2014 JK Suspension

Wankel

New member
Hey guys, So I read the FAQ and understand whats needed on my JK but I want to know what would be a good setup, and is it possible to buy it all in a package? I definitely plan on taking it out, probably not regularly, unless I meet some of you all and start getting hooked. But its our daily driver so I cant go too aggressive (or can I?), however I want to be able to handle some big boy stuff when the time comes.

If any of you guys could recommend some stuff I would appreciate it. I'm starting with a Sahara JKU so no lockers or fancy rubicon parts at the moment, and I would like to go 37".
 

ghostryder

New member
Hey guys, So I read the FAQ and understand whats needed on my JK but I want to know what would be a good setup, and is it possible to buy it all in a package? I definitely plan on taking it out, probably not regularly, unless I meet some of you all and start getting hooked. But its our daily driver so I cant go too aggressive (or can I?), however I want to be able to handle some big boy stuff when the time comes.

If any of you guys could recommend some stuff I would appreciate it. I'm starting with a Sahara JKU so no lockers or fancy rubicon parts at the moment, and I would like to go 37".

my jku is a dd as well and even without lockers it would surprise a lot of people on what it can do. but they are in the future. i think you can go pretty aggressive before you get non dd lol. start somewhere anywhere and then it snowballs from there this part and that part and.... you will see lol
 

Beyrgut

New member
Not sure I would put 37s on the Sahara's front D30. Do you plan on swapping out the front axel when you go to 37s and regear it accordingly?
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Hey guys, So I read the FAQ and understand whats needed on my JK but I want to know what would be a good setup, and is it possible to buy it all in a package? I definitely plan on taking it out, probably not regularly, unless I meet some of you all and start getting hooked. But its our daily driver so I cant go too aggressive (or can I?), however I want to be able to handle some big boy stuff when the time comes.

If any of you guys could recommend some stuff I would appreciate it. I'm starting with a Sahara JKU so no lockers or fancy rubicon parts at the moment, and I would like to go 37".

Just to make sure we're all on the same page here, what kind of budget are you hoping to work with? Running 37's on the "big boy" stuff we have in California will put a lot of strain on your Jeep and especially so on your Dana 30 front axle. Getting a lift to clear your tires is just step one. You really need to make sure you can afford to budget in the cost of a drive shaft or shafts if you have a 2-door and again, if you really hope to play on the "big boy" stuff out here, a new front axle as well.
 

JK-JOHN-E

New member
Just to make sure we're all on the same page here, what kind of budget are you hoping to work with? Running 37's on the "big boy" stuff we have in California will put a lot of strain on your Jeep and especially so on your Dana 30 front axle. Getting a lift to clear your tires is just step one. You really need to make sure you can afford to budget in the cost of a drive shaft or shafts if you have a 2-door and again, if you really hope to play on the "big boy" stuff out here, a new front axle as well.

What he said. Yup
 

Wankel

New member
Well I can't afford to do it all at once, but I understand the quality and performance of getting the higher dollar items. Definitely plan on upgrading axles, I would like to get the ARB Air Lockers but those diffs can come later. I have no problem spending money on the truck, just want to do it right. I learned that lesson already with 3 different Mazda RX-7's, my last one I had I did it right and had a good 15k+ invested.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Well I can't afford to do it all at once, but I understand the quality and performance of getting the higher dollar items. Definitely plan on upgrading axles, I would like to get the ARB Air Lockers but those diffs can come later. I have no problem spending money on the truck, just want to do it right. I learned that lesson already with 3 different Mazda RX-7's, my last one I had I did it right and had a good 15k+ invested.

Actually, I wouldn't necessarily say that you have to buy higher dollars parts to get yourself up onto 37's, just that you need to take into account the things that will fail on the trail. If you can afford to budget in something like a Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle with chromoly shafts and an ARB locker, you will be doing yourself a big favor. Likewise, being that you have a 2014, you really need to budget in a front drive shaft and a rear one as well if you have a 2-door. These are big ticket items and ones that together will cost you more than your lift. Again, this is all based on the fact that you want to run 37's and play on the kind of "big boy" stuff we have out in west. After you calculate the cost of all that and can determine how much of a budget you have left, then we can start talking about the kind of lift you should look at.
 

