like to do the shocks as well. My assumption is that I should swap out the shocks first, determine if there's been any inadvertent lift/elevation change then determine whether I add 1" or the full 1.5" Teraflex components. Is that a sound plan?

Shocks will not add any height at all. You will see Zero change by adding just shocks. You will need to swap out the front springs or add spacers to achieve any type of gain height wise

 

[busglad]

Shocks will not add any height at all. You will see Zero change by adding just shocks. You will need to swap out the front springs or add spacers to achieve any type of gain height wise

Thanks for the confirmation Jamie!

 

[andrew8404]

Good info. Just picked up Rubi Fox Shocks/Springs and TeraFlex spacers for 200 bones.

 

[eternus]

Scrolling through this thread I get that there are different shocks/springs based on the corner of the truck... do we have a definitive note on which goes where? I appear to have 449/450... those are front springs right? Larger number goes on the passenger side. Shocks don't appear to really be different front v back... how are you guys determining which part goes where?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

449 is left rear, 450 is right rear.

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