Best short arm kit
12-12-2013, 08:21 PM
#41
JK Jedi
Also dirt Whats ur insight about front/rear trackbar height? I know your double triangulated so it dont affect your rig, but you've got alot more knowledge than me.
Last edited by Maertz; 12-12-2013 at 08:29 PM.
12-13-2013, 03:40 AM
#42
Unless it's a custom-designed & built suspension, or long-armed independent suspension on aluminium frame and carbon fiber body Jeep, no lift is perfect...
And there would probably be criticizers of that too.
However, a bolt-on lift CAN be pretty good. You can see how well the Metal Cloak lift behaves.
Check, for instance, how level the Jeep tends to stay with a lot of flex, or how little the body moves when sprinting, while the wheels move up & down all over the place.
As for the rear track bar, no tweaking would stop it from moving the axle sideways, which spoils roll and directional stability. The simplest & cheapest solution is to replace it with a CRC Link, regardless of the lift make.
And there would probably be criticizers of that too.
However, a bolt-on lift CAN be pretty good. You can see how well the Metal Cloak lift behaves.
Check, for instance, how level the Jeep tends to stay with a lot of flex, or how little the body moves when sprinting, while the wheels move up & down all over the place.
As for the rear track bar, no tweaking would stop it from moving the axle sideways, which spoils roll and directional stability. The simplest & cheapest solution is to replace it with a CRC Link, regardless of the lift make.
12-13-2013, 06:57 AM
#43
JK Jedi
My thoughts on track bars are to run them as high and as flat as you can to increase the roll center and minimize the amount of axle shift due to the arc that that the track bar travels in, much like the lower control arms. You may have other things that can keep you from running it level such as having to keep the front parallel to the drag link and up travel clearances.
12-13-2013, 07:01 AM
#44
JK Jedi
My thoughts on track bars are to run them as high and as flat as you can to increase the roll center and minimize the amount of axle shift due to the arc that that the track bar travels in, much like the lower control arms. You may have other things that can keep you from running it level such as having to keep the front parallel to the drag link and up travel clearances.
12-13-2013, 07:12 AM
#45
JK Jedi
Its not ideal but the higher the rear is, the higher the roll center will be even if the front is at stock height. I would think it would put increased twist stress on the body as well with the front wanting to roll while the rear is resisting. You could also reduce body roll with the track bars in the factory position by using coils with increased spring rates or by using stiffer torsion bars.
12-13-2013, 07:17 AM
#46
JK Jedi
Its not ideal but the higher the rear is, the higher the roll center will be even if the front is at stock height. I would think it would put increased twist stress on the body as well with the front wanting to roll while the rear is resisting. You could also reduce body roll with the track bars in the factory position by using coils with increased spring rates or by using stiffer torsion bars.
12-13-2013, 07:20 AM
#47
JK Super Freak
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Its not ideal but the higher the rear is, the higher the roll center will be even if the front is at stock height. I would think it would put increased twist stress on the body as well with the front wanting to roll while the rear is resisting. You could also reduce body roll with the track bars in the factory position by using coils with increased spring rates or by using stiffer torsion bars.
What raising that rear trackbar bracket does is get the roll center (the average height of the trackbar mount points, by which the CG of the vehicle rotates about for that axle) of the rear axle closer to the CG of the vehicle, making the rear more stable in corners on the street, and in off camber situations off road. (YES sway bars and springs/shocks play into this stability as well).
In theory, the rear roll center should be higher than the front by some degree, giving you a positive roll axis (a theoretical line drawn betwen the two roll centers front and rear). The more poitive (higher rear) the more roll understeer (tendancy to steer out of a corner with body roll). The more more neutral or negative, the more roll oversteer (tendancy to steer into a corner).
So back to the MC kit, by raising that rear bracket way up, you really stabilize the rear, but you've drastically changed the way the vehicle will handle a corner. Roll understeer is MUCH more friendly, however, than oversteer, which is downright scary (that would be like flipping and raising the front, and leaving the rear stock high... terrifying to drive). They basically give a high level of rear stability with a little sacrifice of handeling. Flipping the front draglink and raising the front trackbar will give you a higher front roll center, lowering your positive roll axis a bit, giving less understeer....
In theory, the rear roll center should be higher than the front by some degree, giving you a positive roll axis (a theoretical line drawn betwen the two roll centers front and rear). The more poitive (higher rear) the more roll understeer (tendancy to steer out of a corner with body roll). The more more neutral or negative, the more roll oversteer (tendancy to steer into a corner).
So back to the MC kit, by raising that rear bracket way up, you really stabilize the rear, but you've drastically changed the way the vehicle will handle a corner. Roll understeer is MUCH more friendly, however, than oversteer, which is downright scary (that would be like flipping and raising the front, and leaving the rear stock high... terrifying to drive). They basically give a high level of rear stability with a little sacrifice of handeling. Flipping the front draglink and raising the front trackbar will give you a higher front roll center, lowering your positive roll axis a bit, giving less understeer....
12-13-2013, 10:08 AM
#50
JK Enthusiast
