Hudson
Well-Known Member
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- #1
While there is a nice long thread about the Synergy Starter kit, I hadn’t seen one about their Stage 1 kit, which lifts a Rubicon a true 2”and adds a track bar, lower control arms, rear track bar relocation bracket, and leaves out the shock and sway bar link brackets that the starter system requires. You also have to add a set of shocks with the stage 1 (you can use OEM shocks with the starter kit) and so I chose Fox IFP for cost/performance ratio.
I added a rear adj track bar, and front sway bar links. Lots of folks recommended swapping the Synergy rear track bar relocation bracket for their rear Adj track bar, which is only $20 more. I saw a thread where Synergy recommended both as the rear bracket helps firm the rear when going over rutted washboard trails. The front sway bar links weren’t required as the kit reuses the rears to replace the fronts, but they weren’t spendy and they have the benefit of allowing manual disconnect in case the electronic disconnect stops working on the trail., so I added those too.
i had earlier installed the sector shaft brace which greatly helped cure the steering slop. I added their HD steering kit and a Fox IFP 2.0 stabilizer plus the stabilizer relocation Kit.
The full setup was spendy but a 15% off deal plus no tax or shipping greatly softened the impact. I installed the sector shaft bracket and front and rear track bars plus the rear track track bar relocation bracket myself. While not hard, it was time consuming since I hadn’t done this before, and I wasn’t looking forward to trying to install the steering kit or getting the JL up high enough to replace the coils, so I opted to pay a local shop to finish the job and also do a full alignment. Happy to write that check.
The stage 1 components are really beefy, heavier than the Mopar OEM pieces, and of very high quality. Instructions were super clear plus a few YouTube videos made it less troublesome. Synergy uses SAE bolts while the Mopar stuff is metric so it helps to have a full socket kit (Tekton to the rescue).
The lift height is both noticeable and subtle. You clearly feel the height but the stance doesn’t look as tall as the other lifts that are closer to 2.5 to 3”. My goal was daily driver meets weekend trails, not hardcore rock crawler and hopefully not so tall I couldn’t fit into my garage or parking garages. I also didn’t want to have to upgrade the driveshaft and I was hoping to stay with 35” tires.
The stock Rubicon had squishy coils and with a winch, sliders, and heavier add ins, it would hit its bump stops Much too easily with any cargo or passengers in the JL. I was always worried about the steering slop and shocks too.
I eyed Metal Cloak and Rock Krawler but both were a tad taller than I wanted to lift the JL. I also looked at but dismissed many other brands, like Rancho, AEV, and others because the quality and value of the MC, RK, and Synergy kits were clearly evident. I really liked Synergy‘s other pieces I knew I wanted like the sector shaft brace and steering kit, and it made sense to stay in the family as everything was likely to work together and fit. Plus, I liked the long term cost of replacement bushings and the fact that most parts didn’t require frequent maintenance.
The fact that the color matched my Sting Grey much closer played no role in the decision....
Picked it up and so far, so good. I need to test out some familiar trails and load up the JL like I prefer, but it rides on the road with a firm yet comfortable feedback, and feels significantly more planted. Driving in the highways is a breeze now, little to no wandering on most roads, and easy to one-hand steer. Very happy so far, and with 35’s the stance feels perfect.
Here’s a before, after, and detail shots.
I added a rear adj track bar, and front sway bar links. Lots of folks recommended swapping the Synergy rear track bar relocation bracket for their rear Adj track bar, which is only $20 more. I saw a thread where Synergy recommended both as the rear bracket helps firm the rear when going over rutted washboard trails. The front sway bar links weren’t required as the kit reuses the rears to replace the fronts, but they weren’t spendy and they have the benefit of allowing manual disconnect in case the electronic disconnect stops working on the trail., so I added those too.
i had earlier installed the sector shaft brace which greatly helped cure the steering slop. I added their HD steering kit and a Fox IFP 2.0 stabilizer plus the stabilizer relocation Kit.
The full setup was spendy but a 15% off deal plus no tax or shipping greatly softened the impact. I installed the sector shaft bracket and front and rear track bars plus the rear track track bar relocation bracket myself. While not hard, it was time consuming since I hadn’t done this before, and I wasn’t looking forward to trying to install the steering kit or getting the JL up high enough to replace the coils, so I opted to pay a local shop to finish the job and also do a full alignment. Happy to write that check.
The stage 1 components are really beefy, heavier than the Mopar OEM pieces, and of very high quality. Instructions were super clear plus a few YouTube videos made it less troublesome. Synergy uses SAE bolts while the Mopar stuff is metric so it helps to have a full socket kit (Tekton to the rescue).
The lift height is both noticeable and subtle. You clearly feel the height but the stance doesn’t look as tall as the other lifts that are closer to 2.5 to 3”. My goal was daily driver meets weekend trails, not hardcore rock crawler and hopefully not so tall I couldn’t fit into my garage or parking garages. I also didn’t want to have to upgrade the driveshaft and I was hoping to stay with 35” tires.
The stock Rubicon had squishy coils and with a winch, sliders, and heavier add ins, it would hit its bump stops Much too easily with any cargo or passengers in the JL. I was always worried about the steering slop and shocks too.
I eyed Metal Cloak and Rock Krawler but both were a tad taller than I wanted to lift the JL. I also looked at but dismissed many other brands, like Rancho, AEV, and others because the quality and value of the MC, RK, and Synergy kits were clearly evident. I really liked Synergy‘s other pieces I knew I wanted like the sector shaft brace and steering kit, and it made sense to stay in the family as everything was likely to work together and fit. Plus, I liked the long term cost of replacement bushings and the fact that most parts didn’t require frequent maintenance.
The fact that the color matched my Sting Grey much closer played no role in the decision....
Picked it up and so far, so good. I need to test out some familiar trails and load up the JL like I prefer, but it rides on the road with a firm yet comfortable feedback, and feels significantly more planted. Driving in the highways is a breeze now, little to no wandering on most roads, and easy to one-hand steer. Very happy so far, and with 35’s the stance feels perfect.
Here’s a before, after, and detail shots.
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