Poly Performance Upper Shock Bracket Question

I run the upper and lower rear synergy shock brackets. I only had them on for a few weeks with limited miles before I then installed a set of the Nemesis front lower shock brackets(moves the lower bracket up an inch and out an inch).

Drove to Daytona from Atlanta last week for jeep beach and it felt like the jeep was noticeably smoother than it had been in the past. Same air pressure in the tires, same shocks, springs, etc. It could be my imagination but it just felt like the shocks were in a slightly better position to work their shock magic.

I didn't add any of the brackets for the "on road" ride quality. I added the rears to get the lower shock mount further from the ground and added the rear uppers because I didn't have any shock travel to give up. I added the lower fronts to allow the front shock to be in less of a bind in flex. The on rode ride quality has been a bonus.

ALASHA said:

Thanks TCDawg for the input.

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No problem.

If the increased ride quality is just in my head, it definitely did not degrade the ride quality.

Also, you may have issues if you run the stock exhaust. The sway bar needs to move back, even more than if you moved it back for lift, and either the shock body or sway bar may be in conflict with the stock exhaust or an exhaust in the stock location. Mine is moved to a different location so not an issue for me.

ALASHA said:

TCDawg do the shocks look like they sit at a very steep angle now i.e. alot of pressure on the lower mounting?

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The shocks are a little less upright than stock. I don't see any undue pressure on the lower mount.

I'll post some pics when I get home.

jvandy50 said:

How many inches total does the sway bar need to move back? Mines already been an inch with the RK lift, but like you said, that's not enough.


Vandy

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Another inch

ALASHA said:

Ok time for some more math. My old shocks were 15" compressed and at ride height showed about 5" of shaft (insert jokes) so 5" of up travel and 5" of down travel. This gives me a total of ~20" of mounting point to mounting point on the shock at rest.

These brackets will give me an additional 3.2" of length as previously mentioned so now the length is 23.2".

With 13" travel Bilsteins, the collapsed length is 18" so at the same ride height I will show 5.2" of shaft again but I will now have 7.8" of down travel instead of the previous 5".

That sounds like ALOT of travel out of a 2.5" lift and will be more than the front set up.

Again anyone see any problems?

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You will want to use limiting straps, even if you use spring retainers. With that down travel you may be pushing the limits of your brake line and ABS/speed sensor lines.

so the Bilstiens you are looking at have a compressed length of 18 and an extended length of 31? What model?

Your old shocks were 15 and 25?

ALASHA said:

So I got it up on a lift last night without any shocks in it, the distance between mounting locations for the shock is 26". This distance is fixed by the length of my tone ring wires and the length of my sway bar links.

At this point I am at a loss. I can stick with the stock upper mount location and get the same shocks which will give me 5" up travel and 5" of down travel. The up travel and down travel will be a little less because of bump stops and limit straps but the 5" down still leaves ~1" of that full 26".

Or I can get the next size up of 5160s which would give me 4" up travel and 7" down. Again both will be a little less because of bump stops/limit straps but the 7" now is 1" more than the full 26".

Going with the Poly brackets doesnt net me anything unless I get longer links and extend the wires. Not sure I really want to do all that...

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the speed sensor/tone ring wires can be extended pretty easily. It is just a regular wire. Cut, solder in an extension, button it back up....at least that what it looks like. I have not done the extension but I did cut open an old wire to check it out and it looked like a regular wire.

thedirtman said:

And don't the upper brackets move the top mount farther away from the axle?

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yes