Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 Essential Mods & Upgrades | Inside Line
In this video, I'll cover the weak links on the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392, along with some key upgrades that will make yours drive better on-road and off.
Nitto Trail Grapplers: www.nittotire.com/light-truck...
Tazer JL Mini: www.zautomotive.com/product/z...
RCV Performance axleshafts: www.rcvperformance.com/ultima...
Warn winch plate: www.warn.com/winch-mount-2018...
Warn VR 10-S Winch: www.warn.com/vr-evo-10-s-103253
JKS Rear Bump Stops: jksmfg.com/products/jl-adjust...
Fox Shocks: www.ridefox.com/family.php?m=...
Stubby Antenna : a.co/d/cZ8G9ok
00:00 Introduction
00:13 Transfer Case Mod
02:41 Control Arms
03:30 Suspension Upgrades
07:40 Exhaust Mod
08:36 Bumper Upgrades
10:02 Stubby antenna
10:31 Axle Upgrades
12:49 Wrap up
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I have a MY 2023 JLUXR daily 37s on beadlocks and my balljoints are also still good at 24k miles. I’ve got the dynatracs on hand, but the OEM ones are still going strong.
Love the idea of 2.5 Rear Bump Stops. Want to run the “24 392 on stock suspension and springs for a while but on “37 tires.
Thanks for all of the tips. Much appreciated !
Another great video. Liked and subscribed!
Hell yeah great video I like how the going fast in the desert part was towards me haha
Great video 🍻 Love the “Jeep” info!
Clayton lift with DSCs are a great combo! Also ditching the suitcase muffler helps a ton. Brakes should be Brembos, standard on a 392. Mine sucked. Upgrade was needed for sure!
Yea I was stunned to see it have the same brakes as the 270hp engines 😂
You have the most useful info on my 392.i don't want to go crazy with expensive kits that are tens of thousands of dollars. Its pretty awesome from the factory. I just want to go from 35s to 37s and I'll be happy. The upgraded RCVs are high on my list because that 2 piece axle on the passenger side is silly.
I bought the lower arms from the Mopar kit (think
FYI: The 2 piece isn't really all that weak. In fact, it was strong back in the YJ days up to 35's and with the JL platform it's much stronger. I understand the reason they designed that in again (for efficiency) but agree going to one piece axle shafts if the jeep is actually going to be used for crawling and some bumping over stuff is great peace of mind especially if running the best tire size for our JL's (38 inch) .
Thanks for sharing.
Btw another great video!
Jeep the Best car all terrain.
Thanks for another great video. As always, informative and entertaining. Quick question. Does your 4WD light flash or blink intermittently when in 2WD with the tazer? I could see mine flashing when I went into 2WD and it made me nervous so I wasn't using it.
Yes. Mine does the same.
@@DrivingLinethank you!
Sorry, forgot to ask you, are you using the FOX out of the box stock tune in the 392 Jeep 2.50 Elite DSC or did you have someone like Accutune do a custom tune for the shock ?
Mine came direct from JKS. No custom valving beyond the fact that they are JL specific.
Come to Cali let’s do the Rubicon trail!
I did that drive with my Gladiator last year. I'm going back for sure, but next trip I want to bring my kids.
Tazer is great for any Rubicon - love the swaykill. Glad my Jeep didn't come with front bump extensions - lots of suspension travel with DSC shocks for 2-3" lift and 35s (just running a single hockey bump ext up front). I suppose one advantage of the extension is it gives you an excuse to go hydro to maximize up travel. My theory on ball joints: Hard hits equivalent to jumping a small curb with speed dents the plastic wear socket. Traditional "testing" of the ball joint doesn't reveal a problem, but Jeep has occasional shimmy or odd feeling in certain scenarios. Jeeper then gets frustrated trying to get dealer/mechanic to find/fix problem, sells the Jeep. Regardless of my theory, I love the Teraflex ball joints. Ran them hard for a few hundred desert miles, adjusted them, and they have been rock solid since.
Great video. What about regearing to 4.56 for bigger tires?
I think 4.56 gears and 37s work great. I would want 4.88 for a 38.
WELLLL....unfortunately my ball joints on my Gladiator did get bad with my 37s. I upgraded to an aftermarket all steel ball joint. Also replaced my OEM steering components with aftermarket heavy duty steering.
I see you’re in North Carolina, I’m going to be moving there this summer, do you have a shop that you recommend? I’ll be both in the Asheville area and the Fayetteville area so really doesn’t need to be in a specific part of the state because I’m going to be traveling all over. I have a ‘21 392 XR and am currently living in Hawaii, so haven’t done much off-roading with it. However that will change and I want to make these upgrades you are recommending in this video. I have the skill to do the mods myself, I just would rather hire a trustworthy shop to do it.
I’m in the eastern part of the state. I use a shop called Low Range 4x4 here in Wilmington for anything I can’t do myself. Asheville Vehicle Outfitters is a great shop that is more than capable of working on your 392. They are technically located just outside of Asheville, but not far.
@@DrivingLine Thanks!
Would the Fox 2.5 DSC shocks fit without rubbing on your Dad's stock suspension XR with the 37's and 2" rear bump stop ?
I think you would need the 0 to 1.5 lift length shocks, but that should work.
I have 5.0 back spacing and a smaller KO2 37" so I'll make it work even if I have to relocate the res. You have used the Fox bypass and the 2.5 DSC Elite.....Is the 3.0 that much better, or can you get close with the 2.5 DSC Elite for highway and moderate trail speeds ?
I’m glad I went with the 3.0 with my Gladiator since it has so much unsprung weight. The 2.5 on my 392 feels fine. If I had one ton axles and 40’s, I would have gone 3.0.
A QUE HOMBRE TAN GUAPO!!
