A lot of people acquire a jeep wrangler for one reason: adventures. Whether it’s off-roading thrills or long road trips, this is the perfect vehicle for all adrenaline-pumping escapades and adventures.
However, as good as the car is, the Jeep Wrangler is often complained of being uncomfortable on long commutes because of its firm suspension. For this, the owner needs to know how to make a Jeep Wrangler ride smoother for everyone. This action is for the convenience of all people who will ride with you in the future.
In this article, our team will be compiling different ways to make the Jeep ride more comfortable and smoother. We will provide detailed information to help improve the once bumpy ride into a smoother and convenient adventure.
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Why do Jeep Wranglers Ride so Rough?
I can still remember the feeling of seeing the Jeep the first time in my garage. It was a fantastic feeling that combines a lot of excitement with all my off-road plans and adventure slowly forming in my mind right there and then. However, as I start using the vehicle for long trips, I notice the inconvenience and discomfort it gives to anyone not off the road but on the highway. But why do Jeep Wranglers so rough to ride?
Jeep Wranglers were not created nor designed to provide comfort and be driven on long distances, particularly on the highway. The Jeep was built for people like me who like adventures and should be driven off the road. Its suspension was designed to work well even on the most challenging terrain, which we usually see off the road. The other components were also made to withstand the challenges when the vehicle is navigated on uneven surfaces and rugged terrain.
Recent developments saw new models offering a much smoother and safe ride now compared to the previous one. But still, there are several ways that you can do as a Jeep owner to make your vehicle bring a smoother ride to your possible passengers.
How to Make Jeep Wrangler Ride Smoother?
Making the Jeep Wrangler ride smoother involves tweaking, replacing, or adjusting your vehicle’s parts and components. Please find below the different ways that you can do to make your Jeep smoother for all passengers.
Tire Replacement: Going for Low Profile Tires
The original tire of the Jeep Wrangler provides the best traction and grip on the surface. Meaning they do not do well when navigating on regular highways or similar road surfaces. For this reason, you will feel more bumps and movements when riding a Jeep compared to other standard vehicles.
But if you want to make the Jeep smoother during the ride, you’ve got to replace the original tires with low profile ones. These types of tires will give more support to the vehicle and provides resistance to traction. The tire will also help in maintaining the best grip on the surface when on the road. Also, low-profile tires tend to give lesser friction, resulting in a smoother ride on the road.
Coil Springs over Leaf Springs: Use the One with Better Firmness Rates
Old Jeep Wrangler is using leaf spring which does not do good when making vertical impacts. This component is one reason you will feel bumps and movement when the vehicle is on the highway. However, new Jeep Wrangler models are now using coil springs over leaf spring as it is good in dealing with vertical impacts.
So, if you want to make your Jeep’s ride smoother, you must replace the old leaf springs with coil springs. But you must use the coil springs with the more suited firmness rate for your vehicle to make it more effective. Coils springs tend to react differently on varying firmness rates, which means choosing your vehicle’s best fit is equally important.
Old to New: Shock Dampeners Replacement
Trusting the old shock dampeners of your Jeep Wrangler can result in a more bumpy and rough ride. Remember that this component will stabilize your car when dealing with bumps or holes on the road. But if you are still using the old one, it might affect its ability to control the bouncing movement of the Jeep.
Meanwhile, using a new shock dampener will help maintain the vehicle’s stiffness when on the road. If you are longing for a smoother ride with your Jeep Wrangler, better replace your old shock dampeners now with road-friendly ones.
Camber Kit: Installing can Reduce the Impact
Reducing the effect of rough roads can be done by installing a camber kit on your vehicle. If you are not familiar, this component can reduce the impact made by uneven road surfaces or rough roads by straightening the tire racks. Trying to lowering the Jeep will mean that the wheels will end up at different angles. This action, in turn, will make the two wheels working against each other but having the suitable camber kit will reduce the impact it created.
Vehicle Steering: Changing the Bushings from Rubberized to Polyurethane
Some parts can indeed affect the right of the Jeep Wrangler when on the road. With your Jeep, it uses rubber bushings that were insulated for any road vibrations. However, the downside with this bushing type is they tend to flex, compress, and stretch after a while. When this happened, it will affect your ability to handle the vehicles, especially on corners, which affects the ride’s convenience and smoothness.
To be able to negate the issue, using polyurethane bushing is highly recommended. Apart from being durable and affordable, polyurethane bushings do not compress and stretch, preventing any changes in the vehicle’s alignment. Making this happen will result in a smoother ride for your Jeep Wrangler, especially on the regular road.
Upgrading the Bump Stop
Trying to upgrade the vehicle’s bump stop will mean less compression on the spring. Once the spring is less compressed, it will also return the favor of limiting the shock’s stress resulting in a smoother ride of your Jeep Wrangler. However, trying to upgrade the bump stop means choosing the stiffer one if you desire to have the comfort and smooth ride that you need.
Make the Jeep Wrangler Heavier
Another way to make the Jeep a smoother ride is to add additional weight to it. The added weight will help reduce the impact on the bumps of the vehicle when on the road. But how will you do it? One way is to put hardtop doors and roofs into the vehicle. These parts should be made with steel to add a significant amount of weight to the vehicle.
You must also avoid using canvas doors because most of them are light which means it does not add weight to the jeep. The most important thing is to install components that are heavy to increase the overall weight of the Jeep Wrangler.
Try to Reduce the Vehicle’s Speed
Anyone who drives fast will make the Jeep uncomfortable and bumpy. It is also a fact that most of the Jeep Wranglers are fitted with high torque engine which results to the vehicle’s jumping the gears aggressively which result to a more inconvenient ride. But this can be controlled by driving slower or controlling the speed when navigating in corners and turns to makes the ride smoother and comfortable.
Ask for Professional Assistance
When the going gets tough, and you still cannot find a way to make your Jeep ride smoother, the best thing to do is look for professionals that can do the have for you. After all, they have the knowledge and experience to do the job for you. These professionals can thoroughly check the vehicle and suggest better ways on what to do with your Jeep.
Asking for professional assistance can also bring many benefits when analyzing the missing pieces of your vehicle. They can suggest if the Jeep requires tire replacement, wheel alignment, and so on. But the most important thing is they are professional, and they know what to do. You can never go wrong with asking for professional assistance.
Conclusion
Learning how to make a Jeep Wrangler ride smoother is an essential skill that every owner must know. Since the vehicle has been manufactured to do well on off-road riding, the chance of having a rough experience when driving on the road is real. But, there are things that you can do in the Jeep to make it more comfortable and smooth—the essential thing is to find the methods that will work on your vehicle. If not, you can always ask for professional assistance when needed.