WHAT SHOULD WE DO?! Our Jeep Build Plans Are FALLING APART!

[@Maistro69]

This episode should be called “Kevin came in like a wreeeecking baaall!”

[@LiteBrite]

🤣🤣🤣

[@rodnjosh]

If you are not going to do the frame swap now, just make what you have work. Get as much travel as you can from the parts on hand. Then when you do the frame swap you can make those modifications with a square (straight) frame. Personally I would do the frame swap first, so that I had a fresh square frame to work with. Rather than trying to use the old bent and twisted frame. Then going backwards and having to cut everything back out, to weld back into the new frame. I love these videos as much as the rock crawling videos. Just keep on wheeling the Bronco until you get the Stepchild where you want her. We want to see how far the Bronco will go before you decide that you have to start doing these kind of modifications to it.

[@rodnjosh]

You also need to hire a cameraman for Chris when you guys are gone. Don't get me wrong here, Chris does a great job filming these videos, but I feel like there is a lot more that he is unable to film because he is busy doing the work that he isn't able to record.

[@johncarnegie5358]

I agree with the frame, I also think going to 16” would be awesome I get how Kevin feels if he going to do it, get most bang out of it.

[@shanemcnulty138]

14s you will never regret going bigger!! For your wheelbase and tire size a 14 inch stroke shock will give you a great balance of performance. Your arc radius with your link size won’t be to radical.

[@johntamulonis4626]

Great video! Whatever you decide, please double Chris' salary! Good to see masters at work!

[@4x4_travel]

Thanks for bringing us back some Jeep content. 15" is the goal- Chris is awesome and needs the challenge to stay on his game!

[@1Skiptube]

Yes but where is the Beer Fridge and BBQ area ? What about the lounge couch and stools for brainy ideas / discussion and beer tasting ? Don't forget a white board for visualization of said ideas !

[@zmotorpro]

This build will be bad ass for sure. Can't wait to see it! One thing I would suggest is not putting the battery anywhere below the floor board. Better to have it above because of water fording, ease of access, and better protection. Put it in the back cargo area if you have to.

[@johncarnegie5358]

Honestly at this point, with how long the Stepchild has been down and with all the work being done just remove the time constraints. Do the frame replacement, Go for 16 inches of travel that would be amazing seems a shame not to do it. Build the baddest Jeep JL 426, that is what you want Kevin and that is what LiteBrite Nation wants for you. Do the things, do all the things!!!

[@rickaccurso]

You’re this far in and with everything y’all do, in my opinion I think you’ll regret not going as big as you can with the Stepchild being this far torn down. But whatever y’all decide Chris will have it done right. Dude is an awesome fabricator. See y’all in a few weeks In Tennessee.

[@FatGreenSheep]

I say just decide on the 14” set up. It’ll suck for Chris to have to redo some stuff, but then your won’t be bouncing back and forth between doing it and not doing it. You also won’t hit a trail in 3 months where you’re like “I would’ve made that if I had the 14” setup.”

[@Robert-gg3jm]

You could bench race for months over all the possibilities; I’m voting build it with the parts you have and flog it until the stock frame falls apart, cuz we all know that’s coming in the not-so-distant future lol.

[@motoboggin2619]

go with 16s front and back and if you cant use the whole coil over right away oh well but you'll have them already for when that time comes, my 16s have so much travel i can diagonally cross a small ditch and i only feel a little flex steer but no bump from hitting bump stop its like a magic carpet. im running 67.5% sitting droop ratio. 3 linked. my biggest problem is u joint bind from trying to run a stock caster angle stock pinion angle axle. Need to cut an turn the inner C's.

[@207outdoorsmoody4]

Honestly I think your answer is right on the lift I mean come on its the one and only stepchild I think it needs to be the baddest mother truckin jeep on the planet.

[@Codemanstheman]

If you do a small change now, a year from now you’ll get board and want to upgrade. Just go big now and do it once

[@DanSomethingOrOther]

I think Chris is right, if you go too far, you cross too far into buggy territory. You can always go bigger but you risk losing the integrity of the Step Child. Not to mention, you could easily lose the ride quality and everything you love about it. Another thing to consider is something in the software industry known as scope creep, where you keep changing/adding on while the project is still being worked on, to the point where you'll never get the project done because you keep changing what was originally agreed upon.

