How to Build a Long Arm Suspension System for a Jeep XJ

Jeep suspension systems are set up for a mixture of on road and off road application from the factory. Thus, when a Jeep enthusiast begins to adjust his suspension to perform better off road, certain aspects of the ride are hindered while others are enhanced. Generally, to fit larger, all terrain tires under the fender wells, enthusiasts will "lift" the vehicle. However, on the Jeep XJ the suspension arms are short and when the vehicle is lifted the angle of the arm to the frame becomes extreme. This shortens the arm articulation during off-road application and makes the on-road ride very harsh. To forgo these two downfalls, a long arm suspension system can be built that allows a lower arm angle and a more forgiving ride.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sawzall
• Ratchet set
• Sheet metal
• Long arm extension kit (see Resources)
• Floor jacks

1. Lift your vehicle up with jacks. Remove one wheel and loosen the bolts holding your current A-arms to the frame rail and to the shock housing. Remove the A-arm and pull the coil spring off of the strut using the compression locks to hold the spring together. Replace the spring with your longer travel spring from the extension kit.

2. Cut the factory A-arm mounts off of the frame as they will interfere with the new longer suspension. Mount the extended crossmember (provided in the extension kit) to the frame of the Jeep 12 inches back from the lower portion of the fender by drilling six holes in the frame that coincide with the holes in the crossmember and bolting the crossmember onto the frame.

3. Slide the extended A-arm connector into the mounting hardware on the strut and the recently mounted crossmember and bolt into place. Repeat Steps 1-2 for the other side. Replace the wheels and tighten down the lugnuts.

Tips & Warnings

• You may need to dial in your suspension by increasing or decreasing the play in the shocks now that you have increased the travel.
• Be careful when removing the coil springs as they are under a tremendous amount of pressure and could cause harm if unsprung without the use of the compression tool.

Resources

• Commercially available XJ Long Arm suspension kit.