With the new mounting holes drilled, you can mark where to cut off the excess lower part of the bracket. This modification offers a clearance advantage in the rocks, but the bigger gain is in the suspension geometry and the way the Jeep's handling is improved. These are details best understood by guys like Jim Frens.
Yikes! This is quite a creation! Instead of just raising the track-arm bracket with an extension, Nth Degree has gone to great engineering lengths with this all-important and much stressed suspension member. This new bracket mount is triangulated to the axle, providing the strength needed to deal with the leverage created by the new, higher attachment point for the track bar. Also, note that this attachment point has been moved forward (so it doesn't interfere with the gas tank) and is at a slight (corrected) angle for proper geometry, allowing it to work in sync with the modified ride height. Since we shot the photos of this install, Nth informed us that they have developed a cleaner, simpler, total-replacement weld-on tower as an option for this bracketry.
Next comes the Stinger. This is another Nth Degree "invention" that completely changes (read: improves) the handling of a TJ, eliminating the weird axle walk and wiggle felt in both stock and lifted TJs equipped with short upper control arms. The Stinger replaces these upper arms, changing the rear suspension from a five-link to a four-link. The Stinger functions as a torque arm and is similar to those used under late-model Camaros, allowing those cars to hook up better during hard acceleration. The Stinger transfers axlewrapping torque directly into the center of the vehicle and frame, instead of directing it diagonally, creating the frame lifting/twisting motion that angled upper control arms exhibit. Not seen in this photo is the Slider under the diff, which, while forming part of the Stinger's bracketry, also is a skidplate for the differential housing and the U-joint.
This shot demonstrates the change in the shock mounting points. We installed some old yellow shocks for this photo. The shock on the left is in the new Nth Degree location, while the one on the right is still in the stock location. Note the improvement in ground clearance as the new mount tucks the shock almost inside the wheel.
Now, we'll move to the front of the Jeep and check out some unique features up there. (This shot is backwards. Sorry, but picture this track-bar bracket from the rear of the axle looking forward, and everything makes sense.) At the top of the photo is the stock TJ track bar with its tie-rod end mount that attaches to the driver side of the frame. The bushing end attaches to the axle on the passenger side of the Jeep. Most lift kits simply extend the axle mount higher and call it good. Many lifted TJ owners know all about how these brackets come loose and the mounting holes wallow out. 'Nuff said. Nth Degree provides a massive, upper-mount drop-down bracket that braces itself across the frame and utilizes a new, forged track bar originally intended for a Jeep WJ Grand Cherokee (shown below the bracket).
This shot shows how the upper drop-down track-bar mount fits onto the frame. One hole must be drilled for the passenger-side mount. The driver side mounts via a special tapered pin that fits into the original tie-rod-style mount. Note the new dropped location of the driver-side mounting point, which is now a through-bolt design to accommodate the bushing style mount of the WJ track bar. The hole on the OE mount on the axle is enlarged slightly to fit a 12mm bolt (the stock TJs are 10mm).
 With the new control arms...  With the new control arms threaded into the GyroJoints and the Tummy Tucker torqued down, the center of the vehicle is done and we can move on to the axles. This shot gives a good view of how much longer the new control arms are in relation to the OE mounts, which are still attached at this time. Keep in mind this is an Unlimited, so the rear arms are even longer than a regular TJ |  The guys at Nth Degree feel...  The guys at Nth Degree feel it's easiest to remove the rear axle completely from the vehicle to perform all the modifications it's going to receive. |  After removing the brake assemblies...  After removing the brake assemblies and axleshafts, this provided template is utilized to mark the location of the new mounting points for the lower control arms. By moving these points up on the OE brackets, suspension geometry is enhanced and ground clearance improves to boot. |
 Here the Stinger is installed...  Here the Stinger is installed and attached to its mount provided on the back of the Tummy Tucker. The bent lower control arms are also installed and you can see how they tuck way up out of harm's (and rock snagging, i.e. "stuck") way. We are now ready to install the progressive-rate rear springs and address the shock mounts. |  This is yet another issue...  This is yet another issue raised when lifting a TJ and now addressed by Nth Degree. With taller springs, and hence a lowered axle, the spring perches are shifted off center and the bumpstops don't line up anymore. Nth provides this upper spring-mount relocating plate, which again puts all the geometry right, keeps the springs from coil binding at full stuff, and allows the bumpstops to do their job as designed. Although you can't see it in this photo, the bumpstops are spaced down enough so that they actually do their job before the shocks bottom out and do it instead. This is a "must" if you do any fast, "Baja"-type driving. |  Next up are the Shock Shifters,...  Next up are the Shock Shifters, which move the rear-shock mounting points into more optimal positions-ones which clear the tailpipe-and relocate the lower mounts for more ground clearance. Shown here are the new upper mounts, which turn the mounting bolts 90 degrees, eliminating the bushing-beating angle created when lifting the suspension and still utilizing the OE bar pin and stock mounting location. |