1997 Jeep Wrangler TJ - Project Teal-J II, Part 18

1997 Jeep Wrangler Tj Passenger Side View Rock

By now, some of you are probably wondering how a magazine's project Jeep can last 10 full years and still provide valid tech information to the readers. We'll admit it; we've squeezed a lot from our Teal Princess over the last decade. Changes are evident as we've left no part of the chassis or drivetrain untouched. Now, with its 18th segment, we're looking ahead, realizing that Teal's existence as a testbed for new products isn't going to change anytime soon. And as long as we can keep from destroying her on the trail, Teal-J will remain in our stables for decades to come. Savvy readers will remember our last visit with Teal ("Part 17," Jan. '07), where we tested Fabtech's newest TJ suspension kit. Unfortunately, we couldn't live with some of the quirky wheel-lifting characteristics that the kit caused on the street, so we hit up our friends at TeraFlex to see if they had anything new in store for TJ owners. Fortunately, they did, and they were quite pleased with the opportunity to showcase it on our beloved Teal-J. So arrangements were made to move the Teal-J to TeraFlex Plus-Jeep Adventure Outfitters in Salt Lake City, after the 2006 Easter Jeep Safari in Moab. Check out what they did.

This is the complete system that TeraFlex calls the PRO LCG. "LCG" stands for Low Center of Gravity, something that we at Four Wheeler love to promote. A lower center of gravity allows for greater stability during off-camber maneuvers and high-speed driving. The PRO LCG was developed specifically for TJ Wranglers with aftermarket high-pinion front axles.
This is the complete system that TeraFlex calls the PRO LCG. "LCG" stands for Low Center o
1. First, all the existing aftermarket components were removed from Teal-J. Next, the framerails were prepped so that the new LCG brackets could be located on the frame.
1. First, all the existing aftermarket components were removed from Teal-J. Next, the fram
2. Here you can see the new passenger-side rear upper-link mount as the mechanic from TeraFlex Plus took critical measurements just prior to tack-welding it in place. Note the extra holes provided in this bracket. This allows end users the ability to adjust and fine-tune antisquat for improved handling. We love this aspect of the PRO LCG kit.
2. Here you can see the new passenger-side rear upper-link mount as the mechanic from Tera

3. Here again you can see the rear upper-link bracket prior to being welded to the framerail. We recommend that a skilled and experienced welder perform these welds because the rear suspension could easily fail if they are not done correctly.
3. Here again you can see the rear upper-link bracket prior to being welded to the framera
4. The PRO kit utilizes the OE front lower axle brackets but moves the frame bracket on the front upper control arms back 9 inches and down 5 inches to correct geometry on lifted Wranglers. This is where TeraFlex's extensive R&D time with the LCG PRO kit pays off and differs from other aftermarket suspension systems. An inch or 2 here changes driving dynamics significantly.
4. The PRO kit utilizes the OE front lower axle brackets but moves the frame bracket on th
5. TeraFlex's technician laid down some decent beads for us. This particular weld is critical because it's what triangulates the passenger-side front upper-link mount on the framerail.
5. TeraFlex's technician laid down some decent beads for us. This particular weld is criti

6. This shot shows TeraFlex's heavy-duty spherical urethane rod ends. These joints are massive and provide an excellent range of movement while damping a fair amount of road noise and vibration at the same time. Each uses a 9/16-inch bolt and is completely rebuildable. Notice the zerk fitting in the center of the bolt, which helps ensure a long working life and noise-free operation.
6. This shot shows TeraFlex's heavy-duty spherical urethane rod ends. These joints are mas
7. Here you can see which hole TeraFlex set the rear upper-link arms to during assembly. We haven't felt the need to alter this setting yet, though we plan to play around with it in the near future to see how each hole affects handling.
7. Here you can see which hole TeraFlex set the rear upper-link arms to during assembly. W
8. A custom rear triangulated axle bracket was made specifically for the rear Dynatrac axle to maintain the antisquat technology the LCG kit is known for. TeraFlex has additional options for customers with other aftermarket rear axles as well.
8. A custom rear triangulated axle bracket was made specifically for the rear Dynatrac axl

