[JTS97Z28]

Purchased my new HA a few weeks ago and LOVE it. I like the sportier look, but like others I felt the forward rake and huge rear gap could be leveled out. I used the info from another forum member to make my own rear links. Super easy, super cheap, and perfect results. Not only do I feel it looks better, but I'm finding it's much easier to get in and out, loading stuff in the back is easier, and when it comes time to wash you can reach the roof easier. All that over about an inch change in rear height.

I purchased 4 8mm ball sockets from eBay user zorotools and they arrived in one day. BANSBACH EASYLIFT 96111 8mm Ball Socket 22mm M5 Thread Elbow is the name of the item. You will then need some threaded rod, but I happened to have some 10-32 bolts laying around which threaded right in. I just cut the head off and used those. You want to make the total length of the links 3.25" compared to 3.5" stock. Put all the pieces together, set to exact length and snug them up. The open ball sockets must face opposite directions which I forgot to do in my pictures. Slide under the car from behind and pop the old ones off. Replace with the new ones and you are done. NO tools required! Total cost 35 bucks! When set to 3.25" total length you will have perfectly even wheel gap between front and rear. If you want it different than that feel free to set the link length to your desire. I have not driven at night yet to see what happens to headlight cutoff, but be advised if they don't automatically adjust based on the new rear ride height you may have to lower them a bit. That's also easy and only requires a long philips screw driver. I will find out about that when I leave work tonight.

Here are the pics. Sorry the actual Jeep pics aren't great as I didn't have time for a quality shoot.

Original vs custom links. Don't forget the open side of the ball sockets will need to be turned opposite directions which I forgot to do in these pics.

Originals are 3.5" long. New ones are 3.25" for even wheel gaps.

New link installed. As easy as popping on.

Original height measured from the ground to the center of the wheel well arch in entry/exit mode (about 33.25"):

New rear height in entry/exit setting (about 32.25"):

Full shot and wheel gap shot in entry/exit height:

 

[blk14altitude]

Ordered mine yesterday. Don't think I will be installing them til springtime thou. Still running winter rims and it's cold outside. I am wondering thou, what about dirt and salt getting in the socket. Could it bind up?

By the way, looks great!!!

 

[bardugle]

Is the front the same as the back?

 

[JTS97Z28]

Ordered mine yesterday. Don't think I will be installing them til springtime thou. Still running winter rims and it's cold outside. I am wondering thou, what about dirt and salt getting in the socket. Could it bind up?

By the way, looks great!!!

I suppose small dirt particles could potentially get in there, but these things move such a small amount there's no way it could be an issue. Infact, most of the movement is all in the sensor arm itself, not the link. This is a very basic thing really. If it's a concern reach under, pop them out and clean. Would take all of 2 minutes.

Is the front the same as the back?

The front links are different. Same concept , but the link is a different length. Also, if you wanted to lower the front I think I read you have to increase the length of the link, not shorten like the rears. Fronts would be just as easy of a job.

 

[JTS97Z28]

A few more full exterior shots today from work. Speaking of work, can any aviation guys here figure out what and where I work based on this first picture below? (Without looking at my profile) ;-)

 

[overlanding]

Agh I'm so envious! It looks great!!!

 

[jonny01blaze]

Perfect mate! Great work, this is how they should have sat from the factory!

 

[Jeverall]

Looks awesome, nice work!

 

[Jeverall]

Could this be done exactly the same on a 14 Summit??

 

[JTS97Z28]

Could this be done exactly the same on a 14 Summit??

Yes same thing.



Just an update. So I drove home from work last night and the headlights DEFINITELY have to be adjusted after doing this. They were so high up that I ended up driving home from work last night with just my fogs and DRLs set to dim. First car I passed I was high beamed and I don't want to blind anyone. So, if you do this plan on aiming your headlights down ASAP.

