Are their any tricks for installing a 2" coil spacer in a TJ?

Beer or not, I'd be really tempted to tell the guy not to bring me his mechanical problems again until he stops taking it to those idiots. At least it sounds like you won't be actually doing any labor on his Jeep. You should ask him who is going to be HIS physical therapist when he gets in an accident because some critical part fell off his Jeep.

As I seem to recall, the rear spacers were easier than the fronts. You have to get the frame up on jack stands, and then release the rear shocks and sway bar links. At that point the rear springs will pretty much fall out when the axle drops. I had to use a spring compressor to get the fronts in, but I don't think it was necessary on the rear.

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Mike: We did too of the two inch budget spacer lift's on my brothers 2000 tj and a 97 tj These are as easy as they look the shock extensions are needed. and you have to stand on and push down on the rear brake drums to get the axel to go down far enough to pop the coil spring in but it is pretty straight forward. A good pray bar and a little finesse and they will pop right in. The shocks that have the bar in the rubber just need to be pushed out as to be bolted in with out them. John put the extensions on his

2000, and Jason put in new shocks and other then the mileage difference you couldn't tell spit between the two. And as far as that goes do the one end first one spring at a time and then jack it back up and rehook up the sway bar on each end as the last thing to do. Just watch out for the rear steel brake line's with the pray bar . Your a smart guy Mike once you see all the parts you'll know just what to do. Have fun . oh ya don't get the nitro shocks. the Hydros are still better on a T J as well. Your right on about the shocks they well screw it all up if there not extended or longer ones installed.

OK guys,

I'm following along at home here, and I'm not getting it.

I can see how putting the 2" spacers on increases the total spring length and the ride height, but I don't see how or why you would "need to" replace the shocks, or why they would then break. Sure, if you want to get maximum articulation benefit offroad, the shocks can be 2" longer to go along with the lengthened springs. But if you kept the stock shocks, wouldn't they just limit the maximum extension of that wheel?

Are you saying that you'd be topping out so much that you'd tear the shock mount off or something? I'm pretty interested because I'd like to do a small lift on my '98 TJ to compensate for heavier bumpers and an added winch. I live in New England where we don't do a lot of rock crawling, etc. So I only have 30" Kumko MT's on it. I don't need a 4" lift and it would look kind of goofy with that much lift and my current small wheels IMO.

So maybe a budget lift is the answer for me too? I had just replaced the shocks a few thousand miles ago with some new OEM take-offs, but they were cheap as dirt. Maybe the best bet is getting a set of *good* shocks along with the spacers.

-Fred W

Yes, we are all saying that using shocks to limit axle travel 'will' break something.

I have seen the repeated impacts snap frames, snap off shock towers, punch shocks right through the body into the back seat, etc...

Even with 2.5" lifted shocks I managed to snap off the bottom shock mount on my CJ7 when the back wheel dropped into a hole fast. (it was already slightly cracked from a rock impact, but...)

There are two ways to lift a TJ.

One is longer springs for more travel. This requires a shock with a corresponding longer travel.

The other way is to put a spacer on top of the spring for increased ground clearance and to fit larger tires. This does not increase the travel or articulation, just raises the vehicle. For this kind of lift, you only need shocks that are taller, they don't need to move more.

Then an extended bump stop is very important. This limits the compression so you don't over compress the stock spring.

I am of the belief/impression that the skyjacker kit is designed to destroy the stock shocks in short order so you have to go back and pay big bucks for the 'longer spring' lift kit. They do this by shorting the bump stop so the spring will over compress and sag out sooner than later.

You know, a 2" lift with 1" higher bump stops....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

"Fred W." wrote:

Thanks we got it.

Any recommendations on shock extensions?

Mike

JIM LAIRD wrote:

The shocks are what limit the axle travel even with the stock springs. I haven't heard of any stock TJs that suffered the damage you described. If you install spacers and retain the stock shocks, the suspension just won't droop as far as it would with longer shocks.

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We undid the shocks and still couldn't get the springs out. We are both over 200 lb and standing on the brake drum wouldn't come close.

