Jeep Owners Represent!

  • HTML tutorial

Trail_pilot

Rank III

Enthusiast III

830
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
I have had 2 YJs a patriot and now own a 2019 compass trailhawk, and I have owned my 06 LJ for about 8 years. even my patriot/compass see more trail use than most people would expect but they need to get me to work ( i drive 2 hours each way for work....) so the LJ is the trail Jeep that I use to get to more remote camps and hit tougher trails.

70506888_924762797883406_5673145593170493440_n.jpg82815854_2298750450370415_6078969708575457280_n.jpg
 

Enthusiast III

1,212
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, Canada
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Adams
I sold my last wrangler and thought my patriot would be our backcountry warrior. No big rocks, but mostly logging roads with some mild trails if we wanted it to. I installed 30" all terrain tires, some wheel spacers to give it a bit of clearance for the tires, we hit the trails. After one trip up a road we use to do 80 kph in our wrangler, we realized the patriot would not do it. We could barely go 20kph up the same road. It's plenty capable, just no where near comfortable enough on rough roads. We were bouncing around all over the place.
That trip made us realize we needed another wrangler! Got one!
 

Trail_pilot

Rank III

Enthusiast III

830
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
I sold my last wrangler and thought my patriot would be our backcountry warrior. No big rocks, but mostly logging roads with some mild trails if we wanted it to. I installed 30" all terrain tires, some wheel spacers to give it a bit of clearance for the tires, we hit the trails. After one trip up a road we use to do 80 kph in our wrangler, we realized the patriot would not do it. We could barely go 20kph up the same road. It's plenty capable, just no where near comfortable enough on rough roads. We were bouncing around all over the place.
That trip made us realize we needed another wrangler! Got one!
I did basically the same as you with my Patriot. Put Parker tires on and spacers. I knew it's limitations when I got into it. I used it for light offroad but mainly to cover more distance for less money because my wrangler is thirsty. If I didn't need 37" tires and a winch I took the Patriot. Worked great until it was in an accident and I have had to start over with my compass. 20200103_151909.jpg
 

Enthusiast III

1,212
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, Canada
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Adams
I suppose.
Just what I found. Like I said, if you never ridden in a wrangler JK with suspension upgrades, you probably wouldnt notice. We did. We could just sail up these roads at 80-100kph in my wrangler. We could not do 20 in the pat because the suspension is so stiff. It's just not made for it. My last patriot I didn't notice so much as it was before I owned the wrangler, our second patriot we very well noticed.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trail_pilot

Trail_pilot

Rank III

Enthusiast III

830
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Just what I found. Like I said, if you never ridden in a wrangler JK with suspension upgrades, you probably wouldnt notice. We did. We could just sail up these roads at 80-100kph in my wrangler. We could not do 20 in the pat because the suspension is so stiff. It's just not made for it. My last patriot I didn't notice so much as it was before I owned the wrangler, our second patriot we very well noticed.
No I understand. I have driven just about every vehicle the jeep line has had to offer lol. Been an enthusiast since I was a kid and my dad had a CJ, I've had multiple YJs, TJ's, my LJ, JK, grand Cherokees, liberty, so on so on lol. The Patriot and compass are basically 4x4 cars and are a little stiff. I had the chance to borrow 4 door JK last summer that was supercharged, teraflex long arm with remote reservoir shocks, and 40" tires and it moved down the trail like it was on the highway. Even getting back into my LJ on 37s felt like I was driving a tank after that lol
 

Enthusiast III

1,212
Grand Falls-Windsor, NL, Canada
First Name
Steve
Last Name
Adams
Yeah. I wish some company (cough Teraflex cough) would make a decent suspension setup for the patriot/compass platform. There are hundreds of thousands of them floating around. A proper spring rate and shock combo on it would be deadly for a nice small overlander. You can add 2" of travel / lift to it without issue, a set of properly valved falcon struts with a little softer spring rate would do wonders for it. That was how my Jk was setup. Monotube shocks, proper low cg lift, airbags for my trailer, control arms I only ran 33's but they were fine where we went and like you said, it went down the trails like it's on the highway. My new one will have even a better setup. Can't wait.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trail_pilot

Trail_pilot

Rank III

Enthusiast III

830
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Yeah. I wish some company (cough Teraflex cough) would make a decent suspension setup for the patriot/compass platform. There are hundreds of thousands of them floating around. A proper spring rate and shock combo on it would be deadly for a nice small overlander. You can add 2" of travel / lift to it without issue, a set of properly valved falcon struts with a little softer spring rate would do wonders for it. That was how my Jk was setup. Monotube shocks, proper low cg lift, airbags for my trailer, control arms I only ran 33's but they were fine where we went and like you said, it went down the trails like it's on the highway. My new one will have even a better setup. Can't wait.
I was looking at the springs from Murchison products out of Australia because they had good reviews but were pricey. I think the main issue with the patriot is the lack of travel being independent suspension, you would almost need to lower the whole transaxles and sub-frame for a full range of motion, or get into longer cv shafts and control arms giving it a wider stance like a long travel desert truck. It's just not worth if more most companies to do the engineering for the small amount of people who would actually buy it.
 

Trail_pilot

Rank III

Enthusiast III

830
First Name
James
Last Name
Girard
Oh, btw, both your rigs are sweet. You have the steelies on for winter hey?
Thank you! yes I put the steel wheels on the compass for the winter ( Cherokee steel wheels with 5mm spacer to clear the front brakes). The LJ runs the aluminum wheels year round because I don't drive it much in the winter.