the true costs of running lift rods

[tetontrees]

so i get that lift rods don't help any with increasing off-road capability and may actually be a detriment to such pursuits. but for rolling around town are there any consequences (ie. increased wear on suspension components) to just running lift rods on the street? I have a set I kinda want to throw on my wife's rig, but if it will lead to a shortened life and increased costs to do so it isn't worth it to me.

 

[TrungH]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong (I don't run rods), but isnt the main purpose of rods to increase off-roading ability by improving your stock ground clearance, further increasing your off-road height, and allowing you to use larger diameter tires (in addition to looking a bit cooler).

 

[ryanjl]

so i get that lift rods don't help any with increasing off-road capability and may actually be a detriment to such pursuits. but for rolling around town are there any consequences (ie. increased wear on suspension components) to just running lift rods on the street? I have a set I kinda want to throw on my wife's rig, but if it will lead to a shortened life and increased costs to do so it isn't worth it to me.

You'll wear out suspension parts and CV joints faster as you're operating them in angles they weren't meant to be in full-time.

 

[ryanjl]

Someone correct me if I'm wrong (I don't run rods), but isnt the main purpose of rods to increase off-roading ability by improving your stock ground clearance, further increasing your off-road height, and allowing you to use larger diameter tires (in addition to looking a bit cooler).

Pretty pointless when the LR4 has an air suspension that can put itself in off-road height from the factory.

The limitation on tire size on an LR4 isn't the height; it's hitting the frame and other stuff while turning and while the suspension travels. The rods don't help any of that. Rods could come into play if you've got substantial mods, but for an otherwise stock LR4, they don't really allow for much bigger tires than you could run stock.

 

[Houm_WA]

I think rods DO help off-road inasmuch as they allow you to fit larger tires; however, they will add wear to the joints doing so full-time. A better solution is using an IIDTool (or equivalent) which allow for adjusting the air suspension at will.

 

[Jazzy]

I use lift rods full time in order to actually have clearance between my 33.5” tires and my LR4 wheel well, otherwise there would only be about 2” separating the two.

Off road is where the lift rods have paid the most dividends. I’ve noticed with additional height I rarely bottom out on trails driving through rock gardens or extremely washed out areas, made difficult trails more manageable (I do have sliders n some body armor).

I don’t drive more than a few miles to work each day, so I’m not terribly concerned with the added stress on my cv joints, Although I am aware. I monitor the components when I work on my car or after hitting trails. Unless adding 33” tires and up, or hitting trails consistently, not sure you’ll need them, but if you like the look of lifted vic which I did, then as long as your aware of what to keep an eye on, I’d say go for it and see what you think.

 

[avslash]

I ran the rods for approximately 40,000 miles in conjunction with 18" LR3 wheels and 1.25" spacers.

I did a brake job a month or two ago, and took that opportunity to replace the front hub/bearing assemblies as well. I did not use a dial indicator to check run out, as I was just replacing them preventatively but I could detect no play in the bearing assembly by hand at all after 89K miles.

Based on my findings on the front, I just left the rear hub/bearing assemblies alone as they are bit more involved to change out.

There is also a first hand account from the owner of expedition portal on that site of his conversation with actual JLR engineers who said the spacer/rod combo should not be an issue for long-term use on the LR4.

Take this as worth what you paid for it, but I would not worry about it.

I am also back to running rods at this point, in conjunction with Proud Rhino strut extensions and Compomotive wheels.

 

[mbw]

lift rods DO NOT help you run larger tires. Lift rods change the AT-REST default height of the suspension. The maximum articulation of the suspension is NOT changed. The tire still has to clear when it is fully tucked up into the wheel well. the rod has NOTHING to do with clearance on tire fitment (UNLESS YOU ARE ONLY CRAWLING AROUND A MALL AND NEVER ARTICULATE YOUR SUSPENSION!)

Stuffing a tire is one thing, but heaven help you if you don't have an IID tool and you drop to the bump stops on a trail with just lift rods. You will get stuck. (I don't run rods, but giving the suspension a bump with an iid tool for fun/looks/trails is fine. I just don't feel the need to prance around all the time like that on the street. An lr4 is not a bro-dozer.)

 

[Houm_WA]

...seems like the rods would help avoid tire rubbing on less severe obstacles, though...full stuff is full stuff, agreed....but being in extended height has to help with general tire clearance and of course ground clearance.

The counter-argument is to say you have just as much tire-clearance in Access Height. It's just not true. Yes Extended Height is available without the rods but not as accessible by the driver and that is the thing that rods or an electronic means of adjusting the EAS height does.

Is it a physical change to the suspension? No.

Does it help off-road by allowing user selection of Extended Height to allow more clearance over the tires and ground clearance? Yes.

What say you, @mbw?

 

[iSurfvilano]

Here's a thought...put lift rods in...use the IID tool to permanently put the rig at access height (which would then be regular height without the rods) then use the "regular" setting as off road height and the "off road" setting for even more clearance.