Do I need this?

[Joopin]

I'm ordering parts for my SOA project... I ran across the Rubicon Express SOA kit for 270... but it has things I don't think i need...

Track Bar Bracket- Front... do i need that? What is it?
Shock adapter Bracket... ? why? what? who?
T-case lowering kit... def. don't need it... getting a sye.

any help is appreciated.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Shock adapter, maybe allows running a front shock with an upper mount the same as the lower mount, doing away with the post style. This allows a broader shock length selection.

You should keep the front track bar, and use the relocation bracket. Just be sure to weld it on after you bolt it up.

 

[Snitty]

yeah, the shock adapter is so you don't have to search everywhere on earth to find the right size post style shock... you can choose an eyelet style shock

 

[Joopin]

Can't I just mount the shock in the same spot?
All these write ups on SOA and I havn't read anything about this.
One thing I did read is I can use the same shocks if I cut off and reweld the original shock mounts to the axle in an upward position, not hanging down past the axle tube like OEM.

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

OK, what about power steering?

If you move the lower shock mount up, you'll easily bottom out the shock and over-extend it, breaking something. Shorter shocks have less of a range of travel, and a SOA is flexy, needing the longest travel (longest shock) possible.

You can get a longer shock with the post-style upper mount, but your selections are few. The eyelet upper mount is more common, giving you more choices for that perfect fit.

You can move the lower mounts up some, I'd keep them flush with the bottom of the axle tube.

I think M.O.R.E. makes extended upper shock mounts for the front, they're tube steel and allow longer shocks with the eyelet style mount. You have to cut the top from the stock upper shock mount.

 

[Joopin]

well, that jeep is crap now

I got this info from http://www.4x4grace.com/tech/soa.html

"Before beginning to disassemble or cut anything, you must first take some measurements. I recommend relocation of the shock mounts to get them above the bottom of the axle tubes. This helps tremendously with ground clearance. No more hanging the lower shock mounts on rocks or logs. This also allows use of stock length shocks, which of course lowers the cost of the overall conversion. On my second SOA conversion, the YJ had 3” longer than stock shocks already installed. The owner wanted the additional clearance so we made a compromise by relocating the lower shock mounts out of harms way, but not as high as we would when using stock length shocks. While this YJ still flex’s an incredible amount. It seems using stock length shocks actually performs a little better by allowing more articulation before bottoming out of the shock. Back to the measurements. You need to measure and record the length of the front and rear shocks while the Jeep is at rest with weight on the wheels. This measurement will be duplicated when reinstalling the lower shock mount on the axle." ... "Fit the lower shock mounts using the shock length dimensions taken earlier and tack the mounts in place."

I was going to do it like this guy did, seems like it's a better choice for clearance and I don't have to buy new shocks, again.

So the Rubicon SOA kit IS a good idea then, right???