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Help me figure out LCOG builds

29K views 69 replies 18 participants last post by  iwaxmyjimmy 
#1 ·
I was thinkng about it and dont really understand the rason for a lcog jeep. I see some ups but alot of downs of having lcog and 35s or 33s

Ups i see- obviously more stable, normal suspension geometry for descent handling.

Downs i see- low hitting belly and getting hung up alot. Bad approach angle on obstacles for front bumper, on obstAcles smashing the muffler and rear bumper alot. Not much flex, destroying gas tank over obstacles, going through mud and sucking in lots of mud through doors and intake.

Thats all i can imagine it being good for is a daiky driver for being stable and steep inclines. Which you can get a stretch kit and widen axles for that. If anyone can inform me on what i am missing please help
 
#3 ·
I have a somewhat lcg build, and I like it. 2" coil lift and longer shocks, the rest of the suspension is stock, with 33s. I ripped out the fenders and replaced with metal cloak to make them fit, and can fit 35s without any further mods. It is a daily driver, so there's that, but when offroading I'm either on light trails that don't need a lift, or rock crawling, but mainly the crawling. Pretty much the only reason for lcg is balance (that and I like the look of a 2" lift with 35s vs a 6"with 35s, but that's just personal preference.) When I first did the lift, etc, I used to smack my skids and rocker guards alot, but now I just pick better lines and with proper spotting I don't have any issues.

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#4 ·
I have a somewhat lcg build, and I like it. 2" coil lift and longer shocks, the rest of the suspension is stock, with 33s. I ripped out the fenders and replaced with metal cloak to make them fit, and can fit 35s without any further mods. It is a daily driver, so there's that, but when offroading I'm either on light trails that don't need a lift, or rock crawling, but mainly the crawling. Pretty much the only reason for lcg is balance (that and I like the look of a 2" lift with 35s vs a 6"with 35s, but that's just personal preference.) When I first did the lift, etc, I used to smack my skids and rocker guards alot, but now I just pick better lines and with proper spotting I don't have any issues.
Thanks! I also just was thinking and thought about i guess if you get full skid plates you can do some medium to heavy trails by just running over eveything at ful lyheottle but that would hurt lol
 
#5 ·
Mine is LCG.
Advantages​
  • cheap
  • better high speed cornering / on-road stability
  • better off camber stability
  • Possibly more uptravel depending on the setup
  • cheaper
  • better for a DD
  • better axle /dif clearance (bigger tires for a low lift)
  • Looks cool

Cons​
  • Not as good for wheeling on waist high boulders
  • Less belly clearance (but I'd take a LCG with a flat skid over a +3" lifted jeep with a shovel without hesitation)
My plan is to put it on coilovers. If I need to drive over waist high boulders, I can put a couple turns on the COs and lift it a couple in, then back it down for better street performance. For a trailer rig there is little point for LCG, but it makes a lot of sense for a DD.
 
#6 ·
Cost was also a factor for me. It's been pieced together to be cheap but capable and still be a DD. Next year ill get a new DD and convert this to more of a dedicated toy. I want 37s on a 3-4 in lift, to still stick with the lcg, but that's a whole lot of investment to get there properly. I figured cheap and capable within first year, then save for two to get to where I want. I'm right on track, one year to go :)
 
#8 ·
Yeh i have a 4" short arm and have my 4 and 3 link setup on its way. Im gonna get a 1" body for skids and stuff. So i will be at 5" my plan is to have a 5" of lift with 2 d44s and metal cloaks woth 37's and all skid plates. I was just windering why you would want a lower jeep when you can get a higher jeep with the same size or bigger tires and skids and better suspension. I guess the real couple reasons are either economy or daily driving stability. I guess the right built lcog builds are hetter then a 2.5"-4" cheaper short arm lift.
 
#10 ·
Define LCOG? If you think it's a cheaply done 2" lift than you will get just that. If you build for function it's going to involve much more than a set of springs and cheap shocks. This is what a build done with 1.5" of suspension lift and 1" of body on 37" tires. 'rock crawling go-cart' or something - JeepForum.com
I mean i wouldnt consider that a lcog lift. Looks like a good 4" of lift. And most actual lcog lifts a a 2"-3" lift and most people dont do lcog builds like that. Most are a pretty generic ome 2" coils and shocks with 1"bl. But just sayin because i see everyone doing there lcog builds mostly the same with a rough country 2.5" lift or the ome.
 
