Troubleshooting a homemade lift

I've got a mix of parts on my XJ. In some ways the lift works and in some it doesn't.

Front coils were from Auto Value. They are a MOOG coil, rated as a snow plow coil for an Up-Country Cherokee. I also have a 3/4" spacer. The front sits at about 2.25 - 2.5" above stock. I have a set of Rancho 9000 adjustable front shocks and swaybar disconnects.

Rear, I disassembled a set of junkyard leaves and cut down two long leaves for AAL. This got me about 3" of lift in the back. The Jeep definitely sits ass high. Rear shocks are ZJ Monroe Sensatracs with homemade bar pin eliminators. These are about 1.5' longer than stock, plus 1" for the BPE. I took off the rear sway bar.

On road, the Jeep rides very well, and is suprisingly smooth. I get more rear end sway than I would like when cornering. I don't know if this is because of the missing rear sway bar, or the fact that the ass end is sitting higher than the front.

On the trail, it rocks from side to side so bad that it will almost make you sea sick. My old Rusty's lift with Hydro shocks on my old XJ was the opposite. It gave a rough on-road ride, but was much better on the trail.

OK, tell me what to change:

1. More front lift to level it out?
2. Stiffer rear shocks?
3. Stiff hydro shocks all around?
4. Rear sway bar back on?

The Jeep is a highway driver to trails and camping spots several hours away. It sees light trail duty, but I want to do more.

THANKS

Geoff

Try some firmer shocks. You raised the center of gravity on the Jeep, expect "some" extra movement of the body. Is this movement a real issue, or just one of the compromises you make for a lifted vehicle ? Maybe you are noticing the added firmness of the springs. Instead of the old mushy springs flexing mightily on the 4x4 trails the new firmer springs tend to toss the body around a bit more. If you decide to keep the rear sway bar, you should install some disconnects so you can make use of the rear flex on the 4x4 trails.

Yes, good point, I've thought about adding rear disconnects. This is a double duty Jeep, seeing both regular highway speeds and mild trails.

I thought about using RS 9000's on the back to see how that affects the ride.

Man, homemade lifts are great if they work right the FIRST TIME! Otherwise, for the time and money involved it would be better to just go with a proven kit. Lesson learned.

Geoff

gcam said:

Yes, good point, I've thought about adding rear disconnects. This is a double duty Jeep, seeing both regular highway speeds and mild trails.

I thought about using RS 9000's on the back to see how that affects the ride.

Man, homemade lifts are great if they work right the FIRST TIME! Otherwise, for the time and money involved it would be better to just go with a proven kit. Lesson learned.

Geoff

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Homebuilt lifts are the best and the time it takes is the reason why!No aftermarket kit is "perfect" in every aspect