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JKS Adjustable Coil Spacer for Jeep Cherokee XJ

Aug. 11, 2015 By Josh Burns
The Adjustable Coil Spacer kit from JKS (part #JKS2200) comes with all the parts necessary to provide an additional 1 1/2 up to 3 3/4 inches of additional lift for the front suspension. Rear suspension kits are also available.

If you’re looking for additional lift for a Jeep Cherokee XJ, JKS Manufacturing offers a simple solution with its ACOS, or Adjustable Coil Spacer, system. Providing adjustable lift height from 1.5 to 3.75 inches of lift, the ACOS system eliminates the need to replace the coil springs if you already have a lift installed but are looking for just a little more clearance.

The ACOS system is available for most Jeep models (JK, TJ, XJ, ZJ, etc.) for both the front and rear suspension. As JKS notes, most vehicles will require additional parts and/or modifications to accept the change in ride parts, meaning this system won’t work alone without additional suspension upgrades or modifications. The XJ we’d be installing the kit on already has a 4.5-inch suspension lift, but we were looking for some additional lift without major headaches, and this kit seems to fit the bill.

The ACOS system from JKS is designed to slide onto the upper spring mount of the XJ.

With the proper tools, the installation should only take a few hours. JKS includes complete installation instructions with the kit, as well as notes the tools required for the job:

- Metric/Standard Socket Wrench Set
- 8mm and 5/16” Allen Wrenches
- Tape Measure
- Spray Lubricant
- Anti-Seize Lubricant
- Hydraulic Floor Jack
- Coil Spring Compressor
- Die Grinder w/Cut-Off Wheel or Sawzall
- 10mm x 1.5p Tap
- Satin Black Spray Paint
- Factory Service Manual (for reference)

The only parts we did not have on hand were the 10mm tap, which we picked up for a few bucks at the hardware store, and a coil spring compressor, which we were able to get from our local auto parts store (O’Reilly Auto Parts simply requires a deposit to borrow the tool). The kit includes detailed instructions for every step of the installation, so below is an overall recap of the installation.

A coil spring compressor tool makes getting the spring on and off a much simpler task. We picked up the tool from a local auto parts shop. Before beginning, be sure to loosen the spring retain clip where the base of the spring meets the axle. We also removed the sway bar for the installation just so it was out of the way.

We install the coil spring compressor tool to remove the spring from the stock spring mounts.

We loosen the lower bump stop prior to removing the spring. 

Once the spring as been compressed enough it will slide out from the stock mounts.

On our XJ, the upper spring mount is welded on, and therefore some trimming is in order to fit the JKS ACOS pieces. Inside the mount is a flat washer, but it is tucked up a little over an inch inside of the mount. So we began by measuring the distance from the end of the mount to the washer, and we then marked the outside of the mount just below where the washer resides inside of the mount. 

We used a sawzall to cut off portion of the mount we measured, which will expose the internal washer inside the mount.

This is what the washer looks like once we trimmed off a little more than an inch of the lower portion of the spring mount – just be sure to not overcut!

We cleaned up the rough edges after trimming the spring mount, and we blasted the freshly exposed metal with a little black spray paint to inhibit future rust and corrosion.

The washer is tapped using a 10mm x 1.5p tap, as this will accept the bolt to secure the new JKS bump stop.

Once the washer is tapped, the ACOS system, including the new bump stop and bumps stop support, are screwed into place. Since we are using the lowest 1.5-inch setting, we have the ACOS ring secured at the top, though it can be screwed down to provide as much as 3.75 inches if desired. Be sure to apply anti-seize lubricant to the cap bolt on the ACOS unit before installation.

The spring is now ready to be put back in place – don’t forget to put the lower bump stop on at the same time to avoid hassle (you can tighten it down after the spring is in place).

After the lower bump stop is secure, we tightened the spring retainer to secure the spring in place.

Once everything is installed, we gained an additional 1.5 inches of lift up front, though the ACOS system will accommodate up to 3.75 inches of spring lift if desired. Obviously these steps are repeated on both sides.

CONTACT
JKS Manufacturing
517/278-1226
http://www.jksmfg.com/

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