Confirmed: Rubicon Front Springs 340/ 343 are 1" Taller than Sport S Max Tow

[rickrogan]

1C6JJTBG1LL117934


https://carscoms.com/2020-jeep-gladiator-rubicon-launch-edition-346919.html

LE Vin with steel bumpers and hardtop. Try that.

EDIT: This is second hand knowledge but user "Mac" bought LE takeoffs and the front springs were 340/343. I messaged him about this and he confirmed.

(smacks forehead) Great idea and great find @Aonarch ! I didn't even think to check the used marketplace (why would anyone wanna sell their JTR???)

I'll bounce this VIN off my local parts guy and report back.

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[Aonarch]

(smacks forehead) Great idea and great find @Aonarch ! I didn't even think to check the used marketplace (why would anyone wanna sell their JTR???)

I'll bounce this VIN off my local parts guy and report back.

Use this VIN

https://www.chrysler.com/hostd/windowsticker/getWindowStickerPdf.do?vin=1C6JJTBG3LL113920

or this VIN

https://www.chrysler.com/hostd/windowsticker/getWindowStickerPdf.do?vin=1C6JJTBG1LL117934

Both are nearly identical LEs

 

[Isle_of_Man]

Just to add another data point: my takeoffs were from a LE and they're 340ac/343ac and 450ab/451ac

 

[Aonarch]

Just to add another data point: my takeoffs were from a LE and they're 340ac/343ac and 450ab/451ac

Thank you!

 

[rickrogan]

An update that is a combo of good and strange news (but no real conclusion)

My local parts guy checked the LE VIN (I found another one on Carmax) and confirmed the 340/343 combo for the front springs. (These are Rubi/gas/hardtop with the steel bumper).

This syncs with the data from @Isle_of_Man (provided just above) and by others elsewhere in the thread.

The strange part: matching this up with the 339/340 pair on my Rubi/gas/hardtop with OEM plastic bumper).

Convention seems to have it that the "lowest number" spring goes on driver side. And that there is a "handedness" (right-side vs left-side) to the springs.

So, the weird thing: This set of data has that 340 spring SWITCHING SIDES of the vehicle.

This baffled both me and my parts guy. (Jeep's spring pretzel logic remains obscure.)

I'm going to keep investigating. Any insights from the wise minds reading this is welcome.

 

[Aonarch]

An update that is a combo of good and strange news (but no real conclusion)

My local parts guy checked the LE VIN (I found another one on Carmax) and confirmed the 340/343 combo for the front springs. (These are Rubi/gas/hardtop with the steel bumper).

This syncs with the data from @Isle_of_Man (provided just above) and by others elsewhere in the thread.

The strange part: matching this up with the 339/340 pair on my Rubi/gas/hardtop with OEM plastic bumper).

Convention seems to have it that the "lowest number" spring goes on driver side. And that there is a "handedness" (right-side vs left-side) to the springs.

So, the weird thing: This set of data has that 340 spring SWITCHING SIDES of the vehicle.

This baffled both me and my parts guy. (Jeep's spring pretzel logic remains obscure.)

I'm going to keep investigating. Any insights from the wise minds reading this is welcome.

My front passenger side is 1cm (.39 inches) lower than my driver side. I wondered if that was to compensate for the weight of a driver.

Then again my right rear is 1/4" lower than my left rear. I know these things aren't perfectly even from the factory and that there are other factors at play too.

 

[Mr._Bill]

An update that is a combo of good and strange news (but no real conclusion)

My local parts guy checked the LE VIN (I found another one on Carmax) and confirmed the 340/343 combo for the front springs. (These are Rubi/gas/hardtop with the steel bumper).

This syncs with the data from @Isle_of_Man (provided just above) and by others elsewhere in the thread.

The strange part: matching this up with the 339/340 pair on my Rubi/gas/hardtop with OEM plastic bumper).

Convention seems to have it that the "lowest number" spring goes on driver side. And that there is a "handedness" (right-side vs left-side) to the springs.

So, the weird thing: This set of data has that 340 spring SWITCHING SIDES of the vehicle.

This baffled both me and my parts guy. (Jeep's spring pretzel logic remains obscure.)

I'm going to keep investigating. Any insights from the wise minds reading this is welcome.

