lift blocks

[MikeB]

i was checking out lift kits at rubicon express this morning and i was looking at the lift blocks that they have, i was thinking about going with a 2.5" suspension lift and gettin a set of 1.5" tapered lift blocks to keep this as affordable as possible. Ive seen a lot of guys using hockey pucks for lift blocks and that's a little scary looking. are there any major down sides to lift blocks?

[TwistedCopper]

If you are in a YJ (I think I remember that correctly), lift blocks won't work on your Jeep, unless you have done a SOA conversion, but even then they are not the best method of lift...

[currupt4130]

i think you have the hockey pucks and lift blocks confused. hockey pucks are commonly used as a body lift whereas lift blocks go between the spring and axle. if you have a yj or cj, and are still running the stock suspension set up and just buying a kit, not going spring over, lift blocks will actually lower your vehicle.

[MikeB]

no, believe it or not, the guy was using them as lift blocks,thinking back on it, he did have S.O.A, but man that was a scary lookin setup

[TwistedCopper]

Originally Posted by MikeB

no, believe it or not, the guy was using them as lift blocks,thinking back on it, he did have S.O.A, but man that was a scary lookin setup

Since you mentioned they were tapered, I fugured you had it right. It's not so much scary, as they are used quite often, especially on trucks. Problem with them is they make axle wrap, which is already a problem on SOA setups, worse and they can also cause premature spring wear.

Why the need for an extra 1"? Tire clearance? There's a few other options out there...

a 1" BL
Longer shackles
Fender trimming/TJ flares

[currupt4130]

longer shackles are a terrible way to get extra height. they screw with camber and kill your approach angle.

	Approach Angle Starting from level ground, this is the degree of slope a vehicle can approach without scraping or hitting the front undercarriage. It's a great indication of the ability to navigate severe off-road terrain like boulders and logs. A short front overhang produces high angles of approach, thus increasing off-road ability.

	Camber Camber angle is the angle made by the wheel of an automobile; specifically, it is the angle between the vertical axis of the wheel and the vertical axis of the vehicle when viewed from the front or rear. If the top of the wheel is further out than the bottom (that is, away from the axle), it is called positive camber; if the bottom of the wheel is further out than the top, it is called negative camber.

[TwistedCopper]

Originally Posted by currupt4130

longer shackles are a terrible way to get extra height. they screw with camber and kill your approach angle.

That depends how long they are. a 1/2" shackle lift (1" longer than stock) can be a very useful mod, but I would agree any longer is counter-productive.

[currupt4130]

ok, i shoulda specified, front lift shackles on yjs that net over .25 IMHO are worth nothing. the tiny bit of extra length is useful if you have really soft and flexy springs, but they kill approach angle like nothing else.

	Approach Angle Starting from level ground, this is the degree of slope a vehicle can approach without scraping or hitting the front undercarriage. It's a great indication of the ability to navigate severe off-road terrain like boulders and logs. A short front overhang produces high angles of approach, thus increasing off-road ability.

[TwistedCopper]

Originally Posted by currupt4130

ok, i shoulda specified, front lift shackles on yjs that net over .25 IMHO are worth nothing. the tiny bit of extra length is useful if you have really soft and flexy springs, but they kill approach angle like nothing else.

I had 5" hole to hole shackles (1/2" lift) on my YJ. I needed them to clear the double military wrapped eyes on the BDS springs or the rear springs would whack my rear crossmember when I hit a bump. They did help with flex, and actually corrected my DS angle as well.

Any longer than that, I would agree... not worth it.