Rock Krawler 2.5?

[Rock Krawler Suspension]

FWIW I am installing the RK X Factor 2.5 stage 1 kit with the RK shocks right now. I am doing it without a lift and around my work schedule so it's not a one day deal for me, front end is done and I should be finished in a day or two. I will post here how I think the RK shocks ride. I live on a pretty nasty road myself.

Sounds good!

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[RW Sting Gray]

Mounted on outside:

Mounted on inside as wr did to clear tire on stock wheels:

I ended up taking off these RK links and am getting some lower profile stock rear links. My stability sensors are not liking it. [/QUOTE]

@Rock Krawler Suspension So is leaving the rear links on the "inside" not necessarily recommended? I am trying to research this and cant wrap my head around it. I too would like to run the stock 33 Rubi tires and Rubi wheels for now. I have a sport S. I'm on the fence over a spacer lift or a 2.5" coil lift. One of the issues keeping me from a coil lift is the flipping of the rear links. I dont want to buy wheel spacers. I'm not against running them, I had them on my previous JK, I just dont want to buy more components lol. If I keep the rear links on the inside, will this cause an issue later down the road, literally and figuratively!? Or will it do anything to the suspension that isnt't right?
To educate me a little more, why do kits flip the links to the outside? Does doing so create the sway bar to change somehow for the added lift?
thanks for any feedback!

 

[Rock Krawler Suspension]

Mounted on outside:

Mounted on inside as wr did to clear tire on stock wheels:

I ended up taking off these RK links and am getting some lower profile stock rear links. My stability sensors are not liking it.

@Rock Krawler Suspension So is leaving the rear links on the "inside" not necessarily recommended? I am trying to research this and cant wrap my head around it. I too would like to run the stock 33 Rubi tires and Rubi wheels for now. I have a sport S. I'm on the fence over a spacer lift or a 2.5" coil lift. One of the issues keeping me from a coil lift is the flipping of the rear links. I dont want to buy wheel spacers. I'm not against running them, I had them on my previous JK, I just dont want to buy more components lol. If I keep the rear links on the inside, will this cause an issue later down the road, literally and figuratively!? Or will it do anything to the suspension that isnt't right?
To educate me a little more, why do kits flip the links to the outside? Does doing so create the sway bar to change somehow for the added lift?
thanks for any feedback!

Flipping them outboard alleviates the clearance issue between the link and the top of the control arm mount on the axle under compression. We run a larger diameter center section than stock which creates a tolerance issue in that location, which is compounded by the greater amount of suspension travel. You can see the clearance issue in the 2nd picture you posted.

Edited for format

 

[JimLee]

That would be great! What wheels and tires are you going to be running?

That is where things are going to be a little subjective with me giving you feedback, I am running 35X12.5 ATZ P3's on 17 inch Fuel wheels. So, my ride is always going to be a bit different than yours will be. What I can give you is my opinion of how the RRD 2.25 shocks ride in comparison to the stock set up, you will have to consider from there that the differences in wheels and tires will almost certainly be a bit stiffer with your 20" wheels and E load rated tires (mine are D). I'll post up my impressions as soon as I get it back on the road and let you go from there with that stuff in mind. In a perfect world you could find someone running the exact same tire/wheel combo that you are with different shocks, but that may prove difficult to find.

 

[JimLee]

Just discovered a little trick for future installers. Take the upper bolt and nut from the rear sway bar links you are going to replace ( depending on your kit I think), and use them to replace the ridiculously long factory front lower shock mount bolts. Great fit, no control arm interference and no cutting off bolts. Win, win, win..

 

[Rock Krawler Suspension]

Just discovered a little trick for future installers. Take the upper bolt and nut from the rear sway bar links you are going to replace ( depending on your kit I think), and use them to replace the ridiculously long factory front lower shock mount bolts. Great fit, no control arm interference and no cutting off bolts. Win, win, win..

That will be in the next copy of instructions once the publishers do the next round. We found that a while back and works beautifully!

 

[RW Sting Gray]

Flipping them outboard alleviates the clearance issue between the link and the top of the control arm mount on the axle under compression. We run a larger diameter center section than stock which creates a tolerance issue in that location, which is compounded by the greater amount of suspension travel. You can see the clearance issue in the 2nd picture you posted.

Edited for format

Well I decided to take a look at the stock suspension back there and turns out the sway bar links are already on the outside. I was pretty sure on the JKs for the lift kit I had, the new longer links were mounted outboard and the stock links were in the inside. Its was like 4 years ago when I installed that lift on the JK so I could be wrong?
Either way, are the links to be installed outboard now, just replacing the stock ones? Because they will be longer, that is the need for wheel spacers or new wheels, correct?

