Just bought a used JK, Mopar lift question
07-17-2016, 09:27 AM
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Just bought a used JK, Mopar lift question
Hey guys, i bought a new to me 2013 2 door sport. I picked it up last weekend and have already but some money and work into it. It came with a Mopar lift in it already but dont know what size. My buddy whos got an insane jeep said he thinks its around a 3.5" lift. Well anyway yesterday me and a friend installed the AEV high steer kit and a new tierod. While doing the install we noticed something weird. Theres a fabric strap thats attached to the top of the front pumpkin and is conncted to teither the frame or some kind of arm. my buddy noticed it and i looked briefly. Anyone have a clue what it is? Also is there a way to determine which lift i have? the coils are sagging so im gonna order new metalcloke coils and new shocks. I just need to know which ones to order. Thanks
07-17-2016, 10:22 AM
#2
JK Jedi
Do you have photos? Sounds like a limit strap which mopar/teraflex have on their nicer lifts. How do you know the coils are sagged? You don't want a high steer kit if not enough lift. How tall of bump stops do you have up front?
07-17-2016, 12:51 PM
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Here are a couple pics.
As far as the coils sagging the rear sits lower and when i step on the gas it feels like it dips down even further, and two the coils up front dont sit straight up and down. They are bowed. Not sure on the bump stops but im asuming they we changed when the lift was done. When i got the Jeep we noticed the drag link bushings and the tierod bushings were shot. my buddy who has the severly modded jeep came with me and told me if im gonna replace the drag link i should just do the high steer kit. There is definitely at least 3" of lift which is the minimum for the kit. It definitely helped tighten up the front end.
As far as the coils sagging the rear sits lower and when i step on the gas it feels like it dips down even further, and two the coils up front dont sit straight up and down. They are bowed. Not sure on the bump stops but im asuming they we changed when the lift was done. When i got the Jeep we noticed the drag link bushings and the tierod bushings were shot. my buddy who has the severly modded jeep came with me and told me if im gonna replace the drag link i should just do the high steer kit. There is definitely at least 3" of lift which is the minimum for the kit. It definitely helped tighten up the front end.
07-18-2016, 02:50 AM
#4
JK Freak
That is the earlier Mopar 2" lift that did not replace the front driveshaft. It came with a limit strap that goes from the top pumpkin bushing to the frame to keep your driveshaft from self destructing. If you flex the passenger side, you will get a great deal more flex than if you flex out the drivers side. You can upgrade to an aftermarket front driveshaft, and remove that strap, that is what I did. I swapped driveshafts, and went with Rock Krawler 3.5" springs and removed the strap. I also changed out the Fox 25" shocks for Fox 28" shocks.
Last edited by larry0071; 07-18-2016 at 02:53 AM.
07-18-2016, 08:29 AM
#5
JK Freak
That is the earlier Mopar 2" lift that did not replace the front driveshaft. It came with a limit strap that goes from the top pumpkin bushing to the frame to keep your driveshaft from self destructing. If you flex the passenger side, you will get a great deal more flex than if you flex out the drivers side. You can upgrade to an aftermarket front driveshaft, and remove that strap, that is what I did. I swapped driveshafts, and went with Rock Krawler 3.5" springs and removed the strap. I also changed out the Fox 25" shocks for Fox 28" shocks.
07-18-2016, 08:35 AM
#6
JK Freak
The 4 door could have a different shaft? I'm not familiar with the 4 door, and in my head I would think that only the rear shaft should change for the longer 4 door. But I don't know for sure.
Mine is a 2 door that had the dealer installed Mopar 2" Stage 2 lift in late 2013, the 2 door lift version used the strap for sure. It's possible that the 4 door did as well, but they neglected to install it on your 4 door. But it absolutely was a part of the older kit.
Mine is a 2 door that had the dealer installed Mopar 2" Stage 2 lift in late 2013, the 2 door lift version used the strap for sure. It's possible that the 4 door did as well, but they neglected to install it on your 4 door. But it absolutely was a part of the older kit.
07-18-2016, 08:50 AM
#7
JK Freak
The 4 door could have a different shaft? I'm not familiar with the 4 door, and in my head I would think that only the rear shaft should change for the longer 4 door. But I don't know for sure.
Mine is a 2 door that had the dealer installed Mopar 2" Stage 2 lift in late 2013, the 2 door lift version used the strap for sure. It's possible that the 4 door did as well, but they neglected to install it on your 4 door. But it absolutely was a part of the older kit.
Mine is a 2 door that had the dealer installed Mopar 2" Stage 2 lift in late 2013, the 2 door lift version used the strap for sure. It's possible that the 4 door did as well, but they neglected to install it on your 4 door. But it absolutely was a part of the older kit.
