Quote:
Originally Posted by Elio_S
Mine is 500mm at the front and 495mm at the front, so yours is about 1.5" higher than mine. The reason I turned off the IRO lift is I got the impression the springs were stiff from reading their website. How do you find the ride, and what shocks are you using?
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At that height, yours has definitely reached sag central!! I agree with Drover and Fester here, you are effectively running with springs that have sagged by around 1.5" (or more if they're Up-Country spec) and your best bet would be to buy the Dobinson's springs and some good quality shocks which will make you a much happier camper and solve most of your issues with a lot less hassle. If you find that you want to raise it a little more, just cut the 2" budget boost blocks in half and install them to get to 3", but be aware that stuff might start to get expensive, adjustable track bar, double-cardan driveshaft, A-arm spacer, adjustable control arms, bushes, ball joints etc are some of the items that will be on your shopping list.
Whilst doing some research I also found this thread which will helpful if you want to understand more about standard WJ ride heights and lifts. Page 3 is probably the best info contributed by yours truly!
http://www.ausjeepforum.com.au/forum...ad.php?t=66908
What I did find out during this process was that the 3" IRO lift is based on the standard ride height for the WJ's released in the USA. As most Aussie WJ's came with 3/4" taller Up-Country suspension, the 3" IRO lift is actually a 2.25" (57mm) lift in Australia. Hence, if you get a true 2" (50mm) Australian made lift, it will be pretty close to the height of mine as it will be based on Up-Country spec WJ's. Plus, you'll find that the Aussie lift kits will have much firmer springs than the IRO kit, which won't flex as much offroad, but should be much more stable on road. They would also be more suited to towing and/or constant loads. From memory, Dobinson's offer a couple of different spring rates, much the same as OME, King etc.
By the way, here is a couple of photos of mine from today to compare. I am running 245/75 R16 Goodyear Wrangler Duratrac tyres, which are the same diameter as your 245/70 R17, so it should give you a good idea:
How do I find the ride? Wobbly!!
IRO lift springs are many things, but stiff is what they are not. Great for flexing offroad, but on road they are a little too soft for my liking. They make the live axle WJ wallow, float and sway it's way around corners and the steering is a little vague and tends to wander (this may also be due to the alignment/pulling to the left problems I have been battling for a couple of years, but still worth mentioning).
I run Rancho 9000XL adjustable shocks on mine and these help the ride to an extent as I dial them in pretty firm to decrease the wallowy effect. I know it could also be improved by installing air bags in the rear and fitting a HD Addco rear swaybar, but then it starts to defeat the purpose of flexy springs. Overall, it's probably not as bad as I'm making it sound, but it's certainly not confidence-inspiring to drive. I really notice it when I jump into my wife's standard KJ Cherokee with IFS and it feels like it's cornering on rails compared to mine. Plus, my wife doesn't like driving my WJ anymore since I fitted the lift and started having the wandering steering issues (she used to love borrowing it).
For towing, the IRO springs cannot take much load at all. Take a look at this shot I took when I was loaded up on the way to Fraser Island a couple of years back:
(Note: I did have the hitch tongue mounted upside-down here and was also fully-loaded with camping gear, full tanks of both petrol and LPG, jerry cans etc. but you get the picture)
Anyway, I hope this brain dump of info is of some use to you!
Cheers,
Hanna
