If you tuned in last month, you saw us outfitting the exterior of our '97 Wrangler with some serious body armor from Kilby Enterprises along with a Superwinch winch and a M.O.R.E. rear bumper and tire carrier. We also upped the tire and wheel package to some Rubicon 245/75R16 rubber. While we're digging the look and functionality of the modifications, the added weight caused the stock suspension to sag. Plus, the factory control-arm bushings have been clunking since we bought the Jeep.
Although the tires don't rub, our plans will eventually call for some 33-inch 285/75R16 rubber. To give us the flexibility of anywhere between 2.5-3.5 inches of lift, we ordered a Fabtech 2.5-inch adjustable system, comprised of four adjustable coil spacers. The spacers slip over the factory bumpstop brackets and employ billet adjusters that can be turned up or down with the included spanner wrench.
To cure our control arm clunk and allow for up to 3 inches of adjustment, we ordered a full set of upper and lower control arms from JKS, as well as two of the company's adjustable bumpstop kits. The adjustable arms are incredibly sturdy, have a rotating design that won't bind when articulating, employ quiet rubber bushings, and allow the pinion angles and front caster to be dialed in without the need for eccentric cam bolts.
Before
After.
Because we planned on using...
Because we planned on using four Bilstein 5100 shocks for a 4-inch lifted TJ on our smaller 2.5-inch lift, we ordered a front and rear set of JKS adjustable bumpstops (PN 1100). The JKS replacement upper and lower control arms are works of art and really complement any short arm lift since they not only allow you to dial in the pinion angles but their adjustability allows you to regain the wheelbase normally lost when a lift is added.
The Fabtech coil spacers slide...
The Fabtech coil spacers slide over the factory bumpstop mounts and reuse the factory bumpstop cups. The rear attaches to the frame via the extended bolts, while the front is held in place with six small-set screws. TAG's Jay Miller advises against the use of poly spring spacers in the rear taller than 3/4-inch because the larger diameter rear spring can punch through the spacer, a problem we shouldn't have with the steel Fabtech kit.
Only the '97 and some '98...
Only the '97 and some '98 Wranglers came from the factory with cam eccentric bolts on the front control arms to adjust caster and pinion angle. There are some aftermarket lifts that offer this feature, but if the bolts aren't adjusted evenly it can put a torsional load on the axlehousing and cause the Jeep to steer funny. Other lift kits employ fixed arms, which do nothing to regain lost caster or pinion angles.
At their lowest setting (where...
At their lowest setting (where we ran them) the rear coil spacers give a 2-inch lift. The fronts at their lowest are 2.5 inches. Notice the factory bumpstop making contact with the coil bucket. At this position, the 4-inch Bilstein 5100 (PN F4-BE5-6242-H5) had about 5/8-inch of shaft travel left. The setup allows for insane droop, but the bumpstop's lowered position only allows for about 2.5-3 inches of uptravel at ride height.
To handle the install, we visited our official shop of the Steal-J buildup: TAG Motorsports in Escondido, California. Since TAG pumps out several dozen Jeep lifts a month, we were confident head wrench Jay Miller could handle any eventuality that may arise during the install. In our next installment we'll be adding an overdrive so we can eventually ditch the pathetic 3.07 axle gears we're running.
Driving ItAs you may expect, since the spacer lift uses the stock spring, the ride is very similar to before. Our biggest differences on-road is the clunk-free control-arm bushings and the superb Bilstein 5100 shocks. The 5100s have excellent rebound characteristics that make for a much more controlled, jerk-free ride on- or off road. The biggest bummer is if you hit a bump pretty hard at speed, the rear will hit the bumpstop with a noticeable thud because of Fabtech's lowered bumpstop location. It doesn't hurt, but it does get your attention over severe dips and bumps.
Off-road, the huge amount of droop makes it pretty easy to keep all four tires on the ground. Even with open diffs, we were able to get up climbs that the stock suspension was stopped cold on. The biggest bummer is, once again, the rear suspension. Because of the increased amount of droop afforded by the 4-inch lift Bilsteins, the coils become unseated from their buckets and clang on the billet adjuster threads. The springs go right back in their seats, but the rattle and clank may ultimately be enough to make us swap to a longer, soft rear spring to eliminate the rear coil spacers or swap to a shorter shock.
The JKS adjustable bumpstops...
The JKS adjustable bumpstops come with a 3/4-, 1 1/4-, and 2-inch bumpstop spacers. With the front Bilstein (PN PN F4-BE5-6241-H5) installed, Miller settled on the midsized 1 1/4-inch spacer and the factory bumpstop in lieu of the Fabtech-supplied poly bumpstop. This setup allowed the most compression of the 4-inch lift shock and provides insane droop of the front axle.
Miller adjusted the JKS lower...
Miller adjusted the JKS lower control arms to be 1/2-inch longer than the stock units and the uppers 3/8-inch longer. The longer measurements brought our post-lift wheelbase out to 94 1/4-inches, compared with the stock measurement of 93.6-inches, and set the pinion angles at the right height for buzz-free operation.
Once the suspension install...
Once the suspension install was completed, Miller set the Jeep back on the ground and measured each corner. Using the supplied spanner wrench, he brought the driver side up 1/2-inch and the passenger side up 1 3/8-inch for a completely level stance.
We were nervous about adding...
We were nervous about adding 2 inches of lift in the rear without dropping the T-case or adding a CV driveshaft. Especially since our Jeep is an automatic, which is more prone to driveline vibrations. By lengthening the upper control arms less than the rears, Miller raised the rear pinion angle about 2 degrees, which resulted in only a slight driveline vibration right at 50 mph.
Notice the droop afforded...
Notice the droop afforded by the use of the longer Bilstein shocks and with the front sway bar disconnected. The droop on the axles is actually being limited by the track bars hitting their mounts. Had we opted to upgrade to JKS's adjustable track bars, we could have even more downtravel.