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Teraflex 2.5 Lift Lit w/ Falcon 3.3s

Reconatrek

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Hi Team,

Like many of you, I have been researching the best lift kit for my JL’s particular use: daily driver, father of one with one on the way, lives by the beach and hits the trails/camping once a month.

For context, I have a 2020 JLUR Recon, mostly stock outside of tinted windows, some interior goodies and Warn mid-height tube grill guard for factory steel front bumper. Lots of other stuff on the way, however most shipping times are delayed, as expected.

At first, I was sold on the Mopar “2 inch” lift. But after reading about the mixed reviews and range of height achieved, despite the benefit of factory warranty and quality parts, I started to wonder what else was out there. All the positive reviews about the Dynatrac 2 inch lift ride quality and the fact that they were designed by Tony Carvallo had me close to sold. But after reading about spring settling and forward rakes on rigs with weight (ie bumper, winches, racks), and realizing it was a pretty incomplete kit and would likely need some additional reinforcement and geometry correction, plus the fact that it might be a bit small for 37s, my quest continued.

That brings me to the Teraflex 2.5” kit with Falcon 3.3’s. Obviously in a different price category ($2,500 or so), but clearly a superior kit, with Falcon 3.3s, 24 way adjustability, direct port reservoirs and everything needed for reinforcement / geometry correction.

I haven’t seen much in the way of reviews of this kit on the forum. Does anyone here have any experience with / running this setup? I would love to hear firsthand how this kit performs on and off road. On paper, it looks like exactly what I’m looking for.
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DWEI

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Subscribed. This is the setup im leaning towards as well. Cant wait to hear thoughts.
 

TxJeepers

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I run a modified TF 2.5" ST kit with the 2.1 Falcons. I can say that I have been mostly happy with the ride quality and would recommend. Getting the 3.3 is pure spend and personal preference but each their own.

The Sport Arms are 24 5/8", which put me at 7 degree of caster and after battling some DW, I finally switched out for Alpine arms that I was able dial in 24 3/8" which got me closer to 6. This helped me eliminate my DW issue. There are differences Jeep to Jeep and Teraflex did engineer the Sport arms to work from 2.5" to 4.5". Most Jeeps probably do not develop issue like mine.

If I did it again, I would get the 3.5" Alpine kit with all arms. That extra inch will make a difference if you wheel it.
https://teraflex.com/shop_items/jlu-4-door-3-5-alpine-ct3-short-arm-suspension-system?vehicle=JLU%20Wrangler%20Unlimited
 

Cthehentz

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I just recently installed the 2.5" TeraFlex and SP2 3.3 shocks, this was my second choice and honestly I am glad the first choice Rubicon Express didn't work out.

Out of the box this setup was sorta stiff even with the shocks on the softest setting, that did not change until I took it on a good shake down run in the mountains that seemed to help settle things down a bit. Now the jeep rides a little firmer then a stock Rubicon and I love it. Something to consider is look at the entire package, I ended up adding front and rear adjustable track bars and lower control arms after the fact basically learning as I go lol. All in this kit is perfect for my use, 90% road and 10% off road.
 

SmoothJeepOperator

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I'm looking at the s t/2 but don't want the control arms that aren't adjustable. I'm thinking I could do the base kit add the falcon 2.1 shocks and then go get my adjustable control arms (probably start with front lowers, rear uppers and adjustable front track bar).

I'm still all over the place I keep bouncing back and forth between this and the dynatrac 2 inch lift, and recently started looking at icon. Too hard to pick.
 

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Jeepr

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I run a modified TF 2.5" ST kit with the 2.1 Falcons. I can say that I have been mostly happy with the ride quality and would recommend. Getting the 3.3 is pure spend and personal preference but each their own.

The Sport Arms are 24 5/8", which put me at 7 degree of caster and after battling some DW, I finally switched out for Alpine arms that I was able dial in 24 3/8" which got me closer to 6. This helped me eliminate my DW issue. There are differences Jeep to Jeep and Teraflex did engineer the Sport arms to work from 2.5" to 4.5". Most Jeeps probably do not develop issue like mine.

