rkcreative

I have a 17" JKUR Hard Rack, the vehicle came equipped with AEV 2.5" lift, on 35"s with AEV geometry correction brackets.

I got the jeep in February, since I have outfitted the the rig to make it more trail ready. I've added a front winch with steel line,gobi roof rack with a smittybuilt RTT, AEV rear bumper with tire carrier ( I also put water in it), metal flat fenders and aluminium fender liners, high lift jack and etc.

I packed the rig up with recovery gear, tools, cooler and etc and headed out to Drummond Island over the Labor Day weekend.






Jeep performed beautifully. However, loaded up with all the accessories, gear, food and water I am definitely over the AEV recommended 250 lbs above stock weight limit, and I could feel it driving the jeep.

I am perfectly happy with the lift height and the over all capability of the jeep.

What would be some options to increase the load capacity aside from going to another lift? I started doing some research and I came across Old Man Emu 2620 2.25" Lift Rear Heavy Load (660lbs) Coil Spring. What are your thoughts on adding those springs to my existing set up? Has anyone run this combo?

I should mention that 99% of the time the jeep serves as a daily, I keep the rack on while I remove the tent and other stuff. I am looking into building a rear drawer which will add weight back in.

Feedback is greatly appreciated.

karls10jk

You could look into air bags for the rear axle. You'd have all of your normal ride comfort now and be able to add weight capacity as needed. It's an affordable solution that won't add unknown variables to your build.

DEJK2012

Airbags aren't a bad idea, however you might need to get the spacers with them. I know on my truck i had to get some 3 inch spacers for my bags to fit, But a Jeep may be different. Another coil to look at is Metal Cloaks. They prefer heavier builds and might be enough to support what you want without making the rear a rock. Safest bet would be airbags.

resharp001

The problem is if you build it for that 1% of the time you're loaded down, you're gonna be miserable the other 99% of the time. Such is life with a jeep, you have to find that line in the sand and straddle it carefully. I think Karl's idea of an airbag is possibly the best option to accommodate your specific use.

Deathtrap

I have almost an identical setup, but I pull a small trailer and dont have the RTT, but with the wife, kids, and all the gear for 4 people I'm looking heavily at the metal cloak 3.5" and 4.5" game changer suspensions. Seem like from everything I've been looking at to have the best compromise of height, capacity and ride quality for how mine is used. Mine is a daily driver, but we do a couple 2 week long road trips a year fully loaded between other weekend trips.

rkcreative

If I'd have to upgrade the lift, 3.5" is the highest I'd go. Even with that driveshaft wearing out is to be expected at some point.

nthinuf

I ran OME coils for a while. My situation was a bit different though, in that I was running a heavy front bumper/winch combo with stock rear bumper, and was talked into OME Heavy front coils with Medium rear coils (so backwards from what you would run). Even with the weight, I got 3.25" of height up front from what was supposed to be 2" coils. It was a very harsh ride, since the weight (steel full width bumper and 9500lb winch with steel cable) simply was not heavy enough for those front OME coils.

So I will echo what was said above. Gather more info and form an opinion on air bags before committing to full-time use of Heavy duty coils. (you will only be doing the rear, so the ride may be better than it was for me with HD fronts?) But, it would also give extra height in the rear for the 99% of the time it is not loaded, and a rather noticeable rake, if that matters to you.

I am running MetalCloak 3.5" coils now. Using the "stock measurement' diagram that has been floating around, which indicates 18.5" as stock, I am sitting at 22.75", or 4.25" of lift up front. (same bumper/winch combo, though I took the end caps off the bumper so it's a bit lighter now.) The ride is much better with the MC coils, though if I were to do it again I'd go with their 2.5" instead.

Mark Doiron

You might check into Timbrens for the rear axle. I've been down the path you're on and have several sets of springs that, as the build progressed, kept needing to be replaced for something stronger. Finally ended up with the OME extra heavy duties for the rear, and the mediums for the front (the heaviest ones they recommend for non-diesel applications), and Timbrens on the rear. And, if I take off the hardtop/overhead rack -- which is something I actually haven't done in years :-( -- I must replace those rear springs with lighter ones because the rear is jacked up into the air. Went on an overlanding trip with a fellow who had air bags. And every day he'd have to air them up. Not personally a fan, but I understand the appeal. If you truly do have a huge weight difference between trail and DD configurations, good luck finding one answer.

Lost somewhere north of the Arctic Circle ...