Mopar lift regrets

[DanW]

By engineered I am referring to creating a lift with specific spring rates and shock dampening that allows the vehicle to handle and have the capabilities as stock or better, I highly doubt Mopar would put something out and stand behind it that is not highly tested and safe. Mopar is currently the only company making a diesel specific lift kit, all the others are just adding a spacer to compensate for the 400lb increase.
In my experience and opinion the Mopar parts hold up better against rust and corrosion than aftermarket parts.

Good point. No rust/corrosion on mine, either, after 3 winters with LOTS of road salt, then plenty of mud in the summer.

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[wanderer]

@DanW What is youir take on the mopar not up to par video above? post number 58

 

[smlobx]

I’m leaning towards the Mopar lift but a close second might be the Icon Stage 3..

https://www.iconvehicledynamics.com...20-up-gladiator-25-stage-3-suspension-system/

 

[DanW]

@DanW What is youir take on the mopar not up to par video above? post number 58

I think he's full of shit and looking for Youtube clicks.

I didn't find a single thing in that video that matched up with my experience.

Just describing the Fox shocks as stiff tells me he's full of it.

There's plenty of other things in there I disagree with, including his analysis of the springs, which is downright silly and an apples to oranges comparison. I also think his springs were not installed properly if he popped one out of its seat. I've never done that, even with my JK's spacer lift.

I've got 4x as many miles on my Mopar as he had. And I'm certain I've flext it to its limits at least that many times more. Never had a spring leave its perch or even make an unpleasant noise. Never.

 

[tysongladiator]

I don't think anyone is saying they hold up better, unless I missed that. What they are saying is that it is covered by the warranty.

What I'll say is that it DOES hold up very well.

Do you own one? I do. Many miles of hard off-roading. It has held up. It has wheeled alongside Jeeps with Terraflex, Metalcloak, and others, and it has done every obstacle they've done. Have I made a couple tweaks to it? Yes. But it never had a problem with its function. They were only minor improvements. First, front adjustable Rancho Track Bar, then a rear, to center the axles. That was for aesthetics only. My front springs bowed more than I liked and at about 20k on the lift, the dealership swapped out the spring pads under warranty and even gave me a loaner to drive for the afternoon. Try getting that with any other lift. Finally, I put Rock Krawler correction pads in the front to the tune of a whopping 30 bucks. The springs never rubbed the bump stops, even at full articulation, but they were too close for comfort for me. And my dealer installed them because they are nice.

Not sure what else to say. I hear all this criticism but mostly from folks who don't have one. I've put more off-road miles on this lift (It was installed at 700 miles on the odometer) in three years than most have on their lift kits in 10. It has held up beyond my expectations and shrugged off everything that's been thrown at it.

Is it the best out there? Probably not. Best value? Nope. But there's nothing wrong with it. Certainly it would have been nice to have adjustable track bars included or even adjustable front lower control arms. But those things aren't absolutely necessary. And btw, no matter who actually engineered it, they were running it with the test mules when the JL was developed. There are photos out there of it. So if they hired a vendor for it, they were right there with the Jeep engineers. No different than the transmission, axles or transfer case. Those were made by outside vendors, too. But I don't hear anyone calling Jeep out for having ZF, Aisin, Dana, and Magna make those components.

Lots of great options are out there. Get the one in which you have the most confidence. The Mopar lift has earned my confidence on the trail, on my Jeep. I'll leave it at that. Feel free to check in on me as the miles pile up. So far, with 40k on it, so good.

I agree. I have 57,000 miles on my Gladiator. Installed the lift around 6,000 miles and have had the same lift since. No additional track bars or anything. Just the mopar lift. Beat the hell out of it off-road, towed ATVs, and pull a 24' RV. I don't know about anybody else, but my JT says the MOPAR lift is a pretty good kit that does hold up.

You can see some of the things that I do on my youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ChangeYoLife

 

[Eazye]

So I went with the base Clayton Ride Right+ kit that included the single rate front springs, triple rate rears, front and rear track bars, upper adjustable front control arms, and sway bar links. I swapped the front links for the obnoxiously built No Limit links from Rock Krawler since I dont need disconnects on the Rubi, then I added the Fox 2.0 shocks for the added length. It rides every bit as nice as the stock setup, and a first for me, possibly better than stock. I also left in the 1/2” spacer from my Teraflex leveling kit just to keep it close to level. It rides great, looks great, and easily accommodates my 37s. I did have the caster set to 5 degrees to help stiffen the steering up just a bit as well. I have less than 2k in it even with the shocks and RK links and could not be happier! I posted pics here:
https://www.jeepgladiatorforum.com/forum/threads/rideright-2-5”-lift-is-perfect.37656/#post-609430

 

[Jay Gatsby]

...I put Rock Krawler correction pads in the front to the tune of a whopping 30 bucks...

