Build Advice Needed: Overland build of a 2006 Wrangler Unlimited (LJ) Rubicon

[Aaron Lee]

Hey there! I'm pretty new to the OB community but I love what I've seen so far.

My wife and I just purchased a 2006 Wrangler Unlimited (LJ) Rubicon. This Jeep is basically bone stock other than slightly wider than stock tires. It has 144000 miles and from the looks of it was never used for anything beside highway or occasional snow travel. Needless to say the frame, suspension, and drivetrain are immaculate and it drives like it's new.

Having been long time RV campers, my wife and I are not new to what's now called "overlanding" but we are looking to take a bit of a different path with this Jeep. One of our goals is to be able to explore the mining and home steads of eastern Oregon. Also we went to Alaska for our 25th anniversary and we were unable to get into the Arctic Circle due to time and vehicle constraints. We want to get back up there and explore north of Fairbanks and other areas in Alaska someday.

Where I need some guidance and opinions, is in the area of suspension and tires.

Understanding that all lift heights and tire choices are compromises, I'm trying to gather as much information from those who spend their time in the overland world.

My goals include building a rig that is dependable and functional while maintaining good on-road manners. With that in mind, I've already decided that I don't want more than about a 3.5" lift and I don't want more than 33" tires.

I'm trying to decide now between the following:
- Old Man Emu 2" heavy duty lift and running 265/75-16 KO2s.
- Rubicon Express 3.5" lift and running 285/75-16 KO2s.

OME Lift:
- The OME lift and smaller tires helps keep the center of gravity down
- Lift includes just springs, shocks, steering stabilizer, and hardware - no control arms or track bars.
- Sway bar disconnect not included and would have to be added
- The smaller 265/75-16 (approx 32") tire size allows me to choose a Load Range C tire for greater off-road flex at low pressures.
- Lower cost means more money for other items right away

RE Lift:
- The RE lift is a complete lift that includes all new upper (adjustable) and lower (fixed) control arms along with everything else that would be needed to support this much lift.
- Sway bar disconnect included in the lift
- Increased center of gravity may affect off-camber stability slightly over the 2" OME lift
- The larger 285/75-16 (approx 33") tires are only available in Load Range E
- Although the E rating means the tires are tougher, it also makes for a stiff ride all the time and making it harder for tire flex at low pressure.
- Higher cost means less money for other items right away

I spent the day yesterday at an OHV park in the Tillamook State Forest (Oregon) and was able to really get a sense of what this Jeep is capable of in stock trim. Let me say that I think Jeep did it right. I was extremely impressed. That's the main reason I'm now torn between the smaller lift and the bigger one. It is so capable as-is.

Basically I'm looking for input and rational on the following:
- 2" vs 3.5" of lift
- 32" vs. 33" tires
- C load rating vs. E load rating

I greatly appreciate your input and advice.

Thanks!

Aaron Lee - AG7FW

 

[Ldstruckn]

I ran a 2inch bb lift with 33s on my 2000 tj wrangler. Wheeled it all over the arizona desert. This lift allows you to keep the stock springs and ride quality of the wrangler. I highly recommend the wrangler duratrac tires. They are on most rigs in snow and ice country for a reason. I have over 35k miles on mine and they appear about half worn.

 

[Aaron Lee]

I ran a 2inch bb lift with 33s on my 2000 tj wrangler. Wheeled it all over the arizona desert. This lift allows you to keep the stock springs and ride quality of the wrangler. I highly recommend the wrangler duratrac tires. They are on most rigs in snow and ice country for a reason. I have over 35k miles on mine and they appear about half worn.

Thanks for the info on your TJ. I've thought about a budget boost but the suspension has about 144000 on it so I think new springs to handle the extra gear and bumpers is warranted. As for the tire, I was looking at the DT yesterday as well. They look really good to me as well. We do see snow here in the winter but mostly just wet roads. Off road I think the DT will clean better than the KO2 if there's any mud like there was yesterday.

Thanks,
Aaron

 

[Ldstruckn]

If your worried about keeping a low cog id go with a 2 to 2.5 inch lift with new springs, sway bar disconnect, 33 inch duratracs..it would be darn near unstopable with your lockers

 

[Aaron Lee]

If your worried about keeping a low cog id go with a 2 to 2.5 inch lift with new springs, sway bar disconnect, 33 inch duratracs..it would be darn near unstopable with your lockers

The low COG is why I'm leaning toward the 2" lift but I don't know that I can get 33" tires under it unless I go with a 3" lift. Even with 2" lift and 32" tires, it would be significantly better than it is now and it's pretty impressive as it sits.

