Advice on front disconnects
- Thread starter TJim
- Start date
Moore County
New Member
Sorry - yes, for off-road. I guess the question is how much articulation is lost, which I understand is hard to quantify.
Thanks!
Thanks!
OP
From the linked article. Mark passed in 2014.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Often referred to as “the father of modern four-wheeling”, Mark A. Smith shares his decades of experience and innovation to teach the basics of safe, common sense, environmentally conscientious off highway driving in this handy, glove box sized volume. In 1953, as a way to attract tourism to their tiny California mountain town, Smith and a group of local boosters began the Jeeper’s Jamboree over the Rubicon Trail, an annual trip which would gain such notoriety in four-wheeling circles as to become the standard by which all other off-road routes in North America would be judged. Looking for even greater adventure, in 1979 Smith organized and led the Expedicion de las Americas, a 120-day, 20,000 mile off-road journey from the southernmost tip of South America at Tierra del Fuego to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, above the Arctic Circle. This incredible trip featured a traverse of the virtually impassable Darien Gap, a 103 mile stretch of dense, hostile jungle which took 30 days to cross. Seeking a way to share his love of off-roading and the exploration of America’s grand back country with the public, Smith founded Jeep Jamboree U.S.A. in 1982. Jeep Jamboree U.S.A. offers guided, family oriented off-road adventures open to any Jeep owner. Over 7,500 Jeep enthusiasts participate in the 35 Jeep Jamborees held each year in locations as diverse as the evergreen forests of Maine and the painted deserts of Utah. This involvement with the Jeep brand brought Smith in closer contact with the manufacturer as well, and since 1982, he has worked as a consultant to the Jeep brand of the Chrysler Corporation. In 1986, the United Four Wheel Drive Association recognized Smith’s impressive accomplishments, naming him “Four Wheeler of the Decade”. The jungles of Madagascar were the next destination for the globetrotting Smith as in 1987 he led Camel Trophy in what is perhaps the toughest adventure competition in the world.
Smith’s pioneering spirit was next recognized by the exclusive Explorer’s Club of New York, which inducted him as a member in 1989. The off-road prowess of many of America’s law-enforcement and military personnel may be attributed to Smith as well. Since beginning off-road training for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in 1984, he has trained over 3,500 law enforcement officers from over 30 agencies, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Ongoing training of the elite of America’s military, the U.S. Army Special Forces including Delta Force, continues in remote, sometimes exotic locations as well. Over 100 off-road demonstration courses have been built by this member of the Off-Road Hall of Fame, including the four-wheel drive test facility at the Chrysler Proving Grounds at Chelsea. Michigan as well as building a severe off-road course at the Marine base in Quantico, Virginia for the USMC and the Department of the Army. Mark has been an off-road consultant to Jeep Corp. since 1984 working with marketing, engineering, public relations and international operations. Mark is a life member of the National Rifle Association. In June of 2011, Mark was honored by a resolution from the California State Senate recognizing his significant contributions to the sport of off road exploration and the promotion of preservation of the Old Rubicon Trail.
HardSell
TJ Enthusiast
These are what's on my 2005 Rubicon, 33s bought a year ago February. Wheeled a lot this year. I love 'em. So easy. I had Teraflex on my XJ.....pain in the ass!
It's pretty substantial. The sway bar keeps the body in-line with the axle, offroad the axle is going all over - so not only is it giving up travel it will be throwing the cab around a bit more.
Moore County
New Member
HardSell
TJ Enthusiast
Be sure to check that your brake lines are long enough. If you're unsure, disconnect, jack one side up until full flex; you'll need a farm type (Hi lift) jack to do that. Note the flex in my XJ. Even that is not at full flex. Can't say enough about trail safety and disconnecting.
Moore County
New Member
Thanks for the tip.
I don’t own a hi lift jack and wasn’t planning on getting one. Any other way to check?
If you cycle the axles without springs in place, as one ought to when building a suspension, you well see if the brake hoses are long enough.
HardSell
TJ Enthusiast
The point is to preemptively maximize flex in your driveway to assure that flex on a trail will not exceed the operational or stress limits of your brake lines; that your lines won't snap while you're in a compromising situation. How ever you do this is irrelevant. A Hi lift in my opinion is the easiest, safest and most economical way to achieve this vital preemptive observation. If one ever needs to lift a high clearance Wrangler to change a tire, there is no substitute for a high lift jack. Pneumatic cylinder jacks are wonderful only with two conditions: 1) terrain under the Jeep permits stable application and access 2) that the jack is capable of enough lift to do the job.
Moore County
New Member
Quick question again about testing flex and brake lines - is full flex achieved when the compressed side hits the bump stop or rubs? My lift kit was installed with no intention of going off-road so the bump stops were not measured. At least I don’t think they were, I didn’t know about this forum then so I didn’t know what was going on with the install. There are extended brake lines installed and a check with a ramp and floor jack indicates that there is some slack left with some flex, but I wasn’t able to flex it all the way.
I guess the question is with the sway bar disconnected will it flex to the bump stop or fender rub? Should I leave the sway bar connected until I have those properly tested?
I can buy a farm jack if that’s the only way to know.
Thanks for your time and thanks to everyone on this board!
Edit: I’m not sure I have extended brake lines installed. That may be the answer. I have a 2.5” lift with 33” tires.
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HardSell
TJ Enthusiast
"is full flex achieved when the compressed side hits the bump stop or rubs?"
Yes. Hitting bump stop is OK. Rubbing is not.
"There are extended brake lines installed and a check with a ramp and floor jack indicates that there is some slack left with some flex, but I wasn’t able to flex it all the way."
Your brake lines seem to be ok.
The flex in my XJ was so extreme that the front shaft would shift to the right to the point that the ujoint ate into the exhaust pipe just before eating into the oil pan. I had addressed this difficulty by the time I drove Golden Spike, shown above. Here's what I did to shorten the flex travel, avoiding the cost of replacing bump stops for longer ones: Get some sort of plastic container such as a cottage cheese, Tang or coffee creamer container etc. Trim the container to size, say 2-3", whatever you require to extend the existing bump stop. Make sure the container or resulting assembly will fit just inside your coil spring. Buy some hockey pucks @$2. A couple for each side should be sufficient. Buy some polyurethane calking at Home Depot. It should be the black stuff. Stack and generously glue and pack the pucks together inside the cottage cheese or other similar container. Give it two or three days to cure. If necessary, remove or cut away the cylinder form (plastic container) you used. Jack the Jeep up to losen the coil spring from the support getting it to allow you to slip your new floatong bump stop inside the coil spring. Repeat for other side. Alternative method: fill a plastic container with expanding polyurethane foam. Get the densest, least expanding product available. After cure (a day), if necessary, remove outer plastic form and cut foam core length to size, install into spring. If the entire form fits into the coil. you can just leave it as it is without cutting away the outer plastic mold. If you wheel a lot and if this breaks down just make another set. Mine lasted. You can also use a combination of pucks, foam, and polyurethane calk for beefiest assembly. Of course, if extended bump stops are available and more practical, get those. If you can only fine one, just combo the setup.
"I can buy a farm jack if that’s the only way to know."
It's not the only way, but in my experience it's the easiest. Harbor Freight sells 4 footers for $48-$60. The only difference between HF and a HighLift is the HL has a bunch of holes in the foot giving you more mounting options for trail use. I also carry a bottle jack when wheeling.
"I have a 2.5” lift with 33” tires." As do I on my TJR. Taller tires in my experience on a short wheel base net diminishing returns.
Have fun!
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