#13 ·
LCG came about because folks are terrified of leaning their rigs over and instead of learning how to deal with it, they sacrifice ground clearance for comfort not realizing that when it matters, what they built won't cut it.

The reason they get away with it are the terrain they are wheeling in doesn't require ground clearance, so it doesn't matter.

We've had many folks show up with "LCG" rigs, they fall into 1 group and two sub group. The group is they have a miserable time getting hung up on stuff that everyone else doesn't even know is there. Then the two sub groups kick in and they either never come back and play or they take it home and toss all that LCG crap and add some belly clearance and some up travel. 4" of lift, 1" body lift, belly height of around 20" or so on 35's and it's not tippy or what anyone with experience would consider over tall.

Here's that build, the rig is in motion, and it didn't fall over.



 
#18 ·
LCG came about because folks are terrified of leaning their rigs over and instead of learning how to deal with it, they sacrifice ground clearance for comfort not realizing that when it matters, what they built won't cut it.
First off, I'll acknowledge I'm in that camp....mostly because there have been some scary examples where I wheel. If you lean the rig over too far here, it's not always a gentle plop onto some rocks...its a 900 ft drop off the mountain side.

Every once in a while, we see stuff like this out here:

Rolled from the upper red arrow:


driver error, absolutely. but this still wears on peoples' minds.

FWIW, I've got what I consider a well setup ~2.5" suspension lift/1.25" BL with 33s, and 16" belly clearance thanks to the Savvy skid, and it gets me everywhere I want to go so far. If that changes at some point, I'll address it then. My point is not everyone wheels in JV, and not everyone needs to build for that terrain.
 
#16 ·
don't arbitrarily say that...you'll just end up with people not doing anything with the bumps, running shocks that are too long and use them as the bumps. Then they say, "Look you can run 35s with 3" of lift and 'trimmed' flares..." :pc-ouch:

Say like it is - If you want a "proper" LCG setup it's going to be a lot of work, and a lot of that work will involve major cutting of body panels. You need to move the hoodline = true highline fenders (if any fenders at all). You need to heavily modify the rear fenderwell. You need to fabricate/relocate the shock mounts. Here's a great example - "The L-TJ". Imped's rig is another great example (linked above).

This is all about suspension travel. If you handicap the travel out of your suspension (whether it's knowingly or unknowingly) so you can jam big tires under the Jeep, it ends up being surprisingly disadvantaged compared to other setups.

Personally, I prefer being able to use every bit of travel I can get. If that means I need to run smaller tires to do so, then so be it. Outside of deep mud pits, travel and traction is what gets you places....not the tire size.

That said, I'm all for making your maximized traction & travel setup "LCG" by modifying the steel body panels so you can get to the next tire size up, assuming your axles, brakes and steering are equipped to handle it. A "LCG" approach will compliment an already well setup rig, but it's not going to make the rig well setup by itself.
 
#22 ·
I think a LCG setup consists more of just limiting suspension lift size, but rather maximizing tire size and belly clearance without sacrificing articulation space.

meaning, instead of 4" suspension lift on 33s and calling it a day, running high clearance fenders with 33s and a tummy tuck on stock suspension. Now everything has as much clearance except the bumpers. Different build for different players.
 
#23 ·
Again, the devil is in the details. In that comparison, the stock suspension has significantly less travel than the 4" lift. The shocks are shorter, the springs are shorter and the axle doesn't travel up or down near as much. So when traction matters, the 4" lifted Jeep will get those 33" tires onto the ground a lot more than the stock suspension.

If you keep the stock spring and shock mounts you're always constrained by shock length & bumpstop extension requirements....and if you want balanced travel that means you need a certain amount of lift.

now, let's say you keep the stock frame height, however you have cut the OEM spring perches and shock mounts off, then fabricate new mounts (or used aftermarket mounts) to run the same shocks and springs the guy on 4" lift is using. You may even benefit from modifications to the frame and a custom MML... so you can make room for steering and maximize uptravel by pushing the axle housing clear up to the oil pan of the engine. Project YJ Erection and Project Stretch It are some of my favorite examples.

