Rubicon Ready Suspension Lift

[YamahaWR200]

Alright guys,

My signature says what I have. I am going to get rid of the double coil spacers on each coil (I know... Bad boy) and put lift coils in. I have a want ad posted for 4-6" coils for it. But my question here is what else do I need to make this rubicon ready. I KNOW for a fact I will be able to do it when I am done with this build.

I am probably gonna run 35-37x13ishx15 swampers of some kind when I actually run the trail.

I am also going to put brake proportioning valves on the front brakes to even out the braking bias for off road (although I am hoping to do a disc brake conversion instead).

I am gonna get either 1 easily "disconnectable" winch to move front or rear as needed or just get 2. I am also going to get a bolt in locker for my 8.8 (don't remember if it is 28 or 31 spline and don't know what it came from).

My big project for this is gonna be the double t-case. I believe I am going to have to change my driveshaft, the transmission housing, and output shaft. After I complete the rubicon 2WD I will probably convert the truck to a solid axle 4WD. I will have basically everything else done by that point.

I will also obviously be doing sliders etc.. of some kind..

My whole reason for this is simple. I am an underdog kind of guy. I LOVE Volkswagen bugs 50's style and love how ridiculously fast you can make them although stock they made 36 hp give or take. I love going wheeling and knowing that my truck is probably the only 2wd to have ever been there. I just love surprising people when I am mudding or wheeling and they find out my truck is 2wd. AND.... I personally feel that people overrate stock 4wd's . The average person thinks their stock 4wd is better than EVERY 2wd no matter what. This is the reason I want to do the rubicon with a 2WD. I haven't been able to find anything online about anyone having done the rubicon in 2wd (other than the old meyers manx and dune buggies on the old trail). So anyway, if you have heard of or seen anyone run the rubicon WITH a 2wd (not IN 2wd), please let me know.

And anyone that rock crawls, please give your opinion as to what should be done to the truck. I know how to wheel, and have been doing it for a few years now, but I have never actually done anything as hardcore as the rubicon.

 

[YamahaWR200]

All these views and NO opinions??? Come on guys... Tell me what you have done.. What works and what doesn't. What breaks and what doesn't.. What to stay away from?? Come on guys...

 

[ForOffRoadDriving]

by the looks of your signature id say youve already done as much to your ranger as you can given the year and the fact you want it to be 2wd. some things you can consider adding to your list are a set of belltech shackles (they make the rear flex alot better) the locker mentioned in your sig (it will work great with the belltechs because theyll help keep both tires on the ground) and a good winch and recovery equipment (8,000 lb or more on the winch) because even 4x4 guys get stuck. aside from getting a pre runner/ long travel type front suspension lift for your truck i dont think you can go much higher than the 3" you already have?

 

[YamahaWR200]

Yeah.. Those belltechs are what I have.. And I am not sure what to do about the front... That is my biggest predicament.. I don't know if the pre-runner style springs will give me the right spring rate.. I am worried it will be too stiff.. And I don't know if progressive rate will be good or bad.. So.. I will probably just have to look into like the spring rates of lifted jeep coils.. Cause I would assume they weigh about the same give or take a few hundred pounds..

 

[mp3deviant721]

Do you have the budget for an actual lift kit? I'd recommend getting an actual lift kit but it seems like you know what you are doing. And I also wanna say that you are ambitious on running the Rubicon with a 2wd. I'd try it too but don't have that big of a budget to build a truck that can take it on. Good luck.

PS: Take a camera along. I wanna see how you did. And do you have any bigger pics of that truck, looks like a beast.

 

[YamahaWR200]

I will possibly take a normal pic in the driveway this weekend.. Just for perspective.. And there is no budget dollar amount per say.. But... I am 26 and going to college. So this has been slowly coming together over the last 2 years.. Couple hundred here, couple hundred there.. So I don't have a figure, but I would say a conservative estimate so far would be maybe...http://www.therangerstation.com/forums/images/smilies/icon_confused.gif Actually, I can't give you an estimate.. There is just no way.. But I can say that getting the 8.8 rear end with a re-gear was the biggest chunk of change I spent in one go.. (tires aside) The rear end I picked up for 200 ish and the re-gear with parts and labor was... 650 ish maybe 700. So that REALLY hurt.. But my old rear end locked up on the freeway and broke the teeth on the pinion, so it had to be done (stupid les schwab didn't balance my old 35 mtr's).. And I am gonna mount a video camera in my truck when I do it, and get another video camera to record it along the way from the outside.. There will be TONS of pics and video..

