Tomken Ultra-Flex 4 inch lift kit Install

Tomken Ultra-Flex 4" lift kit Install

Background

The stock 1999 Jeep Wrangler as delivered from the factory or with minor modifications is very capable, but I wanted more. Our ZJ had taken us many places. The Up Country suspension helped a little, but we lost clearance with the addition of the Smittybuilt SureStep nerf bars (The rock protection was really needed though for the ZJ). We went through and up things other stock SUV's couldn't do. We were very lucky to have escaped body damage. It got to nerve wracking worrying about the ZJ. Yes there are some great lift kits for the ZJ, but I feel the TJ is the "platform of choice" for serious 'wheeling. Another BIG PLUS is the fact that we can choose to go topless and doorless in the TJ. A lift and bigger tires was the immediate thing to do upon receiving the TJ.

From this

To This!

Before our TJ arrived, I was researching the net, talking to local stores, and to lift kit manufacturers, for what was available and what worked the best to make my TJ trail ready. I exchanged e-mails with several people including one who had ridden in quite a few TJ's with different brands of lift kits. Additionally I reviewed web sites showing Tomken Machine and Rubicon Express installs. I had found Tomken on the net and additionally was refereed to them by a friend in Boulder. I spent some time with Tomken on the phone discussing my concerns about different lift kits and asking a lot of questions. They were very helpful and I did not receive any sales pressure to buy from them. Their design, technical merits and completeness of their "Off Road Performance Package" did that for me. I had decided previously that no mater who's kit I bought, I was going to get Tomken's front and gas tank skid plates.

Very few lift kit manufacturers include both upper and lower control arms which I feel are an absolute requirement. Tomken's control arms (Tomken calls them "Super-Articulating Control Arms") all include ball sockets designed for maximum travel and articulation. Their design of the lower control arms also includes a bend which allows a 2 inch further axle droop than straight ones. When the front sway-bar is disconnected, the amount of articulation is amazing. The rotating control arms reduce the stress on the frame/axle brackets which additionally allows the axle to articulate even more.

Since I had now made up mind on what to do, I started to fill up one side of the garage with the parts to make the TJ ready for some serious 'wheeling. When our TJ arrived on Thursday, the parts were ready to go. We went for a drive (top off of course!) and ran the odometer up to 125 miles. That night off came the stock bumper, and on went the Tomken Stubby bumper and Portable Winch Mount. After work on Friday and another short drive at 145 miles off came the rear bumper, but the real work started Saturday morning when my friend Ted showed up with his air tools.

2. Parts:

2.1 Parts Included in Kit

The following parts are included in the complete lift kit and may also be purchased separately:

2 Front coil springs
2 Rear coil springs
2 Front upper control arms with new bushings
2 Rear upper control arms with new bushings
4 Super-Articulating lower control arms with new bushings
2 3" Front bump stops
2 3" Rear bump stops
Sway-bar disconnects with storage bag and retainer
Rear track bar relocation bracket
Parking brake relocation bracket
Transfer case drop kit
2 Pro-Comp ES3000 shocks (Front part# 324515)
2 Pro-Comp ES3000 shocks (Rear part# 324509)
Front Stubby Bumper (substituted for Protec Bumper)
Rear Protec Bumper w/receiver
Swing out Tire Rack w/HiLift & Gerry Mount
Brake Light Relocator
Rocky Rack
2"x4" Rocker Skids
Under Carriage Skid Plate
Gas Tank Skid Plate

Swing out Tire/Gerry Can/Hi Lift/Rocky Rack

Additional Recommended Parts

My TJ did not have a spring retaining clamp on the passenger side spring, so I bought the retainer and the screw from the dealer. I felt that if it's important enough to hold down the drivers side spring, you better do the passenger side too.

3. Tools

3.1 Tools Required

The following tools are required for the installation:

2 two-ton (or bigger) floor jacks
Lug wrench
Hammer/mallet.
1/2" drive breaker-bar.
3/8" drive ratchet.
2", 4" extension for 3/8" drive.
13mm socket.
15mm socket.
18mm socket.
Torx T40 socket.
Torx T50 socket.
Torx T55 socket.
13/16" socket.
13/16" deep socket or box-end wrench.
11/16" socket or box-end wrench.
5/8" socket.
1/2" socket.
13mm wrench
Drill
3/8" drill bit.
7/16" drill bit.
Small Hose clamp
Liquid paper, grease pencil, or nail polish

3.2 Tools Recommended

The following items/tools will make the installation much easier:

Factory service manual. If you don't use it now, you will in the future. It's a great reference.
I had to use six ton jack stands, the two ton ones I had were way too short!
A second floor jack was very helpful for aligning/rotating the axle when installing the control arm bolts
Pickle fork ball-joint spreader
8mm socket for the drive shaft strap bolts
Bench mount Vice
Air Compressor
1/2" Air impact
3/8" Air ratchet

4. Installation

The instructions from Tomken came as a stapled set of 8 1/2" by 11" sheets. Several diagrams were included to further detail steps in the instructions. Tomken tells you "Please read all the instructions and diagrams before you begin".

Before I started, I had unpacked all the parts and read through all the instructions. Additionally I found and read Don Alderron's Tomken install on Off-Road.com. I'm glad I did this because I also came up with a few questions which were not covered in the instructions. Tomken isn't open on the weekend and I didn't want to get stuck with questions half way through and not be able to finish. I did end up having to get one small detail worked out on Monday. It took the 10 1/2 hours over the weekend for me (and a friend - thanks Ted) to complete the install. It really helped having air tools (although we burned some time getting a new compressor as mine had problems).

Tomken recommended to do the front first and the instructions also listed it that way, but we decided to do the rear first. Don's Tomken install also did it this way, so we didn't think it would matter. It seemed to us and Don that it would be a lot easier to drive when the back is higher than the front than the opposite. Once we completed the rear, I drove the TJ to turn it around.

4.1. Rear Installation

4.2. Front Installation

5. Results

Overall the Tomken kit was pretty easy to install. I would definatly recomend it. The first thing I discovered after driving around for a few days is that the ProComp ES-3000 shocks are too stiff! Daily driving with them was not going to work. So I went looking for an alternative and decided to try TrailMasters SSV's. These provided a lot better ride as they adjust to the current road conditions. My TJ ride is now very comparable to stock. I've now driven over 10,000 miles and I'm still happy.

At a Flatlander's Jeep Club meeting I tried our 30 degree RTI ramp. I only got up 42.5 inches which was a 455. This number was less than I had expected, so I started to look for limiting factors. Upon disconnecting the front shocks, I found out that I was loosing 3 inches of down travel. I carefully measured for my max extended and collapsed shock height and replaced the front shocks with the right ones. I went back up the ramp and now went 68 inches for a score of 728! On a 23 degree ramp I went 92 inches for a 985. The new shocks really worked. Since I had to put 1.5 inch spring spacers in the rear to compensate for the winch in the back and not the front, I am lead to beleive that I could go up as much as 12 inches more on the 30 degree ramp, if I can get the right springs in the back.