 

[JimLee]

Well, Iv'e got my Jeep back on the road with the RK 2.5 X-Factor lift and RRD 2.25 shocks back on the road, have only had time to drive it to work a few times and on a couple of short dirt tracks by my house. I have it in the shop right now for alignment, should get it back today. Initial impression is that i'm going to be very happy with this lift and shock combo! Ride stiffened up about 5-10% over stock, but not in a harsh way (and some of this can also be attributed to going to a 35" D-load range tire), I just feel more in tune with the ground so to speak. When I hit cracks or potholes in the asphalt I can feel it but it's not annoying or jolting. I feel road imperfections in the pedals, they do not bounce me around in the seat, which is perfect for me. I honestly thought the factory ride, although nice, was a little too plush for a 4X4 IMO. The dirt tracks I bombed down were in terrible shape, lots of rain this spring and people out mudding and getting stuck have crated huge holes and ruts on these tracks, I hit them pretty hard and fast, there was a couple of times I was puckering up thinking this is gonna hurt but man the Jeep just floated right through the rough stuff, even my buddy was amazed at the offroad ride. Now keep in mind my swaybars were still connected, my tires were over inflated and my alignment was only redneck garage rough dial in. I am truly floored by how well it did on these nasty dirt and gravel roads. Those are my limited initial impressions. I will get it back out this weekend after the alignment and put it through a shakedown run and post up results here again, maybe even some pics, I will also try out low and high speed runs on a few of our famous "washboard hell" gravel roads. @Rock Krawler Suspension my hats off to you guys, so far I am more than impressed with this kit. More to come...

 

[Rock Krawler Suspension]

Well I decided to take a look at the stock suspension back there and turns out the sway bar links are already on the outside. I was pretty sure on the JKs for the lift kit I had, the new longer links were mounted outboard and the stock links were in the inside. Its was like 4 years ago when I installed that lift on the JK so I could be wrong?
Either way, are the links to be installed outboard now, just replacing the stock ones? Because they will be longer, that is the need for wheel spacers or new wheels, correct?

The sway bar links are one piece of the backspace requirement, others include the rear upper arms and the front lowers.

 

[Rock Krawler Suspension]

Well, Iv'e got my Jeep back on the road with the RK 2.5 X-Factor lift and RRD 2.25 shocks back on the road, have only had time to drive it to work a few times and on a couple of short dirt tracks by my house. I have it in the shop right now for alignment, should get it back today. Initial impression is that i'm going to be very happy with this lift and shock combo! Ride stiffened up about 5-10% over stock, but not in a harsh way (and some of this can also be attributed to going to a 35" D-load range tire), I just feel more in tune with the ground so to speak. When I hit cracks or potholes in the asphalt I can feel it but it's not annoying or jolting. I feel road imperfections in the pedals, they do not bounce me around in the seat, which is perfect for me. I honestly thought the factory ride, although nice, was a little too plush for a 4X4 IMO. The dirt tracks I bombed down were in terrible shape, lots of rain this spring and people out mudding and getting stuck have crated huge holes and ruts on these tracks, I hit them pretty hard and fast, there was a couple of times I was puckering up thinking this is gonna hurt but man the Jeep just floated right through the rough stuff, even my buddy was amazed at the offroad ride. Now keep in mind my swaybars were still connected, my tires were over inflated and my alignment was only redneck garage rough dial in. I am truly floored by how well it did on these nasty dirt and gravel roads. Those are my limited initial impressions. I will get it back out this weekend after the alignment and put it through a shakedown run and post up results here again, maybe even some pics, I will also try out low and high speed runs on a few of our famous "washboard hell" gravel roads. @Rock Krawler Suspension my hats off to you guys, so far I am more than impressed with this kit. More to come...

KICK ASS!!! Glad you're liking it for sure! Give us a follow up in a month or two.

 

[butcho]

So I have the Rock Krawler 2.5” X-Factor Stage-1 kit on my Sport. All I have to do to run 37”s is swap out my sport fender flares for the rubicon fender flares?

 

[JimLee]

So I have the Rock Krawler 2.5” X-Factor Stage-1 kit on my Sport. All I have to do to run 37”s is swap out my sport fender flares for the rubicon fender flares?

I had a tiny bit of rubbing at full turn with 35x12.5s before I removed those plastic pieces that go in between the bumper and fender, or I could have trimmed them a little on the bottom, I took them out. I believe you would have to do the same with 37s, and you also will need the proper wheel backspacing that RK calls for which you probably already have. I could have also tried moving the axle back a tiny bit but my caster is perfect now and I'm not touching those control arms again unless I absolutely have to.

 

[Rock Krawler Suspension]

So I have the Rock Krawler 2.5” X-Factor Stage-1 kit on my Sport. All I have to do to run 37”s is swap out my sport fender flares for the rubicon fender flares?

As @JimLee pointed out, minor trimming is typically needed, particularly where the flaps on the rear shock bolts come very close to the tire.

You'll also need to consider wheel fitment as the sport and sahara axles are 2" overall narrower than a Rubi, you'll NEED 3.5" of real back space or less to clear whereas a rubi can get away with 4.5" on 37's.

 

[WhiteGold]

Matt, based off the dimensions you sent last night, I took a trip to a dealership to this morning to measure a bone stock Rubi. As stated in our emails this morning, the 2019 4 door Rubicon I measured on the dealer lot showed 5.5" from axle tube to bottom of frame, you are measuring 8" on your Jeep in the same location. That is as close to 2.5" of nominal lift height as I can possibly imagine which is exactly what the engineering team here worked for on the JL. Please note: the image you provided is the first image (on top) and my measurement is the second image (on the bottom). Just for clarity and reference. Adam

I have the 2.5" Stock mod kit on my 2018 JLUR and based on this method of measurement I am at 7".. giving me 1 1/2" of lift?

View attachment 179184

 

[Rock Krawler Suspension]

I have the 2.5" Stock mod kit on my 2018 JLUR and based on this method of measurement I am at 7".. giving me 1 1/2" of lift?

Are you measuring off of the axle tube itself or the spring pad? If you're measuring off of the spring pad, that number sounds about right.

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