Hodges 2016 Bilstein Build

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hodge-xj

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I've been checking options on the 2.5 Kings for the JK and they're literally double the price but as you said having the piece of mind to go all out is just so damn nice hahaha. i think i'll go 2.5 as well.., you guys know some of me always trying to cheap out on some to redo it again and pay more ******** it. :) I'll focus myself on the getting the height i'll have first, then add the right shocks and call it a day.

My Clayton arms showed up today so i took 20 min of my afternoon to get them in.
Pure ******* beef, literally 14lbs each
View attachment 4642862021-07-08_07-45-49 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

Compared to the Synergy fixed arms i just replaced @ 8lbs. Damn it they have just one month :)
View attachment 4642872021-07-08_07-46-31 by RAM RSM, on Flickr
Fun Fact of the Day #1 talking with you is dangerous for my mental state, every time we talk, I wanna just take my chit out and go fast!

Fun Fact of the Day #2 Bistein rear coils for the Ram 1500 will lift a jeep XJ 3.5 inches in the front.

Long story short, I got to thinking and decided to test fit the old bilstein coils I have kicking around. They spec out perfect for what I needed to compliment the kings I plan on running. 200lb (ish) rate, a free length of 19.5/20" and should net about 3.5" lift. Was also able to remove the passenger side lean i was getting. I'll be damned if they don't fit like a glove. Added my 1.75 spacers to the lift to net a total of 5.25 lift. Should keep me from blowing through my travel as easy as I was with the OME coils which had the same free height of 19.5" but a 147lb rate.

Free mods are the best mods!
 

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hodge-xj

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And here we go again.....
 

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You can do it with your eyes closed at this point I'm sure
4 hours on this go round. Mostly eyeballing things and seeing how things are holding up under it.

Unfortunately it seems like the last jobsite I was on had mud that was super acidic and the stuff that the carwash and my power washer didn't get off are eating away the paint on the frame. So I'm due to get a bucket and a brush and actually need to lay under it and scrub it down.....im beyond not excited for this. Than I need to paint and krown the under bits......yayyyyyyy NOT!
 
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hodge-xj

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Pic #1- Pro tip- don't bother trying to hang brake calipers, just lay them on a jack stand and slide them out of the way. Alot easier than wrestling with some nonsense and trying to figure a way to hang them.


For reference truck has 156k on it.


pic 2- what both wheel bearings look like on the CV side after 156k

Pic 3- inside the knuckle....dissimilar metals and corrosive environments take their toll

pic 4- cleaned up and looks like a ****** gnawed it

pic 5 - upper BJ in my ready lift arms. They're still in perfect shape after 50-60k miles. Only noticeable wear is the little indent in the socket hosing where it hits at full droop. Cleaned the old grease out, new boot on it and I'm gonna run it.

To be continued.....
 

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hodge-xj

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Pics 1/2- mevo tech ttx lower BJs. Seem like a decent unit and a bit beefier than the stocks. Much larger body wise but no issues with fitment of the seek, just need to orient it properly once the hub and CV are installed.

Pic 3- the aftermarket CVs I got seem to feel better in the hand than the vatozone ones I pulled out. Only issue was.....with icons or any extended length front shock for that matter, the boot band hit my LCA and i had to be amazed flat. Things like this are aggravating and you won't know until assembled. Always check things, this would have resulted in a blown boot had I not spun the hubs to check.

Pic 4- @ram1500rsm thought of you and our discussions about bump stops. These are prothane coil inserts. Gonna be going on the front of my jeep since I'm not diving into huge fab work to fit hydros on it. They are 10.5" long and will compress 30-40% of their height, are a rebound- less multi cellular foam, and seem super popular in the jeep speed world. Might be something to look at for the rear if you want a progressive bump out back. We're still screwed up front though. I'll report back on how they feel in the jeep once I get them in. It'll be a bit before that, but still might be something we can utilize in the rear setups.
 

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Oh and I cranked the coilovers up 2 turns after they broke in a seemed to settle slightly. It's hard to accurately measure but I'm close to, if not, maxxed out according to the icon instructions of 1.315" of visible thread.....
 

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4 hours on this go round. Mostly eyeballing things and seeing how things are holding up under it.

Unfortunately it seems like the last jobsite I was on had mud that was super acidic and the stuff that the carwash and my power washer didn't get off are eating away the paint on the frame. So I'm due to get a bucket and a brush and actually need to lay under it and scrub it down.....im beyond not excited for this. Than I need to paint and krown the under bits......yayyyyyyy NOT!
I hear ya on that one! Not looking forward to pulling everything and doing the same underneath, but worth it if you plan on keeping the truck.
 