[@kirkschreier2369]

Depends on how much travel the new rear set up ends up with. Finish the rear first, then decide. I would NOT remove the standard shock eyes, and weld on uniballs to shaft, too much chance of breaking at an inopportune time. I usually set both bypass and coil carrier with 1/16- 1/8" clearance at full bumpstop bump, so none of the energy at full bottom gets transfered to their shock mounts.

[@307Garage]

16" are the way to go!!!

[@davidshettlesworth1442]

Wow! The project is in good hands with you. You are making applied engineering calculus and vector analysis decisions while creating the dream. I am so envious of your shop setup. Carry On Sir!

[@bamaadventures6132]

Its settled. Chris is setting it up for 16in Coil Overs.

[@thomasleonard9685]

Whatever you’re paying Chris it’s not enough. He could have a shop doing a couple mill a year very easy Denver needs more quality Jeep shops

[@LiteBrite]

We gave him a big raise, don’t worry. 😁

[@Bigjmoney83]

Maximize travel you'll be happier, Kevin will regret not doing it when hes out on the trail. Best to take the time and do it now and be done with it the way you want it. Yes Chris has extra work but he loves extra work lol.

[@JoeyRice-hr5lm]

I have a JLU with RockKrawler 3-Link, Dynatrac 72.5", 40" tires. My shocks are capable of 15" of travel, with a ride height allowing 5" of up travel. However the max shock travel I can get is currently right at 14". The following areas are the limiting factors on my jeep. The driveshaft binds a 13" of droop. I do have a custom-grind JE Reel for extra clearance, but still have a center straps to limit double tire droop. This protects the drive shaft, but limits my full range of articulated droop until fully articulated. The Steersmarts draglink made contact with the frame at full articulated droop. I notched the frame to take care of that and moved the axle forward to clear the frame crossbar. Full articulated droop is now limited to 14" by the Steersmarts rod end on the draglink. I will run this for a while, and the next level of modifications for me will be relocating the oil cooler from the transmission to allow use of a 1480 drive shaft and fabricating a custom draglink using heims to gain increased misalignment. Can't wait to see what you guys come up with on your build!

[@johncarnegie5358]

Nice setup

[@LivingTheDream-RocklanderUSA]

15” deep stroke is best. Remove limiter. You can do it!

[@RottDawg]

I was slightly disappointed because there were no bloopers at the end, but then I realized the entire video was nothing but bloopers. This is the longest video you guys have ever done, and accomplished absolutely nothing. Thanks, Kevin! As far as suggestions, go big or go home. If it were me, I would tell Chris what I want to maximize, give him a budget, go on vacation, and tell him it needs to be done in two weeks. Preferably somewhere with no communication, so Kevin can't come up with more "ideas." 😂

[@willy3177]

No boops, no bleeps, 😂

[@jasonwelch6322]

Chris is the mad scientist. Definitely a boss fab’r

[@Shannon-xx8tp]

All right guys you are our example of what our jeeps could be. So I Say do the responsible thing and go 14s. Because at the end of the day you will be happy with it and if you go 12s you will always say I should of gone 14s while it was apart. It's just time and a little money. It's cheaper to do it now than later

[@benblakeney7418]

If you have the resources, time, and budget, I recommend going for the max you can get out of it. Otherwise, you'll wonder "what if" whenever you go hard on the trail. I would also consider doing the frame swap. Now that you're providing more time, have a clean slate to build off of.

[@squeakin3]

I’ve gone down the rabbit hole, it’s a pain in the ass to make it all work, you create more problems with more travel and takes longer. I’m sure you will end up with coilovers hitting the frame at full droop, etc. so then it takes even more time and work but in the end I’d say it’s worth it

[@jjansen987]

Kevin do it the way you want it now. Chris good luck can’t wait to see what you come up with!

