My Future KJ plans

[Truckinduc]

Hy everyone, im new here.

Girlfriend just got an 07 liberty. Here are my plans for it, I would like to get a little feedback on it please.


Suspension.
Front-
Im a machinist so I plan on making 1" billet aluminum strut spacers with longer studs. Anyone see a problem with this? Ill re mount brake line attachment if nec.

Rear-
longer OME coils and shocks. Again will move brake lines if i need to.

Im not going for better flex, basically just more ground clearance and larger tires.


I plan on some aftermarket wheels with about 2" less backspacing than the stockers.

Some 32 x 11.50 or some 275's Most likely will have to do some inner fender trimming.


Armor-
I plan on fabricating a steel front bumper. only problem is the stock unibody is so wide up front. Ill have to trim the sheetmetal for the unique design I have.

Ill eventially do something for the rear as ive already broken a tail light with the stock plastic bumper thing.


Please let me know if you see any problems with anything. Thank you.

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[HoosierJeeper]

Sharp KJ...

 

[Truckinduc]

thanks. Oh ya forgot, rhinolining fenders and bumpers. and steel bumpers when they are done.

Getting rid of the spare tire and replacing it with water tight ammo boxes.

 

[kj924]

(welcome)

That 1" strut spacer....is that on the strut mount? If so, then you may need more than that to fit 32's under the front.

Stock rim back spacing is 5.5" and you want to go to 3.5" back spacing? With a 11.5" tire? Good luck.

 

[ptsb5a]

Let us know how the 32"s work out. I've got 31"s on a 15x8 with 4" of backspacing and I still get rub on the swaybar at full lock.

 

[Truckinduc]

The spacers can really be any thickness. Might make some 1.5" thick ones out of plastic and see how I like them. Adjust thicker or hopefully thinner, and duplicate in aluminum.

1.5" spacer should lift the front almost 3".

 

[Truckinduc]

here is my old samurai. It had lots of good bits in it. You can see the front bumper and rockerguards I fabbed for it.

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[tjkj2002]

Scrap the whole spacer idea,get lift coils since the OEM coils will sag very bad(and fast) when adding extra weight from steel bumpers.Also you will have all sorts of issues with 32x11.50's,might as well take off all the fender flares now as the tires will remove them for you offroad.If your dead set on 32" better be looking into re-gearing to 4.10's since the KJ will be a total dog with the stock gears and 32" tires(I know,been there done that).Stick with 235/85's,265/75's,or 31x10.50's with 7" wide rims with 4"-4.5" of back spacing and be prepared to cut and trim alot.

 

[liberty84]

Scrap the whole spacer idea,get lift coils since the OEM coils will sag very bad(and fast) when adding extra weight from steel bumpers.Also you will have all sorts of issues with 32x11.50's,might as well take off all the fender flares now as the tires will remove them for you offroad.If your dead set on 32" better be looking into re-gearing to 4.10's since the KJ will be a total dog with the stock gears and 32" tires(I know,been there done that).Stick with 235/85's,265/75's,or 31x10.50's with 7" wide rims with 4"-4.5" of back spacing and be prepared to cut and trim alot.

lol I was waiting for him.....he can always explain everything so right

 

[kjweston]

haha he really can.. Go with at least new coils and struts for the lift up front. I have about 3.5" of lift. and 265/75 tires. 1.5" spacers. no rubbing at all.

 

[Porkchop]

Let us know how the 32"s work out. I've got 31"s on a 15x8 with 4" of backspacing and I still get rub on the swaybar at full lock.

Sounds like you need to do the steering stop mod to me. I did and I do have 265 75 16 on mine.
Also I like what tjkj said I would'nt go any big tires then this.

 

[Truckinduc]

ok, well Untill I do the bumper ill do the spacer for the strut.

may run with the 265's. They look like a decent size in person.


So I got a call from the girlfriend today. She says she was driving and all of a sudden it lost power to the wheels. Was running fine and just wouldnt move as if you bumped it into neutral.

Im guessing its low on ATF and while she was sloped down going down the mountain the pickup started sucking air.

She said she cranked it up about 10 min later and it drove fine.


Anyone ever experience this?

 

[Truckinduc]

well I drove it a few hundred miles and cant find anything wrong with it.

So we took it on a little camping trip. This is a nice little place I know of about 10 miles back a nice washed out rutty off road trail. Nice and peaceful back here.

Finally using the jeep as it was intended.

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[Porkchop]

Kool

 

[kb0nly]

Awesome... Ain't it nice to get away from civilization??

 

[HoosierJeeper]

Nice pics!

 

[Truckinduc]

been doing some reading and have changed the plans a little

OME 927/948's

cut shock mounts off rear axle and re mount higher. Gain ground clearance.

1/2" spacer for top of strut, extra rear isolator

16x7 wheels 4" backspace

265's

 

[tjkj2002]

been doing some reading and have changed the plans a little

OME 927/948's

cut shock mounts off rear axle and re mount higher. Gain ground clearance.

1/2" spacer for top of strut, extra rear isolator

16x7 wheels 4" backspace

265's

So your going to have 4" of lift in the front a 3" of lift in the rear? Ditch the OTT spacer,a 1/2" one is way to big to begin with but a 1/4" one is not that bad.Don't forget the F/R extended bumpstops and new F/R shocks.

 

[Truckinduc]

still stock, but we have been using it. Have to destroy the street tires first.

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[desertkj]

Very nice. Btw, I'm agreeing with everyone else and saying definitely listen to tjkj about the suspension stuff. He knows what he's talking about. Be sure to post pictures of the steel bumper once you get working on it. A few people on here have tried with varying degrees of success. As for the stall thing, I had that happen once on mine two years ago and never did it again.