My thoughts on lifts -A Must Read if your getting one

[longlegs]

Just put a teraflex budget boost on. It comes w everything you need to get started. Then go out and drive your rig and learn what its limits are. Your ability is likely to be the limiting factor for a while. It's only a couple hundred bucks and easy to install.

[jeeper1260]

a leveling kit eliminates the factory rake so that when the vehicle is at a standstill is level from front to rear, it also provides a hair of extra space for the tire to "tuck" in as you articulate over obstacles.

a lift kit provides more space than the leveling kit for the front tires as well as increase said articulation by using a longer shock and spring.

Thank you for the explanation, this is finally starting to make sense to me now.

[jeeper1260]

Just put a teraflex budget boost on. It comes w everything you need to get started. Then go out and drive your rig and learn what its limits are. Your ability is likely to be the limiting factor for a while. It's only a couple hundred bucks and easy to install.

Good advice since I don't know what the hell I am doing off-road yet. Thanks

[White13JKUR]

Hey Tom,

Thanks for this thread. It prompted me to convert from long time lurker here to full on forum member. What I would like to figure out is the best way to lower my rig a little bit while maximizing travel for my conventional coil setup. I think my config may be close but a bit on the tall side, coil-wise. Reading through this thread, it looks like I might be able to maintain the same travel while bringing the ride height down.

Here is what I am running:
OME LT shocks all around @~11.5' travel (if I have that correct)
4" EVO plush coils (linear)
3" bump stops front and rear
Chopped fenders
Reid Racing knuckles
37" Nittos (but want to switch back to MTR 37's)
EVO Rock Stars on the rear axle, combined with Synergy shock top relocation brackets to compensate for moving the shock up.

I like the ride quality if this setup on and off road and on the rocks, it is more supple and flexes more easily than it did with the AEV 3.5" progressive coils and AEV Bilstein 5100's.

The other thing I am going to do is upgrade the front rubi44 housing to a prorock 44 and wonder if it makes sense with my conventional configuration to get the axle side control arm brackets rotated like I have seen you post about elsewhere.

edit:
Maybe what I am looking for are coils with the same or more free height (so they don't unseat - not getting that now) and less lift when installed?

I tend to un my rig light weight for day runs (@~5,200 lbs.) and sometimes heavy when I am camping and have the family (@~5,600+).

FWIW, I run metal cloak arms with no geometry correction brackets.

[TheDirtman]

Sounds like you could take some lift out if you want. Just need to flex it out and see where the limitations are. You are on the right track with coil length. Your light to heavy runs should only change ride height between .25" and .5" If you are running a drag link flip you may want to stay at 3.5"-4" anyway because of the track bar and drag link hitting the frame if it is not notched. If you custom order the axle you should be able to get dynatrac to send it to you with the brackets where you want and if so I would also order it at least 68.5" WMS. Doing this will allow you to run higher back spaced wheels which will take some of the stress off the ball joints and unit bearings.

[White13JKUR]

I am not opposed to notching the frame to clear the track bar and drag link. I would rather do that and keep the Reids then go back to stock knuckles.

With the 4" linear EVOs vs the 3.5" progressive AEVs, I figured I would get a little more suspension squish when loaded. The EVO springs stay seated at full droop but the AEVs can be moved around. I definitely had to get spring perch correction wedges for the EVOs because the really bowed backwards but are okay now. There was a lot less bowing with the AEV coils. Going to have the stock perches rotated and ditch the correction wedges. I still feel with the wedges that I could unseat a rear spring easily.

With your recommendation to go with a dual rate coil (one for ride and the other one just crushes in and expands at full droop), are you necessarily advocating Metalcloak's approach to coil springs here but not necessarily the company? I m not sure any of the other coil vendors/manufacturers take this same approach with their spring designs.

If I have no plans to upgrade the stock rear d44, do you still recommend at least 68.5" WMS on a prorock 44? I am using 4" bs Trail Ready's now and have no contact issues with my unmodified Reids (have not ground the nubs down). If I go for a staggered axle width, should I change up the wheel back spacing between front and rear? Maybe use wheel spacers on the rear only?

[TheDirtman]

I have nothing against metal cloak and I believe they have some of the longer free length coils out there.

You can use spacers on the rear but it does put more stress on the flanges which lends to bending, no different then big BS on the wheels. If you are 100% sure you will never change out the rear axle or run taller/ wider tires then just stick with the factory width and the 4" BS wheels since you don't have any issues now.

[GreyGoose]

And this is why I run 35s with flat fenders and Evo leveling kit lol

[White13JKUR]

Thanks, Tom. Appreciate the feedback on my config. Pretty happy all around with 37s at 3.5" or 4". I do want to try a set of 3" lift coils that have enough free height to not fall out without limiting straps. Going lower than that might put me below my threshold of pain in terms of bumping and grinding through the non-obstacle parts of a trail. I like the soft linear springs and would not mind replicating the stock setup with linear up front and progressive in the rear. Not sure if my thoughts parallel the jeep engineers' but I am thinking that progressives in the rear might be a good choice give the variance in loads that I carry and I didn't even bring up the spare tire, hard top and doors, which will probably push me closer to 6,000 lbs on the heavy side. So a range of ~5,100-6,000 lbs.

And this is why I run 35s with flat fenders and Evo leveling kit lol

Why? So you don't have to flip the drag link and go 3"+ on the bump stops? Notching the frame there is not required unless you want to lower the jeep some more.

Keep in mind that I am a 4 door and that even with 3.5" of lift and 35" tires, I was bumping and grinding a lot more than I wanted to on the "fire trail" portion of the trails I like to run, especially when loaded with camping and recovery gear, tools and etc.