Question about lift achieved with coil spacers

Did a 2 inch rockliz inspired lift 4 months ago. In front I replaced my stock coils with new Crown Automotive ZJ coils purchased from 4wd.com. They were more tightly coiled than the stock XJ coils but did not result in any lift so I used isolator stacks to get up to 2 inches. My front has sagged since then to where I now have only about 1.25 inches of lift. So I assume that if I had not added the coils I would actually be below stock height. I could just leave it as it is but as long as I've gone to all the trouble of adding new leaf packs in back (qtec HD) and installing OME shocks N35 and N36 all around, I'd really like to rectify this situation to max out capability. So I have some questions:

1. Would just adding spacers on both sides to get back up to 2 inches be as totally retarded as I assume it would be?

2. I could put my stock springs back on leaving the spacers on. They had me at stock height pre-lift. Any chance I would end up with the same result as happened with the ZJ springs?

3. This is really my main question and I am asking since I am considering biting the bullet and just getting OME coils to go with my OME shocks. How much offroad performance difference is there between a lift acheived solely with coil spacers and a lift achieved with 2 inch coils?

Id say just go with new coils. Then if u want to add another inch or two in the future, or get a heavy front bumper you can always add a spacer from there. Coils are cheap, and you can find them used sometimes if someone went to a bigger lift. Plus they should flex better (i think anyways) than coils with stacked spacers.

I used two 1.5" spacers stacked for 3" total for a while and it flexed great. However, given the choice I'd go with actual springs. Or if using ZJ spring, try some from a junkyard vehicle. That way they're already settled.

I have coil spacers on stock UpCountry coils and have been on 3 week long 4x4 trips, Moab, UT (twice) and Ouray, CO. The coils function great and have not sagged any. Just put your original coils back in and add a spacer. Coil spring spacers come in different sizes (2" , 1.75", .75", .5") and can be stacked up to get the desired lift

I have not been very impressed with the quality of Crown replacement Jeep parts.

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How do you like the QT leafs? How much lift did they give you in the back? Which part number did you buy (since there seems to be some confusion)? Also, how do you like the OME shocks? I was thinking of going with an almost identical set up.....

Oh yeah......as for your dilemma, perhaps you can use the JKS ACOS!?!?! It gives a minimal lift of 1.25" and it's adjustable up to approx. 4".

http://www.dpgoffroad.com/jks.htm

JeepDawg said:

How do you like the QT leafs? How much lift did they give you in the back? Which part number did you buy (since there seems to be some confusion)? Also, how do you like the OME shocks? I was thinking of going with an almost identical set up.....

Oh yeah......as for your dilemma, perhaps you can use the JKS ACOS!?!?! It gives a minimal lift of 1.25" and it's adjustable up to approx. 4".

http://www.dpgoffroad.com/jks.htm

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The QT leaf packs (56010.11) are holding up fine, unlike the coils. I bastardized them with my pre-existing mains. I thought they might be stiff riding especially wed to my old main but the ride is about the same as stock. I have a tad over 2 inches lift in back. I have not had the vehicle off road yet to test the shocks but on road they frankly don't give me any ride improvement over the shocks that had been on my rig for a couple eons.

As for ACOS, I personally can't justify the expense of having them when I can stack coil spring isolators for 5 bucks each. It seems they might be a good purchase for someone building up incrementally but I have no plans of modifying my height beyond "budget boost" height. My current focus ( in addition to resolving my front end problem) is to finish armoring and getting up on the learning curve about winches.

BTW, Qtec has apparently addressed the categorization problem of their leaf packs in the quarterly catalogue, which I just received a week ago. I can't help think they did so at least partly in response to a letter I wrote them.

Thanks for the updates. I hear ya', the $200 for the ACOS is a bit much. Since you don't plan on catching the inch'its....you're probably right to stay with spacers. Best of luck!

JeepDawg said:

Thanks for the updates. I hear ya', the $200 for the ACOS is a bit much. Since you don't plan on catching the inch'its....you're probably right to stay with spacers. Best of luck!

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Well, I don't know that anyone really...plans...inchitis, LOL. I'm in my mid-fifties and I didn't realy become interested in modifying 4wd vehicles until just a couple years ago. I had my Cherokee for about five years before I ever gave it much thought. I considered switching to a TJ until I started learning about what could be done to the XJ, now I think XJ's are just totally cooler than wranglers and I am hooked on this website.