2 inch lift springs.

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Feileod

#1
#1
This past week the whole family loaded up in the jeep with trailer in tow and headed off to Pigeon Forge, TN for spring break. The jeep was full and pulling the trailer at highway speeds all the way up 26 and 40, which I have done before. Once we got to the cabin we spent alot of time driving here and there to points of interest and most of the roads were paved twisty mountain roads. The last day we went up to Wind rock off road park and did some moderate trails. The return trip was a tad different because we had to drop my daughter off with her mom and we met at Rocky Mt, NC (half way for both of us) so we drove 40 east and then hauled butt home down 95.

Ok so I bored you with my trip routes because I wanted to make the point that I spent alot of seat time in the jeep this past week. I had few issues but , the biggest seems to be that my springs are not holding up their end of the bargin. I currently run 3 year old OME 2" ZJ V8 springs in the front and OME 2" LJ springs in the rear. I run both stock sway bars on road and the rear off road. I also run airlift bags in the rear for the added weight of the full trailer. Now on this trip even with tires aired up to 32psi (35psi max) air in the airbags (rear was hitting bump stops around town) the suspension was mush. Every little bit of wind or curve in the road would cause the body to sway and roll. The kids (young teenagers) had to take sea sick pills just keep from getting ill:( On the trail with the front sway bar disconnected the body lean and roll was excessive.

Now I have added steal body sides (75-100lbs for both?) and stretched the rear suspension. Other than that nothing has really changed. The kids have gotten older but, not dramatically heavier, the trailer was a light load for this trip, just suitcases and a cooler. I think I need to run a heavier or better spring? I have found some good write ups but, want to hear what your thoughts are. What 2" springs are you running out there?
 
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97TJGUZZY

97TJGUZZY

SUPPORTER
#4
#4
do you still have short arms in the rear? Did I see you did the one link upper thing? I'll have to dig through your build again.

I have heard many times the one link uppers have issues with stability. I think if you 4 link it you would have better luck than changing springs.
 
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GreyZJ93

#7
#7
i know brooks jeep did ride alot more stable when he outboarded the shocks but like he said 4 link makes a big difference.

my roommate and i both have grand cherokees with roughly same amount of lift. his is on short arms and mine has a triangulated 4link. neither have sway bars. his actually can tuck a tire and rub around turns. mine stays alot more planted around turns and is much for stable. i second the idea of 4linking it. goodluck.
 
F

Feileod

#8
#8
I won't disagree that it is a symptom. I did a lot of research on Y link kits before I bought and the complaints are few and far. There are some issues with rear steer when used with lifts higher than 4 inches but, I haven't read any complaints about the roll center increasing dramatically. The rear suspension is very soft and I was thinking that a higher spring rate is possibly needed. The OME LJ spring rate is only 20lbs more than the stock spring and is not a progressive spring. There are several springs out there with higher spring rates and progressive designs. My Airlift bags were a quick solution to managing weight but, I think they just masked the problem until a few years later when the springs were fully broke in and well worn.
 
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GreyZJ93

#9
#9
well stiffer springs should help some but i know im running the same spring i had on short arms and its a night and day difference from short arms to the 4link. they are super soft rock krawler 4" springs.

another option....spring under with some nice 2" lift leaf springs :)
 
knobby97

knobby97

#10
#10
I'm running TJ OME HD 2.5" springs front and rear (OME Part # 2933 and 2942) with no rear sway bar and a dual rate swayloc up front. Shocks are BBCSs and out boarded, with a triangulated rear and tri-link front. My rides like a dream in comparison to my old TJ that was running a RE 5.5 long arm with the triangulated rear and RE monotubes in the factory locations with no rear sway bar and and a gen 1 teraflex S/T swaybar. The triangulated rear eliminates most of, if not all if calculated correctly, the rear squat. My question would be what shocks are you running? If you are running a non charged shock, i.e procrap, doestch tech, skycrapper, etc, that may be part of the problem. Another place to look would be the ride angle of your swaybars, that too can produce a crappy ride.
 
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97TJGUZZY

97TJGUZZY

SUPPORTER
#11
#11
I know aev makes a progressive spring that i have thought about using for mine for a little more weight carrying capacity without sacrificing ride. do you have rear tire carrier and bumper, and what kind of trailer are you towing? how much tongue weight?
 
knobby97

knobby97

#12
#12
FYI AEV is seriously backordered on the 3" progressive rate TJ springs, or atleast they were when I was ordereing new springs about 3 weeks ago hence me ending up with OME HD springs. Also don't go with the rough country 2.5 progressive rates, they are crap. I didn't even wheel the ones that I have prior to the OMEs, and had maybe put 20 road miles on the springs while I was breaking my gears in, and they were sagging. Granted my TJ is a fat betty, but I think those RC springs are garbage.
 
