First post for the new guy: Suspension advice and help needed

DCarson said:
Well there goes Christmas!! LOL, honestly, I am a boat guy, so I guess this really is not that bad of a list in comparison to what I am accustomed to. And I get to use this more.

So, quick questions on this. The bump stop cups and longer bolts, I read earlier these are 3/8" bolts. Any specific length? Are jounce bumpers and bump stops the same thing? Does the new drag link come with the piece that connects it to the pitman arm?

Now, to search for the ZJ tie rod conversion threads....
Click to expand...

Yes, the drag link will come with the ball joint that connects it to the pitman arm.

Bump stops and jounce bumpers are not the same thing. The bump stop is a hard stop for the suspension, typically split in half, with one part being on the axle and one part on the frame. On a TJ, the part on the axle is a pad and the part on the frame is the bump stop extension. The jounce bumpers cushion that impact, when it happens so you don't have the two pieces of metal crashing into each other at high speed. Ever seen a lowered car, like a civic, driving along and it looks like its bouncing really roughly? That is the suspension on the bump stops.

Here are factory replacement jounce bumpers...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016J1CW0E/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Not sure where you'll get cups...Maybe give Daveys jeep a call (its a salvage yard).
 
Ranger_b0b said:
Yes, the drag link will come with the ball joint that connects it to the pitman arm.

Bump stops and jounce bumpers are not the same thing. The bump stop is a hard stop for the suspension, typically split in half, with one part being on the axle and one part on the frame. On a TJ, the part on the axle is a pad and the part on the frame is the bump stop extension. The jounce bumpers cushion that impact, when it happens so you don't have the two pieces of metal crashing into each other at high speed. Ever seen a lowered car, like a civic, driving along and it looks like its bouncing really roughly? That is the suspension on the bump stops.

Here are factory replacement jounce bumpers...

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016J1CW0E/?tag=wranglerorg-20

Not sure where you'll get cups...Maybe give Daveys jeep a call (its a salvage yard).
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info Ranger. I will start working on those items soon. Unfortunately I have to go back to work on the 2nd, so not much time for new orders to show up.
 
cliffish said:
no one mentioned tire pressure...what are you running? I like to keep it at 26 psi, that can really help the ride...especially with new Rancho shocks.
Click to expand...

Great question. I am actually running 26 lbs in my tires. I have been reading all I can on here!! Heard that message loud and clear from several. However, when I started reading and checked them they were at 32. That was an improvement for sure. The other thing I found that make a huge difference really quick is the stabilizer bar. I think that is what it is called. One side was super loose and the top and rattling around. That made a noticeable difference in handling as soon as I tightened it up too.

Slowly but surely we are getting there.
 
You can only do what time allows...get the parts and lay out a plan. Sometimes dropping one part gives you easier access to another so it makes sense to do them at the same time. I need to tackle some of these same things but rotator cuff surgery in 2 weeks is going to push off my jeep wrenching till the summer. I am just hoping to lay down some wax on my cars before the snow really hits now.

My advice is get your son involved on these to give him a good working knowledge of the Jeep. When your suspension is done find the thread on front end alignment here by @Jerry Bransford and do that yourself...no need to pay for it.
 
By the way, here is the new toy. I sure appreciate everybody's help and advice.

IMG_0690.jpg
 
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I've been through a lot of the same things with my Jeep over the last year, and you're getting a lot of good advice.

There's a ton of good info on this site that you might like if you haven't found it yet:

Get the Factory Service Manuals for your year. They have a lot of good info, and procedures for disassembling and reassembling everything. I often read them just to figure out how thing work and how they fit together. https://wranglertjforum.com/threads...ice-manuals-fsm-technical-documentation.4618/

The first pic in the thread on aligning your Jeep clearly shows all the suspension components: https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/how-to-align-your-jeep-wrangler-tj.85/

With larger than stock tires, you're going to need to fully cycle the suspension to figure out where the tires hit the fenders, body, and/or frame. Because they will hit at some point, and you're going to need to add more than the stock bump stops to keep them from hitting things when you're driving (which would be bad). I wrote up my bump stop check with pics, and it might help you. https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/bump-stop-check-walk-thru-with-pics.12883/

Seems like the consensus is to go for the ZJ Tie Rod Conversion as a replacement for worn out parts. Everything you need to know is on this site:
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/zj-tie-rod-conversion.2373/
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/zj-tie-rod-conversion.2183/
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/zj-steering-upgrade.11895/

