Are Leveling Kits Unsafe
06-01-2016, 05:22 AM
#22
I guess I don't understand your point. 
If the question is, "will installing a leveling kit make my Jeep less safe than it is stock?" then the answer is yes, absolutely. Whether that qualifies it as "unsafe" in your mind is a matter of opinion.
If the question is, "will installing a 2-inch spacer lift make my Jeep less safe than it would be if I installed a 2-inch coil spring lift with longer control arms?" then the answer is yes, but only slightly less safe.
If the question is, "will installing a 4-inch lift of any kind without longer control arms make my Jeep less safe than installing a 4-inch lift with longer control arms?" then the answer is yes, definitely.
The ultimate answer to the safety question for your Jeep, if you consider the ability to turn, stop, and perform evasive maneuvers to avoid an accident an important part of safety, is that leaving it bone stock has a pretty good track record for safety. For strictly road use, there are modifications you could make that would improve safety in accident avoidance that would probably degrade the off-road capability to varying degrees. A stock JK Wrangler is a very good compromise between off-road capability and on-road safety as it rolls off of the assembly line. Nearly everything typical Jeep enthusiasts do to modify their Jeeps will degrade safety in terms of accident avoidance, risk, and damage and injury caused to other drivers' vehicles and passengers. Seems most Jeep owners, at least those who frequent these forums, are not concerned about this aspect of their modifications, or are in willful denial of the hazard they create by driving modified Jeeps on the road.
If the question is, "will installing a leveling kit make my Jeep less safe than it is stock?" then the answer is yes, absolutely. Whether that qualifies it as "unsafe" in your mind is a matter of opinion.
If the question is, "will installing a 2-inch spacer lift make my Jeep less safe than it would be if I installed a 2-inch coil spring lift with longer control arms?" then the answer is yes, but only slightly less safe.
If the question is, "will installing a 4-inch lift of any kind without longer control arms make my Jeep less safe than installing a 4-inch lift with longer control arms?" then the answer is yes, definitely.
The ultimate answer to the safety question for your Jeep, if you consider the ability to turn, stop, and perform evasive maneuvers to avoid an accident an important part of safety, is that leaving it bone stock has a pretty good track record for safety. For strictly road use, there are modifications you could make that would improve safety in accident avoidance that would probably degrade the off-road capability to varying degrees. A stock JK Wrangler is a very good compromise between off-road capability and on-road safety as it rolls off of the assembly line. Nearly everything typical Jeep enthusiasts do to modify their Jeeps will degrade safety in terms of accident avoidance, risk, and damage and injury caused to other drivers' vehicles and passengers. Seems most Jeep owners, at least those who frequent these forums, are not concerned about this aspect of their modifications, or are in willful denial of the hazard they create by driving modified Jeeps on the road.