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hodge-xj

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I hear ya on that one! Not looking forward to pulling everything and doing the same underneath, but worth it if you plan on keeping the truck.
At this point I'm pretty well set on keeping it. Between life and the cost of things now a days I couldn't touch a used vehicle for what I paid for this. And even if I have to put a motor in it i would still be ahead. 156k and I bought it with 65k iirc. It's all highway miles and aside from my issues in the front end, caused by me this truck has been almost 100% trouble free. The rear was rebuilt this year as well, that was the only true "broken" part on the truck as I smoked a bearing randomly. Fingers crossed this little diesel keeps on chugging since it's happy running hard and hot on the highway. Everything else is easy.

Do you Krown it yourself or take it to a place that sprays it?

I think next will be emissions intact tune/trans tune and a trans service at the dealer. Than aside from elbow grease it'll all be fresh under the truck.
 

smoothee

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At this point I'm pretty well set on keeping it. Between life and the cost of things now a days I couldn't touch a used vehicle for what I paid for this. And even if I have to put a motor in it i would still be ahead. 156k and I bought it with 65k iirc. It's all highway miles and aside from my issues in the front end, caused by me this truck has been almost 100% trouble free. The rear was rebuilt this year as well, that was the only true "broken" part on the truck as I smoked a bearing randomly. Fingers crossed this little diesel keeps on chugging since it's happy running hard and hot on the highway. Everything else is easy.

Do you Krown it yourself or take it to a place that sprays it?

I think next will be emissions intact tune/trans tune and a trans service at the dealer. Than aside from elbow grease it'll all be fresh under the truck.
It's hard to argue with that. Especially when you keep up on the maintenance like you do. And as nice as the electronics and gadgets are on the newer rigs, I feel like it's just more stuff to go wrong (once warranty is out more than likely). I love the fact I can add any electronics and the truck dgaf lol.

I take it somewhere to get Krowned before the winters hit, and just touch up as needed in the more exposed suspension areas (control arms, sway bars, etc.). I've thought about buying the gear to do it myself, but I would want a lift in order to do it to my liking.
 

crazykid1994

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Pic #1- Pro tip- don't bother trying to hang brake calipers, just lay them on a jack stand and slide them out of the way. Alot easier than wrestling with some nonsense and trying to figure a way to hang them.


For reference truck has 156k on it.


pic 2- what both wheel bearings look like on the CV side after 156k

Pic 3- inside the knuckle....dissimilar metals and corrosive environments take their toll

pic 4- cleaned up and looks like a ****** gnawed it

pic 5 - upper BJ in my ready lift arms. They're still in perfect shape after 50-60k miles. Only noticeable wear is the little indent in the socket hosing where it hits at full droop. Cleaned the old grease out, new boot on it and I'm gonna run it.

To be continued.....
Time to go to icons delta joint for more down travel by the looks of it. Or something with more flex to accommodate your icons extended length better.
 
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hodge-xj

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Time to go to icons delta joint for more down travel by the looks of it. Or something with more flex to accommodate your icons extended length better.
Yea I'm looking into some options for down the road. Not sure what I'm gonna do. So long as I keep the front tires on the ground I should be fine, this also could have been from when I ran the spacer combo on my 6112s as well and over extended things. I saw it snapped a pic and didn't look too far into it. I'm trying to abuse the truck less and the jeep more, for the sake and longevity of the truck lol.
 

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Fun Fact of the Day #1 talking with you is dangerous for my mental state, every time we talk, I wanna just take my chit out and go fast!

Fun Fact of the Day #2 Bistein rear coils for the Ram 1500 will lift a jeep XJ 3.5 inches in the front.

Long story short, I got to thinking and decided to test fit the old bilstein coils I have kicking around. They spec out perfect for what I needed to compliment the kings I plan on running. 200lb (ish) rate, a free length of 19.5/20" and should net about 3.5" lift. Was also able to remove the passenger side lean i was getting. I'll be damned if they don't fit like a glove. Added my 1.75 spacers to the lift to net a total of 5.25 lift. Should keep me from blowing through my travel as easy as I was with the OME coils which had the same free height of 19.5" but a 147lb rate.

Free mods are the best mods!
I changed my Jeep front springs as well. I went with Rock Krawler 1.5" springs. These were supposed to put my front in 2-2.25" range, ended up being 3" after i put them in, good thing i have the Adjustable Clayton LCA's and Clayton front TB. Drives better than stock ever did. OME L's front shold be home today. Rear is still factory JKU springs with little spacers. i think this will be final height so i'll start saving for those Kings.
51306813200_4840f4f5b7_k.jpg2021-07-11_09-17-27 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

Now i need a winch, was going to steal it from the RAM but the wife said to leave it alone and "go and buy myself a new one" :)

51305061242_84a105b562_k.jpg2021-07-11_09-17-16 by RAM RSM, on Flickr
 
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hodge-xj

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I changed my Jeep front springs as well. I went with Rock Krawler 1.5" springs. These were supposed to put my front in 2-2.25" range, ended up being 3" after i put them in, good thing i have the Adjustable Clayton LCA's and Clayton front TB. Drives better than stock ever did. OME L's front shold be home today. Rear is still factory JKU springs with little spacers. i think this will be final height so i'll start saving for those Kings.
View attachment 4646732021-07-11_09-17-27 by RAM RSM, on Flickr

Now i need a winch, was going to steal it from the RAM but the wife said to leave it alone and "go and buy myself a new one" :)

View attachment 4646742021-07-11_09-17-16 by RAM RSM, on Flickr
Looks awesome! I figure you've been busy with the jeep since it's been quite on your truck build. I'm currently saving for the kings, and with lead times like they are I guess it's a good thing I'm not in a hurry lol. All I really NEED is the A.C. charged and the jeep will be good save for some axle seals and u joints which is stupid stuffs.

