In with the new, Rubicon Express Coil Springs to freshen things up!

Over the summer I have been spending some of my spare time working on a 1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ. I have had a soft spot for Jeep TJs for a long time, so being able to have one to work on and go play with in the hills is a small dream come true. What I love most about my Jeep is that it's a very easy platform to work on. There is also a very large selection of after market parts available, I also love the look of them. Not everyone might agree with me, but I think that the TJ is the best looking Wrangler (sorry Willys and CJ fans, you're a close second). 

But Jeep TJs are getting up there in age so every once in a while you will need to refresh different parts to help prolong the greatness of your TJ. I have replaced quite a few parts already and plan to talk through them and explain what I have learned installing the different parts and what I think about them. 

In this article I wanted to talk about the "Rubicon Express Springs" that I installed. The Jeep when purchased had a lift on it. What lift you might ask I have no idea. It was pretty rusty and was absolute garbage. So needless to say I was really excited to put on the new springs. And don't worry I did replace the shocks but that will be covered in another post, (I just wanted to address that before some felt inclined to point it out). 

The springs I put on were supposed to add 4 1/2" to stock and I felt I was close to that when I started but after realizing how bad the springs were it almost felt like i did not have a lift on it at all. 

As you can see it was overdue and the ride was even worse then what the old spring looks like.

And on a weird side note I would also like to take a second to thank California for Proposition 65, because these springs now come with a cancer and reproductive harm warning..... I don't know what to say to that, but almost fell over when I saw it on the springs for a Jeep. I can see it now, be careful going over rocks, through puddles, and any other questionable terrain, because having fun with family and friends causes cancer because you put new coil springs on. 

Sorry for the side bar what I really wanted to talk about is the coil springs. Installing them was fun, see I have proof below. Since I was not in a race I did it over two days after work. I was able to get them switched over without the loss of too much blood or offending neighbors with expletives. 

I have had the springs on for most of the summer and have one trip to Moab plus a few closer off road trips. What I have noticed is they are so much better than what I had but would have to give them an ok-decent rating. They seemed quieter than what I had and I am not getting air over bumps like I was before. The issue I think is that my TJ is just too light. It has the 2.5l motor and has smaller bumpers, no winch, and a soft top. I had a few buddies jump in a was able to instantly tell a difference with the extra weight.  

On the trail I did feel that it had good movement and improved flexibility from the previous set up. It allowed me to go over obstacles and not get beat up on some of the quicker sections. I have definitely felt smoother springs but for the price and quality I think they were a good choice.  

Thanks for reading.

Nick Ostler
Crawler Ready
nick@crawlerready.com

- Remember we are here to enjoy not destroy!

#crawlerready #crawlerreadynation #jeeptj #jeepbuild #jeeping #moab #rubiconexpresssprings #tjjeep #tjbuild #rockcrawling #rockcrawler