If I did it again, I would get the 3.5" Alpine kit with all arms. That extra inch will make a difference if you wheel it.
https://teraflex.com/shop_items/jlu-4-door-3-5-alpine-ct3-short-arm-suspension-system?vehicle=JLU%20Wrangler%20Unlimited
I went with the 3.5" alpine long arms, Shocks are quite stiff even on their softest setting. here are a couple of pictures.

Jeep Wrangler JL Teraflex 2.5 Lift Lit w/ Falcon 3.3s jl5


JL4.png
 

Priherd

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I installed the Teraflex 2.5” kit with Falcon 3.1 shocks, on my 2020 JULR. I'm very happy with the lift and shocks overall but as others have stated, you might want to go with a set of adjustable Front LCAs. I replaced the Sport Arms that came with the kit for a set of Teraflex Alpine IR Adjustable LCAs. Then you can dial in the length which is right for your jeep.
Jeep Wrangler JL Teraflex 2.5 Lift Lit w/ Falcon 3.3s IMG_4563
 

rustyshakelford

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I know you’re asking about teraflax and the 3.3s but since your mind isn’t made up I’d like to throw out my two cents. Bare in mind I am getting zero financial compensation and are sharing my thoughts from what I receive from building high end jeeps.

When I hear folks have the idea that you would want to retain your factory ride or others that think that would be a positive disappoints me. Quite frankly, the factory ride isn’t great. We use two companies for lifts. By and far my favorite and the most installed is metalcloak. Their lifts correctly (from my perspective) address all parts that are needed without relying on brackets thats aren’t adjustable to get things back within spec.

I could go on and on about teraflex but instead of running them down, id rather give you the benefits of the other brands.

MC
8 control arms
4 coils
4 rocksport shocks
F/R track bars
plus all the associated hardware like bumpstops, outboard shock brackets and sway bars.

The front and rear track bars are a huge benefit as you can correctly center the axle and gain at ton of strength. The 8 control arms allow you to correctly adjust and set caster and axle position along with improving the ride and flex.

The rocksports aren’t a high end shock like the 3.3s claim to be but they have some of the best travel in the industry and a terrific price point. If you would like to upgrade the shocks, the 6 paks are designed for the MC lift but other options like the fox 2.5s and ADS are turning out to be excellent options as well.

TL;DR

Please consider other companies before dropping that much money on a substand kit thatll ride rough/harsh

brett
 
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Reconatrek

Reconatrek

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I'm looking at the s t/2 but don't want the control arms that aren't adjustable. I'm thinking I could do the base kit add the falcon 2.1 shocks and then go get my adjustable control arms (probably start with front lowers, rear uppers and adjustable front track bar).

I'm still all over the place I keep bouncing back and forth between this and the dynatrac 2 inch lift, and recently started looking at icon. Too hard to pick.
I know what you mean. After further research, it’s clear that the 3.3s are designed for a specific feel preference, which is going to determine the opinions we read here. It’s the bimmer vs. benz analogy. I happen to enjoy both, so I’m still mulling it over...

That said, I can’t ignore that every single review I read about the Dynatrac kit includes some reference to it being one of the better/best ride quality lifts folks have felt. With the Rubi, I’d still be able to fit 37s, and I could build around it as needed. Aside from the obvious travel limitations / fender scraping during full flex, Dynatrac seems like a solid choice for those who won’t be demanding the most out of their rig. But like you said, I’m still sort of all over the place...
 
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Reconatrek

Reconatrek

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I installed the Teraflex 2.5” kit with Falcon 3.1 shocks, on my 2020 JULR. I'm very happy with the lift and shocks overall but as others have stated, you might want to go with a set of adjustable Front LCAs. I replaced the Sport Arms that came with the kit for a set of Teraflex Alpine IR Adjustable LCAs. Then you can dial in the length which is right for your jeep.
Jeep Wrangler JL Teraflex 2.5 Lift Lit w/ Falcon 3.3s IMG_4563
Thanks for that feedback. It also seems tire PSI really makes a difference with this setup. Did you experiment with different levels and settle on a pressure that felt right?
 

