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Diesel Lift Kit?

dieseljlu

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Great, thank you!
Talked to my group and they used a Metalcloak 2.5" Lift but called Metalcloak and received a higher rated spring with a different part number-- they are looking for the part number but it was not the usual 2.5" lift kit. Definitely call Metalcloak and let them know its a Diesel before ordering.
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Themistocles

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Talked to my group and they used a Metalcloak 2.5" Lift but called Metalcloak and received a higher rated spring with a different part number-- they are looking for the part number but it was not the usual 2.5" lift kit. Definitely call Metalcloak and let them know its a Diesel before ordering.
Thank you. That is extremely interesting. I have both called and emailed MC multiple times now. They have clearly and repeatedly told me they have no diesel spring, and that they do not have a spring with a higher rate than the Rubicon 3.6 spring. Though they would not provide me the actual spring rate for that one, from previous posts / information it seems it has a rate around 135.

Not sure what the difference in answers means...but it does make me a bit uncomfortable.
 

dieseljlu

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Thank you. That is extremely interesting. I have both called and emailed MC multiple times now. They have clearly and repeatedly told me they have no diesel spring, and that they do not have a spring with a higher rate than the Rubicon 3.6 spring. Though they would not provide me the actual spring rate for that one, from previous posts / information it seems it has a rate around 135.

Not sure what the difference in answers means...but it does make me a bit uncomfortable.
You and me both... let me see if I can find the actual part # and send that your way.
 

rickinAZ

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This Metalcloak solution seems slapdash to me. "I know we have some stiffer springs around here somewhere. Oh, here they are. Try these and see what you think". Maybe it's fine and we're just seeing the sausage-making first hand, and everyone designs their lift kits like that, but here we're seeing it played out before our eyes. I guess if the solution works...
 

BearcatMLA

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This thread has me wondering... I have a local shop who has been in business for a long time; however, my Jeep is the first diesel they've seen. They are recommending a 4" Superlift with King shocks. They never said anything about a special setup or kit due to it being a diesel.
 

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Matsonian

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Hello! Just to clarify, we do not have a diesel specific coil set at this time. We have had several shops and several customers independently order the 3.5" Game Changer and install it on a diesel with - reportedly - good results. :like:

So far, from what we have seen, if you put the Game-Changer on a Diesel, all other things being equal, you will see about a 1/2" of additional compression in the front.

If a shop or a customer received a custom coil set, they may have discussed the usage of the rig with one of my guys. In some cases, we may change out the rear coil to a 3.5" instead of a 2.5" (for instance) if the customer is running a heavier load (for overlanding, etc). But this is for all rigs... JL or JK... and is not diesel specific.

As an additional note, you cannot use stock wheels without spacers with our kit. Our stock wheel option for the rear sway bar links which consists of shorter links with a drop bracket for the sway bar itself, will not work with the DEF tank.
 

Themistocles

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Matson,

Thank you for the reply and information. You can see from the previous posts that us JLURD folks are trying to work though the options we have available and figure out what will work best...and do that with relatively little information.

From the phone calls/emails I exchanged with your folks it appears MC has no plans to develop diesel specific springs. Because the 3.6 springs are, in their perspective, adequate. Is this an accurate representation of MC policy/plans?

If it is it would sure be helpful to have access to some of the data you used to reach that conclusion. Anecdotal evidence is interesting and may point in a specific direction, but it sure doesn't provide for clear, repeatable, testable findings.

A few posts ago in this thread i walked through some of my rough findings and estimates. For example a planned trail weight of a JLURD (with relatively standard loadout) of 5500 to 5700 lbs. Is this the kind of load your 3.6 springs are designed for? And where in the progressive compression range would they sit, as compared to where they would sit for a 2.0 or a 3.6? What impact will the additional compression have on ride, wheel travel, ability to handle emergency maneuvers or unexpected impacts, especially as opposed to a higher rate spring designed for the vehicle....etc etc?

I know that is a lot of questions, but for most of us a $3-5k investment in a suspension is not just something we can shrug off if we get it wrong. At least it isnt for me. One of the reasons that many go with a few trusted companies (such as MC) is faith that you have already worked through all those questions...and probably a 100 others that we are not expert enough to ask.

When it begins to look like the answers are being winged, that faith is undermined. For suspension, MC was my first choice by a good margin....but as i started to get answers that just didn't add up I had to reassess that.
 
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TomahawkChop

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Matson,

Thank you for the reply and information. You can see from the previous posts that us JLURD folks are trying to work though the options we have available and figure out what will work best...and do that with reletively little information.

From the phone calls/emails I exchanged with your folks it appears MC has no plans to develop diesel specific springs. Because the 3.6 springs are, in there perspective, adequate. Is this an accurate representation of MC policy/plans?

If it is it would sure be helpful to have access to some of the data you used to reach that conclusion. Anecdotal evidence is interesting and may point in a specific direction, but it sure doesnt provide for clear, repeatable, testable findings.

A few posts ago in this thread i walked through some of my rough findings and estimates. For example a planned trail weight of a JLURD (with relatively standard loadout) of 5500 to 5700 lbs. Is this the kind of load your 3.6 springs are designed for? And where in the progressive compression range would they sit, as compared to where they would.sit for a 2.0 or a 3.6? What impact will the addition compression have on ride, wheel travel, ability to handle emergency maneuvers or unexpected impacts, especially as opposed to a higher rate spring designed for the vehicle....etc etc?

