Well I Went & Did It.. Rocky Road Conversion On The Way.

Hi all, thanks for the quick responses. Zilla, when you called RR, did they say there was any reason to put one set of springs front or rear? I understand that "O" means "these springs are fine" and "+" means "these springs are fine-er", but that really it just means they both passed QC at OME and really they should perform identically. Discussed by ARB in a blog post here:http://blog.arbusa.com/?p=55.

With that in mind though, it seems that maybe I'd want the + springs in the front because it's heavier? Or do I want the O springs in the front because they will be slightly softer?

I'll certainly give RR a call, but if they are just going to tell me "oh yeah, those symbols just mean that the springs are different degrees of acceptable", is there any wisdom someone can share about whether there is a reason to put one set in a certain place over the others?

 

Personally I really don't think it matters. I can't notice any difference.. But if ya wanna match em up I see no reason why not. On my 75 the front and rear are the same springs, so I didn't bother to match em up..

 

From my 6 years working in the Tech dept at ARB, the spec is + or - 3mm iirc. 0 is spec. + could be 1-3mm taller. - could be 1-3mm shorter in free arch. At the end of the day, you're highly unlikely to notice any difference at all, especially in the seat of the pants for ride quality. If I had two +'s and two "0"s I'd probably put a + in the passenger side rear as that's where your weight will transfer on acceleration, and a plus on the driver side front as you always have a driver and you also have steering components on that side that add a little weight compared to the passenger side. My .02.

Just remember that OME never intended these for use on a CJ. The kit is solely put together by RR. They just chose to use OME springs in their kit.

Also assuming you are using CS036R springs all the way around.

 

Haven't looked at the numbers on the springs but as I recall that sounds right. I have also read about conversions using BDS springs as well.. Seems to work well and gives a much smoother ride. Thanx for the info on the spring spec..

 

Got the muffler replaced and tailpipe .. Loaded it on the trailer to haul 100 miles.. No muffler shop here.. The front looks level and good. The rear looks a bit tilted, but only slightly. Jeep lean. I am guessin that I need to drive it some more and let the springs settle into their natural arch.. The new tire lassos were the **** for securing the heap onto the trailer.

 

Just finished reading this. Nice job. Looks like it's going to cost me 1,600 bucks to do the same thing to my Cj6. Would love to hear what your longer term impressions of the ride are. Was it worth the hassle and money. Mine should go easier as the body is still on the rotisserie right now.

 

X2
I am looking forward to a ride and drive report. Maybe a couple pics of the new stance, measurement from the ground to the bottom of the rocker and tire diameter so I can get an idea of how high you ended up!

 

Yeah my heap is a fair weather affair. I live in Wyoming and short wheel base and glare ice do not like each other.. I will be going to Moab in a few months, so there's that.. I plan on wheeling quite a bit this year. The tru test will be my annual trip into Shoshone Lake. 10 miles and 3 hours. Gets rockier every year.. But the fishin's great and the Jeepin in is fun.

 

That looks like a great time!
Once you have the springs settled in I would love to know your tire diameter and the height from the bottom of your rocker panel to the ground.
With those two measurements I should be able to get a fairly close estimate to how tall my jeep would be with the RR suspension kit installed. I have a Height requirement to fit into my trailer.
This info would also help other guys on the forum estimate the final height of their jeeps with RR suspension.

 

My tires are 33's. KM2's.. right now my driver rocker is 24" to just under the driver door measuring to teh bottom of the tub. So far it has settled ~3/4"

 

What do you have for Belly clearance to the ground?

 

The lowest place is my tranny cross member which is approx 15"

 

Thank you for the measurements. My rough calcs say that the RR kit will end up about 1.25" higher than my current springs.

 

Any chance you are running the same BFG tires that Zila is?

 

Nope, I am running 31x10.5x15 goodyear duratracs.

 

Great picts of brookies. Last time I was in the pinedale area (late 80's), I caught a couple brookies like that, as well as a nice 5lb brown in a creek that I could basically jump across.

 

I caught a 2-1/2 lb Rainbow up at the inlet of Vee lake many years ago.. Yup I could step across it..

 

A Jeep being used for what a Jeep was made for, this could be a calendar picture .

 

agreed!

 

Finally got the heap out for a good run. Mostly bumpy 2 traks.. The ride was worlds better.. Not Cadillac smooth but better than what I had. Not nearly so jarring.. On the highway it was wandering around.. But I got off road and got out to do some shooting and noticed the tires looked low. Checked em and had 16 psi around.. Musta not aired up after the last trip.. Aired it up to 35 psi around and much better. Got an alignment scheduled for next week.. The springs should be arched in now. My rear bump stops thumped a few times, so I may have to remove em.. Also had a bit of a vibration on the pavement. Might be the driveline, but I'll wait til after the alignment to see..

Overall I am happy. Ride's worlds better, and feels good in the dirt..