BostonRubicon19
Well-Known Member
- First Name
- Christopher
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2022
- Threads
- 6
- Messages
- 140
- Reaction score
- 161
- Location
- Joppa Maryland
- Vehicle(s)
- 2023 JLU Rubicon 4dr
- Thread starter
- #1
I am going to put it all out there. I haven't had a jeep in about 10 years. I order a 2023 JLU Rubicon on Sept. 1, 2022 and it arrives on October 19, 2022. From there the research began. I knew I wanted a 4.5" lift and at minimum 37" tires. Back in the day we had far and few suspension shops that we trusted. But I was younger and worked on my past TJ's. When taking my jeep to a mechanic i used to believe that i was "paying them for their knowledge and wisdom". I have learned now that when I walk in with money, they just see that and that's it.
I ended up using 4wp in Towson Maryland. Went to them with a list of what I wanted. After spending days of back and forth with what I wanted, I would have hoped they either had the knowledge to tell me yes or no that my build was in their wheelhouse. Dropped jeep off for about a week. At this point in February of 2023, my Rubicon is still at factory ride height. I tinted the windows within 24 hours of having it in my possession. In November 2022, I had installed a $9,000 custom stereo(it sounds awesome), installed offroad lights, rock lights and inside lights as well.
My list to 4wp: (please don't judge what I chose) Core 4x4 Tier 3 Camp series incl steering. 8 adjustable control arms w/johnny joints, 4 end links, front and rear adjustable track bars, drag link and tie rod. Fox 2.0 shocks, and 4" Rock Jock Springs. Rugged Ridge DRL fender lights for the fender chop set up, Rugged Ridge rear tire carrier w/bumper, and inner fender liners. 37" Kanati Trail hogs wrapped on ProComp Series 35 wheels.
February 8th 2023 I go to pick up and look at my jeep for the first time since I dropped it off. Looks decent, but something was not right. Front right fender scratched by what looks like a cat on antidepressants(no idea why that would have even been touched). New LED headlights don't work, DRL fender lights don't work, front end links and track bar are damaged, they came powder coated yellow to match the jeep from Core. My rear track bar was installed backwards. The rock jock springs I learned were made for 2 dr JL and not rated for a 4dr JLU, causing my rear end to sag. There was a "bounce" in the rear end while driving it. I suggested maybe the wheels weren't balanced or possible mfg defect in the wheel. They took ownership of the end links and fender and replaced them. Still have the damaged track bar that magically received knife marks. Claims they don't use razors to open boxes or packaging. I am extremely upset. Over the next couple weeks of this back and forth game with them, I finally get a break or so I thought from Corporate. We discuss the plan moving forward. I give them an extensive list of what I want corrected.
Jambnuts on all the suspension were not torqued to their spec. They torqued to "factory specs". Way wrong. alignment was wrong 3x, they insisted that aligning the front end to factory specs was correct. Lifted or not. Rear control arms were not set to company lengths for a 4" lift. Rear axle shifted over an inch back. Sitting directly under pinch point in fender. Claims they can adjust the pinion to fix that. The 4" coils were replaced with 4.5" Metal Cloak coils.
4wp in Glen Burnie Maryland now have possession of my jeep. So at this point my jeep has been down from February 2023 to May 2023 at this point. I will say, the Glen Burnie store gave a valiant effort to fix the previous stores screw ups. But the major issues I still have are this "bounce" in the rear end, the issue of vibration in my drive line, and the rear axle being too far back and over to one side. They keep telling me over and over that aligning a lifted jeep to factory specs will make it drive as good as it can. They made a suggestion to upgrade to new driveshafts. Had my measurements done sent them in to Tom Woods, and new front and rear shafts were mailed to me for $1800. Still in May, was advised that with my bigger tires that I should look into new gears. No longer able to make anything work, I decided to seek a new mechanic. New mechanic installed the new driveshafts, and the new gears. Last alignment was done by 4wp in Glen Burnie Maryland. By August I had new driveshafts and gears. driveline was still kinda vibrating. Went to 4wp for an alignment one last time in September hoping that will fix the issues.
Early October 2023, took jeep back to mechanic that installed the gears. My pinion seals front and rear were leaking. He replaced them. This mechanic has never changed my suspension for any reason. Last alignment was done in September 2023. In December 2023 I decide to go off-roading to some green trails because I was told jeep was "good to go". There is a culvert that everyone poses at, and this is where i learn of an issue.. upon full flex in the rear end I bound up. couldn't move. No one could see anything underneath causing it. It happened again, this time after further review, my rear driveshaft yoke was up against my auxiliary battery skid plate. Some gas and loud metal banging to get me out of that.
Went to an alignment shop and jeep buggy builder to see if he could make sense out of this extremely terrible headache that I have been dealing with since February. Had my jeep for a couple weeks. His conclusions: wheel base was no longer 118.4", rear driveshaft was too short, and front driveshaft also short. Front pinion angle was at 10 deg., and rear pinion angle was at -5 deg. He corrected my wheelbase back to 118.4" did an insanely full front and rear alignment. after turning the control arms 1/4 turn and measuring and doing what he knows to do. He had finally got my front end perfect and at 5 deg.
The rear axle was another issue. He was able to get the rear axle to 5 deg. also. But now that both pinions are showing 5 deg. Everything I had measured and installed since that May 2023 alignment from 4wp has been incorrect causing this rippling effect. At this point, my jeep has been down these last 7 weeks. One repair was to install a Metalcloak rear track bar relocation bracket to keep the rear axle from going left or right. My rear driveshaft just arrived back to Tom Woods in Utah today. I am under the impression they cut out out the bend, rebalance it and ship it back. Fingers crossed this fixes the last of my issues.