Then we undid the anti sway bar and the axle dropped right down so the spring fell out.

The shock is not the limiting factor.

Mike

Del Rawl>

Mike Romain did pass the time by typing:

Yep. Sometimes the limiting factor is located between a pair of ears. :)

FWIW, I did the same damn thing myself. doh!

That doesn't prove anything, except that without the shocks in place, the swaybar does become the limiting factor in axle droop. When you removed the shocks, was the axle hanging at that point (i.e. frame on stands) and if so, was there any extension left?

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You are right, that didn't come out right...

The shock stayed stuffed in the bracket with the jack off and us on the drum. It was gas charged and easy to put back though.

When I put it back in, it's bolt slipped in with the axle still 'Way' lower than where it had to be when I slipped the bar pin in. I had to go up until the body started lifting before the bolt would line up.

Del, having the shock as the limit makes no sense.

Shocks aren't designed for impact, look at how small the shock pins are.

Mike

I'm still not sure I understand what you are saying. When you unbolted the shocks, did they extend any farther out or were they already at the limit of their travel?

As the limit for bottoming (compression) the suspension, you are right, and that is why they use a bump stop as the limiter. But as the droop limiter the shock wouldn't be subjected to the same violent forces. Let me put it this way, if the swaybar was the limiter, what would be the point of installing longer shocks with a suspension lift?

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My understanding is that the shock should never be the limiting factor. Shocks aren't made to withstand the stress of sudden full extension like you would get on a trail run. They'll break. Just like when buying a shock, you're supposed to choose a length that won't reach full compression. Read a real good article detailing how to choose the proper length of shock a couple years back... damned if I can find it now though. :(

Dave

I dunno Bill... if you follow this thread, you'll see that Mike removed both rear shocks, stood on one side of the brake drum, and still couldn't get the spring out. So it wasn't the shock (in stock configuration anyway) that was the limiting factor. He had to disconnect the swaybar before he could remove the coil. With my ~2" coil spacer lift, I'm using the Edelbrock shocks commonly used for a

3" lift.

Dave

I just took one apart Bill.

The shock does 'not' limit the travel, the anti sway bar does.

Mike

"L.W.(ßill) Hughes III" wrote:

You didn't bother to read the whole thread did you.

Man, lifts and the mechanics involves sure confuse folks sometimes.

Ok, figure your tire and rim weigh in at say 100 lb. Now figure the axle and differential weigh in at say 200 lb on the one half.

Now figure you are doing 30 mph and that 300 lb. gets tossed down hard to it's limit repeatedly as you baja across an old washboard air strip going airborne off each bump.

How long do you think a 3/8" pin will last having this 300 lb weight hitting it at high speed? Crap, even cut my numbers in half and call it

150 lb of weight at 15 mph.

OK, so when I pulled the bolt out of the anti sway bar, the axle dropped another inch or two before the already loose shock came out of it's holder.

When I put it back together, the shock bolted in 4" lower than when I got it up high enough to bolt the anti-sway bar back in.

And, you can go back up this thread and read my other post about what 'kind' of shock lift you need according to the 'kind' of lift as I don't feel like repeating it.

Mike

Del Rawl>

I've read the whole thread and I understand the mechanics. This could be cleared up if you would just answer my question, this being the third time I have asked it. When you had the Jeep suspended by its frame, and removed the rear shocks, did they have any further extension left or were they already at their limit? If they were at their limit, then the shocks are the limiting factor. If they still had extension left, then the swaybar was. If it turns out that I am wrong, I will admit it but not without some proof, which I will trust you to supply accurately.

And yes, I know that using the shocks to limit the travel is not the way it "should" be done, but that certainly isn't going to stop Jeep from designing it that way. I know for a fact that the shocks are the limiter on the front of a stock TJ, because they are all that is keeping my front driveshaft from hitting my mopar oil pan skid plate at full extension. I have spacers up there but I kept the stock shocks in place specifically to avoid dealing with that issue for a while.

On the rear, I am now not as convinced that the shocks are in fact the limiter on a stock TJ, which is why I am waiting for an answer to my question.

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