Pre-running Jeep JK

[titus7]

K well I want the best just like I'm sure everyone does... I don't know anyone that goes into something saying "give me the cheapest pos I can get and I don't want quality either" .....

100k is a little steep for my pocket book. I'll probably just drive down to EVO and talk to them about all of the options

 

[JAGS]

:cheesy:

Everyone wants the best until they hear how much it costs.

Not true. Some just want to rent it for a few years with interest, then give it back. :crazyeyes:

 

[spinuck]

the 100k part was reference to another thread. Talk to the EVO guys, maybe they can help you come up with a game plan to get to your dream Jeep. You can still have A LOT of fun while you build up your Jeep, but you may not wanna blast through desert roads at 70mph.

 

[olram30]

I don't know anyone that goes into something saying "give me the cheapest pos I can get and I don't want quality either" .....

you'd be surprised how many people actually have this mentality with lift kits.

 

[ridg3runner]

you'd be surprised how many people actually have this mentality with lift kits.

They'll be found lurking on some of the other forums, sadly.

 

[JAGS]

DTD is obviously the top-of-the-line, racing-caliber suspension. There is also EVO bolt on coilover set up that may do great for what you want too. A big step from DTD but still great, highly recommended and comes at less of a premium that the DTD. Another step just a bit under that, you're talking about the EVO Enforcer paired with some higher end King shocks or King 2.5s.

From there you sort of drop down to more run-of-the-mill lifts of various heights, manufacturers. Given your wants, probably non of these would fit the bill for you.

Give the Off Road Evolution shop a call and Drew can talk about budget and options for what you have and want to do. They install all manufacturers for suspension and other aftermarket parts. Great shop, great people and supporters of this forum.

 

[Ah2014jk]

K well I want the best just like I'm sure everyone does... I don't know anyone that goes into something saying "give me the cheapest pos I can get and I don't want quality either" .....

100k is a little steep for my pocket book. I'll probably just drive down to EVO and talk to them about all of the options

Don't let the talk here scare you you're looking at around 15k installed for the suspension. A PR44 front and 60 rear which would be PLENTY is another 10 ( or get the g2 set up which is a little less ) rims and tires depend on what you get but slabs are around 2ish and tires 2-3 grand.
The rest is small stuff like brake lines etc.

Get a front G2 44 and spend 5k. And the front DTD for 3grand. You don't HAVE to get the EVO arms ( they are nice don't get me wrong ) but figure on 1500 for short arm or go long arms right away which is double. Then just get the EVO lever for the back which is a whole lot less money

If you do it with short arms and just the lever not the DTD rear you can always add the 2 extra bypass shocks to the system later and upgrade to long arms ( and sell the short arms ) Your on road ride will be 100x better than now and offroad flex the same.

Yes you will only have a front locker but that's better than just a rear anyhow

Just my 2 cents and you could probably do it for around 15k


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[piginajeep]

Don't let the talk here scare you you're looking at around 15k installed for the suspension. A PR44 front and 60 rear which would be PLENTY is another 10 ( or get the g2 set up which is a little less ) rims and tires depend on what you get but slabs are around 2ish and tires 2-3 grand.
The rest is small stuff like brake lines etc.

Get a front G2 44 and spend 5k. And the front DTD for 3grand. You don't HAVE to get the EVO arms ( they are nice don't get me wrong ) but figure on 1500 for short arm or go long arms right away which is double. Then just get the EVO lever for the back which is a whole lot less money

If you do it with short arms and just the lever not the DTD rear you can always add the 2 extra bypass shocks to the system later and upgrade to long arms ( and sell the short arms ) Your on road ride will be 100x better than now and offroad flex the same.

Yes you will only have a front locker but that's better than just a rear anyhow

Just my 2 cents and you could probably do it for around 15k


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Sorry I don't agree. If he wants a pre runner. He needs to do it the right way or he will regret and waste money.,

 

[10frank9]

One option some folks have chosen to do is to get the EVO Lever rear, and the DTD towers up front with the single coilover to save money. Then add the bypass later. Just a thought.....