I know that is a lot of questions, but for most of us a $3-5k investment in a suspension is not just something we can shrug off if we get it wrong. At least it isnt for me. One of the reasons that many go with a few trusted companies (such as MC) is faith that you have already worked through all those questions...and probably a 100 others that we are not expert enough to ask.

When it begins to look like the answers are being winged, that faith is undermined. For suspension, MC was my first choice by a good margin....but as i started to get answers that just didnt add up I had to reasses that.
I 100% agree with this. I have been a big fan of MC and have been planning out a build for months now knowing that I'd be ordering a 2021 JLUR. However, at the last minute I said screw it and opted for the 3.0L Eco-Diesel instead of the 3.6L Pentastar. That has thrown a huge wrench into my plans since the Diesel is almost completely different, but I knew I'd regret not having that extra fun torque and I'd feel better at the pumps 4-6 times month and only a little bad once a month when I make the payment lol. I have heard so many great things about MC from this forum, FB pages and groups, YouTube, and local shops. That their R&D, quality, and customer service is the highest in the industry. This type of response is just simply something I would NOT have expected to hear from MC. I want a HIGH QUALITY suspension that's going to perform and flex on the trails, but is also going to ride smooth on the highway. To sit here and say that the 3.6L's coil springs are good enough to handle the extra 400+ lbs that the diesel has, not to mention the added weight of armor, skids, bumpers, gear, and everything else just doesn't sit right with me. Then to say oh just throw on the coil springs from the next higher lift kit sounds like a lazy, cheap, and half-assed answer to the problem. I want a suspension system that was engineered for my Jeep's extra weight. This has left a really bad taste in my mouth for MC. I'll likely be going with another company's lift kit, such as RK, Rusty's, or Evo. Was really hoping MC would've been all over this and getting it done so I could pull the trigger this Fall, but SMH.... disappointing to say the least.
 

crazyjas

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I 100% agree with this. I have been a big fan of MC and have been planning out a build for months now knowing that I'd be ordering a 2021 JLUR. However, at the last minute I said screw it and opted for the 3.0L Eco-Diesel instead of the 3.6L Pentastar. That has thrown a huge wrench into my plans since the Diesel is almost completely different, but I knew I'd regret not having that extra fun torque and I'd feel better at the pumps 4-6 times month and only a little bad once a month when I make the payment lol. I have heard so many great things about MC from this forum, FB pages and groups, YouTube, and local shops. That their R&D, quality, and customer service is the highest in the industry. This type of response is just simply something I would NOT have expected to hear from MC. I want a HIGH QUALITY suspension that's going to perform and flex on the trails, but is also going to ride smooth on the highway. To sit here and say that the 3.6L's coil springs are good enough to handle the extra 400+ lbs that the diesel has, not to mention the added weight of armor, skids, bumpers, gear, and everything else just doesn't sit right with me. Then to say oh just throw on the coil springs from the next higher lift kit sounds like a lazy, cheap, and half-assed answer to the problem. I want a suspension system that was engineered for my Jeep's extra weight. This has left a really bad taste in my mouth for MC. I'll likely be going with another company's lift kit, such as RK, Rusty's, or Evo. Was really hoping MC would've been all over this and getting it done so I could pull the trigger this Fall, but SMH.... disappointing to say the least.
EXACTLY, what happens when you add the AEV rear bumper/tire carrier swing gate with fuel @ 200+ lbs I. the rear?
 

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Well... Superlift doesn’t recommend using their kit designed for the 3.6L so I’m back to the drawing board.

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BearcatMLA

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Looks like Skyjacker has kits available. Is anyone familiar with the Skyjacker lift quality? I’m planning to use King shocks.

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Themistocles

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Brandon,

So as with most things...it depends. It really depends on what you want to use your jeep for. In my opinion (recognizing everyone has one...) Skyjacker is not one of the suspensions you usually see on serious off road builds. Metal Cloak, Rock Krawler, Evo, and maybe Accutune, Rusty's, and Terraflex seem to be the suspensions that folks will go for if they are building something for real off-road work ( I am sure I am missing some good ones.) Then of course you have the folks that are going to do full long-arm coil overs like Roam or Icon and put $10K or more just into a suspension system in order to do a truly world-class build. If you are looking for a little altitude and plan mostly street and some light trail stuff Skyjacker I am sure would treat you just fine. If you are planning on more intense trail / off road...my recommendation would be to spend the money and put on a slightly more capable suspension. But again...just my opinion...and everyone has got one.
 

Compression-Ignition

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Looks like Skyjacker has kits available. Is anyone familiar with the Skyjacker lift quality? I’m planning to use King shocks.
If this is what fits your budget, and you can install it yourself, I see no reason not to give it a shot. Worse case you spend more on a better kit later knowing a little more about your Jeep and how you'd like it setup. Should be able to get around half what you paid for it pretty easy.

If you're paying someone to do it, I'd recommend something a little closer to tried and true. Realizing that no we don't have a long term tested kit for the diesels yet.
 

NW_Jeep

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This why I went with a Teraflex coil spacer kit until someone builds something. Honesty it rides like stock and is pretty dang good on all terrains including rock crawling...but still waiting on Metalcloak to come out with diesel specific springs
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