Mods required to turn the Sport BL into a respectable offroader?

[67L48]

As others have said, the BS is one of the best factory-direct offroad vehicles on the market today. It meets almost any definition of respectable.

However, it's not a true 4WD vehicle, has no low range, and the "lockers" aren't really lockers. These things will only really matter to someone doing extreme wheeling at Moab or something. But, it's still something to at least know about.

Also, if you're in the camp of "offroaders aren't bought, they're built," then you'll have fewer options. I'm not sure if there even are lockers that you can put in the axles. You can only flex a unibody so much. There aren't any 4"+ lift kits, and so on.

Having owned both, I'd take Falken Wildpeak AT3W over BFG KO.

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[Meanderthal]

Thanks to everyone for the informative replies



Absolutely. That's the first thing that caught my attention when I first saw the vehicle - that low hanging completely exposed plastic that wraps around the the front of the vehicle. My JK also has a silly plastic "air dam" instead of a real bash plate, it has taken some licks over the years, but even if I tear it up completely it is detachable from the body with 4 clips.



Great point. I was wondering how the spec'd clearance is within 0.5 inch of my Wrangler yet there looks to be a lot more air under the Wrangler than the BS-BL.



I should clarify that I did not mean "respectable" as "respectable in the eyes of others". Should have probably used the word "serviceable". In my eyes a BS-BL is not a serviceable off-roader straight out of the factory for those of us with moderate skill levels (i.e. we don't always pick the best line). The front plastic, the felt underbody panels and the completely exposed catalytic converter are a disaster waiting to happen on the first moderate trail. I don't care what others think of it, as long as it takes me places.



Ahah! That explains why they are only 31 lbs. The 245/65/17 AT3s are 40 lbs each vs 34.6 lbs for the KO2

Maybe it was a typo for you, but the K02's are 44 lbs per TireRack:

The WildPeaks are 37 lbs:

 

[BiggerHammer944]

Good advice



Thanks for the clarification. What is under the driver side felt cover? There was metal on the passenger side.

I had several email exchanges with JCR and they stated the following: the plates that are compatible with the BS-BL are floor+ evap, cat, gas tank, and rock rails. The floor + evap plates do not play well with the factory gas tank and require trimming. All of the above add to a healthy chunk of change ($1400 at list prices). I may start with the cat only because it is relatively easy to install and cheaper and go slowly from there



The Falkens are a $600 adder - which is half the cost of what a fresh set of KO2s would run me. At this point I am thinking of just getting a vehicle with the Pirellis, selling them for next to nothing on Craigslist as new takeoffs - or maybe I can talk the dealer into installing the KOs for me and giving me some credit for the takeoffs. Excellent point about the spare housing that I will have to research. The 245/65/17 fit in the spare compartment according to this thread



WIll have to visit the dealer again. When I was there yesterday I made is a point to test out the sleeping arrangements and the rear seats folded almost completely flat.

Thanks for the detailed response!

Maybe they flatten once you get some weight on them. Been a minute but I recall them sitting proud a little in the front when folded. Might still be perfectly acceptable once you get a mattress in there, though.

Under the driver's side felt cover is metal underbody like the pass. side, and a beefy shield over the evap canister. You may find that the felt cover gets torn when you pinch it between a rock and the canister shield, but it's there mostly for aero and, if I recall correctly, some light debris protection of the evap lines and any other electrical/other lines tucked near the "frame rail."

Fair point on the tire costs and general reasoning. If you have something you like there, don't let me discourage you! Just personally a big fan of the wildpeaks in this application.

Good luck with the purchase, looking forward to eventual updates. Happy wheeling!