 

[Ah2014jk]

Sorry I don't agree. If he wants a pre runner. He needs to do it the right way or he will regret and waste money.,

Yes but his first post says he does not want to build a pre runner

Also I guess we can agree to disagree. I don't see the need to say " you can't build a pre runner unless you do it all at once. " nothing in my build idea is not upgradable. Buying an EVO lever without the bypass shocks doesn't mean you have to by a new one to add them later. The control arms he can sell and get money for if he needs to upgrade.

Again though his post said he doesn't by want a pre runner so I'm pretty sure my idea would be MORE than adequate.


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[JAGS]

Yes but his first post says he does not want to build a pre runner

Also I guess we can agree to disagree. I don't see the need to say " you can't build a pre runner unless you do it all at once. " nothing in my build idea is not upgradable. Buying an EVO lever without the bypass shocks doesn't mean you have to by a new one to add them later. The control arms he can sell and get money for if he needs to upgrade.

Again though his post said he doesn't by want a pre runner so I'm pretty sure my idea would be MORE than adequate.


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You're right, he doesn't want a pre-runner. He wants a pre-runner AND a rock crawler. Read his post again. Fast in the desert and capable in the rocks.

Why would you get the best shock system and then surround with not the best suspension, driveline and axle components?

Is it possible to do other ways, sure. But then maybe the best option for this guy isn't the DTD.


- Jason

 

[Ah2014jk]

You're right, he doesn't want a pre-runner. He wants a pre-runner AND a rock crawler. Read his post again. Fast in the desert and capable in the rocks.

Why would you get the best shock system and then surround with not the best suspension, driveline and axle components?

Is it possible to do other ways, sure. But then maybe the best option for this guy isn't the DTD.


- Jason

TOTALY agree with you, all I'm saying is that do it in stages. He wants to spend around 15k and can't do everything all at once. Even Moby went through a bunch of Changes to get where it is now ( and I'm pretty sure the king of all ... EVo1 did the same )


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[Ah2014jk]

Ok maybe not the king of all but EVO1 is by far the favourite jeep in my list


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[AllAmericanInfidel]

Im new to the whole jeep/suspension thing. I just purchased my first Jeep/4x4 and even though its already been in the shop for 2 of the 3 weeks that Ive had it, I love and miss it like a bad habit.

I'm not going to be Pre-running my jeep, but I would love to get a suspension setup that can handle running across the wide open desert at higher speeds yet still retain the ability to climb and crawl...and still be as comfortable as I can be.

I keep looking at various setups from:
Offroad Evolution
ICON
Teraflex

Again I'm new to all of this and appreciate any help, pics, stories to help me figure out what I need.

Thanks in advance!!!

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I have researched this a lot! I grew up around desert racing and have been fortunate enough to compete in some desert races including Parker, Flagstaff and even the V2R. I love Jeeps, and was on a quest to find a way to meld the two together. Honestly, it depends on your budget. I took a few rides on the Teraflex Prerunner suspension and can honestly say I was not impressed. The bumpstops are literally foam in a can, the springs are still stiff, and the ride was lackluster on and off road in my opinion. I am more impressed with the JKS suspension I run now that with the TF prerunner. That option was out of the running immediately for me.
If you want increased capabilities in the desert, the EVO bolt on coilover system is a great system that was designed around the JK rather than adapted to it. Just keep in mind, as others have mentioned, if you are going to play fast your stock axles will be your weak link. I have already had an axle failure on 33s with only 5600 miles.
I even researched the IFS/Trailing arm setup that Brenthal helped develop, and went as far as tracking down the gentleman that purchased the entire project from them and calling him at his home. I seriously considered going that route.



Then there is the EVO MFG Double Throwdown. Double Throwdown is a term that describes running a coilover with a bypass shock at each corner. The majority of the big budget builds in desert racing utilize this system for its effectiveness and ability to withstand heat and not fade during prolonged hard use. In my opinion, if you want to enhance your Jeeps rock crawling abilities and have a desert rig, this is the best system out there. EVO has taken the time to work with king shocks (widely known in the desert racing scene as the best shocks out there, hence the price) to develop a system specifically for the Jeep JK. In addition, this system does not require you to cut into the tub of the rig in any way, you still retain cargo space, passenger space and a sealed compartment (less places for dust to enter while in silt is better). This system is proven, and has been used to win several Ultra 4 races as well as 2 class wins in the Best in the Desert V2R race, the longest non stop off road race in the United States. If memory serves me correctly, this system is so good that it was outlawed for the lower class vehicles at KOH and only allowed to be utilized in the unlimited class (don't quote me on this one).