If the control arms look original, I would just replace them without thinking twice. After so many years and miles, the rubber is going to be shot. I suppose the Crown control arms are just fine, but I went with the Moog control arms for my Jeep:
4x LCA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009B44P5W/?tag=wranglerorg-20
2x Front UCA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DNBJ8G/?tag=wranglerorg-20
2x Rear UCA: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005DNBHFG/?tag=wranglerorg-20
But check Rock Auto to see if they have lower prices: https://www.rockauto.com/

You've got the right bump stop cups, but I'd go for the Crown part which is also cheaper if you get it from QT.
https://www.quadratec.com/p/crown-a...-93-06-jeep-wrangler-tj-and-grand-cherokee-zj

Get the jounce bumpers while you're at it. This is the part, but I'm sure you can find them cheaper elsewhere: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016J1CW0E/?tag=wranglerorg-20

And you don't have to do all this stuff at once. Start with tire pressure (it's free and it helps a lot!), then fix the stuff that's obviously wrong, like the steering and bump stops. You don't even have to do all the control arms at once. Replacing the lower control arms will get you the most improvement for your money.
 
OK, suspension parts questions for everybody. I see on here that everybody is big on Moog parts and also has mentioned Currie and Crown, and also Napa when doing the ZJ conversion. My local stores have ACDelco, Masterpro, TRW and some others that have lifetime warranties. For a road driver and occasional beach and mud machine, are the higher end parts going to be a factor, or will any of these other brands do the job. FYI, the parts are the parts for a 98 V8 Grand Cherokee. They are actually costing me a little more to go with the local parts instead of ordering from Rock auto or Amazon, but I don't have much time left before going back to work and really wanted to accomplish something.

Those are about the only parts that I can source locally.
 
This is a picture I took of one of the control arm bushings. I can see the cracks in the bushings when I zoom in. This is about the same condition as all of the bushings I see when working my way around and checking out the control arms. Are these small cracks indicative of problems that require replacement of the control arms?

IMG_1987.JPG
 
The reason people suggest MOOG is that they are high quality and won't wear out quickly. A lifetime guarantee is great, but its not much fun changing parts every 6 months. I've had good luck with Napa Chassis Saver Stuff in the past...but on my TJ, I've been using Moog and Mopar for replacement parts. If I'm upgrading...I buy once and cry once.
 
DCarson said:
This is a picture I took of one of the control arm bushings. I can see the cracks in the bushings when I zoom in. This is about the same condition as all of the bushings I see when working my way around and checking out the control arms. Are these small cracks indicative of problems that require replacement of the control arms?

View attachment 69944
Click to expand...
Yeah, those control arm bushing are no bueno.
 
DCarson said:
OK, another quick question, when I order those shocks, do you order based off of total suspension and body lift, or just suspension lift?
Click to expand...

JMT said:
We need a tally for the OP.

1) jounce bumpers
2) drag link
3) tie rod ends (I’d just do the ZJ Tie Rod Conversion)
4) shocks (Rancho 5000x; rod up) part no.’s 55239 and 55241
5) check control arm bushings and loosen bolts to recenter while on the ground under full load. Replace with Crown if needed
6) bump stop cups (they look rotted) and new longer bolts for 1.5-2” bump stop extensions
7) I’d go to 32’s when I got new tires at that lift height
Click to expand...

Shock answer.
 
DCarson said:
Well there goes Christmas!! LOL, honestly, I am a boat guy, so I guess this really is not that bad of a list in comparison to what I am accustomed to. And I get to use this more.

So, quick questions on this. The bump stop cups and longer bolts, I read earlier these are 3/8" bolts. Any specific length? Are jounce bumpers and bump stops the same thing? Does the new drag link come with the piece that connects it to the pitman arm?

Now, to search for the ZJ tie rod conversion threads....
Click to expand...
For the length of the 3/8 bolts, it depends if you will run bump stop extensions on the top. No extension, you can go with 1" and then increase based on your extension. I ended up getting 2 1/4' with my 1" extensions just to be safe.
 
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Update on what I have been doing. Over the Christmas break I was able to replace that drag link end which was showing wear. I also found the left rear sway bar link and the front right sway bar link to be loose. Those two items by themselves made huge difference in the handling of the jeep. Can actually drive down the road without looking drunk. Tie rod and tie rod end, as well as new shocks are scheduled to arrive today and hopefully get on this weekend. (hopefully after reading all the stories about rear shock mounting bolts) Then next payday will be new bump stops, cups, bumpers and that stuff, and maybe swing arms depending on how the commission checks look. Oh, and the damage from all the Christmas bills coming due:oops::oops:
 
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