Suspension Lift vs. SOA

[Ga Yota 4x4]

I've got an 87 Jeep Wrangler that I want to put some height under. Looking for info on which route I should take Ex. Suspension Lift or SOA? Do you do both, or do the serve the same purpose? Understand SOA can limit the ride quality, so I don't mind spending the extra pennies for the suspension lift. Any recommendations on which brand to use? Also if I go with the suspension lift should I put on a shackle reverse kit at the same time? Does it come with the suspension kit? Any info it greatly appreciated!

[Scott Brady]

I've got an 87 Jeep Wrangler that I want to put some height under. Looking for info on which route I should take Ex. Suspension Lift or SOA? Do you do both, or do the serve the same purpose? Understand SOA can limit the ride quality, so I don't mind spending the extra pennies for the suspension lift. Any recommendations on which brand to use? Also if I go with the suspension lift should I put on a shackle reverse kit at the same time? Does it come with the suspension kit? Any info it greatly appreciated!

I would avoid SOA for a wrangler driven on the road much, as you will gain a minimum of 4.5" of lift.

For my YJ, I installed an Old Man Emu suspension, and it was excellent, from the first day to the day I sold the Jeep (four years later)

Get four J1R springs and the OME firm shocks. It gave me about 2" of lift and I fit 33x10.5 tires on the Jeep.

[Bayou Boy]

That's pretty durn good articulation for a YJ!

[MossMan]

This is really a preference decision if you ask me. There are probably as many people that would say SOA as SUA. Don't assume though that SOA limits ride quality. For me ride, handling, and road manners stayed the same or even improved slightly when I took my 87 YJ SOA and added 35's. I know that sounds impossible but it was great on and off road after that.

The biggest concerns with SOA will be rear axle wrap and steering geometry. If you're looking for the most clearance this is certainly the best choice. However you'll probably want to add an anti wrap bar in the back and do some sort of hi-steer of at least crossover steering. You'll maintain stock springs and even shocks if you relocate the lower brackets and your ride should stay basically the same.

On the other hand,

I've seen many Jeeps that perfrom equally as well SUA and without the need for the extra mods to steering and axle wrap. I know OME makes a very reputable kit and have good things about the ride quality. Bottom line is probably if you want to run 35's or less you could do SUA, 36's or above would be better SOA.

[SeaRubi]

the problems with going SOA are the myriad issues that come with running that much lift. In addition to issues like axle wrap, you'll need to heavily revamp your steering linkages, and start thinking about brake upgrades if you intend to fill out the wheel wells with larger tires ( >= 35").

Given you're posting here on ExPo, the common themes that guide vehicle mods are:

* dependability
* stability
* ease of repair

Keeping the lift down and running proven components such as the OME kit gives you a lot of benefits. You won't need to modify as many systems by keeping the lift and tire size smaller, around 33" or less. Keeping the center of gravity low is critical for sidehilling, towing, and onroad handling. You may see those rock crawler rigs sidehill just fine with full-width D60 axles and 14.5" wide tires ... BUT ... you don't want to drive that rig on the highway, nor do you want it's gas mileage or noise level at highway speeds.

In terms of repairs, if you break an OME spring or shock, replacements are readily available and the fix is bolt-on. Compare that with often an accumulation of custom fabrication leading to broken welds, stress fatigues in materials where they saw load that wasn't taken into consideration for long-haul use, and the smaller and fewer mods approach will start to make sense.

fwiw.

(rubi happily on the stock 31's, and staying there).

[OS-Aussie]

The real question is how much do you want to spend.

I am running coilovers all round and love the ride, way more than stock, or a couple of other after market kits I have used.



A fair few guys from my CA Jeep club run AirRock. There is an ability to selectively lift side to side or front to back, along with a very good ride quality.
http://rockcrawler.com/features/news...ro_airrock.asp

Yes, I know based on the year you don't have a TJ, but most systems can work if you really want. I have run the Rubicon with a friend in a converted coil spring YJ and it worked well. So as with all mods it is a case of how much money is in the budget.

Spring overs have fallen out of style in recent years for whatever reasons.


Some other ideas........

http://www.4wheeloffroad.com/techart...ngs/index.html

http://www.fourwheeler.com/techartic...ion/index.html
http://www.stunkworks.com/jeep/articulation.html

Ultra flex -----
http://longhornoffroad.com/pages/wri...ggysprings.htm
http://www.jeepaholics.com/tech/quarterellip/

[BigAl]

Understand SOA can limit the ride quality, so I don't mind spending the extra pennies for the suspension lift.

SOA done right is 2-3 times as expensive as the best SUA leaf spring lifts. These guys hit all the main issues. I solved them all and am very happy with my SOA 90YJ but it took a lot of work

[dennisuello]

SOA done right is 2-3 times as expensive as the best SUA leaf spring lifts. These guys hit all the main issues. I solved them all and am very happy with my SOA 90YJ but it took a lot of work

Where's the extra cost coming in? SOA will be as expensive as a quality 4-5" SUA lift. If you keep stock springs, SOA will be cheaper. Shocks, brake lines, misc will be same for SUA and SOA. The only difference is you have to weld on new spring perches.

SUA can flex pretty well, here's my old YJ with Rubicon Express Extreme Duty 4.5" kit.

[BigAl]

...Where's the extra cost coming in? SOA will be as expensive as a quality 4-5" SUA lift. If you keep stock springs, SOA will be cheaper. Shocks, brake lines, misc will be same for SUA and SOA. The only difference is you have to weld on new spring perches...

If you haven't done it, it sounds hard to believe. 2 problems that everyone has are axle wrap, commonly fixed with a $250 traction bar, and high steer which can be $300-1000 fix. I don't want to get into a soa/sua pissing match but I would highly recommend doing a ton of research before going SOA. It is not as simple as moving the perches

Some pics of my own
SOA on 33s

SOA on 36s

[Ga Yota 4x4]

Looks like I really opened a can of worms

I was leaning towards a SOA before my post mainly because I found someone locally would do it for me for around $500. How much abuse are we talking concerning axle wrap with the SOA? I'm not a hardcore 4 wheeler (rockcrawler), so I won't be testing the limits of my jeep. Mine will we used mainly for weekend expeditions (camping)

From what I've read SOA sounds like you can run bigger tires, but lacks the flexibility of a suspension lift.

Where does the shackle reverse kit come into play?

Forgive my ignorance on suspension. I've always been more into performance before becoming a jeeper.