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The kbadwk build thread

5K views 34 replies 7 participants last post by  kbwk 
#1 · (Edited)
It's about time for me to kick off my build thread! Will follow up with details and pictures for each modification.

Starting point:

  • 2008 Grand Cherokee Laredo
  • 4.7L V8
  • QTII, 3.73 gears
  • RFE545 transmission
  • NV245 transfer case
  • Tow package with hill control

Modifications:

  • ABS honeycomb grille modification
  • JBA upper control arms
  • OME MD springs (front) MD springs (rear)
  • Bilstien 5100 struts and shocks
  • Rusty's adjustable trackbar
  • Front pinch weld modification
  • Gas tank skid modification
  • Spidertrax 1.5" spacers
  • Mopar Recon wheels 17x7.5, 5.5" BS
  • Nitto Ridge Grapplers 285/70R17
  • HK Offroad front shackle tabs
  • Anzo black projector / halo headlights
  • Jeeperf 5100 coilover conversion kit
  • Brake motive drilled and slotted rotors
  • Moog lower control arms
  • Moog upper strut mounts
  • Moog strut isolators
  • Trim front bumper
  • Jeeperf HD differential bushings
  • Swap QTII front differential for QDII with eLSD
  • Switch / Relay for QDII eLSD
  • Eaton TrueTrac LSD for rear differential
  • Motive 4.11 gears
  • HK Offroad Kratos tire carrier
  • Riddler Mfg rear differential cover
  • Tom Woods front and rear double cardan drive shafts
  • Asfir front, t-case, and transmission skid plates
  • Bedliner side rail, rear step, grille
  • Timkin hubs
  • Mevotec TTX lower ball joints
  • Replace interior lighting (Phillips LEDs)
  • Jeeperf Superflex tie rods
  • HK Offroad Krawler rock sliders
  • Custom trunk plate for Milwaukee Packouts
  • Metalcloak rear bumpstops (JK)
  • JKS bumpstop spacers
  • Core 4x4 Tier 4 rear control arms, with bent uppers for clearance
  • RCV Performance ultimate IFS axles
  • Addco rear sway bar
  • JKS quicker disconnects (rear)
  • Energy suspension poly rear sway mounts
  • K&N intake
  • SuperChips Flashpaq (91 performance tune)
  • Custom heim steering
  • HK Offroad Street Sweeper bumper
  • Custom main tube for bumper
  • Baja Designs SAE Fog lights
  • 250-400 amp alternator from JS Alternators
  • Comeup Seal Slim 9.5rs winch with synthetic line
  • Factor 55 flatlink with rope guard
  • PRP Comp Elite seats (driver and passenger)
  • More front pinch weld trim and plate work
  • Trim rear subframe for clearance
  • Kilmat sound deadener

How she looks today

 
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1
#6 ·
Initial lift setup

* Bilstein 5100 front struts (middle circlip)
* OME HD front coils (2991)
* OME HD rear coils (2993)
* Bilstein 5100 rear shocks
* Rusty's adjustable trackbar (~5/8" IIRC), required to re-center axle
* SDT 2" rear lift spacer
* Pinch weld modification
* Gas tank skid modification

Some pictures from the lift install day

Before lift



Stock vs JBA upper control arms



Stock vs OME HD springs



Assembled OME HD front coils and Bilstein 5100 struts



Assembled struts and UCA installed in the front



Rear installation of spacers, coil, and shock



Gas tank skid plate modification



Pinch weld modification (I want to go back and take this higher)



Post Lift



Wheels (Recon take offs), Spidertrax spacers (1.5"), Nitto Ridge Grapplers in 285/70/17

 
#10 ·
Perhaps you can answer this for me. I posted the following to Notrailrated on their Facebook page because their website has no contact info but I am not even sure if they are actually in business anymore. I am at least not getting any response from them but you seem to be using close to if not the same lift setup they are and I plan to do the same but I have questions...

Your website is missing contact information and the chat function does not work. I hope I can get a question answered regarding your 4" lift for the WK.
The website states that the following comes with the kit...
Included in this kit: 2- Bilstein Ride Adjustable Front Struts, 2- Front OME Springs, 2-Bilstein 4" Rear Shocks, 2- Rear OME Springs, 2- Rear 2" Spacers
I see that there are 4" rear shocks and 2" spacers that go with the 2" OME springs for a total of 4" lift. I am good on that part but the front is a little confusing. I see there is the Bilstein Ride Adjustable front struts and OME front springs but if I am not mistaken, the OME springs are only 2" of lift...so where does the other 2" of lift come from for the springs? Do the struts add the extra lift somehow? If so...could you explain how they work exactly?
Also...I know that a lift of this height will cause some other issues requiring an adjustable rear trackbar and UCA's but would replacing the front driveshaft with a longer one resolve the issue of needing to drop the t-case or would dropping the t-case still be required? I know Tom Woods has a much better driveshaft than the stock one and I think you even have something like them on your site.
Thank you for your time.​

Any clarity you can provide would be appreciated.
 
