Abritinboston

Hey guys, I've been reading a lot on this forum and thought I would ask this question as I am getting confused with all the advice. Santa brought me a OME HD lift, shocks and springs. I am very excited to get it all set up, but I gather I may need to consider a few things. I have a 2008 Auto JKU rubicon, RR XHD front bumper with tube ends. Santa also gave me ace rock sliders.

1: Do I need to get a new front drive shaft? I have read it is necessary on lifts of over 3.5" but this shouldn't be that high. It also has all that steel up front and on the sides. Eventually it will have a steel back bumper and a gobi rack.

2: I gather I also need some adjustable front control arms, or the $100 AEV adapter thing?

Sorry for the long post, and thanks in advance to any responses!!

lensstj

You don't need to get a DS right away on a 4 door. Eventually you will probably tear the boot on the DS. Not a big deal you can run it for a long time like that.
Get adjustable lowers to properly adjust your wheelbase and caster after the lift. If you don't the jeep will feel like it is floating in the front.

OverlandJKU

I installed the same lift a couple months ago. I installed track bars, upper front and lower rear arms. I wheeled plenty and didnt disconnect. I finally installed a front shaft and flexed it. I discovered I also need bump stops. The tires were about 1/2" front the hitting the inside topof the fenders.... Here's what to expect....

Abritinboston

Thanks for all the grey responses guys! I guess I'll jump in and go for it and see what needs to be corrected.

nthinuf

That's the correct approach, see what you need.

You should be a bit over 3" with those coils?

Both axles are off-center. If it doesn't cause any computer/driveability issues for you, and isn't a visual eyesore, then add trackbar brackets or adj's later.

Both swaybars will be angled down. Depending on the angle and the amount of droop, short links have been known to cause the swaybar to flip around backwards. While the vehicle owner generally isn't too pleased with the outcome, we enjoy seeing the carnage pics. This has also been known to happen on the lift at the shop, so don't think that you are safe because you are a 'light' wheeler. (my opinion, longer rear links are cheap, get them and move the stock rears up front).

The brakelines will be stretched. Flex it and crawl underneath and check them!!! Unhooking and bending the lines may be enough, or spend $10 at the hardware store to make brackets, or go with longer lines. Depends on what you find.

The caster will be lower than stock, causing flightier handling. If you can deal with it, then don't worry about caster correction. If you want to improve the handling, your choices are Cam Bolts, CA Brackets, longer/shorter 'fixed' arms, adj arms. They all have benefits and drawbacks, but a set of adjustables are arguably the better option.

The steering angles will be steeper than stock, possibly causing a bit of bump steer. Shouldn't be an issue at that height, just something to keep in mind.

Rear driveshaft. Should be fine on a 4door.

Front driveshaft. Flex and crawl underneath!!! As the axle flexes, the front driveshaft will move closer to the corner of the tranny pan. Close but not actually contacting, you can rip the boot off. As noted, this is an annoyance, not a huge issue. With actual metal to metal contact, though, you can start caving in the pan or splitting the lip. This will require a narrower driveshaft. (since the front axle is still off-center to the drivers side, you 'should' have plenty of clearance, even disconnected. But check it!)
Also while you are under there, keep an eye on the joint at the tcase end of the shaft. You are looking for grease coming out, and a ring of grease on the undercarriage above the joint. A few people have indicated that this joint can be rebuilt, but I have yet to see it done. (generally, losing that joint means a shiny new driveshaft).



You're catching on. Far too many variables involved for there to be simple black or white answers.

Abritinboston

Ok, installed lift on Sunday and have been driving it for a couple days. I love it, feels better than stock, I definitely got around 3" of lift. I'm going to wait for it to settle before getting actual measurements.

I'm thinking about adjustable lowers to correct castor, but not really needed as of right now (haven't really done any highway driving yet so that may change).

Would a steering stabilizer correct for bump steer?

And finally, I'm going to need some advice on front axles. When I took off the drivers side front wheel (last one I did of course) I discovered I had lost a cap from my u joint, not a big deal just replace the u joint. However with the lost cap, the u joint has damaged and deformed the hole in the axle (as you can tell By my descriptions I am not the mos mechanically proficient person in the world). The mechanic I was doing the loft with (the dad of a friend of mine) said I would need to replace the axle.

How screwed am I if I take this to a dealer now I have the lift put in? Does anyone know a mod friendly dealer in MA?

TeraFlex

Just keep an eye on the driveshaft boots for signs of wear/tear.

Abritinboston

So I don't have to worry about the axle? Or are you referencing additional steering stabilizers and the like?

lensstj

When Tera ref'ed the DS it had to be in reference to your question about needing a new DS.

I hope your not driving it around with the axle like it is... You need to pull the shaft otherwise it will tear up your gears.
You can pull it and drive it without one. Hopefully the dealership will cover it as it is common but seems to be hit and miss depending on the dealer.

Abritinboston

Hahaha I was so worked up about the axle I forgot my initial questions. Thank you Teraflex! I hope the dealership will cover it, just worried as it now doesn't have OEM suspension