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Reconatrek

Reconatrek

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I just recently installed the 2.5" TeraFlex and SP2 3.3 shocks, this was my second choice and honestly I am glad the first choice Rubicon Express didn't work out.

Out of the box this setup was sorta stiff even with the shocks on the softest setting, that did not change until I took it on a good shake down run in the mountains that seemed to help settle things down a bit. Now the jeep rides a little firmer then a stock Rubicon and I love it. Something to consider is look at the entire package, I ended up adding front and rear adjustable track bars and lower control arms after the fact basically learning as I go lol. All in this kit is perfect for my use, 90% road and 10% off road.
Interesting. A bit firmer than stock would be a great place to land... that seems to contradict most people’s account, who report a significantly firmer ride, even on the softest setting.

Is it common for these shocks to “settle in” after a good day of wheeling, or is it possible you just got a bit used to the road manners after feeling it off-road?
 
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Reconatrek

Reconatrek

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I know you’re asking about teraflax and the 3.3s but since your mind isn’t made up I’d like to throw out my two cents. Bare in mind I am getting zero financial compensation and are sharing my thoughts from what I receive from building high end jeeps.

When I hear folks have the idea that you would want to retain your factory ride or others that think that would be a positive disappoints me. Quite frankly, the factory ride isn’t great. We use two companies for lifts. By and far my favorite and the most installed is metalcloak. Their lifts correctly (from my perspective) address all parts that are needed without relying on brackets thats aren’t adjustable to get things back within spec.

I could go on and on about teraflex but instead of running them down, id rather give you the benefits of the other brands.

MC
8 control arms
4 coils
4 rocksport shocks
F/R track bars
plus all the associated hardware like bumpstops, outboard shock brackets and sway bars.

The front and rear track bars are a huge benefit as you can correctly center the axle and gain at ton of strength. The 8 control arms allow you to correctly adjust and set caster and axle position along with improving the ride and flex.

The rocksports aren’t a high end shock like the 3.3s claim to be but they have some of the best travel in the industry and a terrific price point. If you would like to upgrade the shocks, the 6 paks are designed for the MC lift but other options like the fox 2.5s and ADS are turning out to be excellent options as well.

TL;DR

Please consider other companies before dropping that much money on a substand kit thatll ride rough/harsh

brett
Thanks Brett. Appreciate your POV. I’ve seen your other posts on this topic, and the story on how you pulled the 3.3s off your wife’s rig. Must have been annoying.

You can understand why I have to take at least some implicit bias into account with your feedback though, due to the fact that you rep competitive brands. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, and you very well could be correct in your assertions, which is something I intend to get to the bottom of. But you can understand why I would have at least an iota if skepticism when it comes to your take, as I would anyone affiliated with/representing a product or service in an online forum.

With that said, I’m going to add Metalcloak to my consideration list and give them a hard look. So for that, I thank you!
 

Cthehentz

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Interesting. A bit firmer than stock would be a great place to land... that seems to contradict most people’s account, who report a significantly firmer ride, even on the softest setting.

Is it common for these shocks to “settle in” after a good day of wheeling, or is it possible you just got a bit used to the road manners after feeling it off-road?
Nope, it has definitely gotten softer over time and I have made a few small adjustments to stiffen the front end. As you go through the mind numbing process trying to narrow down the kit or kits you may consider paying attention to shock recommendations or shocks tuned for that particular kit. On that note if you really want to burn some brain cells start reading up on shocks and all different types and uses, that alone will tax your center lobe...
 

rustyshakelford

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Thanks Brett. Appreciate your POV. I’ve seen your other posts on this topic, and the story on how you pulled the 3.3s off your wife’s rig. Must have been annoying.

