Rugged Ridge Tj 2in Coil Spacer Lift Kit Review

Inside Line: The Truth Near Coil Spacer Lifts

• June 16, 2020
• Story Past

Since the first Jeep rolled off of the assembly line, people have sought inexpensive ways to lift them. As a full general rule, a basic intermission elevator will create more than ground clearance and allow you to fit on larger tires. Both ideal for anyone who's looking to spend more time on the trail. As the Jeep platform has evolved, so has the mode nosotros elevator them.

Starting in 1997, the Jeep Wrangler moved to a multilink break configuration that used coils to back up the weigh of the vehicle. This is all the same what is used today and what we see nether the Jeep Gladiator. Moving to a ringlet-sprung suspension opened up room for a new era of inexpensive break lifts via the coil spacer. While ringlet spacers appeared long before the Wrangler platform, the 1997 to 2006 TJ platform made them a commonplace item on the market.

A curlicue spacer, or budget boost elevator as they are oftentimes chosen, uses either a steel or polyurethane spacer to raise the vehicle. These typically sit on top of the vehicle's existing coil spring and by and large get up to ii.5 inches in peak. The big draw to these kits is that they are extremely low cost. In fact, many can exist picked up for $200 or less. With merely almost every suspension manufacturer offering some level of spacer-style lift, prices and included components can vary wildly from one company to the next.

In this article, we're going to break down some of the common misconceptions about the spacer lift and dive into the pros and cons. To provide a little more context, we'll be showing you the details of the 2.5 Rough Country Suspension spacer lift we installed on a 2017 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited.

Polyurethane Versus Steel

The 2 about mutual types of spacers are comprised of either polyurethane or steel. In recent years, we've seen a ascension in steel spacers on the market. The advantage of the steel spacer is that it won't interruption down or collapse in the same way a polyurethane 1 might. Nosotros've run both over the years and have not had trouble out of either. Nosotros will say however, ane of challenges with a steel spacer is that you are at the mercy of the blanket. Generally, this isn't an outcome, but information technology'south something to continue an heart on.

Spacer Popularity

At that place are a few reasons why spacer lifts have go so popular in recent years. Peradventure the biggest is that in that location are then many OEM spring rates and varied coiled heights. Accept the 2018 to present Jeep Wrangler JL for example. Not but does this Jeep have corner-specific coils from the manufacturing plant, but there are now multiple powertrain options with fluctuating weights. This makes it especially costly and challenging for suspension manufacturers to keep the correct coil springs for all the dissimilar configurations on hand. The other reality is that modern Jeeps ride much nicer than older ones. By simply placing a coil spacer atop your existing leap you are essentially preserving that manufacturing plant ride. Add the aforementioned in with the fact that many of these kits are incredibly inexpensive and it is easy to meet why spacer lifts are common place.

What Well-nigh Shocks?

Since you're raising the vehicle, the shocks need to exist factored into the lift equation. This is why most entry level budget boost kits include shock spacers. These are designed to allow you to reuse your stock shocks past simply spacing out the mounting locations. This helps preserve your factory ride as y'all are keeping a daze that has been engineered to work with the stock coil spring. What you see next to the stock stupor with the Rough Country extension in this photograph is a Fox ii.0 Adventure Serial shock that was used originally with our JKS Manufacturing 2.5 suspension kit for a different JK.

Given information technology was the proper length, nosotros went ahead and installed them with the Crude Country spacer lift. Both of these shocks take around 30,000 miles on them, then it was sort of a wash in terms of which was in better shape. We knew notwithstanding we would go a boost in valving with the Play tricks shocks, so it was worth going with them. The real takeaway hither is that budget boost kits at the lower stop of the price spectrum typically practice not come with new shocks. We think this is a good matter as your vehicle needs grow, you can ever upgrade later on.

Tracking Parts

The Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator suspension systems have a fair about of flexibility when information technology comes to what you can get abroad with lift-wise before you need a lot of additional parts. On the Jeep Wrangler JK, a runway bar relocation subclass is necessary to continue the tracking centered out dorsum. The height of the spacer kit will mostly determine what additional components are necessary. The Rough Country kit as well included longer rear sway bar links (it calls for reusing the stock rear links upwards front) every bit well every bit restriction line extension brackets.

Budget Boost Limits

Since nosotros had previously installed our 35x12.50R17 Nitto Ridge Grapplers with no lift (read all about that here), we already knew what our flex limitations were. Fifty-fifty with the modestly backspaced 17-inch Venom Rex wheels, we would rub the fenders greatly at mild joint. While the elevator gave the states more room for our Grapplers to exhale, information technology did not include bumpstop spacers, which means our tires can potentially still contact the flares. This is why this particular kit is designed more so for those simply looking to raise the Jeep, not necessarily exercise a lot of serious off-roading.

Leveling

Another popular use of a spacer kit is to heighten nose of the vehicle to requite it a more level stance. This level await is why many companies volition provide a taller front end roll spacer. On this Rough Land lift, the front end spacer measured two½ inches, while the rear was just two.

Boosted Decisions

The allure of a dirt-cheap suspension kit has fabricated the spacer kit one of the most common break upgrades on the marketplace. Along with the development of the modern Jeep platform has come the development of the modernistic spacer lift. These are no longer all just basic budget boost kits. In fact, nosotros are seeing some of these college-end spacer systems now rival traditional suspension systems from both a price and included component front.

Ultimately, spacer kits have their place. If yous don't similar your current ride quality, a spacer elevator usually won't brand a big comeback, unless your issue is more than with daze valving. If you are a DIY Jeeper, and so you'll like the fact that these are extremely easy at-home installs. Sure, we would take liked to take seen cam bolts or lower control arms included with our kit. Simply, for the $200 price, we were happy with what we got.

Click here to see Tested: 35s with no lift on the Jeep Wrangler JK.

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Source: https://www.drivingline.com/articles/inside-line-the-truth-about-coil-spacer-lifts

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