For those who have done this mod, what did it cost you guys for installation and 4-wheel alignment? I can get the kit for $240, but was quoted $1K, for kit and install?? Seems steep.
I live in Seattle and called 5-6 places. 4ish of those 6 said they couldn't or wouldn't do it, one place quoted me $600 and about $150 for 4 wheel realignment, and another place said it could be between 800-1600 which was insane and made me laugh.
Springs have been sitting in my closet until i can save up a little scratch to get the installation done.
If your capable of doing the rears, you'll be able to do the fronts. Just take your time and becareful of those CV boots and brakes lines. Also, have a trolley jack on hand to help assist in raising and lowering the control arms to get things unbolted and re-bolted easier.
I upgraded to SRT rear springs last weekend and wound up having to unbolt the calipers (brackets and all) to give the LCA more droop inorder to get the stock springs out. Those damn things are long compared to SRT springs!!
If you don't have a spring compressor you won't be able to do the fronts.
However the rear springs and shocks can be removed with ordinary hand tools.
To get out the rear spring you will have to remove the following.
Rear brake caliper
Rear ABS sensor
Rear camber arm connect at knuckle
Rear tension arm at knuckle
The rear shock is very easy to remove
2 x 16 mm bolts attach the shock mount to the body
The lower shock bolt attaches to the lower control arm with a 23mm and 24mm nut and bolt.
So you could very well do the rears and pay for the fronts to be done in a shop.
The rear alignment adjustment are on the subframe side of the arm connections so you may be able to get away without a rear alignment. since you wouldn't be messing with those adjustments to get the springs out.
Update: I found a place in Tacoma (about an hour away) that was WAY cheaper than anyone else around here and I think the swap and alignment total was a little less than $500 which was more on par with what I was thinking.
The first week or two Id say it was literally just like stock for the bumps, but the handling definitely feels slightly better. It's not like I ripped out the whole thing and it's completely different, so just slightly tighter feeling.
Now a few months later, things have seated into place and seems to be a little rougher riding than before but not significantly so.
The way I think of it is like this:
First two weeks after install ride was 10/10
Few months later 8.5 out of 10.
This was with just the springs, so if I go to swap the shocks out that would probably help a bit too.
You have the Eibach Pro Kit, correct? It claims a drop of 1" up front and 2" in the back. Do you feel like thats what it lowered yours? Also, did you end up swapping out the shocks/struts? Looks like you still have a very slight rake from front to back - which for me is fine because I don't want the back to look "saggy".
I can't decide between the Eibach Pro Kit with Bilstein 4600s or the stock SRT springs with the Bilstein 4600s.
Yeah, I have JUST the springs. To be honest, I didn't really do an "official" measurement once I got the truck back, but I would say the first week or so it rode great (GREAT) and after it settled in a bit, the ride was slightly stiffer. I may have mentioned this in this post earlier but the first week or two was a 10 out of 10 stock factory ride, but with better handling, and now its more like 8.5. TOTALLY drivable and Im not bouncing all over the place at all. That being said I actually wish Id gone lower AND with shocks. Didn't find out about the Black Ops "aggressive" drop springs until after Id already installed the Eibachs.
Today I have no saggy ass end. If I sit down on the ground eye level with the top of the rear tires, you can see it does sit level now, so 1/2" drop is probably about right.
Just my opinion, but I would say if you're going to get the shocks to go with em anyways, either pair of springs would be fine, SRT stock, Eibach kit, or Black Ops for a lower ride still.
This is just me thinking out loud, but I also really wish there was a decent airbag kit already made for these WK2s as well. i know thats probably not an ultra common thing for Jeeps to be bagged, but that would be killer. Do any of you WK2 owners have bags and what's the ride like vs stock?
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