zj coil install

[konastinky1234]

so i just got my zj coils and am going to install them soon. i know how to get the springs in and functional, but i don't know a thing about bumpstops or if they are going to change because of different springs. i heard they might need to change. can someone please educate me?

[bucketokarma]

You are just doing front ZJ coils? Are they from the V8? If not, you should have just got XJ front coils. If they are from the V8, do you have some sort of lift in the rear? Because V8 ZJ coils should net around 3" of lift, making your jeep look ridiculous, and giving you all kinds of poor angles, making your jeep a little less drivable.

I don't know what you have, or your plans, but just from your initial post, bump-stops are a minor concern at this point.

:Edit:
After reading a few other post from you, trying to figure out what you have and what you plan on doing.

My suggestion is to talk to The Twins, Myself, Arundlemcbrundle, Owen, and a few others that have spent some time trying to figure out the bes way to "frankenlift" their TJs on the cheap. I had the same set-up on mine for a while, and I'm not talking out of my ass when I make a suggestion since I have made more than one mistake in the "budget build" of my dinky 2.5L. Things have been coming together and I did an assload of research (and i'm still learning), on how to make my jeep a rugged and functional as I can given my budget and options.

[konastinky1234]

ya i was told on here to get ZJ v8 coils specifically just for the front end application. i have a winch that weighed the front end down so that might take off a little lift but did i get the wrong thing for what i want here? what could i then use for a rear coil to offset it now once i put the fronts in?

[bucketokarma]

do you have shocks that can handle more lift? take a quick look at my build thread "The Karma Bucket" to see the progress and one or two of the "documented" mistakes I have made first.

I started off with a spacer lift and skyjacker shocks for 2" of lift (I think I might still have the shocks, I'll ask Nica). My front end was pretty saggy, so I went with XJ fronts on top of my spacers, that leveled it out till I added weight to the rear, so I removed the rear spacers and put in crown-vic rear springs, but then the headaches started. I didn't realize all the angles I was messing up so I had to get more parts to correct those..... anyhow, read it, ask after. In the meantime, I'll look for some of the references and guides I used so I didn't end up making a whole bunch of mistakes the first time around.

[1cleantj]

you want cheap ? do a highline.
die grinder, drill, tape, door guards for sharp edges, hood pins (optional) some bolts . remount battery and some underhood components, and the REALization you are cutting up your stock hood and rebending the fenders. Additional 3" or so tire clearance and under $30

I have a 4" lift right now + the highline. If i had to do it all over again I would do Highline, tube fenders, replace CA's with adj DOM (stock CA'S are weak_. flat skid, 1" BL. I can seriously probably fit 38's if I cut my rear fenderwell more. 36's look like 33's on my jeep with the 4" lift + highline

plenty of room with 36's (no flex shot)


plenty of room with 35's. flexed

way to much room with 33's

[bucketokarma]

ehL Oh ehL

I should have known.

[1cleantj]

ehL Oh ehL

I should have known.

come on, go highlined with me, you know you want too

[konastinky1234]

not to rag, but i never have really liked the look of the highline hood.... although it is very cheap. maybe i will look into it in the future. first i need to read this dudes' install guides and see what i can do with what i already bought.

[konastinky1234]

http://s868.photobucket.com/albums/a...60122_3076.jpg

by the way, i am just trying to correct my extreme front end sag from my winch. here is a good photo of the saggage^

[bucketokarma]

Okay.... I'm going to bed now, but there are a few different ways you can go about your lift. Since you already have the ZJ coils, keep them, they should net you just under 3" even with the winch since you don't have the heavier 4.0. Crown vic rear springs will net you around the same amount of lift to the rear and aren't as unstable as putting your stock fronts in the back.

Unfortunately, there is much more to a lift over 2" than just shocks and springs. 2" BB kits sell alot because they are cheap and easy, and for now, might be all you need till you get all the parts together to get what you want done.

You have to consider not only bumpstops, but track bars, pinion angles (t-case drop or SYE), and shocks. I don't know if you have swaybar disco, but that too for the mad fecks... If you feel like I'm talking down to you, that is not my intention. I just don't know exactly what you have, what you know you need, and where you plan on going with it.... most 2" BB come with the bumpstops, spacers, and shocks (if I still have mine and you want to go up 2" from stock, let me know, when I get home I'll be more than willing to help.)

[Arundlemcbrundle]

i think your gonna be a lil high in the front when u put the zj springs in. you can buy 2" coil spacers for the back for 37 bucks(after shipping) on ebay. your gonna want longer shocks front and rear tho. websites say the stock shocks will work but mine weren't even close to working. trackbar work shouldn't be needed at that height. it will be a little off but nothing major. stock swaybars will work but again a little off. if you ever invest in quick disco's move your stock front sway bars to the back. i have extremely slight vibes at 15mph. eventually i'm gonna drop the tcase a touch with a couple washers in b/t the crossmember.

as for bumpstops i haven't gotten into it yet as i just finished a week ago. but the plan is to flex it as high as i want it to go. park it like that and measure the distance from the bumpstop cup to the bottom spring perch. then gorilla glue some hockey pucks together to that height and throw em in

[konastinky1234]

i don't feel talked down to at all, i'm just trying to learn as much as i can about all this stuff and you guys are giving great info. i think tomorrow i am going to try putting in the front coils, see what happens so i can visualize what i need. but i will look for swaybar function, overall levelness off the truck, how much net lift i get in the front which i will measure, and drive around the block to see how the shocks function if they do or not. after i do this i am planning on pulling them out in order to get the other parts etc that i will need to complete the frankenlift. will update asap. any suggestions welcomed please.

[bucketokarma]

T-case drop if you do the rear. Like I said, 2" won't do much to affect the stock geometry, but going over that will most likely throw things out-of-whack.
Your axles will kick out to the side some, front will kick out toward the driverside, and the rear will kick out to the passenger side (barely noticeable at 1", extremely noticeable at 4"), hence the trackbars.
Swaybar discos even in stock form will instantly make your jeep more off road capable, and is the only way you are going to get decent flex. You can home brew some by grabbing a couple bolts and pins at tractor supply (my first set of discos).
Bumpstops to keep new tire from rubbing with the inside of the fender, and keep new shock from bottoming out in uptravel.
Appropriate shocks for the lift you are putting in, so that on level ground your shocks aren't extended and provide no room for down travel, same with getting shocks too long, if they only have an inch of uptravel left, a large pothole might destroy the shocks and/or the mounting positions. While sitting on level ground, the shock should be close to the middle of travel for a smaller lift.

Anytime you adjust the height of your jeep, make sure you realign the steering.


T-case drop stops the vibes, but robs you of ground clearance. An SYE and CV driveshaft will solve the problem, but is not anywhere NEAR as cheap.