Okay... 1988 Jeep MJ, SOA rear, 5 link front with 5.5 inches (coils and spacers)

I just finished the lift the other day and have been doing some test flexing. The SOA rear works flawlessly. When compressing the passenger side front, everything works flawlessly. BUT, when ramping up the driver side front it won't compress more than an inch or two.

My initial thoughts: Shocks, nope plenty of travel left. Tracbar, nope hiem on frame end has plenty of room to swivel. Physical obstruction (swaybar, bumpstops, control arms hitting, etc.), nope everything is clear. Steering links, seem to be okay, don't really know for sure.

So, I'm thinking the arms are just binding up, but then why does the passenger side compress great? (I have the stock uppers and some crappy Rancho lowers on now, I have some RE upper adjustables and home-made lowers to go on soon)

Any ideas would be appreciated. I know very well how the 5 link is supposed to function, and nothing seems to make sence. please enlighten me...

bump :flipoff2:

Come on guys... you can doooo iiiit

How much do you weigh and are you in the vehicle when you're ramping it? Maybe you've forced all the articulation out of it prematurely?

did you cycle the suspension prior to fully welding
this helps to see if binding occurs then you know if you have to go back to the drawing board

You must have just skimmed my post, it is the stock 5 link setup with slightly longer LCAs, stock UCAs, and a slightly lowered trackbar with heim on frame-end. This setup has been used by many hundred lifted TJs, XJs, and MJs with excellent results. I am just wondering what is different about mine.

As for weight, I weigh 165 lbs, and I don't know how I could ramp it without being in it (RC?).

I would understand if the thing just didn't articulate, but what is confusin me is that it articulates great with the PS up and DS down, but terrible with the DS up and PS down.

Thanks guys

Forgive me, I'm not too familiar with this suspension, but mabey I can offer some general ideas.

Did you put in new coils when you did the lift? ...if so is there a chance you could have gotten a mixed pair with different spring rates? Lack of comprtession is very noticeable, but is the down travel on the drivers side also worse than the pass. side?


*hoping I've made some sense :p *

Tate

Perhaps you over tightened the LCA or UCA bolts on that side?

The coils are both RE 4.5 inch XJ/MJ coils, and sure as hell better have the same spring rate. The drivers side droops great as well.

The 5 link consists of 2 upper control arms, 2 lower control arms and a Trackbar.

As far as loosening and tightening some of the bolts, I think that will be my next step. I may have put some pre-bind (is that a word ;)) on them by cranking them tight with the axle at a funny angle. I will loosen them all up on flat ground and re-tighten them.

Anyone else got ideas?

when you push pass side front up it lenghtens track bar between points...

thereby pusshing the jeep body (and cg) to the left..which will slightly limit articulation on a ramp on flat ground...

I think you're trackbar is to long....or adjusted wrong....


try backing up hte ramp (with spotter) with left rear and see what happens

Take off the track bar and see what happens ... seriously.

cmk

I would have to agree take off the track bar.. If that changes nothing, take off the shock, it could be bad.

i live in gv, could stop by thursday if your still havin problems. another set of eyes never hurts..................:D

I bet it is the track bar too. It is probably hitting the top of the axle bracket. I have seen this more than once.

If its not the track bar maybe measure the thickness of the coils on the springs to see if the drivers spring is alittle thicker:p

I assume the front swaybar is disco'd, but is it out of the way? I had mine break the ziptie once and jam into the coil. Since you don't seem to have anyone there to help you look why not jack that corner up with your floor jack and watch it cycle? You should be able to at least see some movement with the average floor jack.

things to check, about all of them listed, but just to add weight to them...


*Trackbar: Could be "topping out" (bar against bracket) on the axle end.

*Trackbar: Could be one or both of the ends is limiting flex due to lack of rotation.

* ctl arm joints: If not torqued down in a neutral position, could be maxing out joint(s) when compressing the driver side/ drooping passenger side.


A short-arm (stock or aftermarket) 5-link, with the sway bar disconnected, will droop either side quite a ways until the control arm droop (rearward) binds with either the track bar or draglink (side-to-side) range of travel.

Disco'ing the trackbar probably won't help alot in diagnosing the problem. I'd run it up the ramp until it maxes again, then block it, crawl under and start looking for binding points.

On the ZJ short arm suspension cfg, the first binding points [on the front axle] are alleviated with an angle grinder:
*top of trackbar bracket at axle.
*top/rear of lower ctl arm brackets.
*corners of shock mounts/spring pads.

HTH

Okay, the droop is fine on all corners... it's just he compression on the DS front.

I took off the shock, it's not the problem.

I looked all over underneath with it flexed up and it is not hitting on the trackbar axle end. The trackbar frame end has plenty of mevement left in the heim. The control arms are not touching anything.

I will reset the control arm bolts to a nuetral stance, and measure the coil thickness with a micrometer.


And yes, the swaybar is disconnected and not getting in the way.

FULLSIZE, do you work in town? I am going straight after work on Thursday to a NAXJA Club meeting down in Sac, but maybe another time.

Thanks again guys, if my dad would get a new frickin battery for the digi-cam I would take a pic.

your angles are wrong. disco one upper link that will let it flex