As great as the Jeep TJ performs in stock form, it can always be made better with some trick aftermarket suspension pieces. Increases in travel, control, and comfort can easily be had, but generally at the expense of raising the center of gravity. While suspension kits for the TJ aren't new, this LCG kit from Teraflex is worth the wait.
The term LCG stands for low center of gravity, and the concept is to increase the performance of the TJ's suspension while not raising the vehicle as much as previous designs. The kit consists of much longer control arms in addition to new coils and shocks, and the associated brackets that need to be welded on. While this isn't a backyard install, the final product is well worth it in terms of travel, control, and ride.
We tagged along as Mark Falkner of Teraflex installed one of the first prototype kits on a TJ at the Off Road Warehouse in San Diego, and then we went and wheeled the wee out of it. Although we encountered a few glitches on this early prototype kit, we went back and watched Rand Ridges of Teraflex install the production model. We like being on the cutting edge of the industry, which is why we checked out Tera's LCG long before regular production was begun. Check out how the install went, and look forward to more innovative products from guys who drive and wheel their own products, not just make them and sell them.
For this kit there's a lot...
For this kit there's a lot of cutting and welding going on, so we don't consider it a backyard job. After removing the stock shocks, coils, track bar, and locating arms, the real work begins. The basic idea is to cut off any offending bracket such as the front upper and lower control-arm brackets on the frame, and the upper brackets on the axle if you want it to look clean. Only the lower front-axle brackets are retained.
New front upper brackets are...
New front upper brackets are welded to the frame according to the directions, which are very detailed and complete. The kit makes both front and rear axle suspension a true triangulated four-link setup, with adjustable left- and righthand threads in all the arms. This allows for the track bars to be removed since they aren't needed. Longer arms, longer coils, and matched longer shocks are included with the kit.
The upper arms attach to a...
The upper arms attach to a bracket welded onto the top of the axle. This bracket is measured and installed precisely, then welded on. The U-bolts add an extra margin of safety, since so much stress is placed on this one bracket. We told you this wasn't a bolt-on kit, but still worth it.