Mopar lift regrets

[DanW]

Kits not even on it. Yet. It’s all the internet hype and one video in particular you tube
2 inch review of mopar lift for July/jt By jl life off-road. He really slams it. So now I am second guessing my self

My brother just had it installed on his 2020 Rubi. It rides and handles beautifully. The only thing I'd recommend is C or D rated tires as opposed to E rated. He's got 35x12.5x17 Falken Wildpeak MT's with an E rating and it is just a little stiffer ride than my JLUR with the Mopar lift. If I hadn't experienced mine, I'd say it is downright smooth riding. He loves it.

I would recommend the Rock Krawler front spring correction pads for the JL. Theywork on the Gladiator, too, and ensure your front springs stay nice and straight. They are urethane and won't compress like the kit's plastic spring pads. It isn't a must have, but rather cheap insurance. They are only about 30 bucks @Northridge. I think they gave a little bit of a leveling effect, too. My brother has a heavy Bestop bumper and Harbor Freight 12k winch, so a tiny bit of help there worked well for him.

Ulike the 99% referred to above, I've run my Mopar lift for 40k miles from Moab to Windrock to Michigan to Virginia and it has been tortured. Other than adding the RK correction pads to the front, I've had no issues and certainly no regrets. The shocks are simply amazing.

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[Mac]

Mopar lift kit is a well engineered good lift kit with good shocks, IMO it is truly engineered as opposed to many of the names being thrown around in this thread, an example would be a lift advertised as 2.5" providing closer to 4". If longer track bars were needed they would be included with the Mopar kit. I fail to see the need for adjustable control arms either, if the kit is engineered correctly they would know how long the control arms would need to be for the amount of lift, being adjustable just adds more complexity and depending on the type of joint maintenance and failure points. The bushings on the OEM and Mopar control arms are maintenance free and you rarely hear of any failures or degradation. You hear of almost no issues with the Mopar lift other than sag from adding a heavy bumper and winch. There is also probably 10x more Mopar lifts in service than any of the other brands, it also finished to OEM specs so it holds up and doesn't rust after a few years when used in areas with snow and road salt.

 

[techteacher]

I've run stock Rubcion, Mopar 2", and Metalcloak 3.5" Dual Rate + Rocksports.

Having bought twice and cried twice, if you think you will be off road and want that flex and more capability skip over the Mopar 2" lift. I didn't really know what I wanted from the onset so I tried a few configurations. I have a mix of Clayton, Synergy, and Metalcloak stuff and I like it all. The difference you see with control arms that can flex is night and day compared to Mopar. I have photos and such of the progression on my build page: https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/techteachers-build-the-professor.38315/post-622398

 

[DanW]

I've run stock Rubcion, Mopar 2", and Metalcloak 3.5" Dual Rate + Rocksports.

Having bought twice and cried twice, if you think you will be off road and want that flex and more capability skip over the Mopar 2" lift. I didn't really know what I wanted from the onset so I tried a few configurations. I have a mix of Clayton, Synergy, and Metalcloak stuff and I like it all. The difference you see with control arms that can flex is night and day compared to Mopar. I have photos and such of the progression on my build page: https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/techteachers-build-the-professor.38315/post-622398

Interesting. While mine is a JL, I don't think I'd want more flex than the Mopar gives. We played around with an RTI ramp at a Jeep club event and there were probably 5 different kits on JLU's there. Mine flexed as much as any of them, from what I could tell. I'm already stuffing the wheels into the wells enough that it wouldn't take much more to rub. I can't imagine needing or even getting much more flex than this kit offers. If they do offer more, we've got to be talking a very small amount.

And I've driven other lifts including Metalcloak (on a JK) and found the Mopar (on my JL) to be a MUCH gentler ride off-road. And the Fox shocks dissipate heat extremely well. A buddy blew out a brand new Pro Comp monotube shock when it overheated in Moab. Mine were cool to the touch. Same trails. They shrugged off anything I threw at them.

Then again, maybe mine does as well because it is a Rubi and I have the front sway bar disconnected. Maybe without it diconnected you are right and the other kits give more flex? Not sure. But like I said, with mine, I couldn't use any more than it already gives.

But again, the JT's Mopar lift may be different. But from limited initial driving of my brother's, it feels pretty similar. And it flexes like a mofo with that front sway bar disconnected.

 

[RiverMtnBeach]

Only regret I have is tire selection. Definitely go with P-metric Load C variant of the BFG KO2’s (315/70) vs the LT 35x12.5 Load E version. Hardest dang tire ever! Rides OK with weight in the bed at 28psi, but man 36psi will make your teeth chatter!
On the flip side, probably indestructible. ?

 

[techteacher]

Interesting. While mine is a JL, I don't think I'd want more flex than the Mopar gives. We played around with an RTI ramp at a Jeep club event and there were probably 5 different kits on JLU's there. Mine flexed as much as any of them, from what I could tell. I'm already stuffing the wheels into the wells enough that it wouldn't take much more to rub. I can't imagine needing or even getting much more flex than this kit offers. If they do offer more, we've got to be talking a very small amount.

