hi ,

I have installed the RE 4.5" Extreme Duty lift kit for Jeep YJ . It looks like it doesn't flex enough , the size (no stabilizer , no track bar) for the shocks are (open&close):
front : 17.3-22 inch
rear : 14.1-20 inch

A friend of mine have installed this kit and uses shocks with 13 inch travel in the front and 10 inch travel shocks in thr rear .

What can be the problem?

thanks in advance , Edy .

i never measured my doetch shocks but i get plenty of flex with the same lift. you have swaybar off and both front and rear track bars OFF right? i run my swaybar on the pvmt only. maybe the springs need to get loosened up. also- don't tighten the shackles too tight. the locknuts will hold them on. i backed mine way loose- cuts down on bump-steer and better flex.

I have checked the shocks travel with everything disconnected .
Should I loose the 3 bolts of each shackle? What about the bolts of the spring hanger?

More Ideas?

What is the bump-steer? (Is it the bump-stop?)

thanks , Edy .

Originally posted by EdyC
I have checked the shocks travel with everything disconnected .
Should I loose the 3 bolts of each shackle? What about the bolts of the spring hanger?

More Ideas?

What is the bump-steer? (Is it the bump-stop?)

thanks , Edy .

don't loosen the middle bolt on the front shackles- that keeps the two halves together. just loosen the top and bottom bolts. i keep the main springeye bolts torqued.

bump-steer is the un-pleasant pvmt characteristics you may encounter with the lift especially going over bumps ie bridges at 60mph+.

the bump stops are attached to the frame and contact the axle to keep the tires from eating a fender. i didn't need to add bumpstop extentions with 32" tires but did with 35's.

They take a while to break-in and settle, wheel it and cycle the suspension enough and it will break-in soon. Took about a month on mine, with wheeling every weekend.

what is your shocks sizes?

Do I need the middle bolt in the rear shackle?

Originally posted by EdyC
what is your shocks sizes?

Do I need the middle bolt in the rear shackle?

Stock Rubicon Express Shocks, No middle bolt in rear shackles,

This is a VERY JU question. :rolleyes:

do you know yhe sizes? I have no shocks yet .

what's JU question?

Originally posted by EdyC


what's JU question? [/B] My jeep does not flex:( :confused: That is a JU question!!! call RE about the shock sizes or heres a bright idea.....SEARCH YOU FAWKIN NEWBIE:flipoff2: Sorry--had to do it.

My REE 4.5 YJ springs came with the shocks I torqued mine to what RE said in the directions and works good.

hummm.....no flex?:eek::confused: should have went SOA:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:
just my .02

I put the same kit on a friends Jeep.
I only tightened the shackles enough to just contact the poly bushings.
Pull the lower shock bolts and cycle the suspention, if your mount drops lower than your shock will reach you'll know what you need.
On my friend's rig, we found that the shocks where not a problem.

His flexes as well as SUA will allow and with that said, try this.
When you cycle the suspension (we used a big rock) with the one side at full droop, picture it with the axle below the spring pack.
It will give you an idea of what SOA will do. ;)
I showed him and he will be going SOA.
It's not a bad kit, a vast improvement over stock, but it's still spring under.

You can also consider removing/loosening the spring retainer clips.

You should easily be able to tell wether or not the shocks are the limiting factor just by articulating the Jeep, then with the weight off one tire, trying to move it by hand, you would be able to feel the shock top out when you try to force the tire into "dropping" more.

Originally posted by SledgeHammer
hummm.....no flex?:eek::confused: should have went SOA:flipoff2: :flipoff2: :flipoff2:
just my .02

Correct... going SOA will give you the flex you want :flipoff2:

Boy you guys are like average TJ owners, NOT HELPFUL at all. The Guy is living in isreal. How about you guys recommend a shop on the gaza strip were he can have a SOA setup performed.

Try acting adult and helping as opposed to being complete assholes.

Originally posted by Slowerthanu
Try acting adult and helping as opposed to being complete assholes.

Sorry they can't help themselves sometimes.... they gave him some pointers things to look for but he kept hanging the bait out there with the simple questions somebody had to go for it...

Lighten up man, we can help him but yall need some thicker skin..

Things to check...

Are you Shocks bottoming out or maxing out when you try and flex? If so you need longer or shorter shocks..

Are the spring clips to tight? These are the little clamp thinggies that go around all the leaves to keep them from spreading out.. if they are to tight they will bind the spring up..

Are the shackels and main hanger bolts well lubed... A little grease will go a long way...

I read futher and you say you have no shocks is this correct? If your running the stock shocks thats your problem right there.. If you need to know how to measure for the right shock do this...

Load the rig like you would for the trail, measure the distance from shock eye to shock eye lets say it is 17 inches, you need a shock with a collapsed length of around 13.5" which will give you 3.5" of compression which should be close to enough for your application. If the shock has a travel of say 9" this will give you a droop of 5.5" which is enough in my opinion... look for a 40/60 split between compression and droop and you should be pretty darn close...

If you haven't driven this rig much sounds like the springs are just new and stiff. spray them down with some lube just to help them slide a bit better especailly near the end of each leaf and get a few miles on her...

And stop thowing the A-Hole word around :p

Originally posted by Slowerthanu
Boy you guys are like average TJ owners, NOT HELPFUL at all. The Guy is living in isreal. How about you guys recommend a shop on the gaza strip were he can have a SOA setup performed.

Try acting adult and helping as opposed to being complete assholes.


What's a shop? :confused:

So what if it's Isreal, did you not see "The Frog" on this years Top Truck?

I can't have SOA , it's illegal in Israel .

The shocks are not the limiting factor , RE provides 17"-29.5" front shocks and 14.5"-24" rear shocks , my measure is 17.3"-22" front and 14.5"-20" rear (I have checked it with no shocks).

Well , I'm living in Israel , and I can find someone to build me SOA , but it is illegal here :( . In fact , one of the builders of the "Frog" is a neighbour .

thanks , Edy .

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Desert Jeepin
[B]You can also consider removing/loosening the spring retainer clips.

I have wheeled with some guys that have removed the spring retainer clips. Make sure you carry a big hammer to beat the leaves back into the pack when they fan out on you. And maybe rip the side wall out of the tire.

USE IT. It will soften as its cycled more often ;)

Originally posted by Desert Jeepin
You can also consider removing/loosening the spring retainer clips.


Second that.
Also ride and drive really isn't much different w/o the trackbars and swaybar attached.
Comes down to it the springs take a LONG time to break-in, just depends if you really wheel it for how long that takes. Pretty much after all that it won't be much better than a 400-600 RTI suspension kit.

Easiest thing is to just get used to lifting tires:D

Originally posted by Slowerthanu
Boy you guys are like average TJ owners, NOT HELPFUL at all. The Guy is living in isreal. How about you guys recommend a shop on the gaza strip were he can have a SOA setup performed.

Try acting adult and helping as opposed to being complete assholes.


:rolleyes: he asked a damn JU question and didn't get flamed much at all very likely because he is an Isreali and most of us here like isreali's. lighten up if this question was asked by a
canadian he would have been :nuke:

As for the question go flex it for a long time it will loosen up a bunch more. Don't loosen the shackle bolts TOO much. another very good place for simple questions is here www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums hence JU or here (newest JU) :rolleyes: http://www.specialtyparts.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl


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