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Rusty’s Off-Road Wrangler Spring Relocator

Sep. 18, 2015 By Jim Brightly, KF7SCT
Every once in a while a product comes along that’s not only good for your Jeep but is also relatively easy to install, a product that looks good, works well, and slides in exactly like the instruction sheet says it should. Rusty’s Spring Relocator kit is just such a product, and kits are available for JK models as well as the TJ/LJ shown here.

Every once in a while a product comes along that’s not only good for your Jeep but is also relatively easy to install, a product that looks good, works well, and slides in exactly like the instruction sheet says it should. Rusty’s Spring Relocator kit is just such a product, and kits are available for JK models as well as the TJ/LJ shown here.

Rusty’s kit includes the bases and relocators, plus bolts and nuts.

If any of you have lifted your Jeep more than a minimal 2-inch lift, you know that the top and bottom rear spring pads are no longer vertical to each other. In other words, your rear springs end up on an angle or bowed. Either way reduces the rear springs’ overall performance—they no longer provide their full support rating for the Jeep’s weight.

To correct that, Rusty’s Off-Road Products in Rainbow City, Alabama, offers a kit that replaces the OEM upper spring pad on the Jeep’s frame rail. Once the mount’s base is mounted to the frame, the relocator is attached to it. The relocator has five holes predrilled in it for locating it on the frame-mounted base. Each hole represents an inch in locating the upper spring pad. This is to allow for the changing wheelbases of various lift designs. The Rusty’s instruction sheet recommends the center hole to begin with, which is where we located it initially. We then discovered with the LJ’s lift kit we had to use the most forward location.

Using my 2005 Rubicon Unlimited (known as an LJ) for the example Jeep, our first step to install the spring relocator kit was to disconnect the Skyjacker limiting strap, which keeps the axle from hanging on the shock when the shock is fully extended.

In order to remove the coil spring, the bottom bump stop must be unscrewed from the spring pad.

Once the bump stop is removed, the spring can be removed.

Now the upper bump stop can be removed as well. Remove the rubber bump stop first.

Unbolt the bump stop’s cone from the frame.

The OEM upper spring pads must be removed. We used a plasma cutter initially.

Still removing the upper spring pads, we followed the plasma cutter with a cutting torch.

To remove the final remnants of the pads, we used a hammer and chisel, air chisel, and a grinder.

Once the sides of both frame rails are smooth, you can fit the kit’s bases onto the frame. Follow Rusty’s instructions for the installation. As is shown in the photo, the base goes in the peak of the frame rail’s upper curve.

We discovered that the holes in the bump stop pad and relocator plate were too small for the supplied bolts, so we had to drill them out.

We also had to drill out the holes on the plates.

Since we’d also purchased a coil spring retainer clip kit from TerraFlex—which was designed to be used with the OEM spring pads—we located and welded predrilled tabs on each relocator for later use.

Once the relocator is positioned properly and aligned with correctly with the frame, weld it into place securely.

Welded and painted, the base is ready for the relocator.

Temporarily position the upper and lower bump stops. They are supposed to be aligned. When they’re aligned, they tell you that the springs will be vertical. We followed Rusty’s instructions and placed the upper bump stop in the center hole of the relocator. We moved it all the way to the most forward hole, which aligned them properly.

Slide the coil spring into place. On this Jeep the lower bump stop cannot be screwed into place until the spring is located. Use a Philips screwdriver to thread and tighten the bump stop into place.

As an additional security measure, we used the tab on the relocator to secure the top of the coil spring with the TerraFlex spring retainer clip.

Everything is bolted back into place, and the Jeep is ready for its tires.

With the Yokohama tires in place, the vertical coil spring is all but covered. However, it still looks much better in a vertical position.

Author’s note: It would have been much easier to install the Rusty’s kit had we done it while installing the lift kit; however, at the time we didn’t realize we’d need it. I highly recommend using Rusty’s Spring Relocator kit regardless of whichever kit you’re using on your Jeep. Rusty’s also offers several kits and specialized shock absorbers if you haven’t chosen a kit yet.

Sources:
Rusty’s Off-Road
http://www.rustysoffroad.com/

TerraFlex
https://teraflex.com/

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