And I've driven other lifts including Metalcloak (on a JK) and found the Mopar (on my JL) to be a MUCH gentler ride off-road. And the Fox shocks dissipate heat extremely well. A buddy blew out a brand new Pro Comp monotube shock when it overheated in Moab. Mine were cool to the touch. Same trails. They shrugged off anything I threw at them.

Then again, maybe mine does as well because it is a Rubi and I have the front sway bar disconnected. Maybe without it diconnected you are right and the other kits give more flex? Not sure. But like I said, with mine, I couldn't use any more than it already gives.

But again, the JT's Mopar lift may be different. But from limited initial driving of my brother's, it feels pretty similar. And it flexes like a mofo with that front sway bar disconnected.

I'm no expert...but here are some clips that are consistent with my observations.

The beginning of this video (it's about track bars but I think still applies):

At the ten minute mark here he is talking about the control arms:

The ride on the Mopar lift was fine, I'm on a JT Rubicon - hard to distinguish from stock. I do prefer the metalcloak springs/shocks though. In my experience it just feels smoother overall. YMMV

 

[tysongladiator]

I bought my JT 6/2019. Have 57,000 miles on it. Put on the Mopar lift around 6,000 miles. I travel to different states. I jail a boat. I tow my 16' ATV trailer. And I tow a RV. I am pleased with the lift. No trac bar or anything extra. Just the kit. Rides good, handles good, performs good. ?

Edit: I guess I should note that I have a 3/4" Daystar spacer on the front of the Mopar lift. I installed the spacer when I had the lift installed because of the weight of the aftermarket bumper and winch. I already had a pretty bad rake to it. The spacer still left a little bit of a rake but it doesn't look bad.

 

[Uparms]

I think what you are asking for is a great start but will cost more then 2k? If am wrong, let me know...
I think you will need to add a puck ( which I don't prefer as part of design phase of selecting lift) to the front of the Mopar for your winch. Mopar lift is not for you.

""Ideally would be. 2 to 2.5 inches. Have single rate springs. Reasonably soft or adjustable shocks. Not a cheap alternative Contain front and rear adjustable trac bars and. Adjustable lower control arms.?""

Mopar 2 inch has been great for me, 16K miles on it. 35x12.5x17. Ride on highway, cutting back river roads and light off road is great. Did not need adj. track bar(s). I would change out the the cheap discos that come with it(F&R). 2.5" at least on the end result. Slight rake.

 

[tysongladiator]

I think what you are asking for is a great start but will cost more then 2k? If am wrong, let me know...
I think you will need to add a puck ( which I don't prefer as part of design phase of selecting lift) to the front of the Mopar for your winch. Mopar lift is not for you.

""Ideally would be. 2 to 2.5 inches. Have single rate springs. Reasonably soft or adjustable shocks. Not a cheap alternative Contain front and rear adjustable trac bars and. Adjustable lower control arms.?""

Mopar 2 inch has been great for me, 16K miles on it. 35x12.5x17. Ride on highway, cutting back river roads and light off road is great. Did not need adj. track bar(s). I would change out the the cheap discos that come with it(F&R). 2.5" at least on the end result. Slight rake.

I forgot to mention something on my original post. I did add a 3/4" Daystar spacer to my front springs on my MOPAR lift. I did this because the aftermarket and bumper and winch already added a lot of weight to the stock iift. It still has a tiny bit of front rake to it. But I've had it like that since I installed the lift for about 50,000 miles now. And I've had no isses from adding the spacer.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

I have a pair of the lighter Rubicon springs up front. Those gained me about 3/4-7/8" lift up front.

I added steel bumper, steel skid plate and the mega-heavy 80 pound Apex winch.
Those settled it about .5" as I recall. So with Rubicon springs, the lighter of the numbers they used under the front of the JTR, the extra weight of the winch, bumper and skid plate dropped only .5"

I added Daystar .75" spacers and am sitting just about 7/8" - 1 inch over stock when I compare my measurements to another member who has a fully stock Overland. (I can't find my initial stock measurements I took last year)

So there's some math to go by.

That was my goal - be close to 1" higher than stock Overland.
It worked as my wife complains about getting into the truck.

 

[LiftedrubiconJT]

I daily my gladiator on the mopar lift and 35s and love the lift. No complaints here, I have over 14,000 miles and no issues

 

[andrew8404]

Mopar lift kit is a well engineered good lift kit with good shocks, IMO it is truly engineered as opposed to many of the names being thrown around in this thread, an example would be a lift advertised as 2.5" providing closer to 4". If longer track bars were needed they would be included with the Mopar kit. I fail to see the need for adjustable control arms either, if the kit is engineered correctly they would know how long the control arms would need to be for the amount of lift, being adjustable just adds more complexity and depending on the type of joint maintenance and failure points. The bushings on the OEM and Mopar control arms are maintenance free and you rarely hear of any failures or degradation. You hear of almost no issues with the Mopar lift other than sag from adding a heavy bumper and winch. There is also probably 10x more Mopar lifts in service than any of the other brands, it also finished to OEM specs so it holds up and doesn't rust after a few years when used in areas with snow and road salt.

umm no. It’s an okay kit but nothing “truly engineered“ about it. Majority of Mopar lifts in the past have been rebranded ones from Terraflex. So saying Mopar holds up more then others is hilarious at best.

