Max Tow springs on a Rubicon?

[AH64ID]

My wife has a '23 JTR that's fairly heavy with a Decked drawer system, canopy, and some gear for everyday driving. When we load it up for camping she squats pretty good, so we are looking at a modification to the rear suspension and while I'm generally a big airbag fan I prefer the simplicity of stiffer springs on her rig. Airbags aren't out of the question thou, as I have a OBA setup ready to install. She also does occasionally do some towing of our smaller TT, but that's not too common since my rig is a Ram 3500.

Will the max tow springs provide an appreciable increase in spring rate?

Also, are 68506180AA and 68506182AA the correct part numbers for the max tow springs?

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[kevman65]

The Max Tow springs are shorter than Rubicon springs, you will have a squat plus more.

You need HD springs for a Rubicon.

 

[AH64ID]

The Max Tow springs are shorter than Rubicon springs, you will have a squat plus more.

I understood they had a shorter free length, but with a higher spring rate so they aren't shorter under the same load.

You need HD springs for a Rubicon.

Any recommendations?

 

[kevman65]

I understood they had a shorter free length, but with a higher spring rate so they aren't shorter under the same load.



Any recommendations?

They start out shorter, I believe they are 1" shorter unloaded, so your rear end is already going to be lower. Any compression and you're losing more.

Factory springs are soft, doesn't matter which ones you have.

You can go 2 routes, you can get + 2" standard springs (for the Rubi) and probably get close to what you want loaded. Or, you can go with HD springs in +1" (if you can find them) and have basically the same thing.

In the long run, the air bags are less expensive and easier to install, so you may want to try that first.

 

[Jrgunn5150]

Have to agree, just get airbags, add whatever you need when you need it, and leave it out when you don't

 

[Badunit]

I just now put Max Tow rear springs on my '23 Rubicon. With the Rubicon springs it always felt like the rear was far too soft compared to the front and it felt like I was driving with a too-heavy and high centered load in the bed, even when empty.

Rubicon springs (Driver/Passenger) were 68506211AA/68506212AA
Max Tow springs (Driver/Passenger) are 68341444AB/68341445AC

The online Mopar parts sites have superceded part numbers for those two Max Tow springs. (Driver/Passenger) 68506178AA/68506180AA

I read that the Max Tow springs were shorter than the Rubicon springs so I checked the difference. They were so close to the same length it was insignificant, if there was any difference at all. The Max Tow springs were pre-owned and looked like they had been used a while so this wasn't due to them being new.

I measured heights to the fenders at each corner before and after. For "after", I rode around and went over a bunch of speed bumps to make sure everything was seated. The front was identical before and after, both sides. The rear was about 3/8" lower after, both sides.

I wanted to do some before/after spring rate measurements with various weights in the bed but I didn't have anything heavy enough laying around the shop so I skipped this step. Jumping on the bumper before and after I can tell a big difference in how much less the rear squats under load now. Driving around, the rear feels stiffer. Driving over speed bumps I can tell the rear stays much more level on the down side compared to how it would dip low with the Rubicon springs. I've only driven a few miles but it feels more balanced front-to-back. I will reserve judgment on the improvement in the "too heavy high centered load" feel until after I have driven more, and with a load.

 

[Badunit]

Update: Driving with the Max Tow springs is a night and day difference. I used to have to make steering corrections on every bump, dip, and imperfection because the rear end was so floaty and soft. Now it is straight, solid, and planted, and balanced. Wish I'd done it sooner.

 

[AH64ID]

I just now put Max Tow rear springs on my '23 Rubicon. With the Rubicon springs it always felt like the rear was far too soft compared to the front and it felt like I was driving with a too-heavy and high centered load in the bed, even when empty.

Rubicon springs (Driver/Passenger) were 68506211AA/68506212AA
Max Tow springs (Driver/Passenger) are 68341444AB/68341445AC

The online Mopar parts sites have superceded part numbers for those two Max Tow springs. (Driver/Passenger) 68506178AA/68506180AA

I read that the Max Tow springs were shorter than the Rubicon springs so I checked the difference. They were so close to the same length it was insignificant, if there was any difference at all. The Max Tow springs were pre-owned and looked like they had been used a while so this wasn't due to them being new.