Wankel

New member
Actually, I wouldn't necessarily say that you have to buy higher dollars parts to get yourself up onto 37's, just that you need to take into account the things that will fail on the trail. If you can afford to budget in something like a Dynatrac ProRock 44 front axle with chromoly shafts and an ARB locker, you will be doing yourself a big favor. Likewise, being that you have a 2014, you really need to budget in a front drive shaft and a rear one as well if you have a 2-door. These are big ticket items and ones that together will cost you more than your lift. Again, this is all based on the fact that you want to run 37's and play on the kind of "big boy" stuff we have out in west. After you calculate the cost of all that and can determine how much of a budget you have left, then we can start talking about the kind of lift you should look at.

Awesome, thank you, this is the type of information I needed. Basically I need to get the gearing and drivetrain proper first before considering a lift with 37's.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Awesome, thank you, this is the type of information I needed. Basically I need to get the gearing and drivetrain proper first before considering a lift with 37's.

Yup. Again, this is based on your desire to run 37's and play on "big boy" stuff. There are a several good options to get you running 37's and we can work on that after you know how much you have left to work with.
 

Wankel

New member
Yup. Again, this is based on your desire to run 37's and play on "big boy" stuff. There are a several good options to get you running 37's and we can work on that after you know how much you have left to work with.

I mean, I don't see myself even remotely attempting to join any of you guys on a trip until a year or two, so I can buy everything needed to get it going on 37's. The only reason I had 37's in mind though, is because I read that its a requirement for 4 Door's on the JK Experience list! :D
 

olram30

Not That Kind of Engineer
You can start off with other stuff you need before you figure out what lift and tires. Front bumper, winch, tire carrier for that larger tire, skids for your oil pan and tranny, on board air, c gusset, ball joints, recovery gear. All this can be bought before a lift and tires.
 

Wankel

New member
You can start off with other stuff you need before you figure out what lift and tires. Front bumper, winch, tire carrier for that larger tire, skids for your oil pan and tranny, on board air, c gusset, ball joints, recovery gear. All this can be bought before a lift and tires.

You're right, I think part of me still has that sports car mentality and i'm thinking suspension because well, its pretty important on a sports car. But this is our first Jeep, let alone off road capable vehicle, so I will need to do tons of research on what all I exactly need. Bumpers/winch did cross my mind as well and I already took care of some clearance items with fenders and pre rear axle dumped exhaust. I also really like the idea of getting onboard air as one of the first supporting mods.
 

noroad

New member
Also there is no harm is buying stuff and putting it to the side to you have everything, did this for 5 months before i put my lift and tires on!(this will hurt your eyes only) but yes just make a check list and check stuff off!
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I mean, I don't see myself even remotely attempting to join any of you guys on a trip until a year or two, so I can buy everything needed to get it going on 37's. The only reason I had 37's in mind though, is because I read that its a requirement for 4 Door's on the JK Experience list! :D

Oh, okay, that helps to clear things up. If that's the case, yeah, start building up your Jeep and play with it until you can afford to upgrade your axle(s). I just assumed you were wanting to play on "big boy" stuff right out of the gates. As far as joining us on runs go, there are plenty that we do that you'd be just fine and you should come.

Having said all that, are you willing to trim your fenders or looking to run flat fenders or, are you hoping to keep your color matched Sahara ones? I ask because it will make a difference in how high you need to go in order to clear 37's.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
You're right, I think part of me still has that sports car mentality and i'm thinking suspension because well, its pretty important on a sports car. But this is our first Jeep, let alone off road capable vehicle, so I will need to do tons of research on what all I exactly need. Bumpers/winch did cross my mind as well and I already took care of some clearance items with fenders and pre rear axle dumped exhaust. I also really like the idea of getting onboard air as one of the first supporting mods.

Like I said, there are multiple ways to get you sitting on 37's and some don't even require suspension modifications. Not that I would recommend it but, the point I'm trying to make is that your budget will dictate which way you should go. Being that you aren't planning to play too hard right away, you will have more options available to you but, you should know that the more high end of a kit you go with, the greater the odds you will end up breaking something like your axles. Speed more than anything causes breaks and with something like an EVO coil over kit, I guarantee that you'll end up driving a lot faster than your axles can handle and without even knowing it.