For my commute to work today I put the stock links back in in an effort to see if I can feel any differences in ride whatsoever. If there is its minimal.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

JTS', thanks for posting this!

I do wish that the photos were not just thumbnails, however...details are hard or impossible to see.

 

[overlanding]

Lol I bet! I get high beamed in the GC all of the time. They shine high already.

 

[JTS97Z28]

I do wish that the photos were not just thumbnails, however...details are hard or impossible to see.

The pictures are just small thumbnails?? That's weird I am showing large pictures on my side that can be clicked to be even larger? Is everyone else just seeing small thumbnails??

Lol I bet! I get high beamed in the GC all of the time. They shine high already.

Why don't you re-aim them? That's gotta be super annoying for the oncoming drivers. Not only does it not blind everyone else, but the output would improve for you as well. A properly aimed HID projector is critical. Too high and you blind people and a lot of your output is above the road, too low and you have no down the road lighting. Adjusting is simple with just a philips screw driver. Find a nice flat wall you can aim at and fix'em.

 

[overlanding]

Your pics were large/normal for me.

I actually adjusted them last night. On my wife's Lexus I had to raise them so I have became familiar a bit with how simple it is to aim them.

 

[jonny01blaze]

The pics are still thumbnail non clickable for me aswell. I'm viewing from a Surface though so i just pinched and zoomed in. Still looks great, definitely on my list of to do.

 

[dcorn]

This is basically an exact duplicate of a thread I posted a few months ago lol. My links look identical and I did point out that lowering the rear just an inch had a drastic affect on the headlights. They had to be lowered a couple clicks down.

 

[scooter7728]

The front links have to be longer to make the car go lower

The front links are different. Same concept , but the link is a different length. Also, if you wanted to lower the front I think I read you have to increase the length of the link, not shorten like the rears. Fronts would be just as easy of a job.

 

[JTS97Z28]

This is basically an exact duplicate of a thread I posted a few months ago lol. My links look identical and I did point out that lowering the rear just an inch had a drastic affect on the headlights. They had to be lowered a couple clicks down.

Yeah, but I like to add lots of pics :thumbsup: I got all my info from your thread, I thought I mentioned that in the original post, maybe I didn't.

The front links have to be longer to make the car go lower

Yeah I tinkered with the fronts last night since they are so easy to remove (just reach in above the tire). I went ahead and ordered 4 more ball sockets and I will make some for the fronts as well. After dropping the rear to even out the wheel gaps I'm finding that I actually don't like the evened out stance and feel that to look right we do need a very slight front rake. I feel that with an even gap front to rear it seems like the Jeep is always squating in the back. Then I can only imagine when driving or accelerating it probably looks like I have 1000lbs of bricks in the back. So I'm gonna leave the rear at the 1" lowered height, then drop the front just slightly to give it a slight forward rake. Should be a perfect stance and all well within alignment specs. Reason being is if Jeep aligns this thing in sport mode, then 90% of my driving will be at a height just between sport and normal ride height. If anything this will be better for tire wear, so I tell myself anyway ;-) And hey if I ever decide I don't like them it takes 5 minutes to return to stock and I can always sell the adjustable links.

 

[dcorn]

Yeah, but I like to add lots of pics :thumbsup: I got all my info from your thread, I thought I mentioned that in the original post, maybe I didn't.

Oh ok, awesome haha :thumbsup: Didn't want anyone to steal my thunder since I couldn't find any info about the links on this forum or the web in general. And yes, after I installed my links I realized I took zero pictures so I'm glad you were able to post a bunch of pics.

Might want to put a link to my thread in the original post so people can see part numbers to source their own parts for the build.

 

[blk14altitude]

I can't believe how small these links actually are. The pics in the first post look like they are a lot larger than what are. Maybe because it is such a close up. I can't believe Zoro sent these things in 2 boxes. One 12 x 8 x 8 box had the ball sockets then a 2" dia tube had the 3' piece of threaded rod. And no charge shipping.