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jk lift kit options

Tech Talk for Jeep owners.

Moderator: GUtripper

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Posts: 36
Joined: Thu Jul 15, 2004 10:45 am
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jk lift kit options

Post by simon lind »

I have just put a deposit down on a new 4 dr jk wrangler. I'm asking the question - what lift kits keep the factory warranty and also comply with NSW laws?
Posts: 70
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 7:51 pm
Location: Vic

Post by cozab »

Mopar are actually doing 2inch lift springs which are covered by factory warranty... Think they are $220 a pair. There is endless options out there though . I dont know much about the can and cants of lifting nor do i care just do it and if you get done change it over for the pits.....

Thats my 2 cents..
Yom
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Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:13 pm
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Post by Yom »

mopar lift is legal but uses stock shocks, and believe it or not but at the back end you end up with maybe 2cm of droop if you're lucky and on the front not much more than 5cm. So its actually useless. And the mopar springs are made here and do not extend much further than stock so using longer shockies may result in them falling out.

The other issue is the brake, ABS and handbrake lines. They're all too short to cope with any more suspension travel than standard.

So lets say you replace all the brake lines or drop them down to accommodate the extra travel, you've now got massive brake lines flapping around in your wheel arches. This is annoying to resolve, but doable.

Then you need longer rear swaybar linkages and also disconnects for the front. If you don't disconnect the front swaybar you will a) get no articulation and b) risk the swaybar getting pulled down and being jammed into the steering (this has happened to me). If you do not lengthen the rear links you risk the rear swaybar getting pulled downwards and also getting stuck, resulting in mass carnage of brake lines. Even when lengthening the rear linkages though you may have issues with the swaybar attempting to eat brake lines, tyres and the tub. Ideal situation here is to get rid of the stock unit which is pure evil. Or be happy with what articulation you can get out of it and drop the panhard lower, retaining standard length linkages. Also the rear panhard is on a very steep angle standard, lifting it will make it worse. Goes out of centre very qucikly as a result, so an adjustable panhard rod is a good idea but to be honest, a braced and lifted panhard mount relocation bracket is ideal. ARB have one but it eats the shock absorber on full compression so strike it off the list. AEV have an excellent one which bolts to axle and is significantly stronger than stock. Being a 4dr you should have no issues with driveshaft angles, there's no slip yokes in the JK so ignore anyone who says you need this modification(Infact ignore most Jeep experts in australia as frankly none of them have been useful to me in regards to modifying the JK. But anyway.) Only thing is with extreme flex on the 4dr, the JK uses CV style joints on the driveshaft instead of Unis, and these don't really like moving about alot, so can cause issues for you there.

At the front if you have an auto and want decent wheel travel you will have issues with the driveshaft hitting the gearbox. Either be happy with less articulation or get a more compact driveshaft made up. JKS quick disconnects are the go, they're very well built and don't put all the stress onto a shitty little pin. You'll see in the design how good they are and why they're worth the extra $$$ over the other options. Lifting over stock you will likely need castor correction. Mopar sell cam bolts for the JK and all suspension mounts are pressed to accept them, they just need to be slotted out where required. Alternatively you can fit after market arms which aren't always legal and the bushes usually aren't as hardy as the standard items (which are like Jello, so they don't mind articulation). Death wobbles are as epic with the JK as they are a GQ/GU, so don't think you can save some money here.

Theres more stuff I've probably forgotten. BAsically if you want to lift it and don't want to pull your hair out figuring out how to fix silly problems just buy the AEV Nth Degree lift kit from Jeepkonection (its a website, google it). Its reasonably priced and comes with pretty much everything you need to make your JK a very capable vehicle on and off the road. Only thing is if you have an auto you will have issues with the AEV kit.

Shitload more I could tell you that I have learnt, but running out of time.

Oh...and don't expect Jeep to come to the party with body or mechanical issues if you lift it (fair enough).
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lift kit

Post by patzuki »

Aev kit is good, but requires major surgery to front end so you may have engineering issues. With regards to brake lines and sway bar lengths, I never had any issues with them playing up with my 4dr with the ARB lift.
But saying that the sway bar JKS disconnects are mandatory in my opinion and the Teraflex a close second.
My jeep dealer has been very accommodating regarding my mods, and im running 37s!!
you know you want one
Yom
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Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:13 pm
Location: Brisbane

Re: lift kit

Post by Yom »

patzuki wrote:Aev kit is good, but requires major surgery to front end so you may have engineering issues. With regards to brake lines and sway bar lengths, I never had any issues with them playing up with my 4dr with the ARB lift.
But saying that the sway bar JKS disconnects are mandatory in my opinion and the Teraflex a close second.
My jeep dealer has been very accommodating regarding my mods, and im running 37s!!
Surgery?

Biggest issue I see with the AEV lift kit as it stands are the relocation brackets for the panhard rods and high steer. None of it is tested or engineered in australia.

Standard off the shelf OME shocks for the JK aren't long enough to stress the swaybar or driveshafts. THe lift height could be enough to push caster quite out though, which will require either adjustable lower control arms (there's no adjustable uppers i have found which go short enough to correct caster on a below 3" lift kit) or adjustable cam bolts for the lower arms, which the JK is designed to use (mounts are pre-stamped for the washers and so you can punch out sections of metal to make a large slot rather than a hole for the bolt to rotate).
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Location: earth

Post by simon lind »

Sounds interesting and thanks for the input.. I think the stock option is the way to go for now, it all sounds like it's going be way too hard. Not to mention the fact that I'll void my warranty! Thanks a bunch guys your advice it did really help!! Looking forward to becoming a Jeep owner!! Gets delivered in March!!
Yom
Posts: 1233
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:13 pm
Location: Brisbane

Post by Yom »

warranty is fine if you get the Mopar 2" lift coils and have the dealership install them pre deliver, and boy does the 4dr need extra belly clearance.
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Location: Vic

Post by cozab »

Hey YOM i like your staus (I miss my GQ) Man i miss my GU. I have hinted to the mrs how much but if looks could kill. lol... Totally right about more clearence needed my whole undercarrige is now shiny...
Yom
Posts: 1233
Joined: Tue Oct 16, 2007 1:13 pm
Location: Brisbane

Post by Yom »

I just don't understand why everything with them has to be so hard.

Still, they're an awful lot of fun and the JK is an awesome 4wd once you get past its quirks. :armsup:
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