We tested Teal's new suspension over a variety of terrain. First, we drove the Jeep on the pavement for several thousand miles to get a feel for the rig's new roll-center and anti-squat characteristics. Our only complaint here was the kit's rear-link geometry which caused predictable but unnerving torque transfer during hard left turns. Part of this can probably be attributed to the Detroit Locker in the rear axle, though we feel that the kit's rear link-arm design was also a contributing factor. Similar to setups found on some Trophy Trucks, the wishbone (or center link) shares a common mounting bolt with each of the upper mounts on the lower link arms. On Teal-J, this design resulted in massive anti-squat, effectively causing the rear axle to push down hard during acceleration. This downward force pushes up on the chassis, which causes the front suspension to try to compensate. With the front axle connected laterally by a track bar, the force is directed down through the track bar, effectively pushing down on the passenger-side front tire. This causes the front driver-side tire to lift off the pavement with even the slightest of throttle during a left turn. When we questioned Fabtech about this, they pointed out that that effect actually would help during steep hillclimbs and that the dynamic was probably amplified significantly by the increased torque of Teal's Hemi engine. We couldn't disagree.
Next we set out for the sand dunes of Twentynine Palms, California. At first, we were blown away with how well the Dirt Logic coilover shocks soaked up whoops in the front. However, the rear, having standard coil springs and less capable monotube shocks, tended to buck and bounce with any significant speed. Afterwards we decided to jump Teal-J a few times to see how well the system could handle a hard bottom-out. Unfortunately, it only took three small jumps to completely destroy both front polyurethane bumpstops. Needless to say, this kit wasn't designed for frequent flying.
We then took on some nasty boulder obstacles in one of our testing facilities near Los Angeles, California. With the front sway bar disconnected, the Jeep flexed its way around our rock garden with ease. In Moab last spring, we really put the kit through its paces. Moab Rim, Kane Creek, and Hell's Revenge proved this kit was quite capable in the rocks. On a top-secret trail ride ("Moab's Best Kept Secret," Aug. '06), we flogged Teal-J pretty hard trying to keep up with Clifton Slay's group, and we're happy to say the only problem we encountered all day was one broken bumpstop. Unfortunately, hydraulic bumpstops are not yet an option with the Crawler kit.
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Here is how the lower coilover mount bolts up. The mount uses a U-shaped bolt that clamps
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Once all the front coilover mounts were in place, the trick new Dirt Logic coilover shocks
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This picture shows another angle of the lower coilover mount. Notice the billet-aluminum b
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On each side of the axle, a portion of each coil pad must be cut off to allow clearance of
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The 2.5 Dirt Logic coilover shocks feature a 10-inch remote reservoir that requires a 100p
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This is the rear Prorock 60 wishbone mounting cradle. This was one of the very first proto
* Massive 251/48-inch rebuildable forged rod ends
* 3/8-inch high-density plastic transfer-case skid pan cover is standard
* Double-shear mounting brackets throughout
* Exhaust modification kit available; includes a Magnaflow muffler
* All hardware is Grade 8
* Zero caster and pinion angle change
* Very detailed instructions with graphics
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Fabtech Motorsports
1000 Beacon St.
Brea
CA
92821
www.fabtechmotorsports.com
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