Custom 2" Lift & Level on Gladiator Sport

[z0lt3c]

After multiple weeks of planning, collecting parts, changing my mind, returning parts and ordering new parts, I am finally getting my lift installed. Here is the setup:

Front:
2" Lift Synergy Coil Spring w/ Synergy Isolators
Rubicon Express Shock Extensions
Mopar lower control arms (from 2" lift kit)
Mopar extended sway bar links (from 2" lift kit)
Zone Offroad 2" extended bump stops
Poison Frog Adjustable Track Bar
Teraflex VSS steering stabilizer

Rear:
Teraflex .75" spacers
Rubicon coil springs

I have about $550 in the lift components, with most items purchased second hand and I believe is a fairly reasonable price for a spring lift. Down the road I will replace the shock extenders with better shocks but I couldn't bear to toss 200 miles shocks yet.

I'll take a few pictures... Obviously very hard to find anybody else using this particular mix of components on a base Sport. The installation is being done by Jeeperz4wd in East Greenville PA. They have estimated 4.5 hours of labor for installation..

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[Alabama Mud Machine]

Cool! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

I'm fixing to be removing the 2.5" Skyjacker spacers from the front of my JTR (hopefully this weekend), and I'll be putting in my own "frankenlift".

 

[z0lt3c]

Here is the result

Before

After

Some quick comments:

The synergy front coils were advertised at 2", but on a Rubicon, and the Teraflex rear spacers were advertised at .75", but I added Rubicon coils. I am working on the final calcs but I definitely got alot more lift then advertised.

Despite this, my 315/70/17 tires still rubbed the front bumper, badly, when steering was at full lock either backwards or forwards. We removed the front bumper wings to create extra clearance. This should answer the question if 35's will fit on a stock Sport without trimming (NO).

The Rubicon rear coils appear slightly taller and much beefier as compared to the Sport rear coils they replaced. This coil/spacer combo did not require any shock or link extensions in the rear.

Total time for install was just over 2 hours.

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

Looks pretty good. And still has a little bit of rear rake, for if you do any towing.

 

[z0lt3c]

Looks pretty good. And still has a little bit of rear rake, for if you do any towing.

I'm still working on the all the pre/post math, but, for sure, pre-lift rake was 1.5" rear to front delta, and the after-lift the rake is only 0.25" rear to front delta.

 

[Scruf]

Thanks for sharing! I'm planning an almost identical setup so I'm very interested to see your final lift numbers front and rear. My Overland has 1.75" of rake. I'd like to keep roughly 0.75-1.0" of rake since I plan to tow occasionally. But I also may add a front bumper and winch one day... difficult to plan for everything, haha.

I was thinking the Rubicon rear spring would be around 0.75" of lift, plus the 0.75" spacer, for a total of 1.5" of lift. curious to see how that compares with your results.

If that's about what you got in the rear, then you must have gotten closer to 2.75" of lift in the front. ??

I was tentatively planning to use the Mopar 2" lift front springs, figuring they wold probably give me around 2.5". But I haven't seen that measurement confirmed by anyone, just a guess.

How do you feel about the ride quality of the Synergy springs? Did you go with the 8863-20 springs? The synergy springs are supposed to be 5-10% stiffer than the factory springs I believe. I wonder how that compares with the Mopar springs. They can be had for $130/pr vs $210 for the synergy.

 

[z0lt3c]

The measurements were taken from the ground to the bottom of the fender:

	Before	After	Total Lift		Before	After	Total Lift
	Front	Front	Front		Rear	Rear	Rear
Left	36	40.5	4.5		37.625	40.75	3.125
Right	36	40.5	4.5		37.5	40.75	3.25

	Tire Diameter
Tire Before	32.1
Tire After	34.4

Keep in mind this was a relative measurement from a not exactly level surface. But the before and after measurements were taken with the vehicle on the same surface in the same position. Thus, before any settling, I calculated the following:

Total Front Suspension Lift: 3.4"
Total Rear Suspension Lift: 2.15"

Which is alot more then the 2" and .75" advertised !!!

How do you feel about the ride quality of the Synergy springs? Did you go with the 8863-20 springs?

