Off Roading with ReadyLift 3.5"

[ssick92]

Hey all, just got my 2020 Bighorn 4x4 w/o air suspension last week and am looking at adding a lift. I will be doing some mild-moderate off-roading over the years so want to make sure I am installing something that is capable, but don't need anything crazy. I've seen there are a lot of fans of the ReadyLift 3.5" SST kit but I'm wondering how this kit deals with off-roading? Since it is basically just spacers w/ UCA's on the stock suspension, has anybody noticed or had any issues taking the stock suspension w/ ReadyLift 3.5" off-road? Looks like ReadyLift states the kit is not for off-roading, but that could just be a liability thing on their end as I'm sure there are plenty of people that take their kits off-road.

Another option I'm playing with is just do Bilstein 5100's Front + Rear w/ new UCA's and a front 1" spacer in lieu of the ReadyLift spacer kit but not sure if that is all I would need, or if it would even fair better off-road than the ReadyLift kit.

Thoughts?

 

[Rollint]

I was wondering about this lift as well...seems a handful of folks report rubbing on components when the suspension is fully flexed/stuffed

 

[orange01z28]

Hey all, just got my 2020 Bighorn 4x4 w/o air suspension last week and am looking at adding a lift. I will be doing some mild-moderate off-roading over the years so want to make sure I am installing something that is capable, but don't need anything crazy. I've seen there are a lot of fans of the ReadyLift 3.5" SST kit but I'm wondering how this kit deals with off-roading? Since it is basically just spacers w/ UCA's on the stock suspension, has anybody noticed or had any issues taking the stock suspension w/ ReadyLift 3.5" off-road? Looks like ReadyLift states the kit is not for off-roading, but that could just be a liability thing on their end as I'm sure there are plenty of people that take their kits off-road.

Another option I'm playing with is just do Bilstein 5100's Front + Rear w/ new UCA's and a front 1" spacer in lieu of the ReadyLift spacer kit but not sure if that is all I would need, or if it would even fair better off-road than the ReadyLift kit.

Thoughts?

The Fabtech kits are similar but ARE for off-roading use. I don't know if it is due to the ball joint UCAs that are included or what.

I'll be going with this on my Rebel

BALL JOINT UPPER CONTROL ARMS Archives

Suspension Lift Kits & Truck Accessories

fabtechmotorsports.com

 

[BiGJZ74]

The Fabtech kits are similar but ARE for off-roading use. I don't know if it is due to the ball joint UCAs that are included or what.

I'll be going with this on my Rebel

BALL JOINT UPPER CONTROL ARMS Archives

Suspension Lift Kits & Truck Accessories

fabtechmotorsports.com

If you read Readylifts comments on why they say not for offroading on there questions section of their website, they they it's because they use factory shocks and struts with their kits which are not designed for serious off roading. The fabtech kit will have Off road rated shocks and struts. Upper angles on the RL kit are perfect w/ their UCA's, lower angles will be slightly steeper than Fabtech since the lift is a 1/2 in lower....but even Fabtech's lower angles aren't perfect without a diff drop. Fabtech 3" basic kits lift front by raising the spring perch like on MOPAR 2" updated kits but with a Top hat spacer on factory struts. (which is basically what I did with my 5100's and the RL tophat spacer except at setting #3 )

 

[ssick92]

If you read Readylifts comments on why they say not for offroading on there questions section of their website, they they it's because they use factory shocks and struts with their kits which are not designed for serious off roading. The fabtech kit will have Off road rated shocks and struts. Upper angles on the RL kit are perfect w/ their UCA's, lower angles will be slightly steeper than Fabtech since the lift is a 1/2 in lower....but even Fabtech's lower angles aren't perfect without a diff drop. Fabtech 3" basic kits lift front by raising the spring perch like on MOPAR 2" updated kits with a Top hat spacer on factory struts.

Makes sense, thanks for clarifying as I couldn't find anything on their website but apparently I wasn't looking in the right place. With that said, I'm actually planning on doing almost your exact lift with the RL 3.5" with Bilsteins front + rear and omitting the preload spacer in the strut. Have you had any issues either on-road (comfort/drivability) or off-road (durability) with your current setup?

Also - I know it might look kind of stupid, but is there any harm in running the stock wheels/tires after doing this lift until I get the new 35" tires in? It's looking like I can get all the lift components in about a week, but I'm going to be getting my tires from a buddy who won't be ready to give them up for about a month or so. Would 3 weeks on stock wheels/tires hurt anything other than my ego? Not totally sure how the angles would be affected with the stocks...

