- Location
- Lafayette, IN
Get ready to read a book.
I've always loved going fast - owned a few LS1/LS2 cars before getting into off-roading. My first time out to the Badlands was in a stock ZJ, and I had a blast tearing up and down the dunes. Fast forward a year, I've got a junky-looking (but getting better) XJ, which the PO threw a 4.5" Rusty's lift, Rough Country drop bracket, and 33" tires on. This is not a DD, at all. I don't mind cutting stuff, ripping stuff out (mostly done), whatever it takes. I have done some "spirited" off-road driving in my XJ, but it leaves much to be desired. After watching the TREC race at the Badlands last weekend, I am sure this is the direction I want my Jeep to go in.
I've been reading tons about JeepSpeed, Prerunner-type stuff, and just Going Fast in general. Both in this forum and others. I have yet to find a "Going fast for noobs" thread or post that really breaks down what it takes to make an XJ great for this, but I'm starting to get a feel for the things that are typically done. I want to list my observations (which more or less correspond with my plans for the Jeep) and see if I'm "getting" this. Where I live (Midwest) I will never actually see JeepSpeed, so following their requirements isn't necessary for me, unless everyone agrees it's a good idea.
Shocks. They are playing as crucial of a role as the springs. Remote reservoirs = necessary. 2" body diameter seems to be minimum. Length to be determined by travel. In the rear, punching holes in the floor and moving shock mounts will likely be required? In the front, a kit from someone like T&J to eliminate the shock stem mount would be good?
Travel. Is front travel more crucial than rear travel? Long arms definitely help keep the arms parallel, and seem like a good idea if affordable. What is ideal lift height? I'm comfortable at 4.5" for crawling, but it seems like 5.5" might be a sweet spot?
Quality springs. Progressive rate coils - pretty sure I've seen these, where the coil distance varies throughout the coil? Deaver "springs" to mind. Also other quality coils for instance from RE. Not sure on other vendors. For leafs, it seems like Deavers or Nationals with a high leaf count are the only real way to go.
Bump stops / limiting straps. I need to do this anyway. It seems like a cheap route is poly bump stops. Air/hydro seem very pricey, but since this is new to me I'm not sure how important they are. The ACOS Pros do look pretty nice, I may hold out for a used set.
Weight distribution. I'm clueless on this, but it seems like getting close to 50/50 would be good. I have gotten a bit of air in my XJ, and it's pretty obvious that it's front heavy when I'm coming down and can't see the horizon. Not sure how to accomplish this. No ridiculous front bumper or winch. Can't remove a lot of weight in the front. Spare tire in the back, of course, with other equipment?
Trussing. It looks like go-fast stuff means trusses under the axle, which will hurt for any crawling I may do, but is well worth it to keep things together. I would plan on keep the D30 for as long as possible, and I have a locked D44 in the works for the rear.
Fenders. What is the deal with these, is it a JeepSpeed requirement to have your tires completely covered? I'm not sure I see the point, but I'm sure someone will enlighten me
Cliffs: What do I need to get started? Awesome shocks (with solid mounts, and in the cab if necessary) and quality springs are pretty much the first thing. Long arms, trusses, and better weight distribution are secondary things to look into.
Does that make sense to anyone? Do I have a handle on what I'm going to have to do to make this happen? Right now I'm just trying to plan out my first steps. Obviously there are many other specifics like shock sizing valving, spring rates, etc. that I need to become VERY familiar with.
I've always loved going fast - owned a few LS1/LS2 cars before getting into off-roading. My first time out to the Badlands was in a stock ZJ, and I had a blast tearing up and down the dunes. Fast forward a year, I've got a junky-looking (but getting better) XJ, which the PO threw a 4.5" Rusty's lift, Rough Country drop bracket, and 33" tires on. This is not a DD, at all. I don't mind cutting stuff, ripping stuff out (mostly done), whatever it takes. I have done some "spirited" off-road driving in my XJ, but it leaves much to be desired. After watching the TREC race at the Badlands last weekend, I am sure this is the direction I want my Jeep to go in.
I've been reading tons about JeepSpeed, Prerunner-type stuff, and just Going Fast in general. Both in this forum and others. I have yet to find a "Going fast for noobs" thread or post that really breaks down what it takes to make an XJ great for this, but I'm starting to get a feel for the things that are typically done. I want to list my observations (which more or less correspond with my plans for the Jeep) and see if I'm "getting" this. Where I live (Midwest) I will never actually see JeepSpeed, so following their requirements isn't necessary for me, unless everyone agrees it's a good idea.
Shocks. They are playing as crucial of a role as the springs. Remote reservoirs = necessary. 2" body diameter seems to be minimum. Length to be determined by travel. In the rear, punching holes in the floor and moving shock mounts will likely be required? In the front, a kit from someone like T&J to eliminate the shock stem mount would be good?
Travel. Is front travel more crucial than rear travel? Long arms definitely help keep the arms parallel, and seem like a good idea if affordable. What is ideal lift height? I'm comfortable at 4.5" for crawling, but it seems like 5.5" might be a sweet spot?
Quality springs. Progressive rate coils - pretty sure I've seen these, where the coil distance varies throughout the coil? Deaver "springs" to mind. Also other quality coils for instance from RE. Not sure on other vendors. For leafs, it seems like Deavers or Nationals with a high leaf count are the only real way to go.
Bump stops / limiting straps. I need to do this anyway. It seems like a cheap route is poly bump stops. Air/hydro seem very pricey, but since this is new to me I'm not sure how important they are. The ACOS Pros do look pretty nice, I may hold out for a used set.
Weight distribution. I'm clueless on this, but it seems like getting close to 50/50 would be good. I have gotten a bit of air in my XJ, and it's pretty obvious that it's front heavy when I'm coming down and can't see the horizon. Not sure how to accomplish this. No ridiculous front bumper or winch. Can't remove a lot of weight in the front. Spare tire in the back, of course, with other equipment?
Trussing. It looks like go-fast stuff means trusses under the axle, which will hurt for any crawling I may do, but is well worth it to keep things together. I would plan on keep the D30 for as long as possible, and I have a locked D44 in the works for the rear.
Fenders. What is the deal with these, is it a JeepSpeed requirement to have your tires completely covered? I'm not sure I see the point, but I'm sure someone will enlighten me
Cliffs: What do I need to get started? Awesome shocks (with solid mounts, and in the cab if necessary) and quality springs are pretty much the first thing. Long arms, trusses, and better weight distribution are secondary things to look into.
Does that make sense to anyone? Do I have a handle on what I'm going to have to do to make this happen? Right now I'm just trying to plan out my first steps. Obviously there are many other specifics like shock sizing valving, spring rates, etc. that I need to become VERY familiar with.
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