[2020RoughRideRenegade]

After having our Renegade about a year now my wife has had enough. Is there ANYTHING that will make this SOB ride a little softer? Hell the damn thing rides like a tank and the shitty town we live in has horrible roads that haven't been repaved in decades. I wa sgoing to install a 2" lift on it but then i read that would make the ride even stiffer. Then I thought maybe air ride would help..NOPE evryone says that sucks as well. Does anyone have any suggestions? If we cant get this ******* to ride a bit softer then we are getting rid of it. Thanks in advance.

 

[JasoninDLH]

And here I thought we had some rough roads in northern MN!

For starters you could try this free, easy mod: try removing the front stabilizer end links to allow the front to move freely. It should help slightly.

Anyone know if the OEM bushings are urethane? If they are you can swap to rubber bushings (I looked briefly and couldn’t find rubber bushings for the 2020 Renee, but maybe you could find them). That should help slightly.

What size wheels are you running? Swap to a smaller wheel with larger tire sidewall. Speaking of tires...might want to swap to a tire known for comfort. To start your research check out Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus. They are known to improve ride comfort.

 

[Nev]

Have a Google round for Fiat 500L/500X aftermarket suspension parts. Bushes, springs & dampers. Mostly though I guess these will give a harder/sportier ride.

Tyres are also something to look at. Both make and pressure etc.

 

[2020RoughRideRenegade]

And here I thought we had some rough roads in northern MN!

For starters you could try this free, easy mod: try removing the front stabilizer end links to allow the front to move freely. It should help slightly.

Anyone know if the OEM bushings are urethane? If they are you can swap to rubber bushings (I looked briefly and couldn’t find rubber bushings for the 2020 Renee, but maybe you could find them). That should help slightly.

What size wheels are you running? Swap to a smaller wheel with larger tire sidewall. Speaking of tires...might want to swap to a tire known for comfort. To start your research check out Pirelli Cinturato P7 All Season Plus. They are known to improve ride comfort.

Still have the stock 17" wheels with Dunlop Signature II tires on it. Does anyone know if removing those end links would void the warranty? I will look at those Pirelli tires as well. The main thing is that my wife drove less than 4K miles in the last year and never leaves town to get on the highway so her tires are still pretty meaty. Thanks for all the info as I will try anything at this point.

 

[2020RoughRideRenegade]

Still have the stock 17" wheels with Dunlop Signature II tires on it. Does anyone know if removing those end links would void the warranty? I will look at those Pirelli tires as well. The main thing is that my wife drove less than 4K miles in the last year and never leaves town to get on the highway so her tires are still pretty meaty. Thanks for all the info as I will try anything at this point.

So after looking all over the internet apparently the smallest wheel that will fit is a 16". Is that because of the brake caliper? I was really wanting a 15" with a fatter tire but I guess the 16" will have to do. Could care less if the mph is correct so maybe a fatter tire on the 16" wheel will work.

 

[JasoninDLH]

Still have the stock 17" wheels with Dunlop Signature II tires on it. Does anyone know if removing those end links would void the warranty? I will look at those Pirelli tires as well. The main thing is that my wife drove less than 4K miles in the last year and never leaves town to get on the highway so her tires are still pretty meaty. Thanks for all the info as I will try anything at this point.

I really wouldn’t think removing the end links will void warranty. Can always keep them with the spare and slap ‘em back on quickly if you need to bring it to the dealer. 😁

 

[JasoninDLH]

So after looking all over the internet apparently the smallest wheel that will fit is a 16". Is that because of the brake caliper? I was really wanting a 15" with a fatter tire but I guess the 16" will have to do. Could care less if the mph is correct so maybe a fatter tire on the 16" wheel will work.

The calipers are what’s preventing me to use anything smaller than 17” wheels on my Yukon, so I’d assume this is the case here as well.

 

[Barebuttminer]

Is there ANYTHING that will make this SOB ride a little softer?

I have found that the tire air pressure has a lot to do with the harsh ride.
You might try lowering the air pressure to about 30 to 32 psi.
By lowering the tire psi you allow the side walls to flex more there by absorbing most of the shock.

 

[Nev]

Just be very aware of the effects of running tyres below manufacturer inflation pressures.


(See also the Firestone/Ford Explorer scandal. Where manufacturer recommended pressure was lowered to mitigate rollover but increased tyre running temperatures. Which was cited as a major contribution to catastrophic failures occuring.)

 

[Barebuttminer]

Firestone/Ford Explorer scandal

Firestone and Ford tire controversy - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[MightylilRen]

It is not a Lexus but something is wrong if it is that rough. I have had 2 Renegades and 4 Jeeps they ride between a car and a truck. I don't think it is about the tires, did you buy it new?

 

[2020RoughRideRenegade]

Just be very aware of the effects of running tyres below manufacturer inflation pressures.


