Another 2 inch lift story

Zer0Log1c

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Joined
Apr 19, 2019
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15
Location
Huntsville AL
Hey guys, long time lurker. Figured I'd toss up my experiences with installing my 2" lift in case others run into some similar difficulties.

Installed a 2" lift made up of Rusty's springs and Rancho RS5000X shocks (PN 39 and 41) on Monday and Tuesday night. Removing the top nut on the old front shocks was a bear since the shocks were still the factory shocks from '98 as only one was replaced in '99 (PO totaled her in '99 and one shock was replaced as a result of the damage). To get the top nut off, an angle grinder was brought out to make two flat spots on the rod to hold with a vice-grip while attacking the nut on the top with a socket wrench and a few soaks of PB Blaster. Thankfully the passenger side came off much easier. Installation was a dream thankfully, with the exception of watching my stock bump stocks starting to disintegrate any time they were bumped. Did have to use the jack to lift up the opposite end of the axle when installing the new coils and decided to rent the Spring Compressor tool from Autozone for day 2. So much easier.

The test drive went pretty smooth. First I have to say I forgot how nice it was to drive a vehicle with shocks that actually damped to any degree lol. I did notice a very small amount of vibration during acceleration in the accelerator and occasionally in the steering wheel. Initial thought was that it was an alignment issue but it was only present when in gear with the clutch engaged and most noticeable during acceleration. 95% sure this is the vibration from drivetrain alignment issues that I've seen mentioned in other threads.

MML has been ordered with new extended bumpstops to replace my stock ones that are disintegrating away and are now too short. All should be arriving Friday.

From research, I think MML is the right way for me to go since I will want to do a tummy tuck sometime down the road and really don't want to shell out for an SYE and driveshaft at the moment. Tcase drop was thought about but I will fall back on that only if needed. I'd rather not sacrifice some of the extra ground clearance I just got with the lift.

In the meantime, I can't stop looking at my Jeep and smiling with the new lifted look.
 
Realized I didn't include some extra info on my TJ. Really appreciated seeing the extra info on threads talking about lifts and vibrations when trying to plan my lift.

She's a '98 Sport (now with 221k 0.0) 4.0L, AX-15 and Dana 44 in the rear (saw some places the Dana 44 was more susceptible to the drivetrain vibrations from lifts). Was\Still rides on 31" Futuras that are getting low and probably will be replaced with some 32" KO2s. Pretty much stock everywhere else. Pretty sure I netted almost 3" up front and about 2.2" in the rear when compared to my old stock suspension. Best guess is the lift provided ~1.8" in front and ~1.9" in back from stock height (without sagging springs).
 
WAAAAAY back I replaced the shocks and Mac struts in my 1982 Camaro. I could NOT get those damn strut top nuts off. On one side I cut it using a hack saw and then split the nut with a cold chisel. Took me several hours to do just that one.

On the second side, instead I scribed around the mount and took off the whole upper mount, then took it to a shop. They hit it with an air impact wrench and it came off in literally 5 seconds.

The moral of the story is, with stuck nuts on shocks and struts, try impact tools as they can very often spin off the nut before the rod can turn.

Rob
 
I did forget to add a pic 😅 Here's one from this afternoon.

Thought about finding a friend with impact tools but thankfully the Vice-grips and the flat spots on the shock worked

IMG_20190626_150654.jpg
 
Lift and tires make all the difference in the world in terms of looks. Glad you're happy with it and enjoying it :)
 
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Do you need a body lift to run a motor mount lift or is there enough room without? At a minimum you'd have to modify the fan shroud but I'm not sure about tub clearance with the transmission without the body lift.
From what I saw in this thread it looks like it has been done a few times before by some forum members without issues. Ofc mileage may vary since Wranglers can be so customizable (different), but at worse I'll pull the MML back out and wait for a BL to arrive in the mail.

One difference I've already noticed is that most MML guides (like this one) mention loosening the 4 nuts holding the transmission onto the skid plate. My TJ definitely doesn't have nuts or even spots for threaded rods to sit above those holes. Are these for the 6 speeds or autos?
 
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Nice looking TJ. I did a 1” MM lift in conjunction with a 1” body lift. Same reason you mentioned to avoid doing a SYE and driveline upgrade until needed. It did the trick on my 2.5” lift, no vibes and I even was able to removed the T-case drop kit. It’s somewhat rare to have driveline vibration issues after a small 2” lift. Every situation is unique though and each TJ reacts slightly differently.

I just received my UCF belly-up aluminum T-case skid and plan to install it soon. It’s only a 1.5” belly-up lift vs the typical 2.5-3” for other raised skids on the market. Probably have to put the 1” T-case lowering kit back on when doing a belly-up to head off any driveline vibes. Be aware that adding a raised T-case skid is like adding more lift. At some point you’ll have to do a SYE and extended CV driveshaft, possibly adjustable control arms.

