Been reading and calling places, can you folks weigh in on this if you have applicable experience?

2.5" Metalcloak Gamechanger
Fox 2.5 dameners (want adjustments)
35 Niito Trail Grappler (almost 35 "...)
Metalcloak HD Steering Kit (fox)

Any thoughts on the value of adding the Front and/Rear Metalcloak geometry correction items? I believe they are the DB3 products. Installed, both front and rear, is under $1000, but they obviously hang down. Is there any concensus on if a 2.5" lift benefits from this correction? I'm trying to weigh the lower ground clearance vs. the x% improved on-street performance (where the jeep spends 90% of its time)

2016 2-door Rubicon

 

Welcome to the Forum. The Geo brackets return the control arm angles to OEM or better specs. This put the CASTER back into more favorable range back to Stock. Have run Rancho for over 8 years on our 13 DD. Check out Rancho Geometry Brackets price.

 

Up front you will notice a good bit of difference correcting that caster back towards, or above, factory spec once you get 2.5" of lift or higher. This is the same on a 2dr or a 4dr. HOW you achieve that is kinda up to you. Some folks will choose just to use adjustable front lower arms, some folks will go with a full set of front arms if they are higher (3"+) cuz they need to actually re-position their axles, and some folks will just choose to use brakets, like what you're asking about. I'm removing conversation about brand of brackets cuz they all do the same thing. Geo Brackets will provide the best pavement ride out of those options cuz they flatten the angle the control arms run from the axle to the body and will provide the most factory "feel". The downside if obviously loss of ground clearance. If the time the jeep DOES see offroad is playing in big rocks, then this could be cumbersome. If the wheeling if more fire roads or overlapping type things then not as big of a deal. The brackets do hang down in a common area that you are contacting big rocks. Most the time they won't prevent you from doing anything, but you might be dragging them over a rock or two. I think up front you'd be fine with whatever route you decide. One thing to keep in mind is that brackets should always be something that is easy to resell and get most your money back out of if you went this direction and later decided to upgrade control arms.

I think the decision is a lot more cloudy in the rear. With a 4dr the extended wheelbase is a lot more forgiving with the angles and the driveshaft that has CV joints on both ends. Your shorter wheelbase is a little harder to deal with in that regard. I think dragging brackets in the rear over rocks is a bigger deal than the front primarily just due to the location you're getting hung up on em. I think going with control arms in the rear is a better option, either a full set or just the two uppers. Having said that, the reason you're doing that in the rear is simply to correct the pinion angle and make life a bit easier on your rear driveshaft. You're not getting additional benefit like you are with corrected caster up front. You could just chooses to leave the rear as it is, keep an eye on your DS and those CV joint boots and replace with an aftermarket shaft should those joints ever decide to call it quits. If the boots rip and sling the grease out, which is what happens, you have plenty of time/warning to deal with the shaft before it causes real issues. I'd probably choose to just address the front for the moment unless beudge is no issue at all, in which case I'd likely go with a full set of rear arms.