Metalcloak Thread
04-15-2013, 08:21 AM
#51
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The lift has nothing to do with the travel, bump stops and shock length determine the travel of your suspension. Replacing one short arm for another will not do anything for suspension travel over the factory arms. Depending on the joint you may get less bind during max articulation but that is it.
I would bet the 3.5" kit comes with longer travel shocks and more bump stop.
Not a single lift kit out there comes with the correction to regain the factory caster and geometry. You need to have the axle corrected for that, spinning the C and moving all the brackets to get that back.
They use adjustable control arms to allow you to balance the caster and the driveline vibrations that will occur from having the pinion and driveshaft at steep angles. The higher you go the harder it is to balance this.
With the 3.5" lift netting 4"+ a high steer kit would likely be needed to eliminate the bumpsteer you get from improper steering geometry. This will also raise your roll center.
04-15-2013, 08:24 AM
#52
A low center of gravity is good for road handling and allows going through a bit steeper slopes or side slopes, but it also limits the ground clearance -- not good for offroading.
With a good lift, and the MC is good, and the proper alignment of everything, you shouldn't worry about road behavior. I have 4" lift and the Jeep behaves perfectly.
Less ground clearance ('Break over angle') is a serious drawback for most types of offroading.
OME shocks are much better than Bilstein 5100s, and so are Fox.
With a good lift, and the MC is good, and the proper alignment of everything, you shouldn't worry about road behavior. I have 4" lift and the Jeep behaves perfectly.
Less ground clearance ('Break over angle') is a serious drawback for most types of offroading.
.... The MC Lite comes with standard with OME shocks but Bilstein 5100s are an option. I'm not a shock expert so I can't really tell the diffference between them except the color and I don't want to make a shock decision just on that. 
Last edited by GJeep; 04-15-2013 at 08:26 AM.
04-15-2013, 08:46 AM
#53
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Thanks for the input everyone. I like the idea of more ground clearance in the belly. I traded a 2 dr TJ for the JKUR and I have been worried about getting stuck due to the extra length.
04-15-2013, 08:47 AM
#54
A shock should never be used as a stop for the travel.
The top limit is the bump stop. The bottom limit is the full stretch of the coil.
The shock travel must be longer than the wheel travel in either direction.
If a shock ends its travel before the coil does, the shock should be replaced with one that has longer travel.
.....I would bet the 3.5" kit comes with longer travel shocks and more bump stop.....
.....With the 3.5" lift netting 4"+ a high steer kit would likely be needed to eliminate the bumpsteer you get from improper steering geometry. This will also raise your roll center.
I have a Full Traction lift, and the MC lift certainly "isn't worse".
Last edited by GJeep; 04-15-2013 at 08:50 AM.
04-15-2013, 09:40 AM
#55
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A spring does not stop travel by itself, you need to install limiting straps to truly stop down travel. Most lifts have the shock stopping down travel, just take off the shocks and see how much additional drop you get, especially if you use sway bar disconnects instead of an Antirock or similar sway bar. MetalCloak has stated if not using their shocks, that the OME are a better match for their suspension.
04-15-2013, 10:27 AM
#56
A spring does not stop travel by itself, you need to install limiting straps to truly stop down travel. Most lifts have the shock stopping down travel, just take off the shocks and see how much additional drop you get, especially if you use sway bar disconnects instead of an Antirock or similar sway bar. MetalCloak has stated if not using their shocks, that the OME are a better match for their suspension.
Limiting straps, my friend, are used for protecting parts from being damaged by too much coil travel. When every relevant part is made for that down travel, there's no need for limiting straps.
Show me a stock Jeep with limiting straps... -- what stops the travel?!
Put it on a lift... what happens if you hang a weight on a wheel? - does it sink more?
It does. The shock wasn't the limit.
People who know NOTHING about suspensions would allow a shock to be a "bump stop".
The rest is as mixed up.
It may be a good idea to study a subject before talking, and not the other way around.
Last edited by GJeep; 04-16-2013 at 03:10 AM.
04-15-2013, 11:41 AM
#57
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"you need to install limiting straps to truly stop down travel" -- Otherwise, what? -- will it move down forever?... LOL
Limiting straps, my friend, are used for preventing the shock from reaching the end of its travel -- for shocks that don't have enough travel.
Show me a stock Jeep with limiting straps... -- what stops the travel?!
Put it on a lift... what happens if you hang a weight on a wheel? - does it sink more?
It does. The shock wasn't the limit.
People who know NOTHING about suspensions would allow a shock to be a "bump stop".
The rest is as mixed up.
It may be a good idea to study a subject before talking, and not the other way around.
Limiting straps, my friend, are used for preventing the shock from reaching the end of its travel -- for shocks that don't have enough travel.
Show me a stock Jeep with limiting straps... -- what stops the travel?!
Put it on a lift... what happens if you hang a weight on a wheel? - does it sink more?
It does. The shock wasn't the limit.
People who know NOTHING about suspensions would allow a shock to be a "bump stop".
The rest is as mixed up.
It may be a good idea to study a subject before talking, and not the other way around.
04-16-2013, 09:33 PM
#60
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