Prepping a 4×4 For Sand Dunes
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Hello guys, new to the forum but not to the GCC and its dunes.
All this time I sat in the copilot’s seat of offroaders but I decided this time around to prep a jeep for myself.The only unknown which everybody seem to disagree with is the perfect suspension for the sand dunes.
What do you guys reckon? Long arms (flex)? Short arms?I am not going with a JK, rather decided to do a 2004 WJ V8 instead.
Appreciate your input foks… thanks
Hello SilverSpear.
Wellcome to the forum!You raise an extremely complicated question. Modifying a car is like painting a canvas. There is no one answer that fits all.
It depends on taste, what you want to do with it, what car, driving style, …However, no need to prep a jeep for desert. With a stock car you can go in many places!
Gaining driving experience you will understand what mods are good for you and you’ll adopt step by step that (enjoying the effect of each mod instead of building all mods at once). You also spare money by not adopting mods that you’ll find out later that don’t fit to your needs.Lastly, if you buy a JK >2012 you will have much smoother and powerful engine then then 2004 V8.
Thanks for your reply.
It is not a matter of taste rather what is the right suspension for desert purposes. Rock climbing is different than Sand Dunes which is different than Mud Terrains…
Not all stock cars can go to many places. Have you tried Land Cruisers on Sand Dunes?Yes, I know the JK 2012 has a slightly powerful engine than the WJ V8 (The HO I mean), but I prefer to spend on mods with an older cheap truck than breaking the bank with a new one. There is a 7-9x the value between both!
So again what should I aim for as correct suspension for Sand Dunes?
I give you an example of taste:
Many people will argue that the bigger the tires the better.
It is true to some extent, but on sand I recon possibly max 305-315 (33-35 max) are needed. Not bigger (as will take away power, make you unstable/prone to rolling over are heavy, require some mechanical mods to the car/shafts, …) . But if you want to go bigger off course you can but it’s your preference.Same with suspension lift height
In general the lower the suspensions the better as you are much faster, stable and less prone to bouncing around.
But some people will argue they want to look high… Again, your choice.What is the size of your tyres you are thinking off?
What is the max size of tyres you can fit with stock suspension?
Forget the stock suspension, the WJ needs width after all.
I was looking for a 4″ lift kit with Mickey Thompson 33’s. This will give it extra clearance and width.
What I couldn’t figure out, is the amount of flex needed, if needed after all.Assuming you are negotiating a left curb having a 45 degree angle, might a Jeep with long arms (high flex) be prone to tipping over? Or shall one stick with a jeep having less flex?
I am trying to accomplish a good mix between functionality and looks.
I’m entertaining in this conv but I gotta shot to the desert now…
Short answer:
I can’t really give you advises for the WJ. I have a JK.
On JK, anything higher then 2.5″ first is not needed (you can mount 33 on stock suspensions and 35 with a 2″ lift kit) secondly will make you very unstable and lastly will need few mods to correct the cars geometry (that above 2″ already changes a lot.
I suggest you to look at these.On long/short arms: on dunes momentum is key not flex (I think). You get that with relatively short and stiff suspensions. Also, I think the most important element of suspension on dunes is fast rebound.
Notice: I have 1 year experience on sand [more on mud]. I am more then welcome to be challenged by more experienced chaps!
Easy Guide to Prepping for the Desert
Step 1, Pack bags of enthusiasm and plenty of water
Step 2. Make a flag and get the appropriate amount of equipment for your experience
Step 3. Drive to the desert.Done
Everything else is optional
The WJ V8 is more than enough to take you anywhere in sands, as long as its mechanically fit. We do not recommend newbies modding their vehicles, its just dangerous. We had seen rollovers just after lifting 2″, at experienced fellows.
Just my 2 cents, but i haven’t had too many ground clearance issues driving a stock Jeep JK for the past year. I believe the stock ground clearance is just under 9 inches.
Certainly for the newbie, fewbie and most of the intermediate drives (1-2 Stars) I have had no issues with ground clearance as the style of driving does not require a lift. In such drives whenever the car does belly out, it is probably because there was a more appropriate way to approach a dune rather than it being an issue with ground clearance. In fact I have heard some more experienced drivers comment that this is the best way to learn to drive offroad (with a less capable car), as this teaches you to drive correctly without the car compensating for your mistakes. Furthermore, as already stated n this thread a lifted car has a higher center of gravity and is therefore more likely to rollover, which makes a lifted car more dangerous for a first time driver.
Only recently after joining more advanced drives have I started noticing ground clearance issues. This is primarily when cresting on the peak of the dune. Due to this I am now thinking of getting a lift. Furthermore, I am looking at only getting a 2-3 inch lift (probably 2.5) due to the center of gravity issues and the additional mechanical considerations required for a higher lift regarding control arms, tracking bars and other geometry.
To cut my point of view short, I do not think a lift is required (or possibly even advised) when starting offroading and when going on more advanced drives a high lift may not be necessary. Yet this is just my thoughts and experience which I understand may differ between points if view, style considerations and preference.
Hello Greg,
I am a person who runs on numbers throughout everything I do in life. When I thought about the lift kit, the intent was to keep the center of gravity the same while widening the tires and possibly install spacers too.
For this, I am still searching for the correct center of gravity of the WJ and do the calculations according to the desired lift. I will of course compare with tire offset, spacers and see if those are realistic to install on the WJ.
P.S: The OEM suspension is shot, instead of replacing with OEM, I thought I would do an upgrade.
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