24 Jp jpmagazine.com NOVEMBER 2019The biggest nemesis of the
1997-20 06 Jeep Wra ng ler T J
in the dirt is its 93.4-inch
wheelbase. While the relatively small SUV
is great for tight trails and cruising around
the city, it doesn’t lend much in the way of
stability when it comes to steep hillclimbs.
Couple this modest wheelbase with a short-
arm suspension lift and you have the recipe
for a very tippy TJ. Thankfully, there areThe Stretch
Factor
Rock Krawler 3.5
TJ Off Road Pro
Suspension
By Ali Mansour
[email protected]
Photography: Ali Mansourplenty of ways to increase stability on this
Wrangler platform.
One of the best is by upgrading to a
long-arm suspension. Ditching the stock-
length control arms with a longer set not
only provides increased control and stabil-
ity off-road but also tremendously improves
the ride quality and the overall handling
dynamic on the highway. While upgrading
to a long-arm suspension is a great start,
stretching the wheelbase is key to getting
increased stability with the TJ platform.Recently we stopped by Low Range
4x4 in Wilmington, North Carolina, where
the crew was busy at work on a 1999 Jeep
Wrangler. This particular Jeep was being
outfitted with a Rock Krawler Suspension
3.5 Off Road Pro Stage 1 stretch kit. What
makes this kit unique is not only that it is a
long-a r m upg rade, but it a lso st retches t he
wheelbase by 5 inches. Rock Krawler offers
a few variations of the 3^1 ⁄ 2 -inch system to
accommodate budgets and needs.
This particular Jeep owner sought the
Off Road Pro version of the kit because the
7075-T6 aluminum control arms would
help keep t he weig ht dow n wh i le prov id i ng
plenty of durability for the Southeast trails
he likes to wheel. A lt houg h body mod i f i-
cations are also part of the suspension
stretch process, in this article we focus on
the suspension.