Think about that for a while. If you understand the concept, you might just have something.
 
#36 ·
When JB posts his picture of his long arm suspension stuck on a rock 500000000000 times, people start to think that it is a huge problem. If you spend way more time on this forum, than you do on the trail, your views may become highly skewed by people that post a lot.
 
#37 ·
O we have another one. Goto moab and tell all of them that if they had a shortarm then they would have all of there problems solved. You would rather have a cloyton shortarm? Then a clayton 4and 3link longarm? I highly doubt that shortarm will out preform a long arm on intence trails.
 
#53 ·
I think the point that is trying to get across is their aren't really quality LA 'kits'. The good ones are custum built by highly knowledgable wheelers. Their are high quality SA kits. I think the LA kits make the arms look way vulnerable. midarm kit would be the way to go
 
#55 ·
I think the point that is trying to get across is their aren't really quality LA 'kits'.
I think this LA vs SA debate is out of scope for a LCG thread. It's pretty safe to say there are very few "LCG" jeeps with LAs. It's hard to call something that requires a plasma torch and a welder, a "kit". If you have these tools, just build the suspension you want.
 
#58 ·
I forgot to add the pics.
 

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#61 ·
Lcog is certainly not cheap.

It's also not just slapping on a 2" coil and stuffing big tires under it.

"Lcog" as a term is stupid. It doesn't tell anyone anything of value.

Frame height (with known tire size), travel bias, and coil/shock length at least provide solid numbers.
 
#63 ·
LCG came about because folks are terrified of leaning their rigs over and instead of learning how to deal with it, they sacrifice ground clearance for comfort not realizing that when it matters, what they built won't cut it.
Hardly think that rigs that are properly built sacrifice clearance. In fact. The whole objective behind their builds is to maximize suspension travel/clearance while keeping it relatively lower.

I will agree that 95% of the rigs that say they're "lcg" do sacrifice clearance and comfort.
 
#64 ·
Agreed. This involves far more cutting and clearancing and fab work than what most people are willing and able to do. There is far more to "LCG" than just stuffing huge tires under a pair of Metalcloak fenders.

Also, the fear of rolling due to high center of gravity is a little over-exaggerated given what most people actually do with their Jeeps.
 
#66 ·
LCG came about because folks are terrified of leaning their rigs over and instead of learning how to deal with it, they sacrifice ground clearance for comfort not realizing that when it matters, what they built won't cut it.
There is a lot more truth to that than most realize. I do a lot of brake installs and then take the owners for a ride to show them how to properly bed and season the pads and rotors. I drive with a fair bit of enthusiasm and it always amuses me when I sling a rig around a corner and see the owner start grabbing for the "Oh Crap" handles.

You can tell simply by their reactions that they have never pushed the rig even close to the limits to know what it can do and they are terrified when it leans over.

That and with rare exception, most are afraid to use their brakes. Not sure why that is, but I get to see it over and over.
 
#69 ·
Only read OP; however my build I plan will be somewhat a LCOG. The reason being is because my jeep is, and for the foreseeable future, will be my DD. So I'd like to maintain somewhat OK gas mileage, and good handling. Not too many rocks to crawl over here in NW PA, so I don't believe that extremely high clearances are absolutely required.

However, I also believe that if you have a LCOG build, you need to emphasizes on underbelly protection. Belly-up skids, MMLs(and possibly an oil pan skid), differential skids, and an aftermarket gas tank skid will definitely help keep your underside safe, since you'll be closer to the ground than a jeep running 35s with a 6" SL.
 
#70 ·
Only read OP; however my build I plan will be somewhat a LCOG. The reason being is because my jeep is, and for the foreseeable future, will be my DD. So I'd like to maintain somewhat OK gas mileage, and good handling. Not too many rocks to crawl over here in NW PA, so I don't believe that extremely high clearances are absolutely required. However, I also believe that if you have a LCOG build, you need to emphasizes on underbelly protection. Belly-up skids, MMLs(and possibly an oil pan skid), differential skids, and an aftermarket gas tank skid will definitely help keep your underside safe, since you'll be closer to the ground than a jeep running 35s with a 6" SL.
Don't matter how safe you have it when you're turtled
 
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