This project took me 10x longer than I had expected.
Things I learned and accomplished:
1. A relatively short arm 5-link suspension is difficult to to design/build that doesn't create link bind.
....A) Don't just articulate axle in a linear fashion when testing mounting locations, this won't necessarily show binding caused when fully articulating an axle on only 1 side.
....B) This suspension linkage was built around MetalCloak bushings which are forgiving; My suspension may not work with unforgiving heim joints and hasn't been tested with heim joints.
2. I honestly don't know my anti-squat and suspension numbers before (lifted stock) or after (newly relocated brackets) I did play with 4-link calculator but my knowledge is weak.
3. It feels good and I doubt that I made it worse than before; although, enough time passed that I can't say I remember how it felt beforehand.
....A) I'm sure a professional or someone more experienced could have done a better job than me.
4. I improved rear roll steer and increased my rear articulation. I need to find a better driveshaft (Probably 1410) due to the extreme operating angles of a 2 Door.
....A) A 4 door may not have the same driveshaft issue that I'm experiencing.
....B) I need a center limit strap to protect driveshaft while still allowing full articulation at the tires.
5. This may not work as well with a 35" tires but I suspect there would still be enough room for articulation except in the most extreme situations.
6. With my increased articulation, I am sure I will accelerate the wear of my MetalCloak joints and any other brand of quality rebuildable joints. I accept that as a compromise to my preference of a smooth and quiet ride. I have no desire to go to heim joints.
7. I have now created a problem where I can unseat my coil springs front and rear based on the near optimal position of my 6Pak shocks.
....A) I have some ideas and been in discussion with others that I will pursue over the next decade of ownership. No coilovers for me! 😁
8. I have greatly improved ground clearance at the rear axle while only losing .75"-1" clearance at the frame LCA bracket.
....A) Based on my current axle brackets, I don't see how a typical long arm would allow for my uptravel without contacting body mounts or more significantly reducing my frame side ground clearance.
....B) At this time I have no interest in relocating my gas tank and going with a properly setup 4-link or 3-link.
9. I have enjoyed the learning experience and I would recommend others look into alternative solutions. But be honest with your intentions and make your decisions based on the characteristics that are most important to you and not others.
....A) I like a quiet and easily drivable Jeep. I prefer easy and predictable maintenance. I can substitute a crappy stock shock in a worst case scenario.
....B) This Jeep will not be on 40s and I'll probably never do an LS swap. The next tire size may progress to a true 37" tire but I still have at least 20K miles on this set of tires.
....C) I enjoy the characteristics of the MetalCloak springs matched with the 6pak shocks. I have my own charging kit and understand the required maintenance of this style shock.
........1. I didn't want to cut into to the body for a longer shock. I enjoy the packaging of the 6Pak shock.
........2. These shocks, for me, are better than typical shocks included with the majority of the kits. They don't compare to race shocks or custom tune/valved shocks.
........3. I enjoy a spirited drive on dirt roads and moderate trails but I have no interest in getting air. Sadly, 95% of my miles are on paved road.
....D) I don't trailer my Jeep and I doubt that I will ever be in the position where I will want to trailer it.
10. 6Pak shocks are great for me but they require alternate mounting locations even when following MetalCloak recommendations. If you aren't utilizing the 13"-15" of travel, there is more than likely a traditional shock that will work for you.
11. Long-arm kits will not
necessarily get you more articulation than a properly set up regular-arm suspension. The long-arm may offer smoother ride or better suspension numbers if done correctly. Don't assume that a long-arm kit is the best solution for your intended use of the vehicle.
12. My welding is not the best but so far it seems functional.😬
13. I have enjoyed what I have learned and I will continue to improve my Jeep to the best of my skills and knowledge.
14. I am open to discussion both good and bad but may not always follow it. 😉
After breaking things, I started ordering parts in August 2020. I was going to combine parts from Teraflex, Artec, RuffStuff, and Barnes 4wd, and wide open designs. I still haven't added truss as that will go on when I finally install my Teraflex 8-lug full float kit and new 8 lug beadlock wheels. I hope that will happen late this year or before 2022 wheeling season.
I ended up using the Teraflex track bar bracket because it was one of the few that raised the track bar 6" like an early Metalcloak bracket. This combo has worked well and allows for maximum uptravel while still allowing for an exhaust pipe and a relocated Evap canister. I did have minor contact with the frame crossmember and axle track bar bracket in the most extreme articulation when I was at 2.5" lift. I used this time to rotate the new Teraflex bracket to a better location after rotating the axle for pinion angle. I also did grind a little on the upper frame crossmember to make sure I have room for error. The Teraflex UCA bracket is good quality and offers 2" of additional height over factory. But I wanted even more height so I went with a RuffStuff bracket that offers 3" over factory height and 2.65" bushing width instead of 2 5/16" bushing. The wider bushing was a spare MC bushing I had from the rear LCA. It swaps easily between the joint housings with a pair of snap-ring pliers.
![4503831]()
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This bracket worked well but due to the extra width and height and not specific to rear UCA mount of a JK, it did require more work. I had to grind the back of the bracket to give room for the rubber bushing to fully articulate. This mod wouldn't have been necessary for heim joints and something that the Teraflex bracket took into consideration. It needed grinding on the base to make it fit the axle bearing retainer flange. I will eventually add the lower reinforcement bracket after some mods that will come with the Full-float kit and axle truss. I also had to come up with a counter-sunk M14x1.5 100mm bolt so that the bolt head didn't dig into the frame or hard brake line at the limit of articulation. I am happy I went with this bracket for me;but, it would be easier to use the Teraflex bracket at the cost of some axle clearance to maintain the proper amount of joint separation.
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This is the RuffStuff bracket installed and tested on trail. It is hard to see but the upper bolt is counter-sunk into the bracket with an additional washer.
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Showing what I needed to grind on the bracket to allow the rubber bushing to flex and my first discovery of link bind during articulation. This bind was due to me increasing the joint separation based on the idea that I wanted to minimize axle wrap. Reducing the extra joint separation at the axle gave me more ground clearance than originally planned. This is when I realized my project was going to take way longer than anticipated and be more involved.
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This is when I started to realize I needed to come up with a better UCA bolt solution.
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Experimenting with a spare bracket, this was the solution for the bolt. I ended up using countersunk bolts in track bar which I will show later in this thread.
