WJ lift question...

[wjtoy]

Ringin10 - sell the bb, the ride will be horrible and it is unsafe on the WJ to stack a 2" spacer on top of a 4" coil. Add the San Diego Craigslist. I live in SD and always check the OC too.

 

[madizell]

I'd change your choice of the work(d?) "kit" to "system".

All too often, kits do not address the issues you have stated, and in fact, you need several "kits" to form a marginal "system". Rarely do proprietary products function complementary to other stand alone products.

Pucks on coils are plenty good for 85% of the folks out there, and there is nothing wrong, per se, with what he is suggesting.

You must have some brands in mind and without the names, it is hard to comment. Can't say I have ever seen a 6" lift "kit" or "system" (at this point a distinction without a difference) sold by a major brand name in this country that gave no thought to steering geometry in their designs. Quite the contrary. Seems to me that all of them have accommodated these many build parameters at least well enough to place the final result withing a range of adjustability that allows for reasonable steering alignments when installed as intended.

My point was only that a spring spacer intended to install over stock components might have been determined not to push adjustments outside stock parameters, but the same spacer on top of an after market assembly may well do just that, i.e., make alignment impossible or at the least, problematic. Or it might not, but who knows if it has not been determined. Neither the maker of the spacer nor the maker of the lift kit are going to recommend you mix their products on your truck unless they already know they will successfully mix.

I put spring spacers in the same category with lift blocks for leaf springs. Not the best option going, and certainly not "plenty good". Spacers pre-droop upper and lower arms, placing them below the median of their designed range of travel. You then have to adjust all the adjustable parts to compensate or your steering will be off. You probably also should change out your shocks. I acknowledge that this can be done. I just don't feel it is a "good" thing to do.

 

[juicexj24]

If you going to use some 2" spacers on the 4" coils:

Adjustable control arms-upper/lower (front & rear)

Duel Steering Stablizer to control the DW.

Front Driveshaft (depending on the year of your WJ)

Possible Brakeline extensions.

I'm at 3" with IRO coils, 3/8" Old Man EMU Trim Spacers, extended bump stops from Kevin's offroad, DT 8000 socks, JKS Parts (discos, bar pins, HD tie rod, adjustable rear lower control arms) IRO coil spring retainers. 235/85r16 Toyo Open Country AT. I run a duel steering stablizer kit from Kevin's Offroad to stop the death wobble (wasn't bad but after dealing with it on my XJ) no more.

Juice

 

[madizell]

Any ideas on why you have death wobble? Would you expect to have the same issue with the same wheels and tires if they were installed on a stock suspension (assuming there is room)? Just wondering if it a tire-generated issue or related to something else.

I have had the problem but only on lifted trucks with, of course, larger tires, and have never really found the exact cause. Dampers only cover the problem, they don't make it go away, and even if you don't get a feelable frequency response from your tires, it is likely still there eating away at the tread. The dampers only stop the oscillation from escalating. Personally, I think it is more related to increased tire width and diameter (which increases leverage of the tire over steering pivots) than to lift per se, but have never been able to pin it down.

 

[juicexj24]

When I say DW, a slight shimmy. This is a comman problem on WJ's lifted 3" and above.

http://www.kevinsoffroad.com/wj/wj_dualsssetup.html

I have 235/85r16 which is a 32" tire. I have had DW on my XJ with 33's and 35's tires. Just giving out the info.

Thanks

 

[Fergie]

You must have some brands in mind and without the names, it is hard to comment. Can't say I have ever seen a 6" lift "kit" or "system" (at this point a distinction without a difference) sold by a major brand name in this country that gave no thought to steering geometry in their designs. Quite the contrary. Seems to me that all of them have accommodated these many build parameters at least well enough to place the final result withing a range of adjustability that allows for reasonable steering alignments when installed as intended.

My point was only that a spring spacer intended to install over stock components might have been determined not to push adjustments outside stock parameters, but the same spacer on top of an after market assembly may well do just that, i.e., make alignment impossible or at the least, problematic. Or it might not, but who knows if it has not been determined. Neither the maker of the spacer nor the maker of the lift kit are going to recommend you mix their products on your truck unless they already know they will successfully mix.

I put spring spacers in the same category with lift blocks for leaf springs. Not the best option going, and certainly not "plenty good". Spacers pre-droop upper and lower arms, placing them below the median of their designed range of travel. You then have to adjust all the adjustable parts to compensate or your steering will be off. You probably also should change out your shocks. I acknowledge that this can be done. I just don't feel it is a "good" thing to do.

Whether it is a spacer or a new coil, any type of lift pre-droops the CAs, even with the use of adjustable, stock location arms. Until you start dealing with control arm drop brackets (available for the XJ and ZJ) or Long arms, the stock geometry, using stock locations is never the same once a vehicle is lifted.

Blocks are bad in my book because of the extra leverage they create with the new Moments and such, but I think that as with all things, spacers are perfectly acceptable. After all, companies like OME market "trim packers" as part of their suspension systems.


On to the death wobble comments...
Death Wobble is NOT a light shimmy. Death wobble is when you hit a small bump or pothole, and your suspension goes in to some crazy harmonic vibration, shaking your entire vehicle to pieces until you slow down and pull over to the side of the interstate in the middle of Phoenix Rush hour traffic...

I had DW on my old XJ, and it was due to wallowed out UCA bushings on the axle side. I replaced these and the problem was gone.

I would surmise that the dual stabilizers do mask some inherent design issue when the steering angles increase with the lift...just a guess though.

 

[juicexj24]

I know what Death Wobble is, I have an XJ at 5.5" with long arms, which for about 8 years was at that height with short arms with no drop brackets. It takes work to get the angles set up right to keep from having death wobble. A worn tie rod end, hogged up control arm hole to name a few. The double steering stablizer that is sold from Kevin's offroad does most likely mask but it does keep this from happening. Iron Rock Offroad sells a duel one as well. I have been to the dentist to get my fillings put back in...LOL with DW. Not a fun feeling at 55mph and the XJ goes to the shakes.