Suspension- Upgrading a sport S max tow to stock Rubicon

[CC2]

Does anyone have a list of the different stock rubicon parts to buy? What EXACt parts are different? Or advice on how to research it? What are you paying or selling take off for? Are the Rubicam parts worth the labor to upgrade?

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[ShadowsPapa]

Does anyone have a list of the different stock rubicon parts to buy? What EXACt parts are different? Or advice on how to research it? What are you paying or selling take off for? Are the Rubicam parts worth the labor to upgrade?

What's your goal?
Springs and shocks are pretty much it for differences. At least Rubicon to Overland.
If you swap out your rear springs - you lose the max tow progressive rear springs. I'd never replace those unless I didn't care about how it did with payload and towing.

Worth it? Only you can answer that based on your GOALS and NEEEDS.

 

[Alans17]

What's your goal?
Springs and shocks are pretty much it for differences. At least Rubicon to Overland.
If you swap out your rear springs - you lose the max tow progressive rear springs. I'd never replace those unless I didn't care about how it did with payload and towing.

Worth it? Only you can answer that based on your GOALS and NEEEDS.

I’ve been thinking about this for a few days... I plan to upgrade my front springs and all 4 shocks to Rubi take offs on Wednesday. But I also intend to add a 1.5” leveler on the front and .75” leveler on the back. It’s got me concerned that I’ll screw up the geometry - especially on the front - if the sway bar links, track bar, etc aren’t lengethened. Am I over reacting?

 

[Blade1668]

IMHO. If I was going to be doing any of this it would just be the axles and wiring to engage the lockers, and I do want to do that. Due to how many people that have had problems with the sway bar disconnect I'd skip doing it. A few months back I had a great opportunity to buy a set of Rubicon axles but couldn't scrape up the $$ to get them. Or I'd have them. Not a chance I'm swapping out my Max-Tow springs for a Rubicon ones. Shocks maybe but after market has quite a lot of options too.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I’ve been thinking about this for a few days... I plan to upgrade my front springs and all 4 shocks to Rubi take offs on Wednesday. But I also intend to add a 1.5” leveler on the front and .75” leveler on the back. It’s got me concerned that I’ll screw up the geometry - especially on the front - if the sway bar links, track bar, etc aren’t lengethened. Am I over reacting?

DEPENDING on the springs you currently have in the front and the springs you get from a Rubicon, you MAY raise the front 1" - that plus a spacer gives you 2.5" - at that point I'd want to know what caster ended up being and you may want to see how far the front axle is offset to the left.
I measured mine at 3/16" off-center (the left sticks out 3/8" more than it did so it would take 3/16" to get it centered again.)
NOT ALL front Rubicon springs are the same, similar for front Sport springs. So if you have softer sport springs and get some of the higher numbered Rubicon springs, you'll see more difference than if your sport has the higher numbers sport springs and you get some of the lower numbered Rubicon springs.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

IMHO. If I was going to be doing any of this it would just be the axles and wiring to engage the lockers, and I do want to do that. Due to how many people that have had problems with the sway bar disconnect I'd skip doing it. A few months back I had a great opportunity to buy a set of Rubicon axles but couldn't scrape up the $$ to get them. Or I'd have them. Not a chance I'm swapping out my Max-Tow springs for a Rubicon ones. Shocks maybe but after market has quite a lot of options too.

But they are talking suspension, not axles - springs and shocks..........
I'd probably not swap anything if I had a Sport S max tow - other than shocks. If I wanted a lift - that's different, and I'd probably go spacers to keep the rear springs.

 

[Blade1668]

But they are talking suspension, not axles - springs and shocks..........
I'd probably not swap anything if I had a Sport S max tow - other than shocks. If I wanted a lift - that's different, and I'd probably go spacers to keep the rear springs.

I was really just pointing out what would end up being a "upgrade" for most part from Max-Tow to Rubicon in my highly opinionated self and keeping towing capacity. Not that I'd ever want to try towing at max capacity. Rubicon front springs for a hard top, steel bumper and winch (ordered that way) equipped could be a good thing.

 

[CC2]

I have the max tow. I don’t want to give up towing Are the shocks the only benefit. Would you pay 500 all of the Rubicon takeoffs to include the following;
It is a full Rubicon suspension springs, shocks, front and rear upper and lower control arms, stabilizer bar, sway bars as well as the 2.5 inch front leveling puck and shock relocation brackets.
This is from an acquaintance that put in a lift. I am not sure what parts are duplicated to my max tow. And yes I am not talking axles

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have the max tow. I don’t want to give up towing Are the shocks the only benefit. Would you pay 500 all of the Rubicon takeoffs to include the following;
It is a full Rubicon suspension springs, shocks, front and rear upper and lower control arms, stabilizer bar, sway bars as well as the 2.5 inch front leveling puck and shock relocation brackets.
This is from an acquaintance that put in a lift. I am not sure what parts are duplicated to my max tow. And yes I am not talking axles

Control arms the same - it's only springs and shocks. I have the other stuff - track bar, etc. - identical to what came with my Overland, same part numbers, etc.
Rubicon suspension does not include relocation brackets, pucks, whatever - that's AFTERMARKET stuff, or lift kits.
A stock Rubicon suspension is springs and shocks. The control arms, track bar, etc. are the same on Gladiators as they come from the factory. In other words, the control arms and track bar on my Overland are the same as what's on a Sport, or a Rubicon.

If you are talking about that other stuff - that's NOT "Rubicon suspension" - you are getting some misleading info. That's lift kits - and those are for ANY Gladiator.

So maybe you are talking about buying a lift kit? That's not Rubicon suspension.

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