JL JOURNAL : EVO JL Coilover Suspension Installation - S#!T JUST GOT REAL / PART 2

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Ride quality is without question, 100% subjective and everyone has their own idea of what "good" is. Certainly, after over 20 years of testing a wide array of suspension systems and on all kinds of Jeeps, I'd be lying if I said that Cindy and I didn't have an idea of our own. Of course, for us, that would be a long arm suspension system with coilovers and specifically, one made by EVO!

In spite of what so many people seem to think, not all long arm kits and coilover systems are made the same. In fact, most kits out there require you to have a sky high stance, lack any real up travel and offer a ride quality that is in my opinion, sub par. What we love most about the EVO system isn't the high clearance long arm brackets, the low stance you can set it to, the 15" of vertical travel, the crazy big flex it provides or how amazingly well it soaks up the bumps bombing across the desert, it's how awesome it handles and feels ON PAVEMENT and as a daily driver. Even though we work from home, we rack up a ton of miles on our Jeeps and just on our JL Wrangler alone, we've already got 36,000 of them. As most of you know, we NEVER trailer our Jeeps and so all our miles are from us driving around the country to get to trails, wheel them and then drive them back home again. It's because of this that ride comfort is so paramount for us and in our opinion, no other suspension system can come even close.

In this episode of the JL JOURNAL, you'll get to see what it takes to get an EVO bolt-on coilover system installed on a Jeep JL Wrangler Rubicon Unlimited. You'll also get to see how a suspension system is cycled for maximum performance and get a quick look at some testing we did, out on dirt. We hope you enjoy.


Without question, there's nothing cheap about an EVO high clearance long arm kit and coilover system but if you can afford it and need a shop to do the install, we would highly recommend you give Off Road Evolution a call. As you can see in the video, their guys know what they're doing and do great work.

A BIG THANKS goes out to Mel and Lisa for helping to make JET into the JL Wrangler we've always wanted. :rock:

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2Wheel-Lee

New member
Video was well done!

Did you install wheel spacers when you got home? I thought I saw that you installed some in another thread.
 

doubletapdaddy

Caught the Bug
Awesome video. Learned a few things that will assist me dialing in my system. Although it's got crazy flex, the on-road performance is stupid good. Solid axles have no business handling pavement this well.
 

LauraRose

New member
Another great video! I really liked hearing from Mel throughout the video. [emoji108]

Laura Rose from PA
 

DEFCON1

New member
Wow. This is just incredible. It’s not what you see on the top side, but what’s on the under side that counts. [emoji6] Is there a $$ range someone could expect to be around to purchase this setup and have Mel’s crew install that you wouldn’t mind sharing?


Sent from my iPhone using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

benatc1

New member
So awesome! Everything looks amazing. Gotta keep saving my pennies lol. Loved the bonus action as well! I know you probably don't have to many miles yet, but how's it working out with the spacers and 4.75 backspacing? To wide/to high scrub or is it alright?

Sent from my SM-N960U using JL Wrangler Jeep Forum mobile app
 

JAGS

Member
That was fun to watch. I may need to bite the bullet this time around. I’m afraid to start adding things up. Lol.

I’m really thinking long arm for sure for the on-road benefits as a daily. How much did they benefit this set up off road?

Would it even make sense to pair a long arm with anything other than coil-overs. Particularly the bypass kings and coils?

Mel is awesome and him in the vid was a great touch. [emoji106] I’ll need to bend his ear sooner than later.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Video was well done!

Did you install wheel spacers when you got home? I thought I saw that you installed some in another thread.

Yup, installed a set of wheel spacers. :yup:

Awesome video. Makes me want something that I don't need.

LOL - sorry about that :)

Pretty impressive!

Two things are, John can spin a nut really fast and the rear coilovers look pretty easy to install.

LOL - too funny. But yeah, the rear end install is a snap especially if you don't do long arms.