I measured heights to the fenders at each corner before and after. For "after", I rode around and went over a bunch of speed bumps to make sure everything was seated. The front was identical before and after, both sides. The rear was about 3/8" lower after, both sides.

I wanted to do some before/after spring rate measurements with various weights in the bed but I didn't have anything heavy enough laying around the shop so I skipped this step. Jumping on the bumper before and after I can tell a big difference in how much less the rear squats under load now. Driving around, the rear feels stiffer. Driving over speed bumps I can tell the rear stays much more level on the down side compared to how it would dip low with the Rubicon springs. I've only driven a few miles but it feels more balanced front-to-back. I will reserve judgment on the improvement in the "too heavy high centered load" feel until after I have driven more, and with a load.

Update: Driving with the Max Tow springs is a night and day difference. I used to have to make steering corrections on every bump, dip, and imperfection because the rear end was so floaty and soft. Now it is straight, solid, and planted, and balanced. Wish I'd done it sooner.

That's a great review! It may steered me that direction over airbags, but I got the wife airbags for Christmas. With her shell and decked she may not have sat lower with the max tow springs.

I finally got the airbags installed and currently have them at 15 psi for a leak down check. The rear sits 1/2-3/4" higher than it did without the bags and the handling is much better. I'll probably end up keeping the bags at 7-10 psi. I'm happy with the bags so far, now to do a little towing.

 

[Badunit]

I like them more each day. It might actually be my favorite "mod" so far. I was seriously considering air bags but didn't need the adjustability. I figured for $130 and an hour of my time it was worth the chance.

 

[NC_Overland]

It’s my understanding that there are three or more different spring rates on the rubicon springs. I put Rubicon LE take off springs and shocks on my Overland when it was new. I get very little squat. Actually, it rides level with up to 1500 lbs in the bed. I had 1700 lbs in the bed a few weeks ago and that’s the only time I’ve seen it sag. I think that which rubicon spring rate you get makes a big difference. When I got mine, the LE springs were the stiffest you could get because they came fully loaded and standard with the steel bumpers.

That’s 1500+ lbs in the bed.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I put max tow rear springs under my 2020 Overland.
They are definitely a lot shorter, however, no, my truck did not sit lower - in fact, it sat the same height as before. There was really no difference in height.
The extra rate means they didn't compress as much as my original Overland springs did with the exact same weight on them.


They were roughly an inch shorter than my stock springs - maybe a tad more shorter. Height when done - no difference.

I still have those max tow springs in storage. I took them out when I traded my 2020 in on my 2022

 

[ShadowsPapa]

It’s my understanding that there are three or more different spring rates on the rubicon springs. I put Rubicon LE take off springs and shocks on my Overland when it was new. I get very little squat. Actually, it rides level with up to 1500 lbs in the bed. I had 1700 lbs in the bed a few weeks ago and that’s the only time I’ve seen it sag. I think that which rubicon spring rate you get makes a big difference. When I got mine, the LE springs were the stiffest you could get because they came fully loaded and standard with the steel bumpers.

That’s 1500+ lbs in the bed.

Yes, there are indeed. So when someone says "I have Rubicon springs" - I say - which ones?

I also have a set of Rubicon springs in storage.

 

[AH64ID]

I would guess her Rubicon doesn’t have the stiffer springs, since the canopy, drawer, and 700lbs of tongue weight with a WDH put her just about on the bumpstops.

 

[Badunit]

There is a long list of rear springs in the '23 parts manual. The ones marked in the attached list are mine.

 

[Afternoon Spray]

Question from a bit of a newbie to the suspension world. I am wanting to put Max Tow springs on my rubicon to stiffen up the rear end, especially when I load it up to max GVWR for campign trips with the RTT and all our gear. This will be in conjunction with adding some remote reservoir Fox 2.5 shocks.

However, since I've been having a hard time locating max tow takeoffs, could I add these Clayton Offroad 1.5" Triple Rate Springs?(https://claytonoffroad.com/products...l-springs-2020-jt?_pos=8&_fid=b68af14b1&_ss=c).

1. Would the 1.5" be too much lift without swapping out other suspension parts (control arms, track bars, etc.)?
2. Are there any other aftermarket HD coils that would be comparable to Max Tow while keeping it relatively stock height?

I don't really want to "lift" the truck. I'm ok gaining 0.5"-1" but was mostly hoping to limit this to swapping out the coils for a stiffer rear end.

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