[@quinnmortensen1415]

Do what will keep you from regretting, that you didn't do it the first time. I had too many people telling me what I should do to my YJ when I was building it. I had to go back and redo it, to my original idea. It now has been 15 years, and I have had no regrets about my original plan. Sure it's metal, and can be cut and welded for multiple changes. But it's more fun using it, than always changing it. Unless you're trying to keep Chris busy, so he doesn't get into trouble. 😂.

[@jad21964]

Burn in what you got and run it till the frame gives way. Then swap the frame and add 16's for Stepchild 4.0.

[@trjnsd6874]

Hell of a Thumbnail there Kev! Next time let Brit do it! Chris has his work cut out. “Never enough time to do it right but always enough time to do it over.” I had to keep hitting Pause to stop and see what you were talking about. No way would I mount the battery under the chassis - better inside somewhere safe and accessible. StepChild 3.0 will be awesome, again, eventually. LiteBriteNationShocksGirations!

[@ButtercupEcoDiesel]

Maximize droop and be done. Chris your a bad ass I should be getting my Fusion king pin in any day now so I’ll be doing a lot of the same to make it all work.

[@northernidahooutdoors3748]

You guys always say go big or go home, so I like the idea of extending the brackets & going for 16s!.

[@joeym2675]

Just go all the way now! Do it like you want it the first time if not your not gonna be happy!!!

[@TonysTech]

It's not always about more flex. It's about better balance. Match the rear. Plus when you go too much, the sway bar can't keep up and you will end up restricting that extra flex anyways. Just think of what happened when you added the antirocks in the first place.

[@jaimecondejr7721]

Just be simple and order a genright EXS for the stepchild 🤣

[@207outdoorsmoody4]

Y be simple like most jeep build when the stepchild NEEDS to be a stand alone monster !!!!!

[@johncarnegie5358]

They wouldn’t want the whole kit just the frame so it still wouldn’t be simple. Hopefully they go for 16 inches of travel which would be incredible, with that much flex a stiffer, square frame would be nice.

[@Boujeebuggybuilder]

14/16 with tbb is easy. 16/16 is really hard unless you go thru the hood but it’s still a pain to get it all to work with no binding of ds. And also remember those clearances you have on 10’s will be waaay different on 14 or 16. You’re going to have to notch your frame.

[@tonyyoung3902]

I say take it to the limit. There's no use in doing all of this and not getting all you can get out of it. I would seriously rethink the battery placement. All the abuse and mud and water that will happen under there is not going to be good for the battery. I would figure out some kind of compartment on the inside for it. I know it's a badass battery but it's not indestructible and the connections would be a problem too. Love the channel and I hope you pay Chris good because he's worth a bundle with all his knowledge and capabilities to do just about anything you can dream up and do it well.

[@rerod650]

I don’t know what you will do about the jeep(go big), but one thing is for sure. Chris deserves a raise every time Kevin walks into the shop and changes something!

[@Brad-2015JKURubicon]

Great work, Chris, from one tech to another.

[@mike-pl8sn]

DO THE FRAME!!! Then 16” coil overs

[@apexpredator_jku]

I always wondered about swapping out my RK coilover & bypass from their Trail Gunner suspension, where that tower & shock mounts were pulled from. I guess this answers that...kinda sorta Lol. Isn't the bump stop somewhat redundant though? What's the bump stop doing that the bypass isn't already catering to?

[@LiteBrite]

The bump stop protects the bypass from bottoming out (which can potentially damage internals on the bypass). Just like a limit strap prevent the bypass from topping out, the bump stop protects it from bottoming it out.

[@apexpredator_jku]

@@LiteBrite makes total sense which is why I always found it odd that the bump stop gets deleted from RK's Trail Gunner suspension which is what that coilover/bypass tower is from. There's no air bump included in that kit nor do they say 1 is required.

[@LiteBrite]

Bump stops and limit straps aren’t “needed” when you have both coilover and bypass but it’s never a bad thing to have them if you are going to push the rig hard.