Would you happen to know the part number? I see pads for the JL. Is that what the dealer used? Thanks

 

[DanW]

Would you happen to know the part number? I see pads for the JL. Is that what the dealer used? Thanks

They are the same pads. My brother put them on his Gladiator. Perfect fit. RK confirmed this, as did @Northridge4x4 which is where I purchased them.

 

[Lumis]

I had a 2020 JTR with the mopar lift until 12/2021 and it seemed to work fine. I thought it was a bit rough off road when I'd get on it ( 20 trail badges ) and bottomed to easily . I've ordered a new 2023 JTR and it gets shipped 10/1/2022. I truly wish there was a way to try other lifts. I am currently considering mopar (again, for warranty) or perhaps icon. How is a person truly able to choose other then spending money (perhaps a lot) and get what is best for them??

QUESTION: ( perhaps ignorant ) Since the track bar moves as the suspension move up and down, the axel is moving off center both right and left (slightly). So, even if you "re-center" the axel with a new track bar, it will just move off center as the suspension travels. So, what's the point of having it perfectly centered, at some arbitrary point in the suspension travel, but just make sure it is, at some point in the travel, centered?

 

[ShadowsPapa]

So, what's the point of having it perfectly centered, at some arbitrary point in the suspension travel, but just make sure it is, at some point in the travel, centered?

It's to be centered while at curb height - or the new curb height after a lift. It's for stability and control on the road. It doesn't shift that much on the highway or normal streets.
It's not "some arbitrary point" - it's centered at curb height for true tracking.
If it's off while sitting, it will be MORE off, way off, when the axle drops on the right end. If it's centered, then it won't be so far off when the right end drops.
The more off it is when sitting, it's going to be really bad as the axle drops!
That's because it swings in an arc.
But again the point is to have it centered for stability on the road.

 

[chrismeece74]

I have the Mopar lift on my Sport S Max Tow, no issues with it at all, rides great and does what I want it to do off road to.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

@wanderer The MC rock sports are equivalent to 4.5- 6” lift fox shocks.

Rocksport shocks are a solid bandaid. Went through two sets on our last Jeep (being frugal and putting off a good set….).
Don’t get me wrong- they are cheap! Which makes them hard to beat! They have the extended/compressed length- but longevity sucks.

 

[22_Sarge_Sport]

So, what's the point of having it perfectly centered, at some arbitrary point in the suspension travel, but just make sure it is, at some point in the travel, centered?

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your question, but you want both axles centered when the vehicle sits on level ground. That will minimize the twisting forces in all axes at rest and provide the most travel in all directions when not at rest. With the Mopar lift, this will require an adjustable track bar in front and something - either a new track bar or a bracket - in back.

 

[Lumis]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding your question, but you want both axles centered when the vehicle sits on level ground. That will minimize the twisting forces in all axes at rest and provide the most travel in all directions when not at rest. With the Mopar lift, this will require an adjustable track bar in front and something - either a new track bar or a bracket - in back.

Well, as I understand it the track bar moves through an arc. The best position, for the track bar to be in, would be 0 degrees or completely flat. That way, left and right movement of the axel would be at it's minimum within the suspension travel. If everything is fixed, I see no need for the track bar to be adjustable. Apart from the fact that the specific length isn't made. However, with a lift you can't have the track bar at 0 degrees since it has a downward slope. In any case, with the original track bar, used in the mopar lift, the bar is slightly more downward causing slightly more motion of the axel to the driver's side when the suspension drops.
I'm just not sure how much difference a slightly longer track bar will make to the overall driving experience.
I have a JTR and JLUR with mopar lifts and original track bar and don't feel issue. However, as I stated I haven't driven other lifts.

 

[22_Sarge_Sport]

Well, as I understand it the track bar moves through an arc. The best position, for the track bar to be in, would be 0 degrees or completely flat. That way, left and right movement of the axel would be at it's minimum within the suspension travel. If everything is fixed, I see no need for the track bar to be adjustable. Apart from the fact that the specific length isn't made. However, with a lift you can't have the track bar at 0 degrees since it has a downward slope. In any case, with the original track bar, used in the mopar lift, the bar is slightly more downward causing slightly more motion of the axel to the driver's side when the suspension drops.
I'm just not sure how much difference a slightly longer track bar will make to the overall driving experience.
I have a JTR and JLUR with mopar lifts and original track bar and don't feel issue. However, as I stated I haven't driven other lifts.

Yep, the front axle will be toward the driver side, and the rear axle will be toward the passenger side, the higher the lift. At 1" its not a big deal, but at 2.5" or so, the vehicle is crab walking a little and exerting lateral forces on everything. Yes, if the correct fixed length track bar is available, you don't need an adjustable one, but there are so many factors that an adjustable one makes sense- get it right for your truck and lock it in.

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