 

[YamahaWR200]

I'm thinking the most expensive things in this build are yet to come... The double t-case... I have a feeling doing that is going to be a nightmare.. I am gonna have to change the tranny output shaft (I believe) and the rear tranny housing (at least) if not just change the whole thing to a 4wd tranny which I may end up doing..

 

[Bennybooster]

I would just SAS at this point

 

[YamahaWR200]

I would just SAS at this point

I will.. AFTER I do the rubicon 2wd.. The whole point for me is to do 2wd.. And it is not the same to do it IN 2wd.. I want to do it WITH a 2wd.. With all the work I have already done, I had to have so much self control already to NOT do SAS. Cause that won't be as difficult to do.. But I won't be impressed with a ranger on 36" swampers 4wd doing the rubicon. A 2wd on the other hand... I will be.. I am honestly doing it for myself and for all us guys here that get teased for having a "useless 2wd" and "why didn't we just buy a 4wd instead of wasting our money on the 2wd.." I know my ranger will do SOME things that stock 4wd rangers CAN'T do the way it sits.. So when I am done with it, it will be even MORE capable..

 

[Bennybooster]

I will.. AFTER I do the rubicon 2wd.. The whole point for me is to do 2wd.. And it is not the same to do it IN 2wd.. I want to do it WITH a 2wd.. With all the work I have already done, I had to have so much self control already to NOT do SAS. Cause that won't be as difficult to do.. But I won't be impressed with a ranger on 36" swampers 4wd doing the rubicon. A 2wd on the other hand... I will be.. I am honestly doing it for myself and for all us guys here that get teased for having a "useless 2wd" and "why didn't we just buy a 4wd instead of wasting our money on the 2wd.." I know my ranger will do SOME things that stock 4wd rangers CAN'T do the way it sits.. So when I am done with it, it will be even MORE capable..

Props for that dude

 

[YamahaWR200]

ha I just get tired of people having no respect for other guys' 2wd they did a nice job building up.. And a 2wd locked is a pretty solid wheeler. It is just the old american attitude like everything else.. Oh a .45 is better than a 9mm because it is bigger, or american muscle over imports or whatever.. If you put enough work into something it can be great no matter what it is.. So we will see how this all turns out.. I am gonna run the John Bull Trail before the rubicon for my "official" test run. And there are a couple places around me (within an hour or so) that have pretty solid trails as well..

 

[Bennybooster]

ha I just get tired of people having no respect for other guys' 2wd they did a nice job building up.. And a 2wd locked is a pretty solid wheeler. It is just the old american attitude like everything else.. Oh a .45 is better than a 9mm because it is bigger, or american muscle over imports or whatever.. If you put enough work into something it can be great no matter what it is.. So we will see how this all turns out.. I am gonna run the John Bull Trail before the rubicon for my "official" test run. And there are a couple places around me (within an hour or so) that have pretty solid trails as well..

How soon are you planning on running it?

 

[YamahaWR200]

I would love to have my truck together and tested enough to trust it to make the whole thing by the end of summer 2011.. But it is gonna be expensive, so that is assuming i can afford it as I go.. Because I have a bad habit of buying guns.. So sometimes that comes before the truck, sometimes not. There is no way of telling.. ha ha But I am really trying to get it complete by mid-ish summer and run it towards the end of summer..

 

[Bennybooster]

I may be ready to hit the rubi at that point as well, money permitting. keep in touch

 

[YamahaWR200]

Well good.. Cause I need to go with someone and I think my cousin will be selling his toyota.. So I don't think I will have anyone to go with.. What would you go in?