 

[BiGJZ74]

Makes sense, thanks for clarifying as I couldn't find anything on their website but apparently I wasn't looking in the right place. With that said, I'm actually planning on doing almost your exact lift with the RL 3.5" with Bilsteins front + rear and omitting the preload spacer in the strut. Have you had any issues either on-road (comfort/drivability) or off-road (durability) with your current setup?

Also - I know it might look kind of stupid, but is there any harm in running the stock wheels/tires after doing this lift until I get the new 35" tires in? It's looking like I can get all the lift components in about a week, but I'm going to be getting my tires from a buddy who won't be ready to give them up for about a month or so. Would 3 weeks on stock wheels/tires hurt anything other than my ego? Not totally sure how the angles would be affected with the stocks...

I think with stocks it looked just fine. As for ride, I actually like it alot. You feel the road but nothing is harsh. You don't bounce around as much. When you do hit big bumps, shocks and struts recover faster and levels out quickly. An example is I have a friend whose driveway has a big compression in it so when you turn in the right wheel dips and the truck would bounce back and forth several cycles before leveling out when it was stock. Now it rocks once to the right then recovers. It feels more stable through corners. Only time I can get the ESC stability control to turn on (something the Mopar 2" w/ ORP talk alot about) is if I try to make a sharp turn and stomp the throttle....which honestly should turn the system on. I have never seen the system come on during normal driving. I have been on a few crappy roads/gravel, and purposely driven through potholes and rough railroad tracks trying to get the truck to feel bad and haven't fount that point yet. I definitely felt a bigger difference in road feel going to the F-rated Ridge grapplers than with going from stock to lifted on stock tires. If you go stock with 35's, the fronts will rub the UCA's, I just added a 1/4" spacer and I it's fine. I was actually just on bilsteinlifts.com and the 5100's actually have more travel than the Fox 2.0 coilovers" they make for our trucks....if they are the same travel as the struts in the 2" Mopar kit which I would assume to be true...the Bilsteins have 6.08" of travel, the Fox have 5.4". Rears on the other hand 5160's have 10.06" of travel and the Fox 2.0's have 10.6", so fox have slightly more travel than the Bilsteins in the rear. I actually think my Suspension Angles look better than the Mopar 2" kit w/ ORP's that I have seen with my Bilsteins at setting #4.

On Stock Tires

 

[Nibis]

If you read Readylifts comments on why they say not for offroading on there questions section of their website, they they it's because they use factory shocks and struts with their kits which are not designed for serious off roading. The fabtech kit will have Off road rated shocks and struts. Upper angles on the RL kit are perfect w/ their UCA's, lower angles will be slightly steeper than Fabtech since the lift is a 1/2 in lower....but even Fabtech's lower angles aren't perfect without a diff drop. Fabtech 3" basic kits lift front by raising the spring perch like on MOPAR 2" updated kits but with a Top hat spacer on factory struts. (which is basically what I did with my 5100's and the RL tophat spacer except at setting #3 )

I thought you went with the #4 setting on the 5100's

 

[BiGJZ74]

I thought you went with the #4 setting on the 5100's

I did, I was saying the Fabtech 3" would be like my setup but set on #3 instead of #4 like my setup

 

[Nibis]

I did, I was saying the Fabtech 3" would be like my setup but set on #3 instead of #4 like my setup

Ahhhh, got it, thx

 

[Desert XJ]

The 3.5" kit is not recommended for off-road use because the truck only has 4.5" of down travel in it's stock configuration. If you add 3.5" of lift you've effectively eliminated 3.5" of down travel. Engaging 4WD and putting pressure on the front shafts at that constant angle is a recipe for rapid wear and failure. Anything over 2" of leveling with arms in their stock pivot points is not recommended.

 

[ErnestRocks19]

I have the readylift 3.5 kit and do not recommend at all offroading with it. In fact that kits coming off in about 2 weeks as soon as the shop gets my Fabtech coilover kit.

