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James Stenabaugh photos
MetalCloak Shock & Awe
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James Stenabaugh photos
MetalCloak Shock & Awe
A breakdown of the Duroflex joint.
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James Stenabaugh photos
MetalCloak Shock & Awe
A slight suspension lift, MetalCloak likes to use stiffer springs and softer dampers to increase handling.
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James Stenabaugh photos
MetalCloak Shock & Awe
The new MetalCloak arms should hold up to the elements just fine.
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James Stenabaugh photos
MetalCloak Shock & Awe
Duroflex joint and JK specific arms keep the alignment as stable as possible.
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James Stenabaugh photos
MetalCloak Shock & Awe
Mounting brackets keeps everything in its proper spot and guards against corrosion.
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James Stenabaugh photos
MetalCloak Shock & Awe
The package in place with extended brake lines. Now what about shocks?
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James Stenabaugh photos
MetalCloak Shock & Awe
We will be testing a series of different shock options with this kit for the next issue.
By Pat Harrison
Breaking down the MetalCloak Gamechanger Lift of the JK
Wouldn't it be nice if you could always get three or four kicks at the cat to get it right? The cat might not like it much but your results would be vastly improved no matter what the task. Modifying the late model Jeep JK is no exception and with all the choices out there in the ever growing aftermarket world of Jeep builders how are we to be 100% sure that we got the best possible build for our buck? Innovative companies keep introducing new and improved versions of everything from shocks to integrated roof top tents making the reality of a one time build even harder to come by for the truly afflicted amongst us.
We've been fortunate at our little shop to run two built JK’s that were both serving different purposes. One was an ever changing trail rig that saw three different lifts and as many bumper systems come and go during its six-year service hauling us over questionable terrain. All the while following equally questionable characters brought together by the common goal to go places very few members of our hurried population would ever see. The other JKUR was being treated a little better as an overlanding rig that made a few industry show appearances each year and saw duty as a daily driver in spite of its over sized Pitbull tires and two tons of added weight in armour... estimated of course. The main difference between the two was that with the trail rig going through a few stages of build levels it was easy to justify trying something out just for the sake of it. The show rig however had to have a little more thought prior to mods as it was not getting anything that wasn't worthy of the investments and careful installations that were becoming part of its trademark. Times change though and the time had come for the black beauty to take on a serious lift in anticipation of its new roll as our main rig.
Enter MetalCloak, a relative newcomer on the big block of aftermarket manufacturers that has attracted an impressive group of enthusiasts, engineers and fabricators to head up the expanding product line and keeps the Jeep world well supplied with cool alternatives to the usual offerings for everything right from the CJ’s through to the JK’s.
Some impressive design time has gone into providing a high level of functionality in everything that comes out of this company including the gold zinc chromate finish on their steel components, the no compromise 14-in travel Six Pack shocks, the dual rate coils, high clearance fenders, bumpers and body armour offerings to name a few. Heck they even offer a powder coating process that is top notch and appreciated by someone who comes from the manufacturing side of things. Now admittedly not every Jeep owner can budget for top of the line performance gear at every step in their build but had we known about the Duroflex high mis-alignment vibration damping joints offered in MetalCloaks beefy adjustable control arms we might have skipped the budget lift stage altogether. This company is known for more than just being the first to bring the Duroflex type joint and dual rate coils to the Jeep builders market. They pride themselves in being a “systems” based parts manufacturer offering kits which can be built up incrementally if necessary, and are designed and offered with the realization in mind that a well thought out system can minimize the amount of compromise we need to accept when we modify our Jeeps from their stock form. Let's face it, if you are lifting your jeep just to get bigger tires under it for that rugged statement and a budget is your overriding restraint, then you will be compromising. Another example of this would be that if you were a fan of a low centre of gravity but wanted large tires for ground clearance you will be facing some compromises too. You're probably getting the point that to some degree, no matter what direction we take our individual builds in, we will be faced with choices in the areas of ride quality and road handling as well as suspension travel and tire clearance.
MetalCloak has done a pretty good job of offering products that minimize the need to compromise in many of these areas by breaking away from the norms that had us restricted in the first place. For this reason for the final stage of our JKUR build we settled on the 3.5-in Gamechanger lift that has created quite a stir in the industry. Let's look at some of the attractive features and how we are hoping they will help out with those nagging compromises.
