If you’ve spent time around Jeep enthusiasts or you’re a new Jeep owner yourself, you’ve probably heard people mention suspension upgrades or strut replacements. These phrases are common in the Jeep community, but they’re often used so frequently that nobody bothers to explain them! What exactly does it mean to upgrade your Jeep’s suspension, and can you do it yourself? User-friendly products like Fox suspension kits make it simple to embark on a DIY suspension upgrade, and it’s a relatively simple task if you have basic automotive knowledge. Find out how to improve your Jeep’s suspension and why it might offer better performance in an off-road environment.
Clearance & Ride Comfort
One of the most common reasons for upgrading a Jeep’s suspension is the improvement it provides to the vehicle’s clearance. Lift kits are one of the most common forms of suspension upgrade, and they work by adding a few extra inches of height to the body of your Jeep. This is achieved by placing spacers in the frame of the car and adjusting the suspension system to accommodate the additional height. A pro comp suspension system can be used in tangent with a lift kit to achieve the exact effect and level of clearance you’re looking for.
In addition to providing greater clearance on the road, adjusting your suspension can massively improve the comfort of your Jeep’s ride. This is especially true if you adjust it to be looser. A suspension system that is tuned too tightly will transfer every bump in the road to its passengers, but a suspension that’s tuned to be slightly softer will offer a more cushioned feeling regardless of the road conditions. It should be noted, though, that looser tuning can increase the risk of body roll and other potential problems, so it’s important to find the right balance.
Tuned Suspension for Optimal Performance
Many Jeep off-roaders are more concerned with performance than comfort — and understandably so. Jeeps are famously high-performing when it comes to the toughest off-road conditions, and you can maximize these abilities by tuning your suspension strategically. To do so, you’ll typically need to tighten it, which can provide more control over its steering as well as a lower center of gravity. It’s often easier to make tight turns or brake quickly, and all of these features are highly beneficial to drivers who enjoy regular off-road excursions.
If you want to tune your suspension yourself, there are plenty of kits that allow you to do so, but you can also enlist help from a professional mechanic. Jeep drivers who opt for the former may find products like the King coilovers particularly appealing. These single parts can be used alone or with other parts to achieve a tighter suspension tuning. With a direct fit design and easy-to-install construction, these parts are the ideal option for anybody who wants to maximize their Jeep’s off-road ability. You can also use a coilover part to adjust your Jeep’s clearance and further boost its performance.
