Anyone planning a "mild" leveling lift with upgraded shocks?
Sorry for the long winded dissertation..
To start, there's a huge difference how my XJ drives vs my JK. I don't know exactly what it is but my XJ with a RE 5.25" SuperFlex suspension and Rancho RS9000 shocks is way more tolerable on-road and absorbes all the small road bumps. Smooth as silk, easy steering and drives straight as an arrow compared to my new JK.
Yesterday, I took my JKUR10A to the dealer to pick up my XJ... on the way back my girlfriend drove my new 10A and I hopped in my Cherokee.
Well, when we got home she said "I hate the way this Jeep drives. It drives me and I feel it wandering back and forth. Next time, I want to drive your other Jeep."
Not sure what to make of this... however she feels my exact experiences after jumping from one vehicle into another. Also, keep in mind on my 10A I dropped the tire pressure to 38 lbs to see if the chatter across small road bumps would improve. I'm going air them back up to 46 lbs. because one improvement led to heavier steering and wandering effects.
Here's what I'm contemplating:
The 10A clearly needs something, not sure what at the moment. I don't want to lift this vehicle with a suspension kit where I need to climb into it, like my XJ. This needs to remain a daily driver with low center of gravity. I want to improve the on-road ride and driving experience with slightly taller 34" tires.
After measuring and watching the springs settle a bit, there's already 1/4" sag in the front. It started out at 22" even at all four corners with 11 miles on the clock - now has ~300. The quick math says it could use a Teraflex 1" spring isolator up front and 1/2" in the rear.
This would net 3/4" higher lift (rake) in the front than the rear as measured from the hub center to bottom of fender lips (at the radius). If I install a winch later this will settle 1/2" or 1/4" in the front, still leaving a nice moderate rake.
I think the issues with the chatter are these Bilstein shocks...
Therefore with all that said above, I'm considering the following...
Installing Teraflex 1" front and 1/2" rear pucks and investing in King OEM Performance shocks. This would maintain the OEM 10A spring rates, significantly improve dampening (adjustable) and allow enough clearance for 34" tires with 11.3" section widths. All using stock wheels and suspension components.
The issue would be selecting the correct length King OEM Performance shocks...
Thoughts?
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