If it were me, I would go with the EVO Double Throwdown over even the IFS system. It is proven, effective and retains all of the great abilities that we buy Jeeps for, plus adds insane desert capabilities. Again, just keep in mind that I would certainly factor in the cost of axles with any go fast build, as well as a sport cage at a minimum. From there, safety upgrades and you would have yourself a beast! Good luck and I hope at least some of this rambling helps!

 

[xflstl]

I can say that with the dtd system, the desire and knowledge that you can go fast over nasty terrain can get you in trouble quick if you dont have proper axles. My jeep sets right now with a broken rear axle (Ring & pinion ) bent rear tubes, looks like it smiles at you. And a twisted front C, all because I went with cheaper options for axles. So the doing it in stages can leave you in a bad spot as well, waiting with a banged up jeep until you can get that next upgrade. Self control to go slow until I had better axles measured me and found me wanting!!!!!

 

[Jeeper Jr.]

Shouldn't the OP invest first in some PR 60s front and rear. From what I've heard, the stock motor only gets you so far in the desert, especially once your rig starts gaining some weight. And certainly to leverage the full capabilities of a DTD + EVO Lever.
Can we safely assume a V8 swap in the future? If so, then a PR44 wouldn't cut it I think.

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[wayoflife]

TOTALY agree with you, all I'm saying is that do it in stages. He wants to spend around 15k and can't do everything all at once. Even Moby went through a bunch of Changes to get where it is now ( and I'm pretty sure the king of all ... EVo1 did the same )

To be fair, Moby didn't go through all those changes to get him where he is now by choice. Moby made changes as things started to break, lessons were learned and most importantly, new options became available over the last 7+ years. I personally feel like we wasted a LOT of money along the way and had I known then what I know now and had the products I have now been available back then, we wouldn't have bothered to waste our time and money with a bunch of changes.

More than rock crawling, nothing will break your Jeep apart faster than speed. You do it enough and hard enough and I can assure you that those stages will come a lot faster than you think. Just trying to put things into perspective. :yup:

 

[wayoflife]

Shouldn't the OP invest first in some PR 60s front and rear. From what I've heard, the stock motor only gets you so far in the desert, especially once your rig starts gaining some weight. And certainly to leverage the full capabilities of a DTD + EVO Lever.
Can we safely assume a V8 swap in the future? If so, then a PR44 wouldn't cut it I think.

It isn't required that you get PR60's first but, you WILL have to get them sooner than later IF you really do use your Jeep to bomb through the desert. We barely got a year (45,000 miles) out of Rubicat before we tacoed our front Dana 44 enough to require it be replaced and that was just with bolt on coil overs.

 

[GCM 2]

......More than rock crawling, nothing will break your Jeep apart faster than speed. You do it enough and hard enough and I can assure you that those stages will come a lot faster than you think. Just trying to put things into perspective. :yup:

Yep, I will agree with that from experience. Take any environment, and continue to add speed to the mix and you will destroy even the best parts. Adding horsepower does not necessarily equate to breaking things, you can control how much power you are applying. Go fast, and go fast often, and you cannot control an almost unknown cycling of wear on a part. Even race cars break the best and most expensive parts known.

When I built EVOJEEP, I started with axles and built up. 4 years and 49,000 miles on my build (not even close to Moby's miles), lots of King of the Hammers pre-running, 3 JKX's and a bunch of hard wheeling on hard local trails around my area and here is my parts breakage list since ownership and build (not including body damage).

- OEM Transfer case shifter cable bushing
- two power steering pumps

 

[Linebacker]

...and don't forget some major air off the dunes at JKX in the Heartland.:yup: