Modded 2WD?

[Sasquatch]

I know most of the folks around here are 'wheelers. But surely there must be some folks who have tweaked their 2WD rigs. My 'wheeling days vanished with my last FSJ. So I'm looking for inspiration for what to do with this KJ. From what I've seen, options are very limited.

 

[tommudd]

A few people have lifted etc.
Same rules apply as far as lifting/ gearing etc no matter if 2 or 4 wheel drive
Lift it, lock the rear and go have some fun
Heck a buddy of mine may as well be 2 wheel drive , well wait he is, no front diff for 3 years now:icon_lol:
Not sure why you think the options are limited???????

 

[Sasquatch]

My 'wheeling days vanished with my last FSJ.

Not sure why you think the options are limited???????

Because I flat out said I'm not interested in 'wheeling it and the first response is how to set it up for 'wheeling. I'm interested in improving other aspects of the buggy. I want to make it ride better, haul more cargo, go faster, handle better....

Not that I have anything against 'wheeling. It's just not where I am in life now. I'd rather turn this heap into something more like it's great-grandaddy. People forget that not every Jeep was meant to get dirty.

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[tommudd]

Because I flat out said I'm not interested in 'wheeling it and the first response is how to set it up for 'wheeling. I'm interested in improving other aspects of the buggy. I want to make it ride better, haul more cargo, go faster, handle better....

Not that I have anything against 'wheeling. It's just not where I am in life now. I'd rather turn this heap into something more like it's great-grandaddy. People forget that not every Jeep was meant to get dirty.

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Good golly :shrug::happy175:can't win just saying there are many options out there. Did I say you had to lift it, no just mentioned others have lifted theirs and there is no difference in suspensions
Now as far as lowering..........well
Now making it ride better is replacing the suspension so go for 925 or 926 OMEs front then.......
oh hell why waste my time :ROFLJest:

never knew some think you have to get your Jeeps dirty all the time

 

[Sasquatch]

Good golly :shrug::happy175:can't win just saying there are many options out there. Did I say you had to lift it, no just mentioned others have lifted theirs and there is no difference in suspensions
Now as far as lowering..........well
Now making it ride better is replacing the suspension so go for 925 or 926 OMEs front then.......
oh hell why waste my time :ROFLJest:

never knew some think you have to get your Jeeps dirty all the time

I actually just read a thread on LOST where a guy started flaming the OP for even owning a 2WD Jeep. Said anybody who took a 2WD on a trail was a poser and Jeep should be ashamed for making 2WD... so, yeah, some people think Jeep is all about the dirt. Really sad.

If there are many options, I haven't seen them. The 2WD section on LOST doesn't have anything unique except for one KJ that was lowered with air-ride suspension. And that guy is apparently selling all the bits off it so he can lift it.

I'm not interested in lowering the KJ. I think the stock height is nearly perfect from a utility perspective. Any lower and it would be awkward getting in and out. Plus I outgrew my go-kart phase years ago.

What makes you think you are wasting your time? You just offered some advice on shock choices. That gives me a starting point. What makes those shocks the ones to go with? I know there are others available.

I'm looking at Rock Lizard's new roof rack so I can haul things that won't fit in the cargo area. As little as we carry passengers I have even considered turning the KJ into a panel truck.

I should apologize for not clearly stating my goals up front. My rig is never going to see anything tougher than a dirt road. It's my daily driver, 50-mile roundtrip commute. It needs to be comfortable enough for road trips and amusing enough to keep me from getting bored.

 

[profdlp]

I actually just read a thread on LOST where a guy started flaming the OP for even owning a 2WD Jeep...

I've seen Wrangler people insist it's not a "real" Wrangler if it has a hard top. Some of the two-door guys knock the four-door versions. On and on and on...

It shouldn't be that way, but it sometimes is. My feeling is that the only person you have to suit in the long run is yourself. As far as the 4WD/2WD, I lived in Cleveland until recently and only used the 4WD on rare occasions in the winter with 18" of snow on unplowed roads. You can do quite a bit with 2WD and should go for it. :favorites13:

PS: Tom has been a consistent advocate of a suspension upgrade just for the ride improvement. I don't think he's suggesting you have to prep for the hardest stretch of Moab just because you have a Jeep. He's just offering advice on how to get the most out of your Jeep wherever you decide to take it, even if that's just always on paved roads in nice weather.

 

[tommudd]

I've seen Wrangler people insist it's not a "real" Wrangler if it has a hard top. Some of the two-door guys knock the four-door versions. On and on and on...

It shouldn't be that way, but it sometimes is. My feeling is that the only person you have to suit in the long run is yourself. As far as the 4WD/2WD, I lived in Cleveland until recently and only used the 4WD on rare occasions in the winter with 18' of snow on unplowed roads. You can do quite a bit with 2WD and should go for it. :favorites13:

PS: Tom has been a consistent advocate of a suspension upgrade just for the ride improvement. I don't think he's suggesting you have to prep for the hardest stretch of Moab just because you have a Jeep. He's just offering advice on how to get the most out of your Jeep wherever you decide to take it, even if that's just always on paved roads in nice weather.

Exactly, stock springs and shocks are crap , at best. Shocks alone will not improve ride or handling reason for suggesting the 925s or 926s up front, firmer springs so it doesn't dip, wallow, and feel like a marshmellow on the highway. 98.764 % of us use our as a DD, mine is the only vehicle I have with over 215,000 miles so it gets used. Having a good suspension in my book is the first step in having a great and enjoyable ride . Mine was replaced by the time it had 20,000 miles, couldn't stand the holes and railroad tracks and nose diving any longer :icon_lol:
The shocks mentioned are all good shocks combined with good springs

 

[Birdman330]

I've seen Wrangler people insist it's not a "real" Wrangler if it has a hard top. Some of the two-door guys knock the four-door versions. On and on and on...

It shouldn't be that way, but it sometimes is. My feeling is that the only person you have to suit in the long run is yourself. As far as the 4WD/2WD, I lived in Cleveland until recently and only used the 4WD on rare occasions in the winter with 18" of snow on unplowed roads. You can do quite a bit with 2WD and should go for it. :favorites13:

PS: Tom has been a consistent advocate of a suspension upgrade just for the ride improvement. I don't think he's suggesting you have to prep for the hardest stretch of Moab just because you have a Jeep. He's just offering advice on how to get the most out of your Jeep wherever you decide to take it, even if that's just always on paved roads in nice weather.

My favorite is the purist who thinks that the only actual Jeep Model is the Wrangler or past CJ's everything else is fake.

 

[renegade 04]

True jeeps are made in toledo ohio like wrangler and our liberties. It does not matter if it is 2wd or 4wd, we all bought a jeep for a different reason. I only use 4wd in the winter but other than that you will almost never need it, unless you offroad.

 

[Sasquatch]

Having a good suspension in my book is the first step in having a great and enjoyable ride .

I agree completely. I really want to look into airbags. Seventeen years behind the wheel of commercial rigs has convinced me that nothing rides like air.

 

[tommudd]

I agree completely. I really want to look into airbags. Seventeen years behind the wheel of commercial rigs has convinced me that nothing rides like air.

Could try,
agree with air ride on rigs though, my last Pete rode like a dream, air ride suspension, cab and seat. Never felt much of anything at 100 :icon_lol:

 

[Sasquatch]

Could try,
agree with air ride on rigs though, my last Pete rode like a dream, air ride suspension, cab and seat. Never felt much of anything at 100 :icon_lol:

They make low profile suspension for seats. But I'm not sure it's low enough to work in a Liberty. I'll be checking into it though. I'm also going to be looking into truck seats. I have never seen a car seat nearly as comfortable as a good truck seat.

 

[tommudd]

Would be way too big for a KJ, not much room there for mounts etc
Good suspension and mine rides great