#11 · (Edited)
I actually bought my original lift (struts, shocks, coils, coil spacers, trackbar) from him. Transaction went fine and the ordered items showed up, albeit all drop shipped (boxes from Rusty's, random ebay sellers, etc) in a timely manner.

No directions whatsoever, and he was total incommunicado. I tried to contact him by email, in YouTube comments, and on Instagram. I wouldn't buy things from him again personally, since that sort of thing really bothers me.

The 5100 struts have a circlip with three settings that adjust the preload on the coils. With stock coils the preload settings result in 0.75", 1.5", or 2" of lift by themselves. The first two settings, in conjunction with the OME springs, can get you to ~4", plus or minus an inch or so. Where you end up depends on how much weight you have in the front (engine size, skids, bumper, winch). For me, I was too low on the first setting, and too high on the second setting, and that's why I ultimately added the JeePerf coilover sleeves so I could dial it in right at 23" hub to fender.

The "optional" track bar (Rusty's) isn't something I would consider to be "optional". If you installed that lift (more commonly known as a modified OME) without the track bar the rear axle will be shifted measurably towards the driver side. I adjusted mine to be 5/8" longer than stock and that near perfectly re-centered the axle.

Dropping the front differential reduces the angle of the CV half shafts, but doing this requires notching / reinforcing the crossmember. This increases the angle of the front drive shaft, which is why a lot of folks upgrade the drive shaft to a double cardan after the drop. It's not a matter of doing the latter to avoid doing the former. I've gone through a few driver side CV half shafts because I have not dropped my front differential. I bought a Tom Wood's front drive shaft because it was cheaper and beefier than OEM, and my original one was due for replacement.
 
#13 ·
If ride quality is your end goal, then you might look into the full OME lift, complete with OME struts/shocks. My understanding is their valving is not as harsh as what you would get from Bilstein.

The spacers, IIUC, also add preload. The big spacer that comes with the Superlift is even described as a ‘preload spacer’. So putting the Bilstein struts on the lower setting in combination with using a longer clevis or strut mount spacer would seem to be somewhat of a shell game.
 
#15 ·
If ride quality is your end goal, then you might look into the full OME lift, complete with OME struts/shocks. My understanding is their valving is not as harsh as what you would get from Bilstein.
I believe that is backward, I only have the OME HD and it is a little stiffer than what I've heard the 5100s offer. Maybe the OME MD would be. Hopefully someone else can chime in.
 
#14 ·
Gotcha. Ultimately, I just want 4 inches of lift as the end goal. I installed a Supreme Suspensions 3.5 inch front clevis and 2 inch rear puck lift and did not really get the results I expected. My Jeep also seems to be riding on a slight slant to one side. Need to figure out what that is all about.
 
#16 ·
Good point, OME makes MD and HD versions of both their coil springs AND struts/shocks. The struts/shocks are valved to work harmoniously with the same level coils (MD or HD). OME says you should only use HD if you have 90-200 lbs of additional weight in the front [1]. I have the 4.7L engine, which is lighter than both the Hemi and the CRD, and no winch or steel bumper. I should have followed directions (for the coils). I have ran both 5100 struts with OME HD springs (very jarring ride) and OME MD springs. I prefer the MD.

It's worth noting that the rear coils from OME have different spring rates, to counteract the driver side weight bias caused by the fuel tank. Weight biases, and/or damaged worn components, can lead to unequal lift.

I've seen other folks with a similar setup as mine up front (@Armor_LG), or with a non-adjustable strut (Bilstein 4600, OME Nitrocharger, etc) and a strut spacer (or two, with some fabrication work). I don't think I've ever heard of anyone using an adjustable strut in combination with a strut mount spacer or longer clevis.

[1] https://arbusa.com/site/wp-content/uploads/jeepGrandCherokeeWK.pdf
 
#17 ·
The next upgrade I took on after the lift was to get some recovery points before I hit the trails. I snagged a set of front shackle tabs from HK Offroad. Bash (the owner) reached out and said that since I was local, I could swing by the shop to pick them up and check things out. It was really cool to see all the stuff they’ve got going on over there. I’ve since been on a few trails with Bash, and became a repeat customer (more details to follow).

