We've heard the Jeep Liberty made fun of in some relatively creative ways. "Girlie truck" and "homely" are two of the nicer terms we've heard to describe it. But we've spent many hours behind the wheel of the KJ and we've come to respect the little Jeep's capabilities. And shazam, now that it's available with the 2.8L CRD diesel engine, we like it even more. There's definitely room for improvement, though. One of our biggest gripes is with the KJ's ground clearance, or lack thereof. This is followed closely by the lackluster wheel travel.
The Rock Krawler 7 Up Suspension...
The Rock Krawler 7 Up Suspension System includes all of the parts you see here. You'll also need to get your hands on a custom front crossover exhaust pipe (for gasoline models), a rear CV driveshaft or heavy-duty slip-yoke eliminator kit with CV driveshaft, a longer front driveshaft, and a TJ Wrangler rear antiroll-bar assembly. Two 7 Up kits are available. One is for '02 through early '04 models and the other is for late '04 through '05 models. The differences between the two kits are minuscule, though important, because Jeep changed the transfer case/transmission crossmember during the '04 model year.
It took a while, but the aftermarket has responded to all of these issues. One option is Rock Krawler Suspension's new 7 Up Suspension System. Rock Krawler says that the 7-inch kit allows fitment of 33-inch-diameter tires (with a maximum backspacing of 5.25 inches for 12.5-inch-wide tires), which helps create 11.5 inches of ground clearance. The company also says that 35-inch tires can be fitted with fender trimming. Highlights of the front end of the kit include massive subframes that allow reuse of the stock lower A-arms, new upper A-arms, and adjustable rate coilover racing shocks. Highlights of the rear of the kit include a double adjustable triangulated four-link conversion, competition-proven weld-in rear cradle, long-arm mounting brackets, and double adjustable lower control arms.
When we got a call from Dan McKeag, owner of Burnsville Off Road in Burnsville, Minnesota, asking if we were interested in watching the Rock Krawler kit being installed on an '04 Liberty, we hit the road. Burnsville Off Road has been in business since 1997 and does a full range of four-wheel-drive mods as well as custom fabrication. You'll recall that McKeag was the creator of the unique (and very fast) Viper-powered TJ Wrangler that competed in the '99 Top Truck Challenge. Based on his past track record of cool Jeeps and Jeep-related innovations, when he calls and says something is worth seeing, we're there.
Following are some of the highlights of how the Rock Krawler 7 Up kit transforms a Liberty into a serious trail playa. It's important to note that this is not a bolt-by-bolt install guide and there are many parts in addition to what is shown here. Rock Krawler points out that this kit is a very complex install and it requires cutting and welding. It also requires additional parts not included in the kit.
Here you can see the new rear...
Here you can see the new rear cradle welded in place on the rear axle. The new brake lines have been installed and routed and the cradle has been painted. The cradle is made from 0.25-inch laser-cut steel and its main job is to create a mounting point for the rear upper control arms.
The forward end of the new...
The forward end of the new rear lower-control arms attaches to new mounts that are bolted to the unibody frame.
Here you can see how the rear...
Here you can see how the rear suspension looks with the upper and lower control arms, TJ Wrangler antiroll bar (with optional longer end links), and brake lines installed correctly. The rear of the upper control arms fasten to the new rear cradle, while the front of the upper control arms mount to the stock OEM tri-link mounts. The front of the lower control arms fasten to the new lower-control arm mounts and the stock OEM lower-control arm mounts on the axle. Here you can also see how the antiroll-bar brackets are welded onto the front of the axlehousing.