Yes, I went with the 8863-20 Synergy springs. Although they are advertised as stiffer, they are also multi-rate. I found these for sale by a fellow forum member who was upgrading to a larger lift so I didn't pay full price. That said, I've put about 300 miles on the setup in the past 2 days and, more or less, ride quality is the same. I can't say it's noticeably worse or better. I had to call Synergy a few times to talk about the isolators and the customer service was excellent, good luck getting help from Mopar.

 

[Scruf]

To calculate the amount of lift, you would subtract out the difference in the tire radius. Which in your case would be 1.1".

It looks like you gained 3.4" in the front, and 2.15" in the rear. so stock your rear was 1.5" higher + you added 2.15" of lift (=3.65"). you then added 3.4" of front lift. so 3.65" - 3.4" = 0.25" of rake... which is what you said you have.

That's definitely more lift than I would have expected... both from the synergy springs and from the rear rubicon springs. But regardless, it still looks good.

Did you remove the factory spring isolator in the front?

 

[Scruf]

One other question: For the rear spacers, did you measure them? And did you use the factory rear spring isolator? Sometimes spacers are physically taller than the advertised lift amount, but with the expectation of removing the factory isolator. So if used with the factory isolator, then you get 1/2" more lift than advertised.

 

[z0lt3c]

To calculate the amount of lift, you would subtract out the difference in the tire radius. Which in your case would be 1.1".

This is what I keep getting told

That's definitely more lift than I would have expected..

Which is why this calculation is confusing me. 3.4" front and 2.15" rear is WAY more then expected.

Did you remove the factory spring isolator in the front?

Yes. The factory isolator (which comes in two version) matches with the way the factory finishes the bottom of the stock springs, with an index point. The bottom of the Synergy springs are finished differently and do not have an index. Thus they do not sit right in the factory isolators (causing bowing). I had to order the Synergy isolators because my seller did not include them. When I got them I was shocked how thick they were (over a 1/4") -- they almost look like spacers.

One other question: For the rear spacers, did you measure them? And did you use the factory rear spring isolator?

The rear spacers measured out at .75 as advertised. The rear springs sit right on the spacer. I did swap the sport springs for rubicon springs.

 

[Scruf]

From what I've read, there are several different rear spring part #s depending on the weight of the vehicle.

What part #s (left and right) were your stock springs? What number are your new rubicon springs?

Thanks for sharing, this is all great information.

 

[z0lt3c]

Alignment results today.

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

Did he not correct the caster on the left front to get it within spec?

 

[z0lt3c]

What part #s (left and right) were your stock springs? What number are your new rubicon springs?

I can check the part numbers, but don't have them with me at the moment. The donor vehicle was a Rubicon and my vehicle is a base Sport.

Did he not correct the caster on the left front to get it within spec?

I am using the Mopar fixed length control arms from the 2" lift kit. There is no caster adjustment to be made. I was trying to understand how the two sides could be different and if it was possible I wound up out-lifting the arms. The alignment guy wasn't very concerned with it, although, I guess adjustable lower control arms would fix it.

 

[Alabama Mud Machine]

I can check the part numbers, but don't have them with me at the moment. The donor vehicle was a Rubicon and my vehicle is a base Sport.



I am using the Mopar fix length control arms from the 2" lift kit. There is no caster adjustment to be made. I was trying to understand how the two sides could be different and if it was possible I wound up out-lifting the arms. The alignment guy wasn't very concerned with it, although I guess adjustable lower control arms would fix it.

I highly recommend the Evo Enforcer adjustable LCA's... BEEFY is an understatement. The box they shipped in weighed-in at 28 lbs for 2 arms and hardware.

https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...acturing-enforcer-front-lower-control-arm-set

My Evo upgrades came in (2.5" front springs, adj track bar, & Enforcer LCA's), but for now they're going to be sitting in the storage unit until I can get time to install them. Hopefully soon. Might save all of it for a winter project and keep saving up for those JKS 1.5" lift rear-coils, and 4.88's, and take all of it to Rusty's Offroad (about 2 hours drive from me) and have them just do the works all in 1 day.

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