The Jeep Wrangler, along with the generations of Jeeps that came before, is one of the most heavily modified vehicles in the world. The chances of finding a stock Jeep Wrangler, even new on the Jeep dealer's lot, are rare. With so many owners modifying their Jeeps, though, it's hard to know where to start. We're here to help, letting you know which Jeep Wrangler suspension upgrades you need, from mild to wild, to make your Jeep more capable of doing everything you want it to do.

Think we missed something? Let us know in the comments what your favorite Wrangler Suspension performance products are.


1. Polyurethane Bushings
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When a suspension part bolts to your Jeep, it will either use a ball joint or a rubber bushing. We all know ball joints can wear, and how to check them, but with a bushing, it's not always as clear. Factory rubber bushings can look great but be completely worn out. This lets suspension components move in ways they shouldn't, and that leads to binding, breaking parts, and even the speed wobble that can afflict some Jeeps. Upgrading factory rubber bushings to polyurethane or poly bushings can help even your factory suspension components work better. Letting them move and rotate the way they were intended without any extra movement. New bushings are a must on an older off-roader, but are an important place to start on even a new Jeep Wrangler.
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2. Upper Control Arms
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The upper control arm connects the top of the wheel hub to the frame of your Jeep. Control arms control the wheel moving in and out as well as front and rear. Ideally, they won't allow any movement in those directions. Control arms also help to correct caster, which is the angle of the steering axis to the vertical axis of the wheel. For an example, pull a shopping cart backwards and watch the wheels flip around. That's caused by caster (look at where the pivot is compared to the center of the wheel), and if it's off in your Jeep, your wheels can do the same going forward. When you lift your Jeep, the rear tires are pulled into the front of the wheel well and the fronts are pulled to the rear. Aftermarket upper control arms can fix this while allowing more suspension travel and adding strength to your Jeep.
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3. Lower Control Arms

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On your Jeep Wrangler, lower control arms allow the wheels to move up and down. Aftermarket control arms serve multiple purposes. They are smaller in size, letting you fit a larger wheel and tire without the need for wheel spacers. They are often bent, which can give you just enough extra ground clearance to make it over an obstacle. They're adjustable, helping to correct suspension camber and fit with the rest of your suspension. Finally, they're made from stronger materials so that they won't fold with the stresses of rock crawling and off-roading, which can happen to the factory components.
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4. Sway Bar Disconnect

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Jeep Wrangler Rubicon models leave the factory with electronic sway bar disconnects. Sway bars link the left and right wheel on an axle and transfer forces from side to side. This helps reduce body roll on the highway, improving cornering, but that link negatively affects suspension travel. When one wheel moves down, it wants to move the opposite wheel down as well. A sway bar disconnect gives you that improved highway ride but then, when disconnected, gives you maximum suspension travel off-road. If your Jeep didn't offer one stock, a wide range of aftermarket quick-disconnects are offered. Most let you simply pull out a pin to disconnect the bars and give you full suspension articulation. Put the pins back in when you hit the highway for a better ride.
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5. Heavy Duty Ball Joints

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The ball part of the joint swivels to let the suspension move up and down and to allow the front wheels to steer the Jeep. The factory parts are just fine until you decide it's time to throw on 37-inch tall tires with beefy wheels and start slamming into rock walls. If you're planning on much more than occasional off-roading, you'll need stronger ball joints. In addition to a stronger design that can handle more punishment, upgraded ball joints let you lubricate them to remove contamination and improve life and performance with less friction than a factory plastic joint.
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6. Steering Stabilizer

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A steering stabilizer is like a shock absorber for your steering system. When you're driving, hard impacts with obstacles can come back through the steering wheel and snap the wheel around. This can hurt you and the steering system, and potentially make you lose control of your Jeep. A stabilizer softens these blows, making sure that the steering wheel isn't ripped from your hand. Upgraded systems do a better job of controlling this motion in rough-road conditions and are stronger than factory components.
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7. Remote Reservoir Shocks

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A shock absorber uses oil and a valve to absorb and dampen the motion of your Jeep. You might not think about it often, but that up and down motion, especially with large amounts of travel off-road, can cause the fluid in the shock to overheat and foam. When that happens, your shocks won't work as well and that can lead to a bumpy ride and a blown shock. Remote reservoir shocks have a separate canister to hold more shock oil. More oil means it can dissipate more heat while storing it outside of the shock lets the oil cool more quickly. That also prevents foaming and keeps your Jeep handling at its best.
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8. Track Bar Upgrade
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The track bar is used to center your Jeep's axle side to side while letting it move up and down. Lifting your Jeep Wrangler changes the suspension geometry, which stops the track bar from lining up correctly and moves the axles toward the driver's side. Off-center axles can lead to problems like suspension binding, tires hitting the body, and broken parts. Adjustable track bars let you re-center the axle and reduce the pressure on your suspension. They can also be fitted with stronger brackets to add durability off-road.
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9. Drag Link Upgrade
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The drag link is the component that attaches to your steering box at one end and your tie rod at the other. It's the lever that lets you steer, pivoting the wheels left and right, making it essential to driving your Jeep. The stock bar can be damaged by debris or by bouncing it off of a rock on the trail, and that means your front tires are no longer pointing in the same direction. Aftermarket parts are stronger to help prevent that damage, and some are even adjustable so you can compensate until you're able to get home and replace the part.
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10. Lift Kit
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A lift kit is often the first stop for new Jeep owners. Make it taller, tougher, and more capable, all in one step. The kits work well to do that and often include new springs that are longer, new shocks that are longer for more travel, and all of the brackets you'll need to install the new parts. Watch out for kits that include only spacers. They cost less, but they don't increase suspension capability. A lift kit is a great way to increase ground clearance, allow room for larger tires, and help suspension travel, all in one go. But remember that if you make this upgrade, you'll probably need at least a few of the other parts on this list.
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