[@vincentpoole7588]

L/B. We get it - give your 'Stepchild' a total of 15" of travel on the front axle and 17" on the rear axle to make it go ? Britpart offer XD skeleton shock turrets which provide an idea of balancing the same amount of droop vs tuck travel by centering your shock over a front axle. Chris will need to flip the shock mounts on Stepchild's back axle with a battery box beneath as per Classic Defender ! Simply go harder or go home we say. V

[@wyrickb]

Yall are way to smart for me to help, the stepchild is who it is because of the great folks of lightbrite, thats said remember some of us live vicariously through you to an extent. So if you CAN go bigger and better, do it!

[@michaelw2304]

Bummer, I was really looking forward to seeing the stepchild at Keepers Jamboree this past weekend. Oh well, it was good to see you all out in the wild none the less

[@davidcousineau6605]

I liked your wheeling content before but I REALLY like the rig mod videos Chris does. Keep those coming!!!

[@JamesMcDonald-b9x]

Why don't you just save the time and effort and get a *** 3" BODY LIFT KIT***so you can do the taller shocks and suspension lift kit

[@k.sather4833]

Did you ever find that you’re current amount of travel kept you from doing an obstacle or a line that you wanted? You also still plan on driving this on long distance trips. I wonder what the benefit to work, time and reliability are with what you’re trying to make this do.

[@jasonwelch6322]

Did Kevin just say, “the reach around”? You guys are definitely my people. Love y’all

[@timguyett2843]

If you put the battery underneath would you put jumper points under the hood if ya leave the lights on and have to jump it???????

[@brokennib1]

Personally I feel like all this could have been worked out before all that work was done, but hey, it's not my jeep... If I remember right, weren't you thinking of replacing the frame at a later date?? Would it make more sense to do all this at that time? If those longer Bilstein's are even available? Gotta say, Chris is a pretty patient guy!

[@austinpyatt]

You’d be silly not to do the extra work for 14” shocks. Do it once!

[@lollollipop6378]

What welding table are you using

[@stevenr8353]

What’s the genright frame setup for 16” coil over s if I remember right? Copy that if your not gonna buy one now. Best solution

[@LTUSATV]

I agree, just do the frame swap now...and I like the hoops through the hood.

[@MrDrewgle]

Lovee it when you geek out on the build Chris! You rock!

[@MorganGlassco]

Go 14". You'll always have that nagging feeling in the back of your mind questioning the 12s. Chris will crush it regardless

[@act2.533]

You already did buggy lines with Step Child 2.0, much further than the original 3.0 plan and you have another buggy. How many times were you not able to do an obstacle because you needed 2 more inches of droop?

[@rejsabjorn]

Is it a showcar or drive car? Did it run better with 1-2" longer dropp and flex? I don't think that.

[@thomasehrhart4461]

You guys do crazy like no other! Love the technical aspects mixed with real world use. I kinda laugh seeing Stepchild 3.0 and the progression of the stepchild. In December 2018 I made the below list to keep track of the mods and possibilities for my own JK, but you quickly went above and beyond. Thanks for the great content! JL Wrangler build MetalCloak Rocksliders $599 MetalCloak Underbody skids $1420 MetalCloak stabilizer relocation kit $49 MetalCloak dual rate 3.5” lift kit $1565 Motobilt Diff covers $198 Motobilt rear bumper $549 Motobilt license plate bracket $149 RCV Axle kit $1300 Adams rear 1350 Driveshaft $749 Raceline 232 beadlocks x 5 $2055 Milestar Patagonia 38x13.5x17 MTx5 $1780 Barricade winch $500 Best Top sunrider $799 67 Designs cell phone kit $149 Steer smarts yeti XD tie rod kit est $800 West Texas ram assist $599 Total: $12,111

[@CoorsLightyear]

I’d save all the work for the bigger shocks until the next inevitable iteration of the Step Child. Going with the longer ones you already were planning will give you much better performance as is and I don’t think you will be disappointed.

[@raacore]

While your making the decision I will pose a question to Chris. After I had a builder install 16" Evo 2.5 Coil overs on my former JK, along with trac bars, an everything else needed.. why would the traction control kick on when normal driving thru tight turns on the road? It was like the power was cut off, and it made this winding noise until it kicked off, then back to normal 1-2 seconds later. Talk about frustrating, after spending 5k on new suspension, only to be limited by the computer. Thoughts?

