JBA Strut Spacer Plates *Installed 1/20/2012*

Smetna · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:44 am

Can I add two of these things to each side (for a total of 1") without changing the springs or struts? I want to level out the KK. I hate how the front is so much lower. Will it wreck havoc on my OEM springs/struts?

Smetna · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 8:55 pm

Anyone?

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:00 pm

You will have to add longer studs to the top plates to do what you want.

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 9:24 pm

Anyone know how far off the front is from the back? tjkj2002, what do you suggest is the best way to just level it?

Smetna · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 10:12 pm

On mine, a 2011 with just over 10k miles, the front is nearly 1 inch lower.

TJ, thanks for the reply brosk. Are those studs something that are specific to the vehicle, or would the shop have some that'll work in the parts bin? I ordered the JBA plates already, and my mech guessed no more than two hours to get these spacers in.

At The Helm · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:19 pm

I looked everywhere for replacement studs and couldnt find the right knurl diameter. Ended up getting slightly larger ones and had to bore out the holes in my top plates for them to work.
Just do one 3/8" plate per side and a clevis lift and you'll be close if not a little higher in the front.

At The Helm · **Posted:** Thu Jan 12, 2012 11:28 pm

Here is mine a while ago with exactly what i just mentioned
*warning* if you do this your only going to want more lift :-)r

Very small amount of clevis lift, you can do more if you wanted to safely

Smetna · **Posted:** Fri Jan 13, 2012 12:34 am

Thanks guys. I'll go down and talk to my mech Chaz and see if he has the studs/ knows where to source them/ can make do with something non-spec . . . .

At The Helm · **Posted:** Fri Jan 13, 2012 2:59 am

A grade 10.9 m12x1.75 x ~55mm welded to the top plate will work too. They must be centered exactly in the holes though.

Smetna · **Posted:** Fri Jan 13, 2012 10:40 pm

Okay so . . . .

Marlin from JBA says he's positive that two 1/4" (total of 1/2") spacers will fit on the stock studs.

"Total threads on stud is 1.010” long"

That leaves me with a half inch of thread to torque down on.

How do you guys know it'll need longer ones?

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Jan 13, 2012 11:02 pm

Two 1/4 inch plates "may" fit but unless the bolts are indeed longer than what is on a KJ, you won't have hardly enough threads for the nut on the bolt
Ask most anyone over my way and I have tried almost every cheap little trick there is to grab a little more lift
I like to see some threads above a nut when tightened down, two you don't

At The Helm · **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 2:57 am

I'll be darned, I think it will work. I'll assume Marlin measured the exposed stud threads while mounted to the oem top plate and going through the kk's body, because there are actually about 1 1/8" of threads (1/8" body sheet metal). With like one half of a thread exposed, you probably can get two 1/4" plates in there. Thats really pushing it though. I'd do a clevis lift and one 3/8" shim if it were me.
This is a top plate mounting stud from a 2010 kk. The nut is 1/2" tall.

Smetna · **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 6:44 am

He said he would NOT recommend three. Two is the max.

And in order to keep the labor costs down I don't want the shop to have to disassemble two different pieces of the ifs to do a clevis AND plate.

Or is it cake and I'm being retarded about it?

At The Helm · **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 12:45 pm

Your mechanic will have to completely remove the coil/shock assembly the susp to add extra top plates. Gapping the clevis will be cheaper because you dont have to buy 4 shims, only two. He has to remove the forks anyway, so show him a picture of a clevis lift and tell him thats how you want it. :wink:

It can be done at home yourself fairly easily. If you don't have the tools, buying them would probably still be cheaper than paying a mechanic to do it. Jack stands, bfh, 10,12,15,18,21mm sockets, prybar....

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Jan 14, 2012 5:01 pm

Trust me do one top plate and a clevis
Thats the way I have done over 20 KJ lifts and it works great
If you look at where that nut has to be not enough threads to hold properly

Smetna · **Posted:** Sun Jan 15, 2012 1:21 am

Alright, sold.

So . . . .

I need four 2" conduit nuts? Because they are 1/8" tall each, correct?

So 1/4" clevis conduit nut lift + 1/4" strut spacer plate lift gives me 1/2" total which is effectively doubled to 1". Which will level out the front and rear. (actually on mine, the front is not quite 1" lower, but it only has 10k miles on it and it'll settle down some)

Lastly, I can get these conduit nuts at Lowes? And I'd want stainless.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Jan 15, 2012 2:54 am

If you are shooting for an inch then yes 2 conduit nuts perside
plus your 1/4 inch top plate
Lowes or any hardware store has the nuts
hint, tape them together makes it easier to keep where you want them

At The Helm · **Posted:** Sun Jan 15, 2012 3:32 am

On a kk factory front shock, 2" conduit nuts will slide over both the vertical alignment ridge and the horizontal ridge (where the top part of the clevis fork rests). I think 4 per side in this case would make a 1/4" gap for 1/2" of clevis lift (+1/4" top plate = 1" of lift). Here are pics that hopefully explain:

Note: what i just said goes out the door if using bilsteins because they are a little different than stockers in that area.

Smetna · **Posted:** Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:24 am

I'll take all of this under advisement, and update once I have any news to report. Thanks fellas

Smetna · **Posted:** Fri Jan 20, 2012 8:47 pm

Alright, they're in.

Two JBA spacer plates per side, 1/2" total, on stock studs. There's a couple threads left over at the top of the studs. Here's why I'm not concerned at all: The weight of the Jeep is pushing up on the IFS. The only time those studs come into the equation is if the front wheels leave the ground (not that often). They're torqued down to 80 ft/lbs as per factory spec, and we've used some red loctite just to be sure. As I said, the nut went onto the stud 100%, with a couple threads left over. Pics on the way.

I decided against the conduit nut/clevis lift because I couldn't source any stainless or aluminum conduit nuts. Those Lowes ones would've rotted away by March, no joke. We have salty salty roads.

Thanks to Atthehelm and Tommudd for all the help

JBA Strut Spacer Plates Installed 1/20/2012

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