You can understand why I have to take at least some implicit bias into account with your feedback though, due to the fact that you rep competitive brands. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, and you very well could be correct in your assertions, which is something I intend to get to the bottom of. But you can understand why I would have at least an iota if skepticism when it comes to your take, as I would anyone affiliated with/representing a product or service in an online forum.

With that said, I’m going to add Metalcloak to my consideration list and give them a hard look. So for that, I thank you!
We didn’t have them on our jeeps. I refuse to install them. However, ive been around them plenty. My issue is and has always been they quality of ride vs the price point coupled with the lack of customer service. I don’t have a dog in the hunt and if you go metalcloak for example it benefits me zero. At the price point, I would suggest MC either, as there is other products that would fit the bill better. My reason to share my stance is to hopefully save you money and a bad ride. When they released these I was hopeful they would be as good at the JKs were. They weren’t and were not valved well. They rode very harsh. Harsh and firm aren’t mutually exclusive either. There was an outcry from the industry so they told folks to send them in and have them revalved for a 2dr. That wasn’t as appreciated as they expected and so they came up with the SP2. Even on the softest setting they leave a lot to be desired.

If I was local to you and trying to make the sale on a product I carried I would totally understand your skepticism. However, I’m half a country away and just want to share to as many people what the negative to these are. They (teraflex) are terrific at media hype, videos and advertising. These are by far some of the “coolest” looking shocks out there. That said, the performance just isn’t there. This sounds bad on my part but a large portion of folks that run these haven’t ridden in a Jeep with high end correctly valved jeeps or want to convince themselves they ride good because of the cost incurred. If you’re set on them be sure to pair them with teraflex springs and then just add all the pieces they don’t include. That’ll be your best bet for a decent ride.

while I’m on my soap box, they get guys to spend 2500+ with the majority of the money being the shocks then a terribly incomplete lift

im just passionate about this stuff and hate jeepers being sold expensive lifts that aren’t complete and you being unsatisfied.

I do like the teraflex alpha tire carrier though. I can install any lift, I just choose to work with MC and RK because of the quality of the product and company.

brett
 

SmoothJeepOperator

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We didn’t have them on our jeeps. I refuse to install them. However, ive been around them plenty. My issue is and has always been they quality of ride vs the price point coupled with the lack of customer service. I don’t have a dog in the hunt and if you go metalcloak for example it benefits me zero. At the price point, I would suggest MC either, as there is other products that would fit the bill better. My reason to share my stance is to hopefully save you money and a bad ride. When they released these I was hopeful they would be as good at the JKs were. They weren’t and were not valved well. They rode very harsh. Harsh and firm aren’t mutually exclusive either. There was an outcry from the industry so they told folks to send them in and have them revalved for a 2dr. That wasn’t as appreciated as they expected and so they came up with the SP2. Even on the softest setting they leave a lot to be desired.

If I was local to you and trying to make the sale on a product I carried I would totally understand your skepticism. However, I’m half a country away and just want to share to as many people what the negative to these are. They (teraflex) are terrific at media hype, videos and advertising. These are by far some of the “coolest” looking shocks out there. That said, the performance just isn’t there. This sounds bad on my part but a large portion of folks that run these haven’t ridden in a Jeep with high end correctly valved jeeps or want to convince themselves they ride good because of the cost incurred. If you’re set on them be sure to pair them with teraflex springs and then just add all the pieces they don’t include. That’ll be your best bet for a decent ride.

while I’m on my soap box, they get guys to spend 2500+ with the majority of the money being the shocks then a terribly incomplete lift

im just passionate about this stuff and hate jeepers being sold expensive lifts that aren’t complete and you being unsatisfied.

I do like the teraflex alpha tire carrier though. I can install any lift, I just choose to work with MC and RK because of the quality of the product and company.

brett
MC suggest a different shaft replacement for the 2.5 inch lift. Is that really necessary? That takes the expense to another level even with the less expensive shocks. While I understand quality for performance I most likely won't be rock crawling at all. I do however want to have stuff that isn't going to mess up my ride. I don't mind buying arms in peices from a different company than the company I get the lift from to help keep expense down and slow me to put together over time.
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