Hi All,

I have a 2002 Jeep Liberty Ltd (3.7 L / automatic / 4WD) with ~160,000 miles. I am the original owner and she has been babied. Vehicle is mainly used for hauling dogs and boat stuff and getting around in deep snow here in Chicago.

It is time for a rebuild of the front suspension. I will be keeping stock suspension height - no lift. Below is a list of what I am considering installing. Am I heading down the right path? Also, any suggestions for reputable installers in Chicago or Chicago suburbs? I live on the northside of Chicago and work in Des Plaines.


New items to be installed:

JPA (Jeepinbyal) Upper Control Arm with new upper control arm bushings
MOOG K3199 Lower Ball Joint (LBJ) to be installed in existing Lower Control Arm <- greaseable ball joint
New Lower Control Arm bushings

The following will be inspected and replaced if needed:

Outer Tie Rod End
Tie Rod
Inner Tie Rod End
Steering Knuckle
Lower Control Arm
Sway Bar
Sway Bar Bushing/Bracket

Front struts and rear shocks were replaced 15,000 miles ago. If they are not OK, I will probably go with BILSTEIN heavy duty struts/shocks. OME (Old Man Emory) struts/shocks from Australia sound great but are probably overkill for my needs.

Thanks,
Doug in Lakeview
2002 Jeep Liberty Ltd | 3.7 L Automatic 4x4

OME= Old Man Emu
Either OME or Ironman would not be overkill, actually is a step up from stock weak suspension. Would ride and handle way better if you upgraded

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MUDD'S MOTORSPORT'S We do IFS lift installs ,
03 OVERLAND EDITION /Kilby-Skidrow-Mopar-4XGuard skids/ 2.5 inch TOTAL CONTROL JBA coilovers -JBA Arms/MOABS-31 FALKEN WILDPEAK AT3W / 4.10's etc, 04 Kilimanjaro Edition loaded, plus 05 KJ limited

After spending all it's life in that salt strewn environment I'd have to wonder if it's worth the investment. And how many frozen/damaged related fasteners and components will be required in addition to the parts you plan to replace.

Bob

Yes, be prepared for lots of frozen parts! I just rebuilt front suspension of a car that lived in Texas for it's whole life and I still had to fight with stuck rotor and stuck bearings. If you really want to rebuild then plan for getting some flag bolts.

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'06 Liberty CRD Limited. Bought at 91K miles.
ARP studs, New rockers, Stant inline tstat, Weeks 1&2, Provent, IDParts Silicone hoses,
2-1/2" Full OME lift, Timing belt, Water pump, TransGo kit, Plastic fan, Fumoto
2nd gen fuel head with 2nd stage 2 micron filter, in-tank lift pump, G2 Rear Diff Cover

All depends on how it was taken care of
I've worked on ones that are covered in rust and others from the same area that were washed and taken care of and hardly any issues with rust!
Mine has spent every winter ( I bought new 9/2004) in Ohio and doesn't have a bit of rust on it

_________________
MUDD'S MOTORSPORT'S We do IFS lift installs ,
03 OVERLAND EDITION /Kilby-Skidrow-Mopar-4XGuard skids/ 2.5 inch TOTAL CONTROL JBA coilovers -JBA Arms/MOABS-31 FALKEN WILDPEAK AT3W / 4.10's etc, 04 Kilimanjaro Edition loaded, plus 05 KJ limited

All our southern riggs, unless you get a coastal one that's been exposed to the salty sea breezes, are rust free. Guess the ones that migrate down (what's the difference in a Yankee, and a D@mnYankee? The Yankee comes on vacation spends lots of money, then goes back home. The D@mnYankee comes,stays and wants every thing done like it is "back home"!) are alll I've ever been exposed to.

Bob


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Hi All,

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Any recommendations for a shop in the Chicagoland area?

I hear the concerns about salt, rust, and frozen parts. However, when brake pads, rotors, & struts/shocks were replaced about 1.5 years ago there was nothing that a good pre-soak with PB Blaster or Kroil couldn’t handle. Body has no rust whatsoever – except some corrosion around the rear lift glass hinges (under the plastic cover). Of course, there is surface rust on the underside but nothing that makes you question the strength of the components.

This is not my daily driver. It’s used mainly for the transporting two 80# Weimaraner dogs and for carrying stuff to/from the boat.

Yes – the OME struts/shocks are supposed to be great. Only reservation for not installing them is that the current struts/shocks are just 1.5 year old. However, it may make sense to go ahead and install the OME struts/shocks at this time. Do I need to replace springs too? Or can I use the original springs with the OME struts/shocks? I will be keeping stock height – no lift.

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Thanks,

Doug in Lakeview
2002 Jeep Liberty Ltd | 3.7L Automatic 4x4