Awesome video. Learned a few things that will assist me dialing in my system. Although it's got crazy flex, the on-road performance is stupid good. Solid axles have no business handling pavement this well.

Awesome - glad that you were able to glean some help from the video :)

Another great video! I really liked hearing from Mel throughout the video. [emoji108]

Laura Rose from PA

Cool - so glad that we were able to get him in there :)

Wow. This is just incredible. It’s not what you see on the top side, but what’s on the under side that counts. [emoji6] Is there a $$ range someone could expect to be around to purchase this setup and have Mel’s crew install that you wouldn’t mind sharing?

The long arms and coilovers will set you back about $9k. Install takes about 2 days and that's the labor you'll be charged for.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
So awesome! Everything looks amazing. Gotta keep saving my pennies lol. Loved the bonus action as well! I know you probably don't have to many miles yet, but how's it working out with the spacers and 4.75 backspacing? To wide/to high scrub or is it alright?

Actually, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Could be that the electric steering on the JL can deal with it better. We'll have to see how it does on the rocks.

That was fun to watch. I may need to bite the bullet this time around. I’m afraid to start adding things up. Lol.

I’m really thinking long arm for sure for the on-road benefits as a daily. How much did they benefit this set up off road?

Would it even make sense to pair a long arm with anything other than coil-overs. Particularly the bypass kings and coils?

Mel is awesome and him in the vid was a great touch. [emoji106] I’ll need to bend his ear sooner than later.

Honestly, if you can afford it, this is a kit that you want. Having run the JK bolt on coilover kit, I can tell you that this feels more like the DTD and even has more travel than it. On road ride is outstanding or at least, in my opinion. You can do the long arms without the coilovers but for the money, I'd rather run the coilovers especially being that they're 2.5s now.

Said nobody ever.

:cheesy:

Wow just wow! And to think your not even fully stuffed [emoji50]

Crazy, right? :crazyeyes:

AMAZING!!!!!!! :thumb::thumb::thumb::thumb: super drool factor for us Europeans...:beer:

Glad you approve :)
 

JAGS

Member
Actually, it's not as bad as I thought it would be. Could be that the electric steering on the JL can deal with it better. We'll have to see how it does on the rocks.

Did I miss something about the spacers? Are you running spacers with your existing beadlocks?

My wheels are 4.5 BS with -12 offset. Was planning on 12.5 wide tires. Do I need to re-think this if I go with the CO kit?


Honestly, if you can afford it, this is a kit that you want. Having run the JK bolt on coilover kit, I can tell you that this feels more like the DTD and even has more travel than it. On road ride is outstanding or at least, in my opinion. You can do the long arms without the coilovers but for the money, I'd rather run the coilovers especially being that they're 2.5s now.


So it’s like the DTD only cheaper. Sounds like a good way to spin this to Amy. Lol.

I’ve been waiting for you to get to the higher end kits. Was kind of hoping you’d do the enforcer first, but you’ve run like 5 shock and coil kits already.

I’ve been saving up and looking forward to building the JL. Would be great to sell the JK first, so we’ll see about timing.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Did I miss something about the spacers? Are you running spacers with your existing beadlocks?

My wheels are 4.5 BS with -12 offset. Was planning on 12.5 wide tires. Do I need to re-think this if I go with the CO kit?

Yup, running 1.75" wheel spacers with our XD231's which have 4.75" of back spacing. If you go coilovers, you will need 3.5" of back spacing to help clear things at a full flex.

So it’s like the DTD only cheaper. Sounds like a good way to spin this to Amy. Lol.

I’ve been waiting for you to get to the higher end kits. Was kind of hoping you’d do the enforcer first, but you’ve run like 5 shock and coil kits already.

I’ve been saving up and looking forward to building the JL. Would be great to sell the JK first, so we’ll see about timing.

We would have done the Enforcer kit but the Kings are pretty expensive. Just made more sense to us to get coilovers instead.
 

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