136F32B3-9412-40B8-A59F-8AFD8E27991F.jpeg
 
So update on the installs (feels like 'Jeep Week' isn't ending anytime soon lol)

MML def took care of the vibes I had from ~25-38 mph. Those nuts that I couldn't find were definitely just recessed further than I was anticipating. Caused some real hell trying to line up the second motor mount until I loosed them 🤦‍♂️...

Now I'm contemplating track bar relocation brackets vs adjustable track bars before getting the alignment taken care of. Got some nice wobble from 53-56 mph when coasting or slowly accelerating through that window. Otherwise she drives like a dream again.

@Ehallspqr Thanks man! MML felt like the much better option to me. I think my vibes came from the Dana 44 having a slightly longer neck/casing/whatever, they weren't terrible but enough to be noticed by the driver. I've seen that Tcase lifts can cause the vibes again mentioned a few times. An SYE and CV driveshaft are on the upgrade list but I think I'm going to push it to next year's problem and have already started looking at control arm options to help increase max droop... but maybe I just keep bleeding my wallet for the next few weeks xD

@AndyG I'll keep my eyes peeled as well✌
 
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Good to hear the MML took care of your driveline vibe for now. For adjustable track bars and relocation brackets. The rear I put a OME track-bar relocation bracket and a SKS adjustable track bar. The rear relocation brackets are cheap, $25-30 bucks and fairly straight fwd to install. Usually drill a couple holes. These correct the geometry and your track bar works in conjunction with the bracket. With the bracket installed and only a small lift the adjustable TB is optional. Your axel may have a slight offset but no big deal. The front just install an adjustable TB and call it good. Rusty’s makes a decent one for a reasonable price.

With only a 2” lift you can get by fine with factory control arms. Aftermarket Control arms really won’t help that much. Have you installed front quick disconnect Swaybar links yet? Those are a cheap and easy mod that will really gain you allot of front axel articulation off-road.

I installed the Undercover Fabworks no bodylift bellyup skid. It’s a mild bellyup compared to many. Test drove it and there was a very slight amount of driveline vibration. Nothing to terrible but I did definitely notice it. I reinstalled the T-case lowering kit back in for now and that got rid of that slight vibration. So net improvement in ground clearance was still about 1”. And I got rid of that ugly factory “dirt scoop”
22676986-0F63-4B38-81E6-D896365CB61C.jpeg
T-case skid.
 
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I live close to Huntsville , drive a white Rubicon with a lot of smiley faces (kc Hilights )

I will keep an eye out for you.

I live in Guntersville. I drive a white Sport tan hardtop. Deployed by will be back in a couple of months.
 
I did 'install' some pretty ghetto QDs on the front sway bar so I can disconnect while offroad... Tolerancing might be a bit off while connected tho 😅

JKS adjustable front track bar and Rugged Ridge rear relocation bracket are on the way.

Things are starting to line up pretty well too. Have someone interested in my current wheels and might be selling them Wednesday. Told myself I have to sell before getting some new tread on the wheels that came with the TJ when I bought her. Better backspacing so I'll be sticking with the 'original' rims she came with.

So sell current wheels Wednesday, install front track bar and rear relocation bracket Thursday, paid Friday and in for some 33" or 32" KO2s on Monday or Tuesday; at least in theory lol
 
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Go with the 33’s and make em KM3 Mud Terrains. BFG MT’s are pretty well mannered these days. Last quit a long time also. Might as well do a 1.25” bodylift since you already have the MML. You’ll need it to clear those 32/33’s off-road. Better start saving for a re-gear down the road. As you may have already noticed this Jeep thing is an addicting and expensive hobby. But fun!
 
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Go with the 33’s and make em KM3 Mud Terrains. BFG MT’s are pretty well mannered these days. Last quit a long time also. Might as well do a 1.25” body lift since you already have the MML. You’ll need it to clear those 32/33’s off-road. Better start saving for a re-gear down the road. As you may have already noticed this Jeep thing is an addicting and expensive hobby. But fun!
Been stupid busy the last two weeks... Ended up having to replace two tie rod ends as my old worn tires didn't keep me on the road after some rain. Replaced a fair bit of the lower steering components (TREs, drag link, and steering stabilizer) with Moog parts (SS is Rancho to match shocks) since I was already down there so the wallet is feeling some pain.

Got the TJ back yesterday after an alignment and she's now rocking some 33x12.5 KO2s 👌 Love the look, altho they look suuuper wide compared to the 31x10.5 light truck tires that were on her before. Already have the 3.73 gears from the factory so she definitely slowed down a bit compared to the 31s but the 4.0 isn't feeling lethargic yet.

Still have the adjustable front trackbar to put on (stripped the head of the bolt) and the rear adjustment bracket to do, then a free re-align to fix the thrust angle. Body lift will be coming but might be a few weeks since the unintended Moog 'upgrade' hit my wallet a bit.
 
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Realized I didn't add a photo with the new KO2s here... oops
IMG_20190709_180731.jpg


Time to try and tackle the stripped trackbar bolt and then get the rear adjustment bracket installed. A fresh coat of paint for the hood and a brake replacement to some Black Magic (old pads starting to go 🤦‍♂️) will be coming soon to a thread near you
 
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