I've got an 11 JKUR on 37's with 4.5 springs with RK arms (yes I know the rear arm mounts suck). Is anyone getting any better flex than 14-15" per corner? How are you doing it? shocks are definitely my limiting factor. Currently running Fox 2.0 IFP's (9.1 and 9.6" travel) with only 1-1.5" travel not getting stuffed, I know there is more droop to be had from my suspension with longer travel shocks. Anyone running something creative to get more flex? They're a neat product but out of my budget for now, so I don't wanna hear any just buy 6 packs comments. Please if anyone is running creative mounts & shock combinations let's hear it.

 

You should be running a 12"-14" travel shock with that amount of lift. The way you are set up gives you about the same amount of travel as the stock suspension. Other than longer shocks, you can run trailing arms with a short shock mounted ahead of the axle or run the shocks at a 15-20 degree slant. How are you measuring the "flex"? Can you post up some photos? If you have not relocated the shock mounts you would basically be running at full droop at ride height.

 

No pics, measurements are from Metalcloak’s Corner Travel Index trailer. I realize that I need longer shocks to gain more droop, but without modifying the mount positions or some other creativity altogether a longer shock in the same position will require more bump stop to keep from slamming. Especially with a 14” shock. Giving up stuff to acquire more droop would seem to leave me with virtually the same net travel just more down than up. I’m curious to know how people are running 12-14” shocks and using all of it. Maybe no one is, maybe everyone is running a longer shock with a taller bump stack than I am willing to. Thought it was worth asking.

****Edit****
Sorry just read what I wrote, yes a longer shock with a taller bump stack will still net me more travel almost 3” if I go 12” shocks. But then I’ve given up upward travel that I know my Jeep is capable of using. Just wondered if anyone else is putting that kind of thought into it and finding a way around it?

 

You can do some taller rear shock mounts. I haven’t looked into what’s commercially available for this but if it doesn’t interfere with stuffing your rear wheels, you can put towers on your frame going into your wheel wells and relocate the mount on your axle. Again, I haven’t looked into what fits and where but whatever you’re looking for, you will need to do some fab work if you want to retain upper travel and gain lower travel.

 

I am not sure what you have going on but with 4.5" springs you should not have any issue running 12" shocks without changing out mounting locations. I don't know how you are getting 14"-15" of wheel travel out of 9" travel shocks either. Without photos, I am not sure what you have set up wrong. Metal cloak uses 11" travel shocks on their 2.5" lift without changing the distance between the upper and lower mounts.

 

That’s 9” at the shock mounts, tires are outboard of that, with 10psi in them. The tire being lifted squishes. That’s how you get 14-15” at the measuring point. I’m ordering 12” shocks and going from there. I know what’s wrong with what I’ve got. Again just wondering what others are doing. Especially if it’s anything creative and/or achieving big gains. FWIW I’m running OE width axles and wheels, maybe some are running wider which would achieve a little more at the wheels.

 

Dirtman would be a prime example of something creative AND achieving big gains. You need wider axles to accommodate big tires so that'll be your first step.

 

I did some trimming and run a 72" WMS axle with 8.5"x17 wheel and 4.5" back spacing, 40x12.5" tires. From how you measure I get 48" of wheel travel droop to stuff with the tires inflated @ 26 psi

 

I’ve never personally lifted tires and pulled a tape. Metal cloak brought their “Corner Travel Index” trailer to Winter 4x4 Jamboree. The trailer has 4 hydraulic scissor lift pads, one for each tire. They lift two diagonally opposite corners at a time and measure the height from trailer deck to top of lift pad. They take each of those measurements, add them together and add another zero to the end. They use this score to compare your Jeep to the averages they’ve measured for stock and competitor’s lift kits. That’s where I got 14-15” numbers, difference between fully drooped side to fully stuffed side of each axle.
Wider axles won’t be in my immediate future, when I make it happen they won’t probably be aftermarket packaged deals. Junkyard D60, 14 bolt, something like that, I build what I can, just how I operate. Everyone builds theirs different, it’s cool to see how everyone goes about skinning their cat.

 

You running 1.5 spacers to get 72” WMS? I forgot to mention in my last post that I do have 1.5 spacers between those oe axles & wheels.