 

[BiGJZ74]

I think that my setup with the Readylift 3.5" lit w/o the preload spacer paired with Bilstein 5100's @ Setting #4 in the front with 5160's in the back is just as capable if not more capable than the Fabtech 3" lifts w/o the coilovers... 5100's actually have more travel than the Fox 2.0 Series struts in the MOPAR kits. The 5160's w/ resi's are more capable just from the heat dissipation of the resi's alone than the Fox 2.0's w/o resi's (but 5160's have .5" less travel than fox rear's) and the Fabtech Stealths. The Fabtech 2.5 Coilovers definitely can take more punishment than all of the other setups. When it comes to Suspension angles, they are practically the same, so component wear will be similar...as my lift is only .4" taller than the fabtech and neither drop the differential. Would I do serious high speed offroading or take it down the rubicon trail....nope, but that's more about departure angles etc. I've gone down unkept dirt pot holes filled fire roads at 10-20 mph no problem. I'd also have no worry crawling over something that my truck had clearance to go over...or getting to and from trail heads etc for "overlanding" type stuff. If you wanna offroad like a jeep i'd go 6" BDS coilover or similar for just clearance purposes, otherwise Fabetech w/ Dirt Logic 2.5's wud be great but you's still have the long truck wheelbase with moderate angles that would limit ur capabilities off roading.... Truly depends on what you consider ur offroading needs to be. For my needs my setup is just fine.

 

[ErnestRocks19]

I think that my setup with the Readylift 3.5" lit w/o the preload spacer paired with Bilstein 5100's @ Setting #4 in the front with 5160's in the back is just as capable if not more capable than the Fabtech 3" lifts w/o the coilovers... 5100's actually have more travel than the Fox 2.0 Series struts in the MOPAR kits. The 5160's w/ resi's are more capable just from the heat dissipation of the resi's alone than the Fox 2.0's w/o resi's (but 5160's have .5" less travel than fox rear's) and the Fabtech Stealths. The Fabtech 2.5 Coilovers definitely can take more punishment than all of the other setups. When it comes to Suspension angles, they are practically the same, so component wear will be similar...as my lift is only .4" taller than the fabtech and neither drop the differential. Would I do serious high speed offroading or take it down the rubicon trail....nope, but that's more about departure angles etc. I've gone down unkept dirt pot holes filled fire roads at 10-20 mph no problem. I'd also have no worry crawling over something that my truck had clearance to go over...or getting to and from trail heads etc for "overlanding" type stuff. If you wanna offroad like a jeep i'd go 6" BDS coilover or similar for just clearance purposes, otherwise Fabetech w/ Dirt Logic 2.5's wud be great but you's still have the long truck wheelbase with moderate angles that would limit ur capabilities off roading.... Truly depends on what you consider ur offroading needs to be. For my needs my setup is just fine.

Ive got the fabtech 3” with coilovers on order. Pulling the readylift off as I thought about doing the 5100s as well but its just piecing a kit together and would be around the same price i am getting the coil over kit for.

 

[BiGJZ74]

Ive got the fabtech 3” with coilovers on order. Pulling the readylift off as I thought about doing the 5100s as well but its just piecing a kit together and would be around the same price i am getting the coil over kit for.

Isn't the Fabtech Coilover Kit $2800 w/o Resi and $3300 with resi + install? My setup installed was ~$1700 installed....I am interested in the new Fox 2.5- 3" resi coilovers with DSC Adjusters.... I wouldn't mind swapping to those down the road.

 

[ErnestRocks19]

$2400 at 4WHEELPARTS

 

[BiGJZ74]

$2400 at 4WHEELPARTS

Nice, only a bit over $1k more if install for both were the same. If I went that route I'd get the Resi Version.

 

[ErnestRocks19]

Nice, only a bit over $1k more if install for both were the same. If I went that route I'd get the Resi Version.

I thought about it but didn’t do it. Just ready for the readylift to be off but fabtech is 3 weeks out. The readylift kit just rides terrible and billstein shocks for front and back are like $800 installed which puts me about $2400 total so its an even wash and I have heard nothjng but good things about dirt logic shocks. I went down an ungraded road the other day with my readylift and it rattled my fillings loose

 

[BiGJZ74]

I thought about it but didn’t do it. Just ready for the readylift to be off but fabtech is 3 weeks out. The readylift kit just rides terrible and billstein shocks for front and back are like $800 installed which puts me about $2400 total so its an even wash and I have heard nothjng but good things about dirt logic shocks. I went down an ungraded road the other day with my readylift and it rattled my fillings loose

Glad my truck doesn't feel that way lol

 

[rrjjpp74]

Keep an eye on your ball joints with the RL kit. I have 17k on mine and they are both shot. RL is sending new ones for replacement but don’t want to keep going thru this