LJ Wrangler 3.5” Lift Kit Front Install – Core 4x4 Camp Series Step-by-Step

Part three of the LJ build picks up where the full teardown left off. The rear suspension is already in from the last video — now it is time to tackle the front end. This install covers the complete front suspension for the Core 4x4 Camp Series 3.5-inch lift kit: bump stop extensions, coil springs, extended brake lines, upper and lower control arms, shocks, JKS sway bar quick disconnects, and the front track bar. If you are lifting a TJ or LJ Wrangler, this is the front-end walkthrough you need.

Fitment: Jeep Wrangler TJ 1997–2006 | Jeep Wrangler LJ Unlimited 2004–2006

What We Are Installing

This LJ already has the GenRight aluminum fender flares and the rear suspension completed from the previous videos. For the front end, here is everything going in:

• Bump stop extension kit — prevents the front wheels from traveling up into the fenders at full compression
• Front coil springs — matched for a 3.5” lift
• Extended brake lines — required for the additional droop travel with the taller springs
• Upper control arms — Camp Series with Johnny Joints and independent crush sleeves
• Lower control arms — Camp Series, adjustable, set to length for 35-inch tires
• New shocks (both front corners)
• JKS sway bar quick disconnects
• Adjustable front track bar — keeps the front axle centered under the Jeep after the lift

Order of Operations

When you have stripped the front suspension down to a bare free-floating axle (as covered in the part 2 teardown video), the install order matters. You want to work from the inside out — install the parts that will be hardest to reach first, before anything restricts your axle travel.

1. Bump stop extensions (upper and lower pucks)
2. Coil springs
3. Extended brake lines
4. Upper control arms
5. Lower control arms
6. Shocks
7. Sway bar end links
8. Front track bar

The reason is simple: once you bolt in any control arm or shock, you lose axle droop travel. Without that droop, you cannot get your coil springs over the new bump stops, and you cannot reach the bump stop mounts inside the coil pocket. So get the bump stops and coils in first while the axle is free to hang.

Bump Stop Extension Kit

The bump stop extension kit has an upper puck that bolts to the frame and a lower puck that sits on top of the axle inside the coil spring pocket. Together they limit upward travel so your front tires do not slam into the fender flares at full compression — especially important with 35-inch tires and open GenRight flares.

Tools for Bump Stop Install

• 7/16” drill bit — for the lower puck mounting hole
• 1/2” coarse thread tap (1/2-13) — to thread the hole for the lower puck bolt
• Allen key set — for the upper puck hardware

How to Find Center on the Lower Bump Stop Pad

You need to drill a hole dead center in the axle pad. Spence’s technique: take two diameter measurements at 90 degrees from each other and mark the center point of each. Where the lines cross is your center. Pilot drill first, then move to the 7/16” bit, then tap the threads with the 1/2-13 tap.

Pro tip: The upper puck bolts on from the outside of the frame — easy to reach. The lower puck goes inside the coil pocket on the axle side. If you already have extended brake lines or your steering connected, the axle may not droop far enough to get a drill and tap in there. That is why this step comes first.

Coil Springs and Brake Lines

With bump stops installed, the coil springs go in next. The 3.5” springs are noticeably taller than stock, which means you need a lot of axle droop to get them seated over the bump stop extensions and into the upper spring pocket.

On this LJ build, the factory brake lines were not long enough for the additional droop. Spence disconnected them at the caliper before installing the coils, which caused a brake fluid mess. His recommendation after doing it the hard way:

• If you are replacing brake lines anyway: disconnect them at the caliper first, zip-tie them up, install your coils, then immediately install the new extended lines
• If you are keeping your factory brake lines: install the lower bump stop puck inside the coil before dropping it in, then work the coil over the bump stops with the axle drooped as far as the brake lines allow

Extended Brake Line Install Tips

• Use fresh copper washers on both sides of the banjo fitting at the caliper — reusing old washers can cause leaks
• Thread the hard-line fitting at the top first and let the line hang naturally before choosing where to mount the bracket
• Pre-drill the bracket holes with a 7/32” bit (or 11/64” if the self-tappers need a tighter bite)
• Brake line fittings are soft — tighten enough to seal but do not strip the fitting
• Verify no leaks when you bleed the brakes in a later step

Setting Control Arm Lengths

Before bolting anything in, set your control arm lengths on the workbench. This LJ is being set up for 35-inch tires on beadlocks with GenRight fender flares, so the axle needs to shift forward more than a standard 3.5” lift with 33s.

Standard 3.5” Lift (33-inch tires)

This Build: 35-inch Tires with GenRight Flares

The longer arms push the axle forward, creating more clearance between the tire and the fender at full turn. With the open GenRight flares, this setup gives plenty of room for the 35s without rubbing.

How to Measure

Measure center of bolt hole to center of bolt hole. Spence places the 1” mark on one bolt center and reads the far end, then subtracts one inch. This avoids trying to hook the end of a tape measure inside a round hole.

Critical: More important than hitting an exact number is making sure your left and right arms are identical. If one lower is a half turn longer than the other, your axle will sit crooked under the Jeep. Drop a bolt through both Johnny Joints and verify alignment before you move to the vehicle.

Installing the Control Arms

With lengths set, bolt the arms onto the Jeep. Start with the uppers, then the lowers. The uppers are easier to get at before the lowers are in the way.

