Has anyone raised the rear shock mounts up around 1.5-2 inches? I am wondering how the on road handling may have changed. Please dont insult me with the "you should just keep your wheels on the rocks" comment. Thanks JP

 

It shouldn't effect the ride at all. You might need new shocks because they would probably be too long, and would over compress.

 

I thought this would be a good Idea as well

 

How were you thinking of doing this? Hacking off some of the existing mounts and installing extension brackets? Welding something on? There should be no change in your handling but depending on how you do this (i.e. extension bracket), you could end up with other problems like putting too much stress on the remaining existing mounts.

 

I have been hung up twice on the rear shock brackets, what a bad design. I was thinking about just cutting mine off and moving them up a couple of inches. Maybe wait till after I get a 2 inch BB and then I wont need longer shocks.

 

i was thinking the same thing, they do hang down very low. was out wheelin over the weekend and hit some rocks a few times during ride. when i got home and looked at where i was scraping, it seemed like one of the major areas was the rear shock mounts.

 

I just completed a weekend at Swamp Lake and it is some very difficult rock trails, I never got hung on the shock mounts. They really aren't a problem. It is a lot better design than the TJ's.

 

They do seem to hanger lower than they need to. Since I'm a Jeep rookie; I don't plan on going on any trails rough enough to damage them for at least a couple of years. Maybe by then, some vendor will have a retro fit.

 

Way, I am going to cut the old lower shock mounts. I plan to remove about 1 3/4 of control arm mount and weld a new shock mounting bracket. the shock will go from an angle of 20 deg to 25 deg. I have a little over 7.5 inches of shaft exposed when suspension is neutral. I have atleast 4 inches when one side of rear is stuffed on a bumpstop. When a shock is mounted beyond vertical the piston stroke is less for a given identical suspension cycle. I may have to add a set of limiting straps as currently the shocks control down travel. I dont plan on buying new shocks. JP

Again, I dont pretend to know what you guys do with your rigs. But if you have never hit your mounts then you are not driving on trails that I frequent. Good tire placement is critical but cannot always save the day. I have a defender on 37s that has less tweaked bracketry after 8 years running the same trails as my JK. I am sure that I will be welding on new brackets that can stand the test of time very soon. I wonder why the "new and improved jeep" still uses the same garbage axle brackets as the tj ?

 

We tour the local malls and avoid the speed bumps.