So, minus axles (you will still need a front drive shaft) what kind of budget do you have to work with.
 

Wankel

New member
Oh, okay, that helps to clear things up. If that's the case, yeah, start building up your Jeep and play with it until you can afford to upgrade your axle(s). I just assumed you were wanting to play on "big boy" stuff right out of the gates. As far as joining us on runs go, there are plenty that we do that you'd be just fine and you should come.

Having said all that, are you willing to trim your fenders or looking to run flat fenders or, are you hoping to keep your color matched Sahara ones? I ask because it will make a difference in how high you need to go in order to clear 37's.

I'm totally ready to join you guys in runs that I can handle now. I already changed to flat fenders, and a Dynomax evolution exhaust (dumped before rear axle).

Sent from my SM-N900P using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

Wankel

New member
Like I said, there are multiple ways to get you sitting on 37's and some don't even require suspension modifications. Not that I would recommend it but, the point I'm trying to make is that your budget will dictate which way you should go. Being that you aren't planning to play too hard right away, you will have more options available to you but, you should know that the more high end of a kit you go with, the greater the odds you will end up breaking something like your axles. Speed more than anything causes breaks and with something like an EVO coil over kit, I guarantee that you'll end up driving a lot faster than your axles can handle and without even knowing it.

So, minus axles (you will still need a front drive shaft) what kind of budget do you have to work with.

Its hard to say a dollar amount, im willing to spend what it takes to create a solid rig that will be able to hang with you guys. Buying things on a monthly basis is doable, driveshaft cost doesn't bother me, it's the 1.8k front, 1.8k rear coilover kits that are worrysome! Haha. I am able to get some nice discounts on parts so that helps.

Sent from my SM-N900P using WAYALIFE mobile app
 

ScubaSteve

New member
Its hard to say a dollar amount, im willing to spend what it takes to create a solid rig that will be able to hang with you guys. Buying things on a monthly basis is doable, driveshaft cost doesn't bother me, it's the 1.8k front, 1.8k rear coilover kits that are worrysome! Haha. I am able to get some nice discounts on parts so that helps.

Sent from my SM-N900P using WAYALIFE mobile app

You need to figure out how you plan on using your Jeep and understand pro's and con's of each modification. That will dictate your budget... 10-15 will get you going, sky's the limit on big builds...
 
Its hard to say a dollar amount, im willing to spend what it takes to create a solid rig that will be able to hang with you guys. Buying things on a monthly basis is doable, driveshaft cost doesn't bother me, it's the 1.8k front, 1.8k rear coilover kits that are worrysome! Haha. I am able to get some nice discounts on parts so that helps.

Sent from my SM-N900P using WAYALIFE mobile app

You do not have to jump right to coil overs out the gate. I know several who are running the EVO Enforcer and keep up with the West Coast WAYALIFE Crew. If I understand coil overs as read on the forum, they are for going fast in the desert over the whoops. If you are going to mainly rock crawling coils and shocks will work for you.

Eddie please correct me if I am wrong.

The EVO enforcer or Double D will give you a fantastic ride on the read and great off road handling. During the 2011 JKX I believe Rancho/Dynomax ran coils and shocks and did everything the guys with coil overs did. Matt help me out if I am wrong.

R/
Will
 

Wankel

New member
You do not have to jump right to coil overs out the gate. I know several who are running the EVO Enforcer and keep up with the West Coast WAYALIFE Crew. If I understand coil overs as read on the forum, they are for going fast in the desert over the whoops. If you are going to mainly rock crawling coils and shocks will work for you.

Eddie please correct me if I am wrong.

The EVO enforcer or Double D will give you a fantastic ride on the read and great off road handling. During the 2011 JKX I believe Rancho/Dynomax ran coils and shocks and did everything the guys with coil overs did. Matt help me out if I am wrong.

R/
Will

That explains Eddie's comment about breaking stuff while going fast. You're right, I don't need coilovers. I will probably do a dual arb compressor next and then look into getting a front axle, suspension can wait.
 
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