Advice on parts for my front and rear end

Drumbeast7

Drumbeast7

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Hello I need some help choosing parts for both my front end and rear end suspension, steering, etc. I plan on replacing as much as I can all at one time. I was thinking about throwing in a solid grand (willing to go higher) for parts. I don't really need anything crazy as the most I would use my jeep for is going through mud. So far the only thing I think I have made a decision on is the rough country 2.5" lift which knocks off shocks and springs off the list. I don't mind doing all the work myself, I'm just not good at choosing parts. There are so many choices whether its a kit of some sort or buying everything individually. Any advice and help on finding parts would be greatly appreciated.
 
I'm not worried about cost, I just don't need top of the line either. Just torn on what should be aftermarket and what should be stock still. All that matters is that it will last.
 
Drumbeast7 said:
I'm not worried about cost, I just don't need top of the line either. Just torn on what should be aftermarket and what should be stock still. All that matters is that it will last.
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Start with the end in mind. What size tires are you thinking? That helps orient the rest of the build.
 
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Drumbeast7 said:
Currently I have 31s on stock suspension. Im not one to dig those huge tires so maybe 33s with the 2.5 lift.
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That's a big maybe, and you'll need a 1.25" body lift on top of the 2.5" suspension lift to pull it off.

For steering just do the ZJ upgrade. There's a thread on it in the how to section.

You'll want adjustable track bars, at least in the rear. I went with JKS.

Put new bushings on your rear sway bar and adjustable end links. JKS for the end links, with disconnects if you want.

Same for the front, or pitch it and get an anti-rock.

Maybe control arms if yours are old and shot. Stock replacements will work, unless you plan on doing SYE in the future, in which case get adjustable arms at least for the rear uppers. Good brands to look at are Core 4x4, Savvy, and Currie. In that order. If you look at Core, do at least tier 2 so you get johnny joints on one end anyway.

A grand will just get you started. I've spent more than that on my OME lift and haven't even touched the front suspension/steering yet.

If you want a kit look into the ones that DPG off-road offers. Nice guy that will work with you on your build.
 
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Do you think 33s would be to big? The smaller the better to me, I just don't want it looking weird and having to small of tires.
 
Drumbeast7 said:
Do you think 33s would be to big? The smaller the better to me, I just don't want it looking weird and having to small of tires.
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On road they will fit and be ok. Some crazy people have done it on stock suspensions. Just don't go over any bumps or they'll hit the fender.

Off road, with just a 2.5" lift, they might rub.

If you're setup to not rub at full flex that will result in a decent gap between the tire and the fender flares.

As an example, here's mine on 30 inch tires with a 2.5" suspension lift. If I slapped 33s on that as is, it would probably rub at full flex.

Now mine is pretty tall for a 2.5" lift because I'm at stock weight and I bought the heavy duty springs to handle bumpers/armor/winch etc... that I plan on in the future.

IMG_20200626_113713542.jpg
 
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If I was building one to daily drive, it would be a 1.25 BL, 1" H&R springs, Rancho or OME shocks and a 31" tire. This is an economical way to add a little more tire, without any significant negative impacts to acceleration, braking and handling.

In fact, that's exactly what I did with this one!

uIVSeT4.jpg
 
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WallyWest said:
On road they will fit and be ok. Some crazy people have done it on stock suspensions. Just don't go over any bumps or they'll hit the fender.

Off road, with just a 2.5" lift, they might rub.

If you're setup to not rub at full flex that will result in a decent gap between the tire and the fender flares.

As an example, here's mine on 30 inch tires with a 2.5" suspension lift. If I slapped 33s on that as is, it would probably rub at full flex.

Now mine is pretty tall for a 2.5" lift because I'm at stock weight and I bought the heavy duty springs to handle bumpers/armor/winch etc... that I plan on in the future.

View attachment 183009
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Nice looking jeep. Did you go with the OME 2934 front and 2949 rear springs?
 
Like @Irun said build it with an end goal in mind. like for me mine will only ever see mild wheeling , So with that said i am doing H&R springs, 31's and 4.88's due to the 42RH, and replacing all my other components with stock replacements.
 
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Mr. Pink said:
Like @Irun said build it with an end goal in mind. like for me mine will only ever see mild wheeling , So with that said i am doing H&R springs, 31's and 4.88's due to the 42RH, and replacing all my other components with stock replacements.
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I've since sold the Jeep, but my favorite daily driver was my '99. I focused on keeping it light and nimble. Like you said, I replaced all the factory control arms with stock replacements, installed H&R springs, OME Nitro shocks, did the ZJ steering conversion, replaced all the brake components and added 31" tires. In the end it handled fantastic and was an absolute pleasure to drive. I'd build another one like that in a minute!
 
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IMHO for your light to moderate wheeling a 2 or 2-1/2 inch spring lift with 32's is perfect. Add a 1" TCD and you'll avoid all the driveline vibration issues and expensive upgrades there that you won't be using.
 
Irun said:
If I was building one to daily drive, it would be a 1.25 BL, 1" H&R springs, Rancho or OME shocks and a 31" tire. This is an economical way to add a little more tire, without any significant negative impacts to acceleration, braking and handling.
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This idea is sounding pretty nice along with the idea of replacing everything else with stock. I've been looking into the springs and shocks and I need to to confirm if these are the ones you're talking about so i'm on the same page(links below). When it comes to the stock stuff, do you have any brands in mind like Moog or should I just go Mopar? Another thing, I've been looking through the how to section for the XJ steering conversion you're talking about and I can't seem to find it, can you maybe link it please?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7M0NRO/?tag=wranglerorg-20
https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadrat...rcdKwEKab2nQMtBJ31xxoP6kQMWLI6FMaAjBNEALw_wcB
 
Drumbeast7 said:
This idea is sounding pretty nice along with the idea of replacing everything else with stock. I've been looking into the springs and shocks and I need to to confirm if these are the ones you're talking about so i'm on the same page(links below). When it comes to the stock stuff, do you have any brands in mind like Moog or should I just go Mopar? Another thing, I've been looking through the how to section for the XJ steering conversion you're talking about and I can't seem to find it, can you maybe link it please?

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7M0NRO/?tag=wranglerorg-20
https://www.quadratec.com/p/quadrat...rcdKwEKab2nQMtBJ31xxoP6kQMWLI6FMaAjBNEALw_wcB
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Those are the correct springs. If you look below them you'll see the Rancho RS5000X shocks. I personally haven't owned a set of these, but they are highly regarded here.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01963XI50/?tag=wranglerorg-20

For the ZJ steering conversion, here's a picture I put together. It shows the correct MOOG part numbers. The only part missing is the track bar. For that, it would be a good idea to pick up an adjustable one. JKS makes one that works for 1" - 3.5" lifts.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TTZO9O/?tag=wranglerorg-20



BWCKpFE.jpg
 
Drumbeast7 said:
I can't for the life of me think of what a TCD is, could you elaborate. Transfer case something maybe?
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Transfer Case Drop. Instead of that, I'd do a 1" Motor mount Lift (MML), in combination with the Body Lift (BL).
 
Drumbeast7 said:
I get the 31 is tire size, and the 4.88 is gear ratio? What is the 42 RH mean?
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I'm guessing they either meant 32RH or 42RLE. I can't see your profile for some reason, but if you have an automatic, it would be one of those two. Assuming of course that you have a 4.0L. 32RH went in 1997 - 2002. The 42RLE went in 2003 - 2006.
 
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