Enthusiast I
Hi, would like this group's advice. What shocks and potentially springs would you put on a JKU Sport to be used for overlanding but also snow plowing, so needs to maintain a close to stock height? Thank you for your guidance.
Suspension Help
- Thread starter markpagejr
- Start date
Off-Road Ranger III
- 13,288
- First Name
- Bjoern
- Last Name
- Eldracher
- Member #
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20111
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- DO3BE
Suspension for overlanding AND snowplowing at the same time is a challenging requirement.
The whole suspension setup of a vehicle is a super complex system. All components need to be adjusted to each other to have a perfect suspension setup that works to avoid that the first defects do not appear after a few kilometers of trails or even on the road. In my experience and optinion, it doesn't make sense to simply install other colorful shock absorbers just to change something. Especially with regard to the suspension setup I often see this and that people just keep trying something and it doesn't really work out. In the end, so much money is being sunk for shock absorbers, springs, bump stops and much more...
For many applications the original susepnsion setups are absolutely sufficient, sometimes with small changes. In case something different is really needed, for example for competitions or heavy overlanding vehicles or simply because the owner wnats to have it (which is fine of course), from my experience it makes sense to go to a suspension specialist, who has a lot of experience with that and is able to properly adjust the whole setup to the needs. I guess, that especially snowplowing needs a very good setup. A reals specialist will consider weights, wheel loads, intended use, etc. and take all this into account. It´s for example not the best solution to just by high-quality shock absorbers, they need to be adjusted properly. Same with bump stops, they need to be selected in dependence of the vehicle and use to have suitable bump stops that really absorb the energy and so on and so on.
I guess, the hardest part will be, to define what you need and what you would like to achieve with a new suspension. I'm not a Jeep specialist, but I'm sure there are some members here who might be able to give you more specific tips for your exact rig. But as I said, the topic of snowplowing with such a vehicle is very special.
The whole suspension setup of a vehicle is a super complex system. All components need to be adjusted to each other to have a perfect suspension setup that works to avoid that the first defects do not appear after a few kilometers of trails or even on the road. In my experience and optinion, it doesn't make sense to simply install other colorful shock absorbers just to change something. Especially with regard to the suspension setup I often see this and that people just keep trying something and it doesn't really work out. In the end, so much money is being sunk for shock absorbers, springs, bump stops and much more...
For many applications the original susepnsion setups are absolutely sufficient, sometimes with small changes. In case something different is really needed, for example for competitions or heavy overlanding vehicles or simply because the owner wnats to have it (which is fine of course), from my experience it makes sense to go to a suspension specialist, who has a lot of experience with that and is able to properly adjust the whole setup to the needs. I guess, that especially snowplowing needs a very good setup. A reals specialist will consider weights, wheel loads, intended use, etc. and take all this into account. It´s for example not the best solution to just by high-quality shock absorbers, they need to be adjusted properly. Same with bump stops, they need to be selected in dependence of the vehicle and use to have suitable bump stops that really absorb the energy and so on and so on.
I guess, the hardest part will be, to define what you need and what you would like to achieve with a new suspension. I'm not a Jeep specialist, but I'm sure there are some members here who might be able to give you more specific tips for your exact rig. But as I said, the topic of snowplowing with such a vehicle is very special.
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You may already know that your JKU Sport is very capable of overlanding in stock form. And with an upgrade in tire size, even more capable. Just get your gear and go.
You should be able to put a light plow on it as it is., with some caveats. I wouldnt keep the plow on all winter - only when you are actively plowing. The biggest thing you should worry about plowing is transmission issues. All that "forward, then reverse, forward, then reverse" and the pounding of manhole covers and uneven road does a number on any transmission. Personally, I wouldn't want to plow with a Jeep unless it was just my own driveway or maybe around a ranch or farm or something. Not commercial or road plowing.
You should be able to put a light plow on it as it is., with some caveats. I wouldnt keep the plow on all winter - only when you are actively plowing. The biggest thing you should worry about plowing is transmission issues. All that "forward, then reverse, forward, then reverse" and the pounding of manhole covers and uneven road does a number on any transmission. Personally, I wouldn't want to plow with a Jeep unless it was just my own driveway or maybe around a ranch or farm or something. Not commercial or road plowing.
Member III
If your not wanting to go up in hight Find the highest rated stock springs you can , I believe it would be the rubicon’s that come with steel bumpers
