Ironman lift...2.5 years later

[hectikart]

I've had my ironman suspension on the jeep for about two and a half years, 34,000 miles and thought I would give a performance update. Also wanted to see how others have fared with the suspension/ how it's holding up compared to what people are finding with OME.

My rear shocks and springs are holding up well. I haven't noticed any sag, powder coat on springs is still in tact. Some rust on the shocks...which really didn't take long. The back definitely has a little more bounce than when they were new, but overall pretty happy with the rear.

Front is a different story. Noticeable sag, tires rubbing in reverse, even without being at full lock. Hitting bump stops going over speed bumps. I was inspecting the springs yesterday and the powder coat is gone over the majority of the coils, cracked and chipping everywhere else. Significant corrosion on the coils.

What has the experience of others been like? How does this compare to OME lifts?

I was hoping to have a better lifespan out of the suspension than what I'm seeing...and now I'm wondering at what point the front suspension will become a safety issue if it's not there already. Thoughts?

 

[tommudd]

Interesting????
The first set that I had tested then installed on another friends is still doing well. It hasn't settled much at all over the time since installed on his
Which did you go with HD or the regulars ?
Shouldn't have settled much over 1/2 inch in that time if that ( if wheeled hard/ lots of miles etc)

 

[hectikart]

I have the regular coils...I was considering HD, but since I decided not to do a bull bar/winch, I just went with standard. I've put 34,000 miles on them, but mostly highway commuter miles. weekend warrior off-roading, but nothing too crazy because it is a daily driver and needs to survive for work on Monday.

I did measure where I was sitting, but I need to do it again because I didn't write it down. If I remember correctly, I was at about 21.5" in the back...pretty close to my original numbers. I think the front was down around 19"

 

[ftaa]

I have the regular coils...I was considering HD, but since I decided not to do a bull bar/winch, I just went with standard. I've put 34,000 miles on them, but mostly highway commuter miles. weekend warrior off-roading, but nothing too crazy because it is a daily driver and needs to survive for work on Monday.

I did measure where I was sitting, but I need to do it again because I didn't write it down. If I remember correctly, I was at about 21.5" in the back...pretty close to my original numbers. I think the front was down around 19"

if you're around 19 with a lift... my stock before i put the lift on was 18 3/4 now im around 22.5

 

[tommudd]

19 in front :favorites68:
Thats not good for sure
I was shipped the HDs then added some extra bits so maybe the reason they have held up so good

 

[uss2defiant]

good to know about those springs.
maybe there's some QC issue?

 

[tommudd]

good to know about those springs.
maybe there's some QC issue?

None that I have come across but ..........:shrug:

 

[rbm92226]

I'm 2 years in on my full ironman setup. The ride is as comfortable today as when I put it in. It has only sagged approximately 3/16 inch. Only issues are a little rust around the rear shock mounts. I am going to install the longer rear shocks and 1 extra ISO in the rear to bring it back level. The only thing I wish I had done was clearance the a arm pockets. By far the most comfortable lift set up I've ever run. I would buy it again in a heartbeat.


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[tommudd]

I'm 2 years in on my full ironman setup. The ride is as comfortable today as when I put it in. It has only sagged approximately 3/16 inch. Only issues are a little rust around the rear shock mounts. I am going to install the longer rear shocks and 1 extra ISO in the rear to bring it back level. The only thing I wish I had done was clearance the a arm pockets. By far the most comfortable lift set up I've ever run. I would buy it again in a heartbeat.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Good to hear

 

[Snail Farmer]

My ironman lift hasn't sagged at all. Still right at 21.5". The rear shocks did rust very quickly though.. going to replace them soon either with the longer ironman or the Monroe load assist. Haven't decided yet.

 

[hectikart]

I measured again this morning. The rear is at 22" so no sag there. The front is at 20.25"...down from 21.5" when I first installed.

And it looks like I have wear on the front bumpstops, looks like that's where my tire rubbing is happening.

 

[tommudd]

As far as springs and shocks rusting etc on the rear, well all of mine look like that ( rusted/ pitted )
Stockers were, both OME sets and now the JBA rear 4 inch and the loadleveler rear shocks. They all pretty much get " sandblasted" in no time

As far as height, still have over an inch but not sure why

 

[uss2defiant]

are your 245/70r16 just too big for your lift??
I wouldn't think so.

 

[hectikart]

are your 245/70r16 just too big for your lift??
I wouldn't think so.

They shouldn't be. They were fine for 2 years with no rubbing. It's only started over the past 6 months...must have sagged just enough to rub. It's pretty minor rubbing too, tight turns in reverse only.

My wife drives the jeep more than I do these days because my commute is much farther than her's...couldn't do $500/mo in gas anymore. Maybe she's been having a lot of off-road fun without me!

 

[4x4kayak2112]

So i have had my Ironman lift since Nov 2012. Have put many many miles on it, 80k or so.

I went with the HD coils as they were replacing the 927s I had. I didnt have a front bumper at the time so the ride was about the same. Mine hasnt sagged any much, infact im at 4 1/8" in front.

The only grip i have with them is the powder coating on the front springs went south very fast. I need to pull them off and paint them.

The ride is very good with the bilsteins.

 

[SWilliams]

Powder coat on springs isn't really a good idea anyway. It doesn't like to flex very much unless it's a rubberized blend like nylon. I've actually had good results with plasti-dip on springs.

 

[featherlight]

Thanks for sharing your experience with the Ironman setup. I've been looking at this setup on JBA's website for a while. The more info on this setup out here for all of us, the better.
After everything I've read, they seem to offer the combination of on-road comfort and off-road ability that I am looking for. I'm thinking of ordering a set when I return from summer work. I'll have to check all the bushings and suspension parts first, as suggested by Tommudd, to make sure I won't need to replace anything else while I'm in there.

 

[Nadeem]

Need lift kit

Hey guys looking for a lift kit for my jeep cherokee kj 2.8l TD
IM FROM AUSTRALIA
just wondering if anyone has any for sale a a cheap price

 

[dude1116]

Hey guys looking for a lift kit for my jeep cherokee kj 2.8l TD
IM FROM AUSTRALIA
just wondering if anyone has any for sale a a cheap price

Well you're in the home of ARB so why don't you look into OME? (Old Man Emu)