My truck must be jealous of the jeep, it's been fighting me every step of the way lol. Brand new CVs had the lower boot bands loose and puking grease. I was able to fix it but I'm getting really tired of the lack of any QC from replacement brands. Time to save for the OEM CVs and a trans service/tune which will eat into that KING budget pretty good. I know I bought "cheaper" versions, but c'mon at some point something has to give.

Some days I wanna torch both and start fresh. That's today lol.
 
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ram1500rsm

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Looks awesome! I figure you've been busy with the jeep since it's been quite on your truck build. I'm currently saving for the kings, and with lead times like they are I guess it's a good thing I'm not in a hurry lol. All I really NEED is the A.C. charged and the jeep will be good save for some axle seals and u joints which is stupid stuffs.

My truck must be jealous of the jeep, it's been fighting me every step of the way lol. Brand new CVs had the lower boot bands loose and puking grease. I was able to fix it but I'm getting really tired of the lack of any QC from replacement brands. Time to save for the OEM CVs and a trans service/tune which will eat into that KING budget pretty good. I know I bought "cheaper" versions, but c'mon at some point something has to give.

Some days I wanna torch both and start fresh. That's today lol.
Yes I've been doing more stuff to the Jeep lately. I think I can say I have the Jeep almost done. A have a few more items to get before I can say I'm done. I did a new rear window for my RAM softopper as I messed it up badly trying to clean it. Lol. One of those things to remember with a big laugh. Good thing the fix was only $80 :)
 
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Yes I've been doing more stuff to the Jeep lately. I think I can say I have the Jeep almost done. A have a few more items to get before I can say I'm done. I did a new rear window for my RAM softopper as I messed it up badly trying to clean it. Lol. One of those things to remember with a big laugh. Good thing the fix was only $80 :)
That's why I ended up tossing the black headlights on my Ram. Tried to fix turned into an entire oops moment. Live and learn right?
 
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So I gave my buddy the 1" daystar spacers and we installed the 6112s on his truck. Same exact truck as mine, IE- Crew Cab Eco Diesel. Bone Stock 76k on the truck

Started out-

36" front
38.5" rear

6112s set to the max (2.3" per bilstein)
39-39.25" front
39.5" rear

I'm thinking after alignment it should come down a little in the front since it's way bad alignment wise. Still interesting to see that he got so much lift out of it. If it doesn't come down after alignment were gonna drop it at least 1 clip in height.

This is weird to me, since I never managed to get more than the 2.25" at most out of them. He's on stock UCAs so I'm hoping we don't have to pull it back apart.
 

crazykid1994

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So I gave my buddy the 1" daystar spacers and we installed the 6112s on his truck. Same exact truck as mine, IE- Crew Cab Eco Diesel. Bone Stock 76k on the truck

Started out-

36" front
38.5" rear

6112s set to the max (2.3" per bilstein)
39-39.25" front
39.5" rear

I'm thinking after alignment it should come down a little in the front since it's way bad alignment wise. Still interesting to see that he got so much lift out of it. If it doesn't come down after alignment were gonna drop it at least 1 clip in height.

This is weird to me, since I never managed to get more than the 2.25" at most out of them. He's on stock UCAs so I'm hoping we don't have to pull it back apart.
3” lift out of the 6112 on his truck? Something seems off. You sure that things got the eco diesel? Lol. I’m sure it’ll drop some but I can’t see it settling 3/4”
 
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hodge-xj

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3” lift out of the 6112 on his truck? Something seems off. You sure that things got the eco diesel? Lol. I’m sure it’ll drop some but I can’t see it settling 3/4”
Dude swear on my dog! I didn't mess with the setting on them cuz they were set to 2.3" and he had enough rake I figured it would be fine.......yeah right. Luckily i had the 1" spacers and its perfectly level. His truck was 100% untouched.

Only thing that kinda could make sense is that the front struts were sagged or a softer factory option. His is a fancy bighorn model with no skids or tow hooks so maybe it's got girly suspension? Looking back in this thread I started off at 39.5, settle to 39" and only dropped after I added the UCAs with proper geometry. He's happy with it, so I'll see how it aligns and report back.
 

ram1500rsm

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Maybe you have something in yours that weights a lot more?. or Maybe the springs in his 6112's are different ? 1" is a lot of height difference considering Bilsteins run super close to the heights they advertised. Could be normal too as they haven't settled. Typically 0.5" less after some miles.
 

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