Pics to come today of roof rack.

 

Welcome!

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Welcome! Can't wait to see what you'll come up with. Glad to see a fabricator actually buy a patriot!

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Welcome!

 

Thanks, I like the patriot, it may not be an off road beast but it will get you down the beach or up some decent trails. No reason it shouldn't be outfitted for a full on safari in my eyes. Plans for the 2" lift, as so far as I can tell that is the biggest available. I used to own a 94 xj and did it up real nice with a custom rack, winch bumper, sliders, high steer kit, lockers, countless suspension upgrades, and of course a big lift.

My patriot gets about 24mpg, my xj got under 10mpg and handled like a pig on the high way.

What is the best source for patriot based upgrades, or is there one?

 

www.rocky-road.com


http://www.rocky-road.com/patriot.html to be exact

 

Can't wait to see your results... Welcome!


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Welcome aboard!!!! Think you might ever try to fabricate a custom suspension lift for the Patriot, something more than 2 inches? I'm thinking that's what I'll be looking to have done out here if I can get somebody to hire me so I can save the $$$$.

 

Rossoracer, I have been looking into why exactly 2" is the max at the moment. I'm sure it has a lot to do with suspension geometry, and the limits there due to the trans axel front end. If the patriot had a more traditional drive line it could go bigger, but I think the 2" May be the mechanical limit.

 

If you do a subframe drop, you could do more than 2" but unless you do something about the suspension as well, you would are stuck to 30" tires. which would look silly with a bigger lift. There was a post a while back about a 4 or 6" lift, and that's exactly what it was, but they left stock tires on it, and it looks a bit silly...

 

That's what I was thinking, and when you lift that way. You don't gain any ground clearance, and you raise the center of gravity. What need to happen is the development of a locker at least for the rear end.

 

agreed 100%, I've been bugging a few of the typical companies that makes them and they've brushed me off.... I would gladly pay for one...

 

Ok figured out the picture thing here. This is of course unfinished. A four inch shelf in the front for mounting lights. No plans for a fairing. Waiting to find out what the load rating is for the existing roof bars as it will be attached to the original roof rack mounts. The high lift extreme will be mounted as shown and a full size shovel mounted adjacent to that. I am using a long handle shovel instead of an entrenching tool. I think it will come in handy more often. Also plant to mount the spare on the roof rack, this will leave more room for dry storage inside.

Does anyone have any literature on the rear diff for these trucks?

 

Looks great!

 

Thanks!

 

Here is another.

 

Some more. Going to plug and paint it this week and do the final install this weekend maybe. Then start on the bumpers and lift


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Welcome to the club. This forum will get you excited about some of the inexpensive and sometimes expensive mods you can do to your patriot. I love mine so far.

 

What would you guys consider a completely bolt on 3-1/4" lift worth? I would be the first one making them as far as I am aware. I just installed the first one built on my patriot. Pics to come tomorrow. I'll be road testing for at least a month before taking orders.

Thanks!


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_These kits would include. Drop hats for the front struts, and lift brackets for the rear lower control arms.

Also included

2 sleeves and bolts for rear control arms

I'm going to have the alignment done tomorrow morning. At that point I will know weather or not camber adjustments plates and or bolt kits are needed.


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I'd be into it, what would be a ball park for price? Under 500, over 500? And how easy to install?

I've been looking to purchase a cool lift, but maybe on this I do want higher ground cleanance, as we'll I think no one has done this lift yet


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Sounds like a pretty cool one, but I'll be trying to learn more about all the mechanics to the Patriot this summer, and see if I can get a 4-6" suspension lift fabricated out here, maybe even do it myself. For what I'm doing, 4-6" seems alot better idea. For most others, sounds like yours is going to fit the bill(just try not to put Rocky Road out of business?).

 

Greetings from north Texas! I can't wait to see what kind of fabrications and progressions you come up with. Our mods are a little limited and you could certainly make some money off of some eager jeepers, with a little skill and some ideas. Welcome!! The roof basket looks great!

 

Thanks guys.

Romeo, the lift would be completely bolt on. If you know your way around a wrench I estimate it could take one person 2.5 hours total to install. And I would be in the $425.00 area for a kit at 3" front 3.25 rear. They may be going up for sale after next month. I want to be sure to iron out any real issues that need to be, and ensure that a satisfactory alignment can be achieved and maintained

Rosso racer, 3.25 is maximum for this suspension. In fact I may only go into production on 3" in front 3.25" in the rear.

At 3.25" the front cv shafts are almost maxed out at full droop. The rear does not seem to be having any issues. I plan to keep the front at 3.25" on my truck simply because the next thing I will be building for it is a big heavy winch bumper.

480kreepin, thanks man, where are you at exactly? As soon as I get the chance I am going to paint the roof rack and do a final install. Although I made mine to fit in the stock bars for the roof rack, I will in the future be making the rack wider, and mounting direct to the roof via the existing hardware.

 

Rosso racer, 3.25 is maximum for this suspension. In fact I may only go into production on 3" in front 3.25" in the rear.

At 3.25" the front cv shafts are almost maxed out at full droop. The rear does not seem to be having any issues. I plan to keep the front at 3.25" on my truck simply because the next thing I will be building for it is a big heavy winch bumper.

Ok, but with the right parts, it would be possible to do a 4-6" lift, right?

 

Well. With a lot of modification...Ok basically if you wanted to go 4-6 especially 6" from what I can tell here under the truck (which is basically set up like a car) you would end up doing a subframe drop, so you would be taller; handle bigger tires, and would have better ground clearance.

Here's my thought on all that

If you are going to go so far as to unbolt the subframe and fabricate a drop system for the subframe, and modify all the engine components that would need to be modified to be dropped under the body that far. You might as well rip all the car crap right out of the truck, do solid axle swaps front and rear and throw a 4 banger with traditional tranny and t-case behind it.

You may spend just a touch more money on the later, but the benefits would be significant.

By the way, if you have a few thousand dollars laying around for a prototype I would be happy to start building one for you


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If you have a few thousand bucks laying around for a prototype solid axle Patriot, go buy an XJ. If you need more off-road oomph than 2-3" lift can provide, you bought the wrong vehicle.

 

Well, this is the one I've got, and I wanna see just how far I can take it, and last it a loooong time.