JKS Quick Disco for the KJ

kjhawaii · **Posted:** Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:12 pm

KjHawaii Aloha

I installed the disconnects, They had some contact with the ABS
sensor mount, since I don't have ABS I cut the mount off and now I
don't have contact problems. I have about a 3" lift by Boulderbars
the frankinlift.

I also have some problem at full droop with the disconnect binding a
little against the swaybar itself but no big deal.

I cannot extend the disonnects, I have to keep them all the way closed
so Im kinda bummed to pay for adustables when I cannot adjust. A
better design would to eliminate the adustable part, fashion it after
the stock part with the disconnect feature at a lower price, it seems
simple enough to manufacture In my mind.

And Lastly the laynard idea does not work for me, Its way to short and
if I were to force it to connect it would surely break. Im playing
around with my own design of the laynard using a similar longer cable
and a small bungee cord.

If you come up with a solution please let me know, And If I figure out
a solution I will do the same.

Jim
Our company KJ has ABS but no contact. Where is your ABS contacting the QD?
Pictures?

And why can't you adjust them out longer? Do you have interference with
something?

As far as the lanyard, the swaybar must be physically pulled up to meet the
length of the lanyard. If your swaybar doesn't move easily by hand remove
it and clean the frame mounted pivot bushings and lubricate.

KjHawaii Hi Jim

Ill post some Pics for you. Ill be doing more mods to the Jeep Next week.

PS - Is you Jeep Lifted???

Jim

No, our company KJ has no lift but I can simulate one with our forklift

KjHawaii Hi Jim

Stock Struts don't allow the control arms to fully drop all the way
down. We add more drop by either using special Top Plate Strut Mounts
or Longer Struts and we do both in my case on the Frankinlift. So
that I believe is the main explaination besides the factory variances.

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

Did anyone ever receive a response back from the company regarding the tethers breaking???

Gris · **Posted:** Fri Sep 22, 2006 10:25 pm

I never contacted them. I wanted the disconnects, not the tether. I'm sure my design will hold up just as well as anything they would sent me to replace the broken one, so why waste their money for shipping or whatever.

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

I agree, but for future customers they obviously need to make a change.

FYI - I did make the lanyard that Gris suggested, but I took it to the next level :twisted:

Picture the same thing, but with two clips on each end (four total) and everything is JB welded in place (no 1" hoop on the end either - you'll see why later). Also, I made it about .75" longer than the one that came with the disconnects. I found that with a lift there was a lot of contact with the hub at full droop. With the extra .75" you are still VERY close, but it is acceptable. At full compression with this length you are still about .5" away from the lower control arm.

One suggestion - DO NOT KEEP THE PINS IN THE UPPER MOUNTS WHILE DISCONNECTED. I know the directions say to, but your pin will get crushed (TheChucklesStart I bet this is what happened to yours) between the mounting post and the hub at full droop. With the angles involved I can't see how the lanyard would slip off so I don't see this being a problem. If you use the 1" hoop I think it might make more noise and would definitely have a tendancy to slide around on the post more than the wire would...and if you can't use the pins that's not a good thing.

One more thing...if you don't have ABS just go ahead and cut off the ABS mount. I definitely saw the potential for contact as it was very close to the upper mounting post when cycling the suspension. Thanks to whoever suggested this earlier!

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 23, 2006 9:58 am

I got a reply. I tried the fix and will be wheeling it tomorrow at Paragon...

"The problem has never been the lanyard. The lanyard fails because something was forcing the swaybar downward which stretched the lanyard beyond it's limits and then it fails.

After simulating a 3" lift on our company KJ I found the brake lines would come in contact with the upper JKS stainless steel post mounted to the swaybar. This contact would happen only with extreme right or left hand turns and full suspension droop. The rubber brake line would extert just enough pressure to push the swaybar down and snap the lanyard. I quickly solved the issue by hand bending the hard line (steel brake line coming off the caliper) upward approximately 1-1 1/2" and outward toward the knuckle approximately 1/2". "

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

I disagree with him. He didn't catch that the top posts are contacting the hubs at full droop. That puts way more pressure on the lanyard than the brake line could (to be honest if that was the case I'd be more worried about the steel lanyard cutting the rubber brake line...duh). Anyway, lengthen the lanyard a tad if you have a lift...

lilmatty · **Posted:** Sat Sep 23, 2006 6:16 pm

Hey guys, I'm away from my office for 2 weeks so someone else please make sure Jim at JKS sees these comments and replies. He needs to learn the issues.

Thanks in advance.