 

[DanW]

I'm no expert...but here are some clips that are consistent with my observations.

The beginning of this video (it's about track bars but I think still applies):

At the ten minute mark here he is talking about the control arms:

The ride on the Mopar lift was fine, I'm on a JT Rubicon - hard to distinguish from stock. I do prefer the metalcloak springs/shocks though. In my experience it just feels smoother overall. YMMV

I did put adjustable track bars, Rancho front, Rough Country rear, just to center the axles. It drove and performed fine without them. But like I said, I've had mine off road A LOT. I've beaten the hell out of it on all kinds of terrain, from rocks to ruts to mud to sand and snow. No issues. No tire rubbing. No regrets. And again, the shocks are simply superb, both on and off road. Friends with other lifts have ridden in it and immediately, every time, raved about the smooth ride off-road. It still corners well for a lifted Jeep, too. It's been on the Tail of the Dragon twice and was fun there, too. Good road manners with no surprises, even when pushed hard. I feel like it does everything well. I did forget to mention that I also added a Fox 2.0 steering stabilizer after the original and 2 warranty replacements failed. It works well, too. I'm on stock rims with 315x70x17 BFG KO2s with a C load range, for reference.

We'll be putting my brother's Gladiator to the test later this winter and also in the spring, so I'll report back. From driving it around on-road, it feels just like mine on the JL, other than the stiffer ride from the E rated tires. I'll post up a review once we get it on the trail. He's very happy with it so far. Btw, his is mated to 35x12.5x17 Falken Wildpeak MTs on the stock rims. No aftermarket track bars yet. He hasn't noticed the axle offset and probably never will. Heck, I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't been told to look for it.

 

[Mac]

umm no. It’s an okay kit but nothing “truly engineered“ about it. Majority of Mopar lifts in the past have been rebranded ones from Terraflex. So saying Mopar holds up more then others is hilarious at best.

By engineered I am referring to creating a lift with specific spring rates and shock dampening that allows the vehicle to handle and have the capabilities as stock or better, I highly doubt Mopar would put something out and stand behind it that is not highly tested and safe. Mopar is currently the only company making a diesel specific lift kit, all the others are just adding a spacer to compensate for the 400lb increase.
In my experience and opinion the Mopar parts hold up better against rust and corrosion than aftermarket parts.

 

[DanW]

umm no. It’s an okay kit but nothing “truly engineered“ about it. Majority of Mopar lifts in the past have been rebranded ones from Terraflex. So saying Mopar holds up more then others is hilarious at best.

I don't think anyone is saying they hold up better, unless I missed that. What they are saying is that it is covered by the warranty.

What I'll say is that it DOES hold up very well.

Do you own one? I do. Many miles of hard off-roading. It has held up. It has wheeled alongside Jeeps with Terraflex, Metalcloak, and others, and it has done every obstacle they've done. Have I made a couple tweaks to it? Yes. But it never had a problem with its function. They were only minor improvements. First, front adjustable Rancho Track Bar, then a rear, to center the axles. That was for aesthetics only. My front springs bowed more than I liked and at about 20k on the lift, the dealership swapped out the spring pads under warranty and even gave me a loaner to drive for the afternoon. Try getting that with any other lift. Finally, I put Rock Krawler correction pads in the front to the tune of a whopping 30 bucks. The springs never rubbed the bump stops, even at full articulation, but they were too close for comfort for me. And my dealer installed them because they are nice.

Not sure what else to say. I hear all this criticism but mostly from folks who don't have one. I've put more off-road miles on this lift (It was installed at 700 miles on the odometer) in three years than most have on their lift kits in 10. It has held up beyond my expectations and shrugged off everything that's been thrown at it.

Is it the best out there? Probably not. Best value? Nope. But there's nothing wrong with it. Certainly it would have been nice to have adjustable track bars included or even adjustable front lower control arms. But those things aren't absolutely necessary. And btw, no matter who actually engineered it, they were running it with the test mules when the JL was developed. There are photos out there of it. So if they hired a vendor for it, they were right there with the Jeep engineers. No different than the transmission, axles or transfer case. Those were made by outside vendors, too. But I don't hear anyone calling Jeep out for having ZF, Aisin, Dana, and Magna make those components.

Lots of great options are out there. Get the one in which you have the most confidence. The Mopar lift has earned my confidence on the trail, on my Jeep. I'll leave it at that. Feel free to check in on me as the miles pile up. So far, with 40k on it, so good.

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