Any thoughts on the load range? Is an E rated tire going to be able to "squat" enough to be helpful under the weight of the LJ with 15psi? The LJ being a pretty light rig to start with, I'm worried it won't squat the tires enough if they have the E rating.

Thanks,
Aaron

 

[Ldstruckn]

My brother runs c range and i run d range. His rig weighs about 5500lbs where as mine is about 4800lbs. He gets the same tire spread that i get if he runs 20psi and i run about 16psi..the lj is light but i would think you'll only be a few hundred lbs lighter than my rig when your on an expedition.

 

[Aaron Lee]

Thanks for the reply. So you do have to go lower pressure on your D rated tires to get the same foot print as your brother on C rated tires. My concern is that I can only find E rated tires in 33" on 16" wheels (285/75-16). In order to keep a 33" tire and get a C or D rating, I have to change to 15" wheels which I'd rather not do.

 

[Ldstruckn]

Thanks for the reply. So you do have to go lower pressure on your D rated tires to get the same foot print as your brother on C rated tires. My concern is that I can only find E rated tires in 33" on 16" wheels (285/75-16). In order to keep a 33" tire and get a C or D rating, I have to change to 15" wheels which I'd rather not do.

Same vehicle weight would dictate lower pressure for same footprint however different tires will flex differently at each psi depending on tread compound and sidewall plies. I ran fins and things in moab with 33 inch duratracs at 25psi just fine. I can drop psi in my duratracs and post pics of the sidewall flex for you when i get home. Just tell me what psi you want pics at...

 

[adventure_is_necessary]

I'll throw my $0.02 in. I run an OME HD spring lift that yielded over 2" over stock, more like 3" over how it sat with the worn out springs. I went from maybe a 29" passenger tire to a 31" 10ply with room to spare. OME makes good springs as far as I can tell with about 8k miles or so on mine. I went with Bilstein 5100 shocks over the OME. Can't go wrong with OME. I have heard good things on Teraflex, Rubicon Express, and MetalCloak. I'd suggest any of the 4 for spring lift. If I were you, I'd do it right from the start with the good springs, shocks, and other bits. I'd say go for the shorter lift, but that's my take. Better driveability (usually), closer to stock so parts are cheaper, and I am also not partial to super jacked up rigs. But to each their own. It just depends on what you want and what you need out of the rig. I am limited by aftermarket for the most part, but I also have a different goal. Tire wise, I will HIGHLY recommend the Falken Wildpeak AT3W's. I have a few buddies running them for some time, and I have about 350 miles on mine with varying terrain and conditions. I am rather impressed! Price is lower than the BFG's. If you're unsure about anything, just wait and research. Run it as is and see what you do and don't love. Also, check the used market. That's a way to pick up and test on the cheap. Best thing you can do is load up and go. That's how I've shook loose (poor word choice) any issues or short comings with my rig and have been able to figure out what I want out of it.

 

[Aaron Lee]

Thanks for the replies!

So I'd like to see what kind of foot print I could get out of about 15psi given that's probably as low as I would want to go in normal conditions. One of the people I was off-road with this past weekend has the 285/75-16 (E rated) KO2's and when he dropped to 18psi, there was barely any visual change in his tire and I noticed they didn't flex much over rocks. My junker C rated tires were also at 18psi and there was a very visible change in foot print. It also made the ride significantly smoother on the pit-run.

I've read a number of threads on different Wrangler forums where people really raved about the OME ride quality. I'm not really jazzed about a highly lifted ride and I found a picture on FB of my exact LJ with a 3" lift and 33" tires. It looked okay but a little taller than I really want. I just want enough lift to be capable yet not so much that it starts to feel top heavy. One of my friends has a 99 TJ with a 2" lift and 32" tires and I've wheeled with him off-road and in the snow. He has an e-locker in the rear and a lunchbox locker up front. That TJ is quite the animal with only 2" of lift. I'll take a look at those Falken's as well.

This feedback is helping me with the decision.

Thanks,

Aaron

 

[Ldstruckn]

These are my e rated 285 75 16 duratracs with 31k miles on them

First pic is tread depth at approx 31000 miles
Second pic is tire on curb at 37psi
3rd is tire on curb at 15 psi
4th is tire on curb at 15psi. Didnt move the truck between pics

 

[Bwestfla]

I wish I had stuck with a 2in lift. I have 3in suspension lift and have been fighting all sorts of vibrations and poor highway manors. 33`s are a big commitment to get it right. Your Jeep is crazy capable with just some good tires. Don't get caught up in the hype like I did and think you need a rock crawler for overlanding.

