|
Now it is
time for the test drive. Note I did not install a slip-yoke eliminator
yet. That will be installed in a few weeks. (Jeep is not a daily driver)
There were a ton of vibrations from the rear, due to a severe rear driveshaft
angle, and a squealing noise presented itself, as well. Suspecting a worn
u-joint, we drove back and checked. Sure enough, a bad u-joint and the
lift brought it to the point that it needed changing. After putting a
new joint in, we ventured off again. This time, there was considerably
less vibration and no squealing. We wanted to test the flex, so we went
to a local dirt road that had a small bank on the one side to give it
a test. First impressions were good. Both front and rear seemed to have
some good drop and compression to them. The real test, though will be
to put it on the ramp.
 |
|
The
newly lifted YJ successfully passes the "flex-on-edge-of-road"
test.
|
|
 |
|
The
suspension felt soft, and sure-footed on varied terrain. A
characteristic that is not common to substantially arched
leaf-springs.
|
|
 |
|
Scott
takes the "after" measurements all around the perimeter
of the YJ.
|
|
 |
|
With
a driveshaft angle like that, you'll be charging folks admission
for a new-fangled mobile vibrating massage.
|
|
The 23-degree
articulation ramp - although not a true indication of potential offroad
prowess, it does provide us with a visible means of measuring wheel travel.
Unfortunately, the articulation ramp we had access to was in its "put
away" state off the side of pavement and also on a slight hill. This
didn't give us much of a controlled testing ground, but we were able to
drive the newly lifted YJ onto the ramp to get an indication of its performance.
Our YJ scored around 720 with swaybars and track-bars disconnected and
tire pressure at a full 35 psi. We are convinced that we can easily exceed
the the 700-range with more tweaking.
 |
|
This
is an unnofficial ramp test. There were too many variables
in this scenario to produce a truly accurate score.
|
|
 |
|
On
the 23-degree ramp, disconnected, w/ 31" tires at 35
psi, on uneven terrain, the newly lifted YJ is estimated to
have an RTI score of about 720.
|
|
In conclusion,
the research into various lift kits has paid off. This one really seems
to be a winner. The major selling point for this product is probably that
it is a high-performance alternative to the spring-over axle configuration.
Of all of the YJ suspensions out there right now, this seems to be the
one that comes closest to the spring-over performance without actually
being a spring-over axle configuration. So if you're not interested in
the fabrication that is involved in successfully setting up a "spring-over",
the Rubicon Express 4.5" Extreme Duty YJ suspension is probably just
what the doctor ordered!
I would like
to thank all those that helped me put this lift on, Brian, Chris and my
Dad, Terry.
PAGE 1
2 3
|