 

[GroovyGeek]

Maybe it was a typo for you, but the K02's are 44 lbs per TireRack:
The WildPeaks are 37 lbs:

Interesting. The Discount TIre numbers are off

1. Discount tire lists the Falken 245/65/17's at 40 lbs each and the equivalently sized KO2's at 34.57 lbs
2. TireRack lists the Falkens at 37 lbs and the KO2s at 44lbs. TireSize , Amazon, and several others give the same weights as TireRack .
3. BFG does not give weight

So DT seems to be quite a bit off. Thanks for pointing it out.

 

[Bluebaru]

. The 245/65/17 AT3s are 40 lbs each vs 34.6 lbs for the KO2

The KO2's weigh 45 lbs according to BFG's site, 44.? on TR's site and 34.6 on @Discount Tire , which they need to correct. They are however and excellent choice for off road out west, where you may have to deal with long thorns. Back east here, I'll stick with my Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T's, which are lighter at 39 lbs, better in both snow and mud and a little taller, at 29.8".

I have the HRG Skid plate because it's STEEL. It will slide over rocks when Aluminum will tend to gouge and drag more and the HRG will be stronger.

I recommend a lift, to increase approach, break over and departure angles. If you want to keep cost to a minimum and get a good kit, get the HRG. If you want to get something with height and rake adjustability, get the Flatout GR40 coilovers, when they are on sale. I have the GR+ and have raised both ends 2". I think it would be good up to 3", if you were to use HRG's 1' front sub frame drop (from their 2.5" lift kit) and any of the 1.5" rear sub frame drops. What I called a Frankenstein lift, in my Frankenstein thread. The Coilovers will also increase your suspension travel, I think they claim 1".

The BFG's are also <$800 at Both TR and Discount Tire

 

[GroovyGeek]

I recommend a lift, to increase approach, break over and departure angles. If you want to keep cost to a minimum and get a good kit, get the HRG. If you want to get something with height and rake adjustability, get the Flatout GR40 coilovers, when they are on sale. I have the GR+ and have raised both ends 2". I think it would be good up to 3", if you were to use HRG's 1' front sub frame drop (from their 2.5" lift kit) and any of the 1.5" rear sub frame drops. What I called a Frankenstein lift, in my Frankenstein thread. The Coilovers will also increase your suspension travel, I think they claim 1".
The BFG's are also <$800 at Both TR and Discount Tire

How much does a lift kit cost to install on the BS?

 

[Discount Tire]

@GroovyGeek we are working with our technical team to correct the weight inconsistencies on our web site. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

 

[Winds of Change]

Per spec:

1. BS Badlands has a ground clearance of 8.8",
2. non-sas Big Bronco Badlands also has 8.8"
3. The JK Sport S on 17" rims has 9.2 inches of clearance

So ground clearance is not a big differentiator. Plus, I need the vehicle to be respectable, not a rock crawlling monster. I am never going on the Hole in the Wall in Moab... ever. But I want to be able to go on the White Rim road in Canyonlands and not have to worry if I am going to leave the cat converter somewhere on the trail.

Probably not doing a lift since I am not too worried about breakover angles on the trails that I go. Approach and departure angles? Maybe, but not breakover.



Not unless Ford does something dramatic in the road noise department. I can't be driving something that gives me a headache getting to the trail. For me going off-road is not a purpose in itself, but rather means of saving me tens of miles of hiking to get to a location to take pictures. If I had enough money to helicopter there I would do it every time .

Big Bronco is 8.4 inches not 8.8 fyi.

 

[Winds of Change]

I should finally be getting around to installing the FlatOut Suspension GR40 kit that I purchased late last year (that arrived in late January) and the HRG subframe drop kit this weekend. I won’t have any actual experience with it offroad for a little bit. There is still a lot of snow in the mountains around here. I will probably take it out to some easier front range fire roads and such pretty soon though.

My plan is to try and document the installation procedure for both, since neither company has very good instructions. HRG has a pretty good video (combined with their 2.5” lift) but FlatOut is just a text document with numbered steps. I will post the installation steps with some pictures for both after I’m done.

You stated that you don’t plan on a lift kit, so maybe this is all useless to you.