That length works perfectly. But no worries about a 37” tire on stock XR wheels on stock suspension rubbing against the larger shock housing ?
You will likely hit the resi hose in the front at full turn lock on the trail when the suspension is compressed ( articulated on one side or the other). The rear should clear since you are not charging the suspension travel amount.
Curious about your choice of 2.5 inch lift over 3.5 which seems what a lot of folks are going with. Also did you change out your front driveshaft with the lift
I’m still using the stock front driveshaft. I went 2.5 because I knew I wanted 37s (which I ran stock). So, it didn’t need much lift.
Why do you need CV shafts in the front if you have disabled the AWD? Can you not go with traditional u-joint style upgraded shafts for a lot less than the RCV? Good video thanks!
You don’t have to have a CV axle if you are going to run the Jeep in 2WD. The RCVs are more expensive, but significantly stronger. So, worth it in my opinion.
@@DrivingLine Yea makes sense. I would always love to get CVs but def spendy. Good info to have the option for both depending how you run it. Thanks!
With your experience with them, how would you fix the front running issue?
I moved to a wheel with 4.75 inches of backspacing. So, with 37’s and that wheel configuration, I clear them fine.
Will the tazer in 2wd, switch to awd in motion? Let’s say the weather changes suddenly from dry to heavy rain..
You can program that function to the steering wheel. So you can easily toggle back-and-forth if you like. I wouldn’t do it while the Jeep is moving, but with a quick press of a button at a stoplight, it’ll convert back to 4Auto from 2WD.
@@DrivingLine ok thanks. I did pre program to the steering wheel. Your video was a great help. I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea either on toggling the function in motion so I won’t risk it.✌️
Great stuff but here's a watch out for all: With lift and constant spinning front drive shaft we MUST prioritize pinion angle over castor to prevent vibrations. In the case of the 392 and the standard JL the stock Rzeppa style drive shaft will absorb (mask) any driveline vibrations up to a certain amount of lift with improper pinion angle but when (not if) the jeep owner upgrades to a double cardan drive shaft then the pinion angle will become ever more important which means you'll be back in the lower castor numbers again. That presents other issues like the spring pads being rotated causing some degree of spring bow followed by bump stops not aligning with the pad. Us do it your self old school guys will simply remove the axle, cut the purches, cut the C's / rotate and re-weld everything but many mall crawlers and weekend warriors will pay to have it done, and that's were the $$ come into play. There's the option of upgrading the front axle and ordering with extra castor but again usually means $$'s It's not doom and gloom but just food for thought. Lift and big tires is NEVER just a budget lift and basic stuff. There's cause and effect that trickles down the line. It's part of jeep life. 😀 For me I've owned my YJ for 27 years and plan on owning my built JLUR for 27 or more. I know my long term plan and cost, but for the new every two folks I say make sure to do it right the first time. Please Please spend the money up front and do it right. Put the good stuff on. You create GREAT deals for the folks who buy 2 or 3 years used. Think of it like you're investing in the future. Lol.
What lights are you running on the front bumper?
They are CB60's Here's the link: gglights.com/collections/pods/products/amber-cb60-xl-sidewinder-led-pod
Could not get the SGW plugs off on my ‘23 392. I tried for almost an hour pulling down on the plug and instead ended up with a torn finger from depressing that frigin clip too long. It’s almost like Stellantis has glued these in.
That’s wild. I haven’t had an issue with them, but they are definitely a pain to get to.
@@DrivingLine Yes, so I did remove the kick panel and even tried using a hooked trim removal tool to pull down on the front part of the clip while depressing the tab to no avail.
I agree with your winch rating philosophy. To bad Jeep doest and installs a 8000lb winch from the factory and claims that's enough. What's up with that?
Jeep fitting the 392 with an 8,000-pound winch is a real head scratcher. It’s fine for a two door, but even non-392 models it’s on the lighter end. I think someone goofed up and they are just rolling with it.
Does the roof leak at all since it’s not a hard top roof?
I’ve never had an issue with the roof leaking.
Did you get a one piece or two piece axle from RCV ?
One piece.
@@DrivingLine any chance you have the part number ? 😅 aha I’m about to buy the same one-piece
www.rcvperformance.com/ultimate-dana-44-axle-cv-set-for-jeep-wrangler-jl-rubicon-1-piece.html
Didn't quite understand the argument about caster angle. When you increase caster angle the steering gets heavier not lighter as you're fighting the return to center more. The further forward you push the front axle and higher caster angle you get it tracks better and stays straighter but the steering should be heavier as it wants to return to center with more force so you fight that while turning.
The castor angle from the factory is around 4 degrees on the 392. Putting an aftermarket lower arm it allows you to extend the arm to get around 6 degrees of caster, which will make it drive better. If you extended the upper arms, it would make the caster worse by driving the axle down.
@@DrivingLine I agree on the better. For sure.
I didnt take you for a Chinese Warn guy. 😅 Did you do the recall on it?
I don’t know there was a recall on it. The Zeon wasn’t available when I ordered this one. Honestly, it’s probably fine for what I do with this Jeep.
How much more does the V8 weigh over the V6?
If I remember correctly, the 392 is a little over 200 pounds heavier than the 3.6l.
@@DrivingLine OK, 😊
Worst issue by far on the 392 is the tcase. Sucks that the only real solution to make the 392 usable offroad is to rip out the stock tcase and go the atlas route.
There are a few shops mating Sport transfer cases with this one, which is an easier alternative to the Altas. I figure I will eventually need to swap mine, but I'm going to try and run it stock for as long as I can.
It looks like you forgot the ling for the stubby antenna.
Yep! I just added it. Here's the link: a.co/d/cZ8G9ok
Must have a sh*t ton of money.