[@marcbee1234]

You have a full on shop with a top tier mechanic, MAX that beast out!!!

[@rbarber1004]

At some point suspension will bind. If you all have checked that and you know you can get a 14 in travel shock to fully travel go that route. Like you said your already doing all this work and you know if you don’t do it now you will regret not doing it and then down the road your going to down the jeep again it’s going to be way more work to cut off fully welded brackets. Just do it the way you really want it right now. Just my thoughts. It’s good to see Chris actually knows what he is doing so many people on KZbin just act like it and put bad information out keep up the good work!

[@TimTheTowman]

More is better! Seriously though.. You're already there.. Might as well make it better now rather than tearing it all apart one more time! And BTW, you prob didn't see my FB message.. Thanks again for you're advise on caster.. Finally installed adjustable upper and lower front control arms on my JKU and dialed in some more caster.. Game changer!

[@theviewfrommyhammock]

Whatever you do, you need to be at smoking mountain jeep festival. I finally get to go. Yeah! I do like Kevin's bad ass jeep idea 14 to 16 inches of drop. However, it sounds like a whole lot of modifications. See you in Tennessee!

[@LiteBrite]

We’ll be there! 😁🤙

[@rob5529]

Curious about the shocks and towers placement. Cant the towers be swapped driver/passenger? You have the shocks on the front of the axle, not the rear near the links. Dont know maybe makes it better or do anything at all.

[@2gnospam]

When I saw the first video I wondered what prevented you from raising the shock tower height. Now I know you can get that done. Great!

[@walt3r88]

What was the front setup for this?

[@johnjubie7144]

Since you're this far, get what you really want. And keep the battery inside!

[@rinaldocatria4386]

So cool. I am a bit concerned about the “paper” clearance between some of the parts. With all the loads and stresses these axels will get I would think even an inch clearance between the shocks and other parts might be calling it close. But then, what do I know. 😂

[@brenttower3068]

Don't settle. Go bigger!

[@johnpeterson2084]

I went 12 front 14 rear to just get going. And while it wheels great and 0 complaints I’m already contemplating cutting it all out to get to 14 front 16 rear….do it once is my vote

[@JohnGoingAndDoingThings]

what tire size are we reaching for?

[@billmccullough2323]

I do not have the knowledge to figure out on the front end of this project, I do understand what you discussing, barely!!! Kevin, go for it!!! Chris, just do it!! LOL i know you can do it and make it AWESOME!!!!

[@roncameron9541]

Just watched this and all i can think to say is "you guys are nuckin' futz!" In a nice way of course.

[@JamesBlack.177]

Are the 14s even available?

[@Beat98TJ]

In my opinion, I would leave the towers that you have now, and run the shorter shocks. If you’re concerned about the lower amount, Phil can chop the shafts and do a king style lower mount. If you end up running a 14, you are probably going to want to put longer links in the vehicle. The axle is moving towards the rear of the vehicle pretty far at droop already. You seem upset about only one extra inch of travel, but the quality of travel is more important than the gross number. When you put 14s on something with a full body, (is never designed to) you may as well just go to a buggy. Oh, and in the rear, you should just go trailing arm. It packages pretty nice.

[@Beat98TJ]

Also, droop travel is important Rockcrawling, if you wanna go fast, it’s all about bump

[@Dirtroadoverlanding]

BAD to the BONE Jeep!!! Chris is genius!

[@blake_pearson]

Currently I think the best option would be to pull the limiter, weld the Uniballs get the 13 inches, limiter straps, move the axle bracket, for time crunch reasons, and if you end up not being happy with it, go bigger 14 or 16 on stepchild 4.0 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

[@jamesgreene8629]

Go big if Bilsrein has them. This is light Brite and you have a Chris!

[@thomasj.kappjr.929]

Just put together is it really worth it for a couple of inches

[@RobertKohut]

Go big or go home!! A careful review of options isn't a bad thing!!!

[@emilevoyer123]

IF YOU BLOW A SHOCK, WILL YOU BEABLE TO GET ONE OVER NIGHT IF YOU MODIFY IT?

[@MartinKrafft]

can the battery go where the auxiliary battery was?