You asked about tires. The biggest tire you can fit without cutting sheet metal is 29.5” diameter. On the stock wheels, that comes out to a 245/65/17 or a 235/70/17. These tire sizes do not change whether you have a lift or not because of where the rubbing starts to happen on the BS. The BFG K02 is a good tire but it is pretty heavy. That means a rougher ride on the daily commute, less fuel mileage, and they are also known to be a little noisier. Falken Wildpeak AT/3 are pretty popular, much lighter weight, better in snow, and quiet on the highway. I have Toyo Open Country A/T and I think they are pretty good. Two other people I work with also have the same on they SUVs.

I would not get the HRG engine skid plate because it is an add-on to the existing one. This makes it difficult to do oil changes because you have to remove an extra piece. I like that it covers the lower part of the front bumper but would prefer to have one that was one piece, instead of an add-on.

FYI HRG bumper skid plate uses the engine skid plate bolts.

 

[Winds of Change]

Good advice



Thanks for the clarification. What is under the driver side felt cover? There was metal on the passenger side.

I had several email exchanges with JCR and they stated the following: the plates that are compatible with the BS-BL are floor+ evap, cat, gas tank, and rock rails. The floor + evap plates do not play well with the factory gas tank and require trimming. All of the above add to a healthy chunk of change ($1400 at list prices). I may start with the cat only because it is relatively easy to install and cheaper and go slowly from there



The Falkens are a $600 adder - which is half the cost of what a fresh set of KO2s would run me. At this point I am thinking of just getting a vehicle with the Pirellis, selling them for next to nothing on Craigslist as new takeoffs - or maybe I can talk the dealer into installing the KOs for me and giving me some credit for the takeoffs. Excellent point about the spare housing that I will have to research. The 245/65/17 fit in the spare compartment according to this thread



WIll have to visit the dealer again. When I was there yesterday I made is a point to test out the sleeping arrangements and the rear seats folded almost completely flat.

Thanks for the detailed response!

I would start with the HRG bumper skid plat personally.

 

[Winds of Change]

On the evap canister skid plate from Ford it just covers the canister leaving fuel lines exposed. The JCR covers it all. Other than the trouble of having to trim the skid plate I am happy with the evap skid plate pair and the rock sliders. The HRG bumper skid plate is also excellent. The lift will be next. The way I see it the order of mods are
1. Armor
2. Tires
3. Lift
4. everything else

 

[NMhunter]

My stock BS BadlandsI ripped off the carpet under the driver's side the first time I took it off road. Dropped the front left wheel into a deep rut, and heard it go. Hooked a rock in the front on another trip and had to dig the rock out to move. It needs a lift. 1.5" makes a huge difference on a short wheelbase vehicle. My Jeep Liberty was an offroad beast with a 1.5" lift and KO2s on it.

The option for the Falken tires includes a different wheel. I believe they are more compatible with the Lift Mate for my Hi Lift jack.

I've run gravel chips through my tires many times. When I worked for the US Forest Service our trucks came with passenger car tires (as does the BS). They just don't hold up to fast running on gravel, especially on the turns. Once I put KO2s on the Liberty, I never had another flat. But I did pay a price in gas mileage. I'll wear out my Falkens and then get something taller. They have performed very well in mud, snow, and sand.

 

[Winds of Change]

I should finally be getting around to installing the FlatOut Suspension GR40 kit that I purchased late last year (that arrived in late January) and the HRG subframe drop kit this weekend. I won’t have any actual experience with it offroad for a little bit. There is still a lot of snow in the mountains around here. I will probably take it out to some easier front range fire roads and such pretty soon though.

My plan is to try and document the installation procedure for both, since neither company has very good instructions. HRG has a pretty good video (combined with their 2.5” lift) but FlatOut is just a text document with numbered steps. I will post the installation steps with some pictures for both after I’m done.

You stated that you don’t plan on a lift kit, so maybe this is all useless to you.