(See also the Firestone/Ford Explorer scandal. Where manufacturer recommended pressure was lowered to mitigate rollover but increased tyre running temperatures. Which was cited as a major contribution to catastrophic failures occuring.)

It is not a Lexus but something is wrong if it is that rough. I have had 2 Renegades and 4 Jeeps they ride between a car and a truck. I don't think it is about the tires, did you buy it new?

Yeah we bought it brand new almost a year ago. My wife has put less than 4,000 miles on it since then because she only works 5 minutes from home. I am now leaning towards getting fatter tires and I don't even care how it will look either. Have any idea what the fattest tire is that I can slap on those 17" rims? The stock Dunlop tires are 205/60's.

 

[2020RoughRideRenegade]

Just be very aware of the effects of running tyres below manufacturer inflation pressures.


(See also the Firestone/Ford Explorer scandal. Where manufacturer recommended pressure was lowered to mitigate rollover but increased tyre running temperatures. Which was cited as a major contribution to catastrophic failures occuring.)

Yeah every time I release any air form the tires the low level air pressure light coes on the dash. I am now looking to get the fattest tires possible and trying to figure out just how fat I can go without cutting or rubbing.

 

[JasoninDLH]

Yeah we bought it brand new almost a year ago. My wife has put less than 4,000 miles on it since then because she only works 5 minutes from home. I am now leaning towards getting fatter tires and I don't even care how it will look either. Have any idea what the fattest tire is that I can slap on those 17" rims? The stock Dunlop tires are 205/60's.

On a complete separate issue: with such short drives the engine isn’t able to come to a good operating temperature to combat any condensation that is occurring within the oil pan (especially true in colder climates) thereby indirectly introducing water into the oil. It’s recommended to allow the engine to reach operating temp and driving for an additional 30 minutes to boil the condensation off once every few days or so (maybe she is doing this).

An inexpensive oil catch can ($30 from Amazon) attached to the PCV valve will certainly help catch not only oil (and fuel) but this condensation as well.

I definitely recommend both the above in your wife’s case.

 

[2020RoughRideRenegade]

On a complete separate issue: with such short drives the engine isn’t able to come to a good operating temperature to combat any condensation that is occurring within the oil pan (especially true in colder climates) thereby indirectly introducing water into the oil. It’s recommended to allow the engine to reach operating temp and driving for an additional 30 minutes to boil the condensation off once every few days or so (maybe she is doing this).

An inexpensive oil catch can ($30 from Amazon) attached to the PCV valve will certainly help catch not only oil (and fuel) but this condensation as well.

I definitely recommend both the above in your wife’s case.

Thanks for the info...really appreciate it.

 

[Marek K]

Interesting... I've had our 2021 Renegade Trailhawk for a couple days now (with Falken WildPeak A/T Trail tires), and I haven't noticed the suspension is very hard at all.

Just the opposite, in fact. We've got a couple of dips with DIP warning signs in the main road of our neighborhood for draining rainwater (this is Colorado), and I have to be real careful going over them with my 2009 VW GLI so my teeth don't get knocked out. Less so with my wife's 2009 Jetta, but still have to slow way down.

I hardly noticed the dips with the Trailhawk... Maybe it's because of the greater overall diameter of the tires, or the fact that the tires have a taller aspect ratio and thus cushion more...

 

[SlideWRX]

Late to the discussion, but going to a 16" wheel/tire combo from your 17" should improve ride a bit.
According to Tire Rack reviews, the Dunlops have poor ride comfort. To be honest, it is a tire that doesn't do anything well. Find a tire with better ride according to the ratings there.

 

[puddlesplasher]

Yeah we bought it brand new almost a year ago. My wife has put less than 4,000 miles on it since then because she only works 5 minutes from home. I am now leaning towards getting fatter tires and I don't even care how it will look either. Have any idea what the fattest tire is that I can slap on those 17" rims? The stock Dunlop tires are 205/60's.

Try this

 

[Bobalou]

After having our Renegade about a year now my wife has had enough. Is there ANYTHING that will make this SOB ride a little softer? Hell the damn thing rides like a tank and the shitty town we live in has horrible roads that haven't been repaved in decades. I wa sgoing to install a 2" lift on it but then i read that would make the ride even stiffer. Then I thought maybe air ride would help..NOPE evryone says that sucks as well. Does anyone have any suggestions? If we cant get this *** to ride a bit softer then we are getting rid of it. Thanks in advance.

I have a 2018 Renegade Latitude. I figured that came with the short wheelbase. I put up with that and look at gas mileage. Between 30 and 34 highway with my 6 speed stick. I’ll keep the trade off.

 

[FiatPower]

Compared to my 500 Abarth the ride is so soft! I think this is just a preference thing, some people like really soft rides, some (like my wife and I) like a firmer ride that handles well. It's the kind of thing you should check out before you buy - there's not that much you can do later unless you can find softer springs and dampers.

Personally I'm very impressed with the ride/handling tradeoff on our Latitude with 18" wheels.