[@nicholassbardella6045]

You’re gonna do a new frame in the future. Leave all those big changes for when you swap that. Work with what you have now

[@glamisfan777]

More travel is always better. I’m at 11 1/2 inch is of travel front and rear and it’s not enough. 14 inches, and you’re starting to get there. That so-called limiter is to keep your shaft from bending, when landing with the shocks fully extended. Not a good thing to take out. Taking off the end of the shock and welding a uniball to it to shorten it up is not good because now you have a custom shock, that’s not easily replaceable. What Chris started to do with the 12 inches of travel is good. And they’re real bypass shocks which is excellent. But if you can switch it up right now and do 14 inch, just do it. You’ll be happy with that set up for a long time.

[@nickthomas3120]

Look at your drag link when flexed out. Dropping the pass. side. You may run out of alignment and stress your sector shaft.

[@neilkirkes]

Put your old drive shaft in at the t case. Let it dangle at the axle to show you what droop is actually feasible without larger joints or grinding yokes. What angle is it at now, with 1350’s What does the 1410 joint net you in additional droop? Now, is it worth it? You weren’t running a suck down winch on your front end, because you didn’t need one with that short of travel. When you go to longer travel and you get vertical on a climb, it will unload that much more. This is one one thing you are going to have to think about PLANNING for if you try for 14” of travel. This is a rockcrawler I don’t like things hanging below axle centerline. Shock mounts, link mounts, steering cylinders, steering links, whatever. Move the lower mounts up, and move the upper mount according to what ever shock configuration you decide. If it has to poke through the hood, so be it. There is actually a performance advantage to springing a rock crawler from a higher point. It has to do with the relationship of the CG to roll axis to the spring points of the chassis. Higher means more stable on a side hill.

[@mattmills9008]

If it is in the cards I would go 14s now and be done with it. It looks like you have plenty of room, I did 12s on my rig and it is great, (I didn’t want to redo all the front tube work), we stuffed 14s under the hood of my brothers and it is even better. (Although both need some tuning to make them even better)

[@yrofgriff]

Go for the 14s. You need more than a little improvement after all this work. You can also remake the towers without the shims. Suggest more than paper clearance the way Kevin drives.

[@abnpthfdr2934]

I say go with the 14" Go big or go home; The Step Child deserves it!!! (and so do you guys)

[@edwardsimmons3721]

Great content. Every build runs into concerns.

[@jimpalkki5647]

I think not changing your plans has more merit than changing them to max out Stepchild. By staying the current course, you can give your viewers the real-life experience of those modifications and whether or not to do them on their Jeeps. Maxing it out to things your viewers cannot possibly afford reduces the value you have provided over the years. Many of your viewers are interested in things they can do. Your videos have provided me with inspiration to make changes to my Jeeps. Remember, most of us use our Jeeps as a daily driver too.

[@kavno]

Don't hack up shocks if you don't have too. Either run whatcha got or go 14s. I cut out the battery box and what not on my jk and ran 14s. It's great but doesn't really do much more than 12s on the trail. Your really just chasing a couple inches of down travel that doesn't usually have weight on it anyway. If you're not going with 16s in the rear, 14s in the front won't really be useful. If it were mine, I'd run the 12s front and 14s rear. Also, the battery, closer to the engine bay is best for impedance on the wires, Your starter will thank you.

[@chrisblanco-x2l]

upsize 1/0 size copper for increased lenghts of cables

[@TheTreadLife_]

Will the driveshaft drop that far? Maybe find out before you worry about all the droop

[@GarageGeek]

It’s the Stepchild! Maximize it!

[@Crucial929]

if your going to go out, go all out .... EVO sell a 14" kit for the JL so at least do 14" ... and maybe toss the JT rear trailing arm on the rear ... no one else is doing that , thats 22" of rear travel ... and we'll see you in Gatlinburg ;)

[@joethompson1292]

Absolutely get as much travel as you can. You won’t regret more travel, but you will regret less. But it’s an easy game of “what-ifs”

[@donaldwatson6342]

I think 14s will be the sweet spot. While 16s are nice, they are better suited for buggies. Unless you're planning 54" tires, even then, adding portals would help.