Suspension upgrade

[John Bernard]

There seem to be a lot of 'holes' in stock lists for various providers so I guess thats just the extended fallout from the lockdown etc. The 2.5" Teraflex basic kit with springs and shocks is probably more than I'll need. Gave Dobinsons a call this arvo but the 65mm series of springs is apparently without any loaded/ unloaded figures so he couldnt say how it would respond with a 50-60kg front bar. The 50mm 'kit' ( such as it is ) ..lists a petrol spring, diesel spring & deisel/petrol 70kg loaded spring. ARB and of course R.E. or Teraflex are about the only ones that mention track bar brackets ( which I'd have put in anyway ) or castor adjustments. If the 'crabbing' of the front axle was bad enough I may go for an adjustable front track bar down the road but I'm really trying to avoid throwing good money after bad. My front sway bar links were replaced with the 2" levelling kit so I'm presuming that they wont need tweaking for another 1/2" ? Pedders dont seem to have a central technical section to approach so I've been left with the local guy who's keen and helpful but has no JK lift experience.
J.B.

[John Bernard]

Thinking out loud here but feel free to chime in.. I'm looking at an 'advertised' 50mm lift but hoping to keep at least one packer in the front and possibly one in the rear which should net me in the region of 3". Most dont include a track bar bracket for 2 but do for a 3". That said...Teraflex list a 2.5" ..and a 3-6" rear track bracket ? Should I run with the taller unit and keep the bar on the lowest setting or be better served by the 2.5 ? With a HD pivot tire carrier to go on the rear and a 50-60kg bar to go on the front, I'm trying to cover my bases without going backwards and forwards to the workshop . The bar I can fit..but the suspension is beyond my home garage, jack and jack stands.
J.B.

[Fishframe]

Originally Posted by John Bernard

Thinking out loud here but feel free to chime in.. I'm looking at an 'advertised' 50mm lift but hoping to keep at least one packer in the front and possibly one in the rear which should net me in the region of 3". Most dont include a track bar bracket for 2 but do for a 3". That said...Teraflex list a 2.5" ..and a 3-6". unit. Should I run with the taller unit and keep the bar on the lowest setting or be better served by the 2.5 ? With a HD pivot to go on the rear and a 50-60kg bar to go on the front, I'm trying to cover my bases without going backwards and forwards to the workshop . The bar I can fit..but the suspension is beyond my home garage, jack and jack stands.
J.B.

My opinion is 2.5” lift to keep it legal all round, I would go HD springs. I did that with my TJ and quite happy.

[John Bernard]

Just edited the post.. but was actually wondering which bracket I should go with for the rear track bar . Either their " up to 2.5 " or from " 3" and up " ? Still to decide on whether I should go with new upper control arms at the front or fit the altered geometry brackets offered by several suppliers. I'd lose some clearance but as I'm not 'rock hopping' this may not be an issue. I dont want the old girl to be more stressed in the angles than she needs to be .

[Banshee]

My opinion: It depends on what you prefer. With the 2" that was in my JKU when I got it 2nd hand, it was twitchty & prone to severe bump induced steering shimmy. Initially I got some adjustable lower control arms & that fixed it well, but the ride was still (relatively) harsh. I later got some AEV geo brackets & put the OEM LCAs back in. MUCH smoother ride in comparison. Far less of the bumps get transferred to the chassis on the road.

Yes you lose some clearance, but even with some of the stuff I drove over, it was never a significant issue.

As for the track bar, unless you are going for a engineering certified lift, I would go with the up to 2.5, since that's the range we legally have, & where you'll likely end up.

[John Bernard]

Thanks to you both. The more I read up on the geo brackets...the more they seem to be the way to go.. at least in my situation and as you say.. I'm working on a 3" lift that will likely settle at 2.5 or possibly even lower in a year or so. Would you suggest a front adjustable track bar being needed or just try it out first and see ? The geo brackets appear.. at least on Youtube...to be a relatively simple install for the 'garage floor mechanic'. ? Thanks again for the input.. its easy to get lost in what you actually need vs what you think you might need... vs what you dream of actually needing. rgds.. J.B.

[Banshee]

You only need one or the other, generally. I took the adjustable LCAs off when I put them on & found they were better, (for me at least). The OEM also have the rubber joints, where the other ones I had were greasable heim joints. So that makes a difference as well.

And yes, I did it all myself in the carport.