You asked about tires. The biggest tire you can fit without cutting sheet metal is 29.5” diameter. On the stock wheels, that comes out to a 245/65/17 or a 235/70/17. These tire sizes do not change whether you have a lift or not because of where the rubbing starts to happen on the BS. The BFG K02 is a good tire but it is pretty heavy. That means a rougher ride on the daily commute, less fuel mileage, and they are also known to be a little noisier. Falken Wildpeak AT/3 are pretty popular, much lighter weight, better in snow, and quiet on the highway. I have Toyo Open Country A/T and I think they are pretty good. Two other people I work with also have the same on they SUVs.

I would not get the HRG engine skid plate because it is an add-on to the existing one. This makes it difficult to do oil changes because you have to remove an extra piece. I like that it covers the lower part of the front bumper but would prefer to have one that was one piece, instead of an add-on.

So in reality all of the lift will for the most part come from the HRG subframe drop kit and flatout will give the added articulation travel is this correct? Or are you trying for a 4 inch lift?

 

[CallMeBill]

I'll stick with my Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T's, which are lighter at 39 lbs, better in both snow and mud and a little taller, at 29.8".

Agree 100%. Love my MT Baja Boss A/T's. Plus I think they have the best aggressive looking sidewalls

Baja Boss AT

 

[Barry S.]

As far as the rally skid plate goes, it's functionally the same as the HRG one. Both bolt on in the same way and both come off during an oil change. (I have the rally one, as HRG hadn't come out with one at the time.)

However, I'd disagree with other folks and say that that extra bit of front protection is pretty vital. In fact, beyond making sure you have decent tires (falkens are fine, but the default pirelli's aren't), I think installing the HRG or rally skid (or equivalents) is one of the first things you should do. Here's why:

1) There's a gap in actual protection there, and a root or stick can easily go through the plastic and into the radiator otherwise. These aren't skid plates in the sense that they're not meant to take the full weight of the car, but that's okay. They're meant to keep roots/sticks from penetrating the plastic bumper underside. That's actually pretty important.

2) You're going to scrape there often, and otherwise you're tearing up the bumper. The approach angle is good, but you'll find its limits. Where you hit the approach angle limit isn't the nice big front engine skid scraping, but is the plastic in front of it instead. These plates are thin, but they keep that plastic getting getting shredded.

3) It's inexpensive and easily installed. We're talking ten minutes and a socket wrench to install here. Sure, it's extra steps during an oil change, but it's not that bad.

As far as clearance goes, keep in mind that the entire underside of the car is at about the same level because it's a unibody with independent suspension. I.e. the maximum clearance is about the same as the minimum, and therefore it's easy to drag on things that you wouldn't in a solid axle vehicle with the same minimum clearance. I also didn't put on a lift yet, but you will "feel" the lack of clearance somewhat frequently.

Oh, and also, FWIW, I think you're asking the right things and the sport really is a good choice given what you've said. You have to know how to pick lines due to limited clearance. But this thing can get a ton of places and the stock suspension on the badlands is great for the combination of heavily washboarded and rutted gravel roads and pavement that winds up being the bulk of what you take to get to the really rough stuff. It won't do everything. But it'll get you way further than anything that isn't a dedicated offroader. Yeah, a 4-runner is more capable, no doubt, but the sport is nicer in the city. It's all about trade-offs.

As for "respectable", people are always going to look down on it. If other folks opinions are the part that matters with making it respectable, you won't get that with a sport no matter how much aftermarket mods are there. It's very capable, and you'll have more capability than many more "respectable" vehicles, but folks never seem to respect it. People are weird.

As for "respectable", people are always going to look down on it. If other folks opinions are the part that matters with making it respectable, you won't get that with a sport no matter how much aftermarket mods are there. It's very capable, and you'll have more capability than many more "respectable" vehicles, but folks never seem to respect it. People are weird

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