Leveling kits and stacking spacers question.

[JohnWick]

I have a Teraflex 1.5" leveling kit on my Sport S.

After installing an aftermarket front bumper and winch, it's lost a bit of height.

Any adverse affect if I raise it another 1/2", and is it ok to stack a 1/2" spacer on top of the existing one, or should I just get a 2" spacer?

Thanks.

Sponsored

 

[WorldWideTigger]

I own a 2023 diesel with a OEM steel front bumper and winch. It was recommended to me to purchase the Clayton 1.5" inch front coils springs.
Since the diesel is heavier than the 3.6 I didn't gain that much lift if at all. However it's enough to prevent the front from bottoming out on the bump stops. Recent I purchased a 1" spacer from Teraflex and that seemed to level my rig out.
Teraflex offers a 1.5" inch spacer which one spacer is 1" thick and the other spacer is 1/2" thick. They're made to stack on top of one another if someone has or wants the need to.

 

[Janster]

Personally…I would NEVER stack spacers - not unless they were bolted together.

I’m guessing your OEM coils will get ‘tired’ and start sagging eventually. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a coil spring lift. Put those 1.5” spacers in the closet (save for later) or sell them.

 

[Zachanadandy]

Stock springs are crazy soft, buy a quality aftermarket 1.5" to 2" spring and be done with it.

 

[JohnWick]

Personally…I would NEVER stack spacers - not unless they were bolted together.

I’m guessing your OEM coils will get ‘tired’ and start sagging eventually. Do yourself a favor and get yourself a coil spring lift. Put those 1.5” spacers in the closet (save for later) or sell them.

Well, the Teraflex kit uses stacked spacers, and they seem to work fine including at the limits of the suspension articulation. But I digress.

I'm not going to do anything more than spacers until it's time for a full lift, which will probably happen next fall. Buying things twice and all that.

 

[Zachanadandy]

Well, the Teraflex kit uses stacked spacers, and they seem to work fine including at the limits of the suspension articulation. But I digress.

I'm not going to do anything more than spacers until it's time for a full lift, which will probably happen next fall. Buying things twice and all that.

Putting in a spring is the same work as putting in a .5" spacer. You're already buying things more than once and doing things in repeat just to be disappointed with the soft factory springs?

 

[MudderNuker]

I installed a TF 1.5" leveling kit plus an additional 1/2" TF spacer up front to get 2". Plus 3/4" spacers in the back. No issues so far. I did use TF shock extenders.

 

[Stitchedupseats]

The teraflex have slots/keyed to stack. I ran 2” and .5” for a long time. No issues.
Eventually I found some rubicon express 2.5 springs for like 100$ so you may keep eyes out and do something more solid than the spacer. I’ve gone to a 4.5 rock Krawler lift now with evo 6.5 hd springs in the rear. It’s just money. Can’t take it with you.

 

[Blade1668]

A Jeep specifications from factory could make a difference along with front vs rear of the vehicle. I'm of the group that prefers replacement springs. But spacers have a place. I've got a lift kit installed on my Gladiator, and after driving it a few days I reinstalled the factory rear coils with spacers since the lift kit rear coils were not up to the job on a "Max-Tow" package rear springs. F### the Carolina squat $###.
I've used spacers and replaced springs on multiple different Jeeps over the last 30 plus years. I prefer replacement springs. My XJ went through at least 5 configurations spacers were short lived and last iteration has a set of blocks on rear to level. My 05 Wrangler got new springs (now need replacement). It was a 2 or 3 in springs, and shocks kit. The "kit" I bought for it recently is spacers and shocks kit (it was more cost efficient) than just ordering shocks. Now to install the "replacement" coils from a Rubicon.
On my Gladiator the rear spacers I installed I bought before I got the lift kit to boost it. My JT is a heavy loaded most of the time.
A factor is your intention for use, daily driver, road use, off-road use and level of off-road use and terrain used for. Stackable depends on if made for it and possiblity of springs unseating needs to be assessed by the user.

 

[jav_eee]

I stacked teraflex spacers (got them real cheap) to get 2.5” of level until I can decide what springs I want. It’s been almost a year and I still haven’t decided.

 

[JohnWick]

Putting in a spring is the same work as putting in a .5" spacer. You're already buying things more than once and doing things in repeat just to be disappointed with the soft factory springs?

I don't care about the work involved.

A pair of 1/2" spacers would likely be 1/4 the price of new springs.

It's a stopgap until I buy a lift kit.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

Any spacers that are keyed or nested are perfectly fine. There's nothing wrong with them. Anybody that says otherwise is talking out of their ass.

Personally…I would NEVER stack spacers - not unless they were bolted together.

Do you bolt the single spacer into the frame as well? You use spring retainers?

 

[Zachanadandy]

I don't care about the work involved.

A pair of 1/2" spacers would likely be 1/4 the price of new springs.

It's a stopgap until I buy a lift kit.

Or, buy the springs you want and add the rest of the kit later? All the other piece of a kit can be bought individually and added... without even having to jack the vehicle up let alone pull the springs out? You're already gonna attack 2.5" worth of spacers so even if 3.5" is the eventual plan I'd just put the spring in and then build around it. I started with the AEV 2" spacer kit on my mojave. Added front geometry correction brackets and the rock krawler triangulated 4 link in the rear. Then swapped out the springs and spacers to metalcloak 3.5" springs. It rides much better and doesn't get into the front bump stops over every moderate bump or whoop anymore. I wish I'd done the springs right out the gate. Factory wallowy springs aren't worth trying to save, especially if you just keep adding more spacers, in my opinion..

 

[Janster]

Any spacers that are keyed or nested are perfectly fine. There's nothing wrong with them. Anybody that says otherwise is talking out of their ass.

Do you bolt the single spacer into the frame as well? You use spring retainers?

Sure…I love talking out of my ass - You like it??

I’d never buy spacers….. I’d buy the real thing…. COILS.

 

[JohnWick]

Or, buy the springs you want and add the rest of the kit later? All the other piece of a kit can be bought individually and added... without even having to jack the vehicle up let alone pull the springs out? You're already gonna attack 2.5" worth of spacers so even if 3.5" is the eventual plan I'd just put the spring in and then build around it. I started with the AEV 2" spacer kit on my mojave. Added front geometry correction brackets and the rock krawler triangulated 4 link in the rear. Then swapped out the springs and spacers to metalcloak 3.5" springs. It rides much better and doesn't get into the front bump stops over every moderate bump or whoop anymore. I wish I'd done the springs right out the gate. Factory wallowy springs aren't worth trying to save, especially if you just keep adding more spacers, in my opinion..

I'm not quite sure about your numbers.

I currently have 1.5" of spacers in the front which is a pretty standard level for a Gladiator. With a factory front bumper it sat fairly level before I installed the bumper and winch.

I want to add 1/2" for a total of 2"....

Putting just a set of 3.5" springs in the front is going to end up with a negative rake, which would not only adversely affect handling, would probably make gas milage worse and just plain look weird.

Sponsored