Question about lift, shocks, and suspension travel

box12360

box12360

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Joined
Nov 12, 2018
Messages
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Location
Florida
I'm in the process of building my Jeep. I plan on doing trail riding in South FL with the occasional trip where I may need a little flex.

Plan:
Want to run 35's just purchased a built 44 with arb lockers and chromy shafts, dana 30 chromy shafts and arb as well, 4.88 gears

Metalcloak Arched Tube Fenders front
Back fenders? thinking metalcloak as well
I would like to stay around a 2-2.5 inch lift, right now i have 2" pucks - Looking at springs. Suggestions welcome

I currently have Rancho 5000x shocks for the 2-3in lift Do you think these will work well with this setup in order to get good flex (up and down travel)?

RS55239 (9.410 inches travel) For 2-3in Lift kits
Extended Length (in.)
23.84
Collapsed Length (in.)
14.43

RS5541 (8.000 In travel) For 2-3in lift kits
Extended Length (in.)
21.688
Collapsed Length (in.)
13.688

This will save me on having to do a SYE and other upgrades that come with 3+ inch lift... And i like the way the jeeps look, if you guys have any pictures of a similar setup i would love to see them :)
 
With the Metalcloak fenders are you considering them for looks or function? Looks are great if they are you style of liking, but function wise you won’t be gaining any “real” clearance/uptravel with those no matter what the internet hype/ads tell you. There are many write up on the actual numbers of metal cloak vs real high lines like genright, tnt, jcr, and Poison Spyder.
 
BuildBreakRepeat said:
With the Metalcloak fenders are you considering them for looks or function? Looks are great if they are you style of liking, but function wise you won’t be gaining any “real” clearance/uptravel with those no matter what the internet hype/ads tell you. There are many write up on the actual numbers of metal cloak vs real high lines like genright, tnt, jcr, and Poison Spyder.
BuildBreakRepeat said:
With the Metalcloak fenders are you considering them for looks or function? Looks are great if they are you style of liking, but function wise you won’t be gaining any “real” clearance/uptravel with those no matter what the internet hype/ads tell you. There are many write up on the actual numbers of metal cloak vs real high lines like genright, tnt, jcr, and Poison Spyder.
Click to expand...
Im trying to avoid chopping the hood, what other functional Fenders offer more travel without cutting into the hood. Im all for saving $$
Click to expand...
 
It really just comes down to what you actually want. Everything is a give and take in upgrades. Very rarely do you not give up anything for a higher functioning product - even if it doesn’t seem like it most of the time that’s money as well. The reason why high lining cuts the hood is because that’s the only way to get real clearance if you don’t want to lift higher for suspension travel. It’s just a fact - Metalcloak offers a “no cut solution” but compromises by not offering considerable real up travel compares to the 3” of hood you cut (3” more up for the tire). The hood is your limiting factor here. By all means if the metal cloak fenders are you taste go for it! I’m not trying to discourage you just giving you some real information regarding what members on this forum who have run them have said.
 
35's with 2" - 2.5" lift is not going to be easy. Metalcloaks will do nothing for you. You can high line by cutting the hood if you want, but even then, 2.5" lift on 35's won't work super well. I would say you could get away with high lines, 2.5" of lift, and a 1.25" body lift and have a pretty good amount of uptravel.

More reasonably, you could just install a 3"-4" lift, a 1.25" BL and keep the fenders stock. That'll make it much easier to run 35's.
 
It was determined that MC fenders offer about 1" more of clearance (vs 3" from a true hiline).

The important thing to do is to cycle your suspension with the springs removed and bumpstop accordingly. This will help and ensure your setup is not running into something else (trackbar vs diff and/or gastank, tires mashing into fenders, springs falling out, shocks ripping off mounts, bottoming out shocks, etc..). That is the problem when you buy shocks based X" amount lift. Manufactures do not know what works or does not work with your jeep.

Buy your 2" or 2.5" springs. OME makes a very good set if I am not mistaken. If you want to use the most travel though, measure from the top shock mount to the bottom mount. Write that number down. Then measure the distance between the bumpstops, making sure to measure from the bump stop cup rather than the end of the soft jounce bumper. Write that number down. Now, by subtracting the second number from the first, you have the compressed length of your shock. Remember to pay attention to bumpstop lengths....

