2TLift

TeraFlex 2T Lift Kit
w/Trail Master SSV Shocks

Only Two Inches????
When you can articulate like the FLEXMASTER, you don't need a huge lift to get through the trails. There wasn't anywhere I wasn't able to go at stock height(except the Rubicon, but I don't live in No. Cal.). Of course I'd love to get a 4" lift and run 35" tires, but I don't have the money for that now, especially since I would need to buy new gears, While my diffs are being worked on, I might as well get lockers. Oh, and I would have to get a SYE and custom drive shaft, etc., etc., $$$$$$$!!!! Plus, any lift over 2" I can't install myself or my factory warranty is void. So I would have to pay a "certified technician" at least $500 to install everything. After taking all that in consideration, the choice was easy. However, a lot of people said, "why don't you save some money and just buy 2" spring spacers. Well, I'm not lifting my Jeep just for looks, I want better articulation on the trail, which the 2" springs from TeraFlex will provide. I chose the Trail Master SSV shocks because they are a hell of a lot cheaper than Rancho 9000 or Edelbrock IAS shocks and they are a good shock for the money. So, since I don't plan on entering any rockcrawling challenges or taking on the Rubicon just yet, the 2" lift will suit me just fine.

Installation
     This was not as easy as I thought. Good thing I had my mechanic buddy Scott to help me out along with Issac, Tom, and Scott P. Scott brought over a floor jack, two jack stands, and his huge collection of tools. I'm not going to give step by step instructions because you can get them off the TeraFlex website. I'm just going to point out the places where I had trouble.
     1.) Removing the T55 torx bolt from the stock track bar bracket was a bitch since the Tomken skid plate made it difficult to get the long torx socket in the hole. So I raised the rear axle with the jack stand to get a better angle. After removing the T55 bolt, the directions say to secure the track bar up and out of the way. But this was impossible since the stock bracket goes over the top of the track bar. So I just unbolted the other side of the track bar and pulled the whole thing out.
     2.) Drilling out the two holes in the stock track bar bracket was also a bitch since the drill bit was pretty long and the drill just didn't fit between the frame and the axle very well. I ended up cutting 1" off the end of the drill bit so I could drill the freakin holes.
     3.) I then attached the lower bolt and tried to attach the top one, but the side of the washer was too close to the side of the extension to fit properly. So I grinded down one side until it fit.       4.) Then next problem was that the end of the the top bolt and the end of the the track bar bolt were in contact with each other, making it impossible to get a wrench around the nut on the track bar bolt. So I had to put the top bolt on going up through the hole with the nut on top. Not a big deal, but it would have been nice if the directions would have pointed this out.
     5.) I wanted to install the rear shocks with the can up so it wouldn't rub on the bottom of the spring perch. So I punched out the bar pins on the eye on the piston end and put them in the eye on the can end. But not without a fight. It was also difficult to get the shock to attach to the shock mount on the frame, but the WD40 helped a bit.
     6.) I was about to re-connect the sway bar, but Scott and Tom convinced me to just take it off completely, since it really doesn't do much and it would let me flex even more.
     7.) The front springs were kind of a bitch to install w/out a spring compressor, but we managed to get them in. Only one thing, we forgot to install the 0.75" spacers to compensate for the winch weight since we were getting in a hurry to finish. No biggie now, besides, I don't think we would have been able to put them in w/out the spring compressor.
     8.) The passenger side front spring was the most difficult to install since the drivers side one wouldn't let the axle tilt as much. Nothing a pry bar won't take care of. Oh, and the dip shit factory workers at Chrysler didn't bother to put in the spring clip that they were supposed to install. I guess it's a common problem and Tom sold me the clip he bought for his TJ since he sold that Jeep anyway.