TheChucklesStart · **Posted:** Sun Sep 24, 2006 9:24 pm

My pin bent before I took my jeep offroad, I think it bent because I put in in backwards (the little L that the ring attaches to was pointing towards the disconnect and when the swaybar resisted sway, the force it was exerting went to bending the pin)

However, I didn't even think about this when I checked to see if my lanyard was broken, but last yesterday when I finally put the sway links back on (I ride my bike everywhere do I don't use my jeep much right now) I noticed I was missing the pin, it must have fallen off during the trail ride.

I am curious, what is a good way to cycle the suspension in a controlled mannor (rather than off-road where you don't really want to just stop to look at your suspension)? RTI ramp?

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

I just used a floor jack under the front skid...get both front tires off the ground and that's full droop. Full compression is tougher. I parked heading downhill (on my driveway) and put a ramp under the driver's side front and passenger side rear tires...that gets close to full compression so you can see if you've got any contact issues that direction as well.

kickit_in4wheel · **Posted:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 1:11 am

So has anyone else put these to use yet? What do you think? I want to know before I decide to get them or not.

NU ARTY BOY · **Posted:** Fri Oct 06, 2006 2:42 am

For a hundred bucks they make the suspension travel much easier. But don't get them if you are not going to seriously wheel your KJ and you don't really need the extra travel.

Gris · **Posted:** Mon Nov 27, 2006 12:26 am

My Update from RC this weekend, 11/25/06...

My cable worked fine for about a half hour. Then I heard the sway bar clunking off the LCA. I stopped to check it out only to find that the little "?" in the brake line holder that you slip the cable through had torn off. The brake line holder part was fine, it just stripped off the end where the cable goes. With no where else anywhere near the bar to hook the cable to, I had to just let it bang.

The retaining pin got bent in half of course, and we had to rock the head until it snapped off to get it out. That is 1 pin per off-road trip (3) since I got them on.

I have no idea what put so much pressure on the cable that it ripped that mount off, but it had to be a lot.

Gris · **Posted:** Mon Nov 27, 2006 4:19 pm

They have new install instructions that contain a mod to the steering knuckle.

I'll give this a shot and let everyone know what happens next time out.

gopherbeats · **Posted:** Mon Nov 27, 2006 11:35 pm

There has got to be another way to wrangle the swaybar with out using cables..... I'll have to go out and stare at it for a bit to see if I can come up with something...
I think I might have to buy some quick disconnects first...

Kugellager · **Posted:** Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:17 pm

Any updates on the issues raised here? What about after following the new installation directions....are there still contact/cable breakage issues? Has JKS supplied beefier cables or has anyone come up with a better method than the previous ones to keep the sway bar out of the way?

Just ordered the disconnects today and was gathering info for an install.

John
];')

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 06, 2007 1:55 pm

I believe their solution involves shaving a bit off the ABS mount on the knuckle. I've seen updated directions that didnt exist when I got mine. I just bent the brake line and let them hang.

Edit http://www.jksmfg.com/support/install_qrd_pn5100.pdf

Gris · **Posted:** Sat Jan 06, 2007 8:01 pm

JKS sent me a new lanyard and the brass piece that holds it.

When I went with the beefier calbe I described earlier in the post, it ripped that brass piece in half. JKS said they'd rather me use the weaker lanyard than damage something with one that doesn't brake.

I DID shave the ABS tab per the newer instructions, but have not been off-road since i did to test it.

LostRenegade · **Posted:** Sat Jan 06, 2007 9:29 pm

kjhawaii wrote:

:D KjHawaii Aloha

I cannot extend the disonnects, I have to keep them all the way closed
so Im kinda bummed to pay for adustables when I cannot adjust. A
better design would to eliminate the adustable part, fashion it after
the stock part with the disconnect feature at a lower price, it seems
simple enough to manufacture In my mind.

.

Why can't the disconnects be extended?

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

Makes no sense to me...mine are extended by about 2" and working great. I also use a beefier lanyard with no problems...making it longer than the stock one is key.

KJ04 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 07, 2007 9:29 am

LostRenegade wrote:

kjhawaii wrote:

:D KjHawaii Aloha

I cannot extend the disonnects, I have to keep them all the way closed
so Im kinda bummed to pay for adustables when I cannot adjust. A
better design would to eliminate the adustable part, fashion it after
the stock part with the disconnect feature at a lower price, it seems
simple enough to manufacture In my mind.

.

Why can't the disconnects be extended?

Probably, because he did a cradle drop, which changes the geometry.

According to JKS directions, the links are 1/2" longer than stock in the closed position. They recomend extending the links out 1" for a 2"-2 1/2'' lifted Liberty for starters, and adjust as necessary to fine tune. So guys with Frankies may need to extend longer, as opposed to say a Rusty's lift or OME.

Please keep the comments coming, as I will hold off on my purchase untill the bugs are all accounted for.

JKS Quick Disco for the KJ

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