9. The back of the Teal-J benefited from a new pair of TeraFlex 5-inch coil springs and new rear bumpstops. Here you can see the new VSS gas shock's triple-chromed rod and upper mount. Thanks to Jeep-specific bar pins, these new shocks utilize the OE upper mounting locations. Though not intended for high-speed Baja trips, these shocks are huge improvements over the wimpy OE shocks and will probably hold up much better in terms of longevity.
9. The back of the Teal-J benefited from a new pair of TeraFlex 5-inch coil springs and ne
10. This shot shows the guys from TeraFlex bolting on the new Belly-Up skidplate. This plate offers improvements in ground clearance by up to 2 3/8 inches over stock and features laser-cut holes for easy mounting.
10. This shot shows the guys from TeraFlex bolting on the new Belly-Up skidplate. This pla
11. Because Teal-J had already been set up with front remote-reservoir coilover shocks, the factory spring buckets were long gone. This made things easy for TeraFlex, who in cooperation with Fox Racing Shox developed a new mounting kit designed to mount a 2.5-inch Fox coilover shock with remote reservoirs on each side. Additionally, the brackets provided mounting cans built by Poly Performance for one Fox pneumatic bumpstop on each side, an option we've been asking suspension companies about for a long time now. Though these particular brackets were only prototypes at the time of installation, TeraFlex assured us that this bracket combination would be available very soon for interested buyers.
11. Because Teal-J had already been set up with front remote-reservoir coilover shocks, th

12. Here you can see the new Fox unit installed on the driver-side front wheelwell. The remote reservoir was secured with two stainless hose clamps and two isolation bushings to the shock hoop shortly after this shot was taken.
12. Here you can see the new Fox unit installed on the driver-side front wheelwell. The re
13. This picture shows how TeraFlex mounted the lower end of the Fox coilover shocks. Though not completely finished in this picture, you get the idea of where the mount was located on the front axle.
13. This picture shows how TeraFlex mounted the lower end of the Fox coilover shocks. Thou
14. After the installation was complete, it was necessary to modify the exhaust system to clear the new suspension. Dynomax provided a new catalytic converter and high-flow muffler to suit our needs. After installation was complete, an alignment was performed by TeraFlex PLUS to ensure proper highway driveability.
14. After the installation was complete, it was necessary to modify the exhaust system to

We decided to take advantage of Teal's ongoing metamorphosis and update the 37-inch Mickey Thompson ATZ tires with a set of 36-inch (36x15.50R18LT) MTZs instead. We made this change right before Easter Jeep Safari 2006, and just prior to dropping the rig off with TeraFlex. This allowed us to get a good feel for each suspension system on the same set of new tires. (We wouldn't want our before-and-after testing to be affected by different tread designs.) The new overall stance was a bit lower than before, and this new tire was exactly what we needed to prevent rubbing issues with the new kit. We did have to run a pair of 2-inch wheel spacers in the rear, however (due to overall width of this new tire), but felt we could live with that for the short term.

Immediately after picking up Teal from TeraFlex, we headed straight out to the Rubicon Trail for a shakedown session. Our initial impression on pavement was pure joy as all of the wheel lifting associated with the previous kit went away. On the trail, the PRO LCG kit was a delight to drive largely because of the added softness provided by the Fox coilover shocks and pneumatic bumpstops. The rear of the kit seemed a little too soft for us once it was overloaded with camping gear and coolers. We addressed this by updating the rear springs with a 6-inch spring instead. We figure with the weight of the factory hardtop and all the other aftermarket equipment we've bolted on over the years, Teal's caboose was a lot heaver than TeraFlex originally thought. The beauty of this change is that we can always adjust the front coilover shocks up or down depending on load conditions. We love adjustability! After the Rubicon trip, we racked up a few hundred miles on pavement and found that Teal's new suspension was exactly what we were looking for.

SOURCES
Dynomax Exhaust www.dynomax.com	TeraFlex Plus-Jeep Adventure Outfitters www.teraflexplus.com
Fox Racing Shox www.foxracingshox.com	TeraFlex Suspension www.teraflex.biz
Poly Performance N/A www.polyperformance.com