Take a look at this recent thread. Its for a 4" lift but the concept is exactly the same with a 2 or 2.5" lift.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/what-size-shock-for-4”-lift.14558/
 
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BuildBreakRepeat said:
It really just comes down to what you actually want. Everything is a give and take in upgrades. Very rarely do you not give up anything for a higher functioning product - even if it doesn’t seem like it most of the time that’s money as well. The reason why high lining cuts the hood is because that’s the only way to get real clearance if you don’t want to lift higher for suspension travel. It’s just a fact - Metalcloak offers a “no cut solution” but compromises by not offering considerable real up travel compares to the 3” of hood you cut (3” more up for the tire). The hood is your limiting factor here. By all means if the metal cloak fenders are you taste go for it! I’m not trying to discourage you just giving you some real information regarding what m
tworley said:
It was determined that MC fenders offer about 1" more of clearance (vs 3" from a true hiline).

The important thing to do is to cycle your suspension with the springs removed and bumpstop accordingly. This will help and ensure your setup is not running into something else (trackbar vs diff and/or gastank, tires mashing into fenders, springs falling out, shocks ripping off mounts, bottoming out shocks, etc..). That is the problem when you buy shocks based X" amount lift. Manufactures do not know what works or does not work with your jeep.

Buy your 2" or 2.5" springs. OME makes a very good set if I am not mistaken. If you want to use the most travel though, measure from the top shock mount to the bottom mount. Write that number down. Then measure the distance between the bumpstops, making sure to measure from the bump stop cup rather than the end of the soft jounce bumper. Write that number down. Now, by subtracting the second number from the first, you have the compressed length of your shock. Remember to pay attention to bumpstop lengths....

Take a look at this recent thread. Its for a 4" lift but the concept is exactly the same with a 2 or 2.5" lift.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/what-size-shock-for-4”-lift.14558/
Click to expand...

It was determined that MC fenders offer about 1" more of clearance (vs 3" from a true hiline).

The important thing to do is to cycle your suspension with the springs removed and bumpstop accordingly. This will help and ensure your setup is not running into something else (trackbar vs diff and/or gastank, tires mashing into fenders, springs falling out, shocks ripping off mounts, bottoming out shocks, etc..). That is the problem when you buy shocks based X" amount lift. Manufactures do not know what works or does not work with your jeep.

Buy your 2" or 2.5" springs. OME makes a very good set if I am not mistaken. If you want to use the most travel though, measure from the top shock mount to the bottom mount. Write that number down. Then measure the distance between the bumpstops, making sure to measure from the bump stop cup rather than the end of the soft jounce bumper. Write that number down. Now, by subtracting the second number from the first, you have the compressed length of your shock. Remember to pay attention to bumpstop lengths....

Take a look at this recent thread. Its for a 4" lift but the concept is exactly the same with a 2 or 2.5" lift.
https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/what-size-shock-for-4”-lift.14558/
Click to expand...

So when you say it gives you 1” of clearance is that over stock fenders and flairs ? Or do you mean cut fenders? What’s the number over stock fenders?
 
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Look at my tire stuffed into the factory flare.
78529

The limit is the outer fender lip.
78530

Metalcloak moves that limit to the hood line which will add about an inch of flex. That's it. The available overall up travel remains the same. Cutting the hood creates much more room. Highline fenders that also move the back wall of the fender back will allow you to steer as well.

Metalcloak is for ramps. Highlines are for performance.
 
Last edited:
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jjvw said:
Look at my tire stuffed into the factory flare.
View attachment 78529
The limit is the outer fender lip.
View attachment 78530
Metalcloak moves that limit to the hood line which will add about an inch of flex. That's it. The overall up travel remains the same. Cutting the hood creates much more room. Highline fenders that also move the back wall of the fender back will allow you to steer as well.

Metalcloak is for ramps. Highlines are for performance.
Click to expand...

Bubble burster!
 
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