Sorry for the length of this. But this has cost me so much money chasing and replacing and 4wp will not take ownership of any of this. Corporate will no longer answer my emails.
I ended up using 4wp in Towson Maryland. Went to them with a list of what I wanted. After spending days of back and forth with what I wanted, I would have hoped they either had the knowledge to tell me yes or no that my build was in their wheelhouse. Dropped jeep off for about a week. At this point in February of 2023, my Rubicon is still at factory ride height. I tinted the windows within 24 hours of having it in my possession. In November 2022, I had installed a $9,000 custom stereo(it sounds awesome), installed offroad lights, rock lights and inside lights as well.
My list to 4wp: (please don't judge what I chose) Core 4x4 Tier 3 Camp series incl steering. 8 adjustable control arms w/johnny joints, 4 end links, front and rear adjustable track bars, drag link and tie rod. Fox 2.0 shocks, and 4" Rock Jock Springs. Rugged Ridge DRL fender lights for the fender chop set up, Rugged Ridge rear tire carrier w/bumper, and inner fender liners. 37" Kanati Trail hogs wrapped on ProComp Series 35 wheels.
February 8th 2023 I go to pick up and look at my jeep for the first time since I dropped it off. Looks decent, but something was not right. Front right fender scratched by what looks like a cat on antidepressants(no idea why that would have even been touched). New LED headlights don't work, DRL fender lights don't work, front end links and track bar are damaged, they came powder coated yellow to match the jeep from Core. My rear track bar was installed backwards. The rock jock springs I learned were made for 2 dr JL and not rated for a 4dr JLU, causing my rear end to sag. There was a "bounce" in the rear end while driving it. I suggested maybe the wheels weren't balanced or possible mfg defect in the wheel. They took ownership of the end links and fender and replaced them. Still have the damaged track bar that magically received knife marks. Claims they don't use razors to open boxes or packaging. I am extremely upset. Over the next couple weeks of this back and forth game with them, I finally get a break or so I thought from Corporate. We discuss the plan moving forward. I give them an extensive list of what I want corrected.
Jambnuts on all the suspension were not torqued to their spec. They torqued to "factory specs". Way wrong. alignment was wrong 3x, they insisted that aligning the front end to factory specs was correct. Lifted or not. Rear control arms were not set to company lengths for a 4" lift. Rear axle shifted over an inch back. Sitting directly under pinch point in fender. Claims they can adjust the pinion to fix that. The 4" coils were replaced with 4.5" Metal Cloak coils.
4wp in Glen Burnie Maryland now have possession of my jeep. So at this point my jeep has been down from February 2023 to May 2023 at this point. I will say, the Glen Burnie store gave a valiant effort to fix the previous stores screw ups. But the major issues I still have are this "bounce" in the rear end, the issue of vibration in my drive line, and the rear axle being too far back and over to one side. They keep telling me over and over that aligning a lifted jeep to factory specs will make it drive as good as it can. They made a suggestion to upgrade to new driveshafts. Had my measurements done sent them in to Tom Woods, and new front and rear shafts were mailed to me for $1800. Still in May, was advised that with my bigger tires that I should look into new gears. No longer able to make anything work, I decided to seek a new mechanic. New mechanic installed the new driveshafts, and the new gears. Last alignment was done by 4wp in Glen Burnie Maryland. By August I had new driveshafts and gears. driveline was still kinda vibrating. Went to 4wp for an alignment one last time in September hoping that will fix the issues.
Early October 2023, took jeep back to mechanic that installed the gears. My pinion seals front and rear were leaking. He replaced them. This mechanic has never changed my suspension for any reason. Last alignment was done in September 2023. In December 2023 I decide to go off-roading to some green trails because I was told jeep was "good to go". There is a culvert that everyone poses at, and this is where i learn of an issue.. upon full flex in the rear end I bound up. couldn't move. No one could see anything underneath causing it. It happened again, this time after further review, my rear driveshaft yoke was up against my auxiliary battery skid plate. Some gas and loud metal banging to get me out of that.
Went to an alignment shop and jeep buggy builder to see if he could make sense out of this extremely terrible headache that I have been dealing with since February. Had my jeep for a couple weeks. His conclusions: wheel base was no longer 118.4", rear driveshaft was too short, and front driveshaft also short. Front pinion angle was at 10 deg., and rear pinion angle was at -5 deg. He corrected my wheelbase back to 118.4" did an insanely full front and rear alignment. after turning the control arms 1/4 turn and measuring and doing what he knows to do. He had finally got my front end perfect and at 5 deg.
The rear axle was another issue. He was able to get the rear axle to 5 deg. also. But now that both pinions are showing 5 deg. Everything I had measured and installed since that May 2023 alignment from 4wp has been incorrect causing this rippling effect. At this point, my jeep has been down these last 7 weeks. One repair was to install a Metalcloak rear track bar relocation bracket to keep the rear axle from going left or right. My rear driveshaft just arrived back to Tom Woods in Utah today. I am under the impression they cut out out the bend, rebalance it and ship it back. Fingers crossed this fixes the last of my issues.
Sorry for the length of this. But this has cost me so much money chasing and replacing and 4wp will not take ownership of any of this. Corporate will no longer answer my emails.
Sponsored