Another idea if you are set on 33`s is keep suspension stock and put on metalcloak overline fenders. They will clear 35`s.

Best of luck in your decision.

 

[Aaron Lee]

Yet again, thanks for the great feedback and pictures. I think I may be sold on those DT's. They really seem to be holding up well! I'm really trying to figure out if the taller lift is really necessary. The more I see and hear, the more I think the 2" lift with 32" tires is going to be more than sufficient for me. I can always upgrade to 33" tires by adding a little body lift later. I need good, predictable road manners as my wife will be driving this during the winter at times.


Thanks!
Aaron

 

[Aaron Lee]

A bit of an update on my build. First thing was to get my FTM400XDR mounted up. I've got the face mounted above the rear view mirror.

I've got the base mounted under the driver seat.

I know this might be a problem if I get in some really deep water but that's not something I expect and will have to be careful of. I've got a Teraflex antenna mount on the drivers side tail light and I'll be picking up a new antenna and mount at HRO this weekend. Temporarily I have a mag-mount antenna on the front fender.

Next, the factory transmission skid plate was missing when I purchased this Jeep. I found one on eBay for a good price and it arrived Tuesday. I took it to a local shop and had it sand blasted and powder coated (the cost for powder coat was almost nothing since I was at their minimum charge). I was about to mount it when I figured out why it was missing. One of the frame riv-nuts is missing. I hope to have a replacement from the local dealer today and hope to have the skid plate mounted by the weekend.


In case you're wondering, I do plan to upgrade to stronger skid plates in the future but for the time being, the factory skid plates are pretty stout.

Next up is the lift and tires (after I get back from vacation).

 

[The other Sean]

Another thing to consider if making suspension changes is NOT using heim joints and or "custom" suspension / driveline parts. Harsh conditions can wreak havoc on the heims and finding a replacement custom axle or what have you in the middle of nowhere can side line a person quickly.

The "long travel" suspension I put on my Frontier uses OEM style parts with bushings, so, If I break I can get all parts at any parts store.

 

[PCO6]

Nice looking LJR Aaron. I have an '04 LJ that I use in much the way that you do. The previous owner installed a 2" budget boost and it's been fine. I've driven it across the Province several times (highways, back roads, gravel, trails, etc.) often all day long pulling a trailer and have had no issues - it's nice to drive! Mine has 150,000 km on it (about 90,000 mi.) and I will install a lift kit at some point, most likely a 2"-3" OME. I run 265/75/16 Duratracs on mine and love them. I have 4 Jeeps and they all have them (the others have 245's). All are year round vehicles and they're great in the mud and the snow (we have lots of both). My XJ also has a 2" BB and no complaints with it either.

 

[Aaron Lee]

Thanks for the advise on heim joints @The other Sean. So for suspension I'm going to do the OME 2" HD lift. This is simply new springs, shocks, and a rear trackbar relocation bracket. I'll probably replace both front and rear trackbars with adjustable versions but I plan to keep the lift simple and stock-like. I may upgrade to stronger upper and lower control arms at some point but I plan on finding ones with stock type rubber bushings for easy replacement. I'll even be able to carry a spare bushing if I'm on a longer trip.

As for tires, I'm looking at the 265/75-16 DT's. I'm glad to hear you like them @PCO6 and curious what load rating you're using.

Thanks!
Aaron

 

[PCO6]

... As for tires, I'm looking at the 265/75-16 DT's. I'm glad to hear you like them @PCO6 and curious what load rating you're using.

Thanks!
Aaron

Oops ... I probably should have included that. For my LJ they are rated "C". On my XJ I have "E" rated tires and they are fine. I've also run "E" rated tires on my MJ and again they seem to be fine too.

This is my LJ with a 2" BB lift and 265/75/16's ...

 

[Ldstruckn]

Oops ... I probably should have included that. For my LJ they are rated "C". On my XJ I have "E" rated tires and they are fine. I've also run "E" rated tires on my MJ and again they seem to be fine too.

This is my LJ with a 2" BB lift and 265/75/16's ...

Hard half doors are the best

 

[PCO6]

Hard half doors are the best

I agree! I use them from March to November then put on the full doors for the winter. It's still fairly cold here in the Spring and Fall so I generally use hard uppers (pic above) for about a month in both seasons. Other than that it's the soft uppers or preferably fully open on the top half.