The spring numbers are not location specific across the trucks. You have to compare right to left on the same vehicle, not with other vehicles, for placement location. So far, all Gladiators have the higher number spring on the passenger side, and the lower number spring on the driver side. The springs placed on the truck are affected by the options ordered and how they affect the overall weight of the truck, and by the model ordered and how they will affect the ride. It would be nice if Jeep would make available the chart and calculations they use to determine what springs are placed on the truck.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My front passenger side is 1cm (.39 inches) lower than my driver side. I wondered if that was to compensate for the weight of a driver.

Then again my right rear is 1/4" lower than my left rear. I know these things aren't perfectly even from the factory and that there are other factors at play too.

Is your fuel tank FULL?
Just curious as someone else mentioned that the right side is actually lower on their truck with the higher number spring on the right.

The strange part: matching this up with the 339/340 pair on my Rubi/gas/hardtop with OEM plastic bumper).

Convention seems to have it that the "lowest number" spring goes on driver side. And that there is a "handedness" (right-side vs left-side) to the springs.

So, the weird thing: This set of data has that 340 spring SWITCHING SIDES of the vehicle.

This baffled both me and my parts guy. (Jeep's spring pretzel logic remains obscure.)

I'm going to keep investigating. Any insights from the wise minds reading this is welcome.

Not strange.
Take the 339/340 pair like I have under my Overland (from a Rubicon apparently without steel bumper)
340 is the higher numbered of the pair so it goes on the right

With a 340/343 now the 343 is the higher number so the 340 goes on the left.

There is no left and there is no right spring. The determination of sides is based on - which spring has the highest number. The highest number wins the right side, lowest number goes on the left.
So don't think location, think RELATIVE position based on numerical sequence.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Well now that I have a STEEL bumper and WINCH and SKID PLATE I need to find a 343 Rubicon spring. I'll move my 340 to the left and put the 343 on the right.

Anyone got a spring for sale?

 

[Aonarch]

Well now that I have a STEEL bumper and WINCH and SKID PLATE I need to find a 343 Rubicon spring. I'll move my 340 to the left and put the 343 on the right.

Anyone got a spring for sale?

Allmoparparts.com have been great for me.

 

[Aonarch]

Is your fuel tank FULL?
Just curious as someone else mentioned that the right side is actually lower on their truck with the higher number spring on the right.



Not strange.
Take the 339/340 pair like I have under my Overland (from a Rubicon apparently without steel bumper)
340 is the higher numbered of the pair so it goes on the right

With a 340/343 now the 343 is the higher number so the 340 goes on the left.

There is no left and there is no right spring. The determination of sides is based on - which spring has the highest number. The highest number wins the right side, lowest number goes on the left.
So don't think location, think RELATIVE position based on numerical sequence.

It is full and you are right, gas is heavy. I'll remeasure at different fuel loads. Shouldn't take long at 16 mpg.

 

[MPMB]

As mentioned earlier, and bears repeating, overall height of a spring is no indicator of final ride height.

If anyone is curious...

From Eaton Detroit Spring:
"The calculation to find the rate of a coil spring is:

11,250,000 times the wire diameter to the 4th power divided by 8 times the active number of turns times the mean diameter cubed."

 

[ShadowsPapa]

As mentioned earlier, and bears repeating, overall height of a spring is no indicator of final ride height.

If anyone is curious...

From Eaton Detroit Spring:
"The calculation to find the rate of a coil spring is:

11,250,000 times the wire diameter to the 4th power divided by 8 times the active number of turns times the mean diameter cubed."

That is made far more complex in the Gladiator springs because the wire diameter is not consistent through the spring. The Rubicon rear springs I have have a larger wire at the bottom than at the top of the spring.

 

[MPMB]

That is made far more complex in the Gladiator springs because the wire diameter is not consistent through the spring. The Rubicon rear springs I have have a larger wire at the bottom than at the top of the spring.

Really? I don't have a micrometer, but visually they look consistent. That's interesting if the wire diameter does change. The coil wrap (diameter) is definitely smaller (the progressive part), giving the spring the beehive look. I didn't think springs changed wire diameter, that's now how it's done on "How It's Made" that I've seen.

 

[Rockabillyroy]

2021 JTR
plastic bumper, soft top

Here's my front driver side.
349AB

Couldn't get a clear shot of the passenger side.

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