While our prototype suspension worked great on the trail, with Rusty's 4.5-inch lift springs, we weren't quite happy with the high-speed handling characteristics on the highway, a pretty common complaint when a rear track bar is not used. We replaced the stock sway bar up front with a larger Addco unit and felt a definite improvement. At the rear, at first we modified the original factory bar to work with the Explorer rear end, but it didn't offer enough roll control. Our next step was to modify an Addco bar by putting it into the press and putting a slight bend in the middle to pull the outside edges in about 1 inch so they would clear the tires. This is because the Ford Explorer 8.8-inch rear end we're using is about 1 1/4 inches narrower than the original Dana rear end and would rub the tires, even with our M/T wheels having 3.5 inches of backspacing. Addco was a bit worried that our cold bend to the bar may lead to some fatigue problems, so they bent up and shipped us a new bar to match our modified one. For connecting links, we used some from Teraflex and built some U-shaped brackets to mount them both on the sway bar and the axle. We also moved the sway-bar mounting location about 1 inch forward for more spring clearance. Yes, it's a lot of work, but it paid off in much better handling. T&T Customs figured what we did was way too much work, and has now found that a TJ sway bar will work with very little modifications.
We then changed out the original Rusty's rear coil springs for new ones (PN ROR404) that were slightly shorter than what we originally used, but a larger wire diameter. This gave us a higher spring rate, and while they were shorter, they actually raised the rear about 1 inch higher. Up front, we used a Rusty's number ROR508, which was just about perfect with our heavy ARB front bumper and Warn winch. These changes in spring and sway bars made for an improvement in the "comfort" level of driving, but there still was a bit too much roll steer to totally please us.
7. The rear crossmember, which is formed and welded from 5/16-inch-thick steel plate, is used as a mounting point for the lower rear control arms. | 
8. Bob uses a 100-ton press brake to bend the 1/4-inch steel used in the skidplate. We also used it to dimple die the holes in our front skidplate that protects the lower part of the radiator. | 
9. The 1/4-inch-thick skidplate for the transfer case bolts in between the two crossmembers and offers a smooth surface to slide over those nasty rocks. |
Transfer Case Problems
With Easter Jeep Safari just a few weeks away, we thought we were ready-that is, until the full-time transfer case decided to start making all sorts of noises. Decision time. We finally decided to swap for an NV231 unit. Our local shop, Jeff's Off Road in Missoula, Montana, made a phone call to All Transmission Parts in Portland, Oregon, and a rebuilt 231 was shipped the next day. But just no ordinary 231, as this one had a six-gear planetary instead of the normal three-gear one, and a much wider drivechain. In essence, a 242 in a 231 case. It only took Jeff a couple of hours to make the swap, and our new Reel driveshafts were back in place.
The only problem that we encountered was with the shift linkage. Luckily, Jeff had a salvaged XJ in the back from which we were able to use the shift rod plate that connected the shift lever rod to the transfer case to solve the problem. The speedometer and the electrical plug went right into place. All the way forward on the shift lever is 2-Hi, one notch back is 4-Hi, and then Neutral and 4-Lo to the far rear. Interesting thing is that the "Lo" light comes on when in high-range, but that's OK by us.
10. The ball-type joints used by T&T Customs are a high-strength, high-angle joint produced for them by Summit Machine. Every component in them is re-buildable as well as adjustable for wear. | 
11. The axle received new mounts, and the joints used on the ends of the arms were mounted in high-density rubber to dampen any vibration. | 
12. The lower control arms are made from 1 3/4-inch-diameter, 1/4-inch-thick DOM tubing, custom bent for proper clearance and welded in a precision jig. |
A New Suspension Design
Bob Levenhagen was also not happy with our report on handling, so he started making plans for more design modifications and insisted that we update our suspension. The week before the start of Easter Jeep Safari at Moab, we loaded "Ain't It Grander" on the trailer and headed to the Cheyenne facility. Within an hour of our arrival, the Grand was on the rack, and Mike DePalma lit off his torch and started removing the first-generation kit's lower control-arm mounts that were welded to the chassis stiffeners, while Jason, Bob's son, was busy assembling the new control arms and related parts.
By the end of the day-yes, a day that extended into the night-a new front crossmember that located the front lower control arms parallel with the upper arms and a new rear crossmember that mounted the rear lower control arms at a much greater triangulation angle, were in place along with a center-mounted skidplate. With this new design, access to the transfer case is available without removing the control arms.