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07-18-2016, 12:16 PM
#8
Super Moderator
The confusion is that Mopar discontinued their previous 2in and 3.5in lifts which were actually sourced and re-branded Teraflex lifts. Those lifts included limit straps and didn't come standard with Fox shocks. So the lift pictured above is a Teraflex Mopar re-branded 2in lift which can be identified by the limit straps and the non Fox branded shocks.
Below are the current 2in Mopar lifts which include a front drive shaft for 2012+, and have been developed by Mopar. Another point of confusion is that some with a 2012+ JKs have installed the 2007-2011 current Mopar 2in lift without the replacement drive-shaft and then install exhaust spacers instead of paying the additional $ for the lift which includes the front drive shaft.
This message from Mopar FAQ answers the question regards to the limit straps and the drive shaft.
If your Mopar lift doesn't look like it contains the parts pictured below, then you have the previous Mopar/Teraflex lift. The only differences between the 2 door and 4 door on the current Mopar lifts are the rear springs and rear shocks.
Current Mopar 2in Lifts announced during SEMA 2015
Below are the current 2in Mopar lifts which include a front drive shaft for 2012+, and have been developed by Mopar. Another point of confusion is that some with a 2012+ JKs have installed the 2007-2011 current Mopar 2in lift without the replacement drive-shaft and then install exhaust spacers instead of paying the additional $ for the lift which includes the front drive shaft.
This message from Mopar FAQ answers the question regards to the limit straps and the drive shaft.
Originally Posted by Mopar FAQ
Q: Why do we need a driveshaft in the kit?
A: When the 3.6 engine was introduced, (2012) the exhaust routing ran the pipe directly under the front driveshaft. When a lift is installed, the driveshaft is lowered, hence it will rub on the exhaust pipe when the suspension drops away from the vehicle. This causes the protective boot on the driveshaft to wear and eventually tear apart, allowing contaminants to leak into the boot and causing the driveshaft slip feature to eventually fail. So far, aftermarket companies have made short spacers to lower the exhaust to fix the problem, but this is untested for emissions and looks like a poor solution. Previously we have used a limit strap to prevent the axle from dropping down too far, and while this will work, a flexible suspension ought to be flexible; the limit strap restricts flexibility. We address this problem the best way with a new, smaller diameter shaft, but it is more expensive. The cheaper kits let the driveshaft hit and don't address the issue satisfactorily
A: When the 3.6 engine was introduced, (2012) the exhaust routing ran the pipe directly under the front driveshaft. When a lift is installed, the driveshaft is lowered, hence it will rub on the exhaust pipe when the suspension drops away from the vehicle. This causes the protective boot on the driveshaft to wear and eventually tear apart, allowing contaminants to leak into the boot and causing the driveshaft slip feature to eventually fail. So far, aftermarket companies have made short spacers to lower the exhaust to fix the problem, but this is untested for emissions and looks like a poor solution. Previously we have used a limit strap to prevent the axle from dropping down too far, and while this will work, a flexible suspension ought to be flexible; the limit strap restricts flexibility. We address this problem the best way with a new, smaller diameter shaft, but it is more expensive. The cheaper kits let the driveshaft hit and don't address the issue satisfactorily
Current Mopar 2in Lifts announced during SEMA 2015
Last edited by Rednroll; 07-18-2016 at 05:15 PM.
07-20-2016, 02:33 PM
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ok so after reading the replies and seeing people say they believe i had a 2" lift i started to freak cause I already did the high steer kit. I told my buddy and he said there was no way it was only the 2" lift so I started searching online to figure out how to measure my current lift and i found this on another site:
After getting the factory measurements i went out and measured my setup and I am roughly 22" from top of shock to center of bottom bolt and roughly 13" for the coil measurment. Also there is a lot more space for travel between the high steer kit to the frame than the lifts bumpstops will allow. So basically Ive come to the conclusion that it is the 3.5"-4" lift but the previous owner didnt want to spend the money on a driveshaft or exhaust spacers so he put the limiting strap on so the driveshaft wouldnt hit the crossover pipe. So now i have to decide between the two options.
After getting the factory measurements i went out and measured my setup and I am roughly 22" from top of shock to center of bottom bolt and roughly 13" for the coil measurment. Also there is a lot more space for travel between the high steer kit to the frame than the lifts bumpstops will allow. So basically Ive come to the conclusion that it is the 3.5"-4" lift but the previous owner didnt want to spend the money on a driveshaft or exhaust spacers so he put the limiting strap on so the driveshaft wouldnt hit the crossover pipe. So now i have to decide between the two options.
07-20-2016, 02:58 PM
#10
Super Moderator
You likely have the Mopar re-branded Teraflex 3in lift. It was called the Mopar Stage II lift. Like I previously mentioned, the current Mopar lifts which come in a 2in and 4in version all come standard with Fox shocks. The picture you posted doesn't show the lift having Fox shocks. Only the current Mopar lifts for the 2012+ came with the drive shaft.
Last edited by Rednroll; 07-21-2016 at 04:46 AM.