The HK Offroad shackle tabs align with the factory bolt holes for tow hooks, and they extend deeper into the frame rails where you drill out one additional hole for extra beef. Here are some mid-install pictures and the end result

Automotive tire Hood Vehicle Gas Car

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#18 · (Edited)
At this point I was really hoping my lift would settle, but I was still sitting pretty high on the second setting, and the ride was really harsh. Already having invested in the 5100’s I opted to try out the JeePerf coilover sleeves and OME MD springs. This let me dial in the ride height, and the ride was noticeable less harsh. In retrospect I think the harshness had more to do with the 5100’s being pretty close to fully extended at ride height, rather than the rate of the HD springs themselves. After having the coilover sleeves on for a year, my impression is that they served their purpose and have been quite functional. If I’m being honest, I have the itch to move to either Kings or a custom coilover setup, and sometimes wish I had followed the buy once cry once principle.

When I had things apart I threw on some Brake Motive rotors and pads. They only sell on eBay, which is kinda weird, but they’re based in IL and had good reviews. I’ve had no issues with them and have a fresh set of their pads on my workbench for when it’s time for replacements.

Finally, my bushings were shot on my front lower control arms, and given the price of replacement LCAs, I opted to put in a set from Moog complete with new bushings. I still have the original Mopar set sitting in the garage to press new bushings into if it comes to it.

Automotive tire Wood Compass Gas Hand tool


Wheel Tire Vehicle Automotive tire Motor vehicle


Automotive tire Camera accessory Suspension Font Gas
 
#19 · (Edited)
It was at this point that I took her off the pavement for the first time to check out Hungry Valley OHV and Los Padres National Forest. The OHV areas has a neat little obstacle course area to feel out what your rig is capable of. It was a good warm up before my friend and I decided to tackle Alamo Mountain trail, which is on the other side of the OHV area in National Forest land. At the top of the Alamo mountain loop is a campsite and the back entrance to Miller Jeep Trail. We opted not to go down it, but I’d love to go back and give it a go when Los Padres reopens.

Alamo mountain wasn’t difficult at all, but on the way down I christened the WK with some trail damage by hitting a rut a wee bit too fast. It stuffed the passenger rear tire into the front of the wheel well, bent the inner edge, and even slightly cracked the corner of my passenger side break light from the impact. I took a mental note of the need for longer rear control arms to move the axle back and to add more rear bumpstop.

Tire Wheel Automotive tire Light Vehicle

Tire Wheel Land vehicle Plant Car

Tire Sky Wheel Vehicle Car

Sky Natural landscape Cloud Mountain Slope

Tire Wheel Sky Vehicle Car
 
#20 ·
Discerning readers may have noticed that I neglected to mention my headlights. Being a Laredo, I didn’t have factory HIDs. I opted to get a black set of halogen projectors with halos from Anzo, and outfitted them with Bosch Gigalite bulbs.
 
#22 ·
I had big plans for my next set of modifications. I had read the thread Front Axle QTII to QDII Conversion by @SteveROntario. My Laredo came factory equipped with QTII, and a QDII swap sounded too cool to pass up.

I sourced a QDII front differential from a wrecker. They accidentally shipped me another QTII differential at first, which they let me keep. Eventually I got the QDII differential I ordered, and got to work removing the bushings. At the time the bushings were shot in my current QTII differential, and I had already replaced them once. Not wanting to hassle with this again I picked up a set of HD poly bushings from JeePerf and pressed them in. I also picked up a low mileage QDII driver side CV shaft, since it’s shorter than the QTII equivalent, new seals, solenoid, and a wiring pigtail that fit the QDII connector.

I also wanted to regear to 4.10. Not being up to that job myself I reached out to Premier West Gears and got a quote to regear the new QDII differential, install it, regear the rear differential, and install a Eaton TrueTrac.

The fun part is they’re 43 miles from my house, and hasn’t anticipated having to take side streets home with frequent stops to break in the new gears. It took a long time, but I followed their procedure to a T and haven’t had an issue since.


Automotive tire Motor vehicle Automotive design Automotive lighting Tread


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Attachments

#24 ·
Yep, I have the Kratos. Only regret is not my considering garage door height. I don’t park it in my garage overnight, but when I need to work on it I have to remove the spare to get pull it in. @criagbru was wiser than me and asked to have the mount lower, and now I wish I had done the same.
 
#29 ·
Changing the gear oil after the gears were broken in. Also installed a Tom Wood's front drive shaft getting , along with a new nodular cast iron differential cover from Riddler Mfg. The QTII differential has the same bolt pattern as XJs with the 8.25 Chrysler, so we have a bit more options than the QDII folks. I painted the diff cover black on the first pass, then put Vaseline over the logo part, sprayed over it with red, then wiped off the Vaseline when then paint dried. While the front diff was open (QDII), I installed a new solenoid.

Tool Gas Cylinder Bicycle part Metal
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