The Duroflex joint is a cross between the industry standard heim-style with improved rotation and articulation and the factory rubber bushing style known for its longevity and smooth ride characteristic. I was surprised to note in our first trail test that the difference is sublime but noticeable on FSR travels. Once we got into high flex situations there was a lack of creaking groaning objections from the stock control arms when the articulation was maxed out and tires were starting to loose traction and become unsprung. These high mis-alignment joints provide for a higher degree of flex over the Johnny Joint and a huge improvement over the OEM clevite. In fact it was a real chore to get the tires unsprung with the added flex, travel and the dual rate coils that save some of their travel for this very instant. The secondary rate only opens up in the extreme end of the coil travel helping to keep them retained and in place. In every day usage the coils function in their primary state, which is a linear stiff rate. MetalCloak subscribes to a “stiff coil/soft shock” philosophy in their suspension setup and I have come to appreciate the new upright stance of the heavy four-door. As I roll through a series of familiar back country corners faster than I thought possible the Jeep stays flat and the soft shocks and control arm joints all seem to contribute to a degree of handling that I thought was long gone once it was lifted with heavy 37-ins.
Adjustable control arms and track bars all around are a necessity for getting the axles centred and pinion angles fine tuned, which is a task we have yet to accomplish as the Jeep handles better than ever right out of the shop install. That is due to the entire system working together as intended with the firm coils being moderated by the soft shocks and vibration damping Duroflex joints.
Discussions with Matson Breakey from MetalCloak have reassured me that these joints are in it for the long haul, no matter what the conditions. As a company that places an emphasis on customer service and satisfaction these guys keep close tabs on what is happening out there in the real world with their products and can say that the few issues that have arisen with the vulcanized proprietary rubber compound over a steel sleeve inner have come from the use of incompatible lubricants mostly. The joints are maintenance free, but if you ever do take them off it is easy to pop out and re-grease the joint. We took one apart on the bench and reassembled it without the need for a special press so it's not a difficult task to perform.
Our mechanic noted that one advantage of this style of joint that allows the sleeve to rotate as needed meant that he could torque arms up while the jeep was suspended as he went. The arms would all find their happy place when the tires hit the ground once we were all done. Extra steps during the manufacturing process keep the joints aligned and on parallel planes so there is no unnecessary stress on the joints in their natural stance. The arms came roughly preset for the 3 ½-in lift length although I opted to retain our AEV geometry correction brackets for now so I could give them a fair comparison with the new arms so the fronts had to go back to as close to stock length as they would allow. Castor still seems acceptable although with expensive tires on the line and a lot of pavement pounding ahead I will opt for the added expense of having an alignment shop give it the once over. We could tape measure all day long and not hit the accuracy they can and it will instill a certain amount of peace of mind knowing the thrust angle, castor, toe in and pinion are all as good as they are going to get.
It is important to find an alignment shop that is experienced with lifted off-road vehicles and the adjustments required to fine tune your new modifications because some factory specs no longer apply. There was no noticeable drive line vibration heading down the highway even though this version of a 3 ½-in lift netted a full 1 ¾-in added height over the generic 3-in lift that had served its time under the heavy four-door since 2011.
The day we installed the lift Peden 4x4 shop in the Port Kells, a group of us (Brad Peden, Raymond and Leo Fehler and James Stenabaugh of Twisted Squirrel Offroad) came to the subject of shocks and soon realized that the current Fox 2.0 variant I was running were going to be too stiff for the MetalCloak coils and too short for the new high articulation provided by their arms. We had the thing flexed every which way we could in the shop and were nowhere near the bumpstops recommended for our particular configuration, which was 37-ins and high clearance aftermarket fender flares. After all the increased flex is the main reason I was attracted to the lift to begin with. A true “Gamechanger” lift features the crazy new Six Pack shocks, which we will not only discuss further but put through the paces as soon as they arrive.
As it happens MetalCloak is just now featuring a third choice of shocks to compliment the two options that have been providing their suspension with compression and rebound duties. Fox has been added because they have recently been valving a variant of their 2.0s for stiff coils. So here is where Brad fires up the twin tube vs. mono tube debate and gets me reading articles on the subject that have me thinking there is so much more to this subject that we should do a proper comparison. Using our Jeep as the platform and the same trails and roads as a constant we are going to run them all through the paces and follow this article up with a part two focusing on the 3 ½-in MetalClaok lift paired up with twin tube shocks from Old Man Emu, newly valved Fox 2.0’s, another offering out of Australia known as Boss and finally the game changing Six Packs themselves.
We'll discuss some of the technology and science that goes into one of the most complicated items your rig receives when you stray from the pack and build yourself your own capable trail conqueror. We'll also be installing MetalCloak's new tie rod along with their draglink to complete the cloaking in metal process.
It occurred to me that doing a lift install at your parts suppliers shop must be similar to a meth addict getting high at a lab. The supply was too tempting. It worked out well though as we opted for the adjustable disconnect versions of the front sway bar arms, another set of extended brake lines and the beefy adjustable rear track bar all on hand from MetalCloak and oh so conveniently sitting on Brad's shelves. Another item I couldn't leave with out once we were done was a full set of the grab handles he sells for getting in and out of the four doors. I'm going to need them; this thing is a beast now!
Watch the video of the install and testing of a Metalcloak 3.5 lift kit on our Jeep JK.