F

Feileod

#13
#13
knobby97 said:
I'm running TJ OME HD 2.5" springs front and rear (OME Part # 2933 and 2942) with no rear sway bar and a dual rate swayloc up front. Shocks are BBCSs and out boarded, with a triangulated rear and tri-link front. My rides like a dream in comparison to my old TJ that was running a RE 5.5 long arm with the triangulated rear and RE monotubes in the factory locations with no rear sway bar and and a gen 1 teraflex S/T swaybar. The triangulated rear eliminates most of, if not all if calculated correctly, the rear squat. My question would be what shocks are you running? If you are running a non charged shock, i.e procrap, doestch tech, skycrapper, etc, that may be part of the problem. Another place to look would be the ride angle of your swaybars, that too can produce a crappy ride.
Click to expand...
The shocks are Bilstien 5100's front and rear. The swaybars are factory and sit dead level or neutral at ride height.
 
F

Feileod

#14
#14
knobby97 said:
FYI AEV is seriously backordered on the 3" progressive rate TJ springs, or atleast they were when I was ordereing new springs about 3 weeks ago hence me ending up with OME HD springs. Also don't go with the rough country 2.5 progressive rates, they are crap. I didn't even wheel the ones that I have prior to the OMEs, and had maybe put 20 road miles on the springs while I was breaking my gears in, and they were sagging. Granted my TJ is a fat betty, but I think those RC springs are garbage.
Click to expand...
Fat betty! I was thinking the same about mine this trip. Is it possible to get some pictures of your springs at ride height? I am curious, my OME springs, both front and rear, sit static with the top two coils fully compressed, or at least darn close.
 
knobby97

knobby97

#15
#15
Feileod said:
Fat betty! I was thinking the same about mine this trip. Is it possible to get some pictures of your springs at ride height? I am curious, my OME springs, both front and rear, sit static with the top two coils fully compressed, or at least darn close.
Click to expand...
Here are mine on my drivers side front and rear. I took pics of the front and back of each spring as my front have a bit of the gangsta lean to them due to the front stretch and not either bending or relocating the front upper buckets yet.

Front

IMG-20110425-00088.jpg

IMG-20110425-00089.jpg

Rear

IMG-20110425-00090.jpg

IMG-20110425-00091.jpg
 
F

Feileod

#16
#16
Thanks for the pics, mine are about the same when its just me and a passenger. I ran the numbers and when you add the weight of the new bedsides plus two teenage daughters and the tounge weight of the trailer....OME rates those springs for stock weight plus a constant 200lbs and I exceeded that on this trip by about 350lbs. Now that is why I have the Airlift bags, for times when the trailer is loaded and the kids are along for the ride. So I am leaning more towards Brook's suggestion that it may be more related to the suspension mods then the springs. It felt fine a Gulches when it was just the wife and I but, add the extra weight and the gremlins come out.
 
knobby97

knobby97

#17
#17
Feileod said:
Thanks for the pics, mine are about the same when its just me and a passenger. I ran the numbers and when you add the weight of the new bedsides plus two teenage daughters and the tounge weight of the trailer....OME rates those springs for stock weight plus a constant 200lbs and I exceeded that on this trip by about 350lbs. Now that is why I have the Airlift bags, for times when the trailer is loaded and the kids are along for the ride. So I am leaning more towards Brook's suggestion that it may be more related to the suspension mods then the springs. It felt fine a Gulches when it was just the wife and I but, add the extra weight and the gremlins come out.
Click to expand...
So are you going to ditch the rear upper Y link and do a triangulated 4 link or switch out the springs? Which brand rear arms do you have? Is it a full traction or rock krawler unit?
 
F

Feileod

#18
#18
The rear kit is Purejeep/Full Traction. I went with this kit because it was a fairly easy way to stretch the rear. I used the weld on truss in the anticipation of some day converting to upper triangulated arms but, I am not ready to give up on the suspension configuration yet. I am going to perform the shock outboarding and look into some slightly higher spring rate springs and maybe even a more agressive rear swaybar. I appreciate everyone's inputs, keep em coming
 
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