Upper Control Arm Notes

• On the frame side, go from the outside in with the bolt — it is much easier than trying to use the flag nut on the inside of the frame rail
• The Core 4x4 Camp Series uppers have a downward bend for shock mount clearance. You can reverse the arm and run the bend up for ground clearance, but that requires clearancing work around the shock mount. For a straightforward install, run the bend down

Lower Control Arm Notes

• With fresh coils and only the uppers in, the axle will want to rotate and shift. Use a large pry bar to lever the axle into position for the bolt holes
• The last arm is always the hardest — three arms in still does not fully center the axle. A dead blow hammer helps persuade the last bolt through
• The washers in the kit center in the cam slots on the lower mounts

Torque Rule: Johnny Joints vs. Rubber Bushings

The Core 4x4 arms have Johnny Joints with independent crush sleeves at all new ends. You can torque these at any suspension position — full droop, ride height, does not matter. The crush sleeve clamps independently from the joint.

However, the factory axle-side upper control arm bushings on this LJ are still rubber. Those must be torqued at ride height with the full weight of the Jeep on the suspension. If you torque a rubber bushing at full droop, the crush sleeve locks to the rubber at that angle. When the Jeep comes down to ride height, the bushing cannot rotate — that preload will destroy it.

Shock Installation

With all four control arms in place, install the front shocks. The new shocks will let the axle hang at full droop without falling off jack stands, which makes everything safer and easier for the remaining steps.

Top Mount

• Quarter-inch Allen key in the top of the shock shaft to keep it from spinning
• 3/4” wrench (ratcheting preferred) on the nylon lock nut
• Make sure the shock sticker faces outward
• Do not forget the top hat bushing and washer — they go on before you thread the nut

Bottom Mount

• Reuse your factory lower hardware (or get new flange bolts if you tossed the originals)
• 13 mm on the wrench and impact

Once both shocks are in, you can finally lower the Jeep off the jack stands to a more comfortable working height. The shocks keep the axle from dropping away.

JKS Sway Bar Quick Disconnects

The JKS quick disconnects replace your factory sway bar end links with a two-piece system that lets you disconnect the sway bar for off-road flex and reconnect it for highway driving. Spence recommends these as some of the best quick disconnects for the money on TJ, LJ, XJ, and ZJ platforms.

Installation

1. Assemble the lower bracket over the sway bar with the 6 mm Allen bolts. For a 3.5” lift, orient the bracket so it wraps over the sway bar in the standard position. Higher lifts may need the bracket flipped for extra length
2. Thread the body of the end link into the lower bracket with the aluminum crush sleeve inside
3. Install the bar pin on the sway bar side — pin points inward toward the vehicle on both sides. Use the included spacer over the bar pin
4. Torque the bar pin bolt to 65 ft-lbs
5. Use a 5/16” tap for the frame mount hole where the disconnect stows when removed

Setting the Length

The end link length cannot be set until the Jeep is at ride height with full weight on the suspension. You want the sway bar to angle about 10 degrees up from the pivot point. For now, set the threaded body approximately 1/2” out as a starting point and adjust in the next video once the wheels are on.

Front Track Bar

The front track bar keeps the axle centered left-to-right under the body. After a 3.5” lift, the factory track bar is too short and sits at an incorrect angle. The adjustable Core 4x4 track bar replaces it and lets you dial in the axle position.

Frame Side: Drill Out to 5/8”

The factory frame-side track bar hole needs to be drilled out to accept the larger 5/8” bolt. A drill bit is included in the kit.

• Use a higher drill speed with lighter pressure as you approach break-through — this prevents the bit from catching and jerking the drill
• Use oil or penetrating fluid as a lubricant while drilling
• The included bit is a one-time-use bit
• Do not wallow out the hole — go straight through and back the bit out cleanly

Johnny Joint Orientation

When installing the track bar, the zerk fitting should point forward (outward). This puts the snap ring on the Johnny Joint facing up toward the frame. The reason: if the snap ring ever comes loose, the joint internals stay in place because gravity holds them. If the snap ring were facing down and it came loose, the internals could fall out and you would lose the track bar entirely.

Setting the Length

Like the sway bar disconnects, the final track bar length cannot be set until the Jeep is on the ground at ride height with settled springs. Start with the track bar a few turns out from the frame side and plan to adjust once the wheels are on and the Jeep has been driven enough for the new springs to settle (a few days of driving). Getting an alignment before the springs have settled will result in measurements that shift as the springs break in.

What Comes Next

At this point the front end has all the major components installed. The next video in the LJ build series will cover:

• Mounting 35-inch tires on beadlock wheels
• Bleeding the brakes
• Setting the Jeep down to ride height
• Setting the sway bar disconnect length
• Dialing in both front and rear track bars
• Torquing all rubber bushing fasteners at ride height
• Final adjustments and alignment

Tools Required for the Front Install

• Floor jack and jack stands (or a two-post lift)
• 7/16” drill bit and 1/2-13 tap (for bump stop lower puck)
• 5/8” drill bit (included with track bar kit, for frame-side mount)
• Socket set (standard and metric)
• 1/4” Allen key (for shock top mount)
• 6 mm Allen key (for JKS sway bar bolts)
• 3/4” wrench or socket (for shock top nylon lock nut)
• 13 mm wrench (for shock lower mount)
• 14 mm socket (for caliper brake line banjo bolt)
• 5/16” tap (for JKS frame mount)
• Torque wrench
• Large pry bar and dead blow hammer
• Tape measure
• Zip ties
• Drill and drill bits (7/32” or 11/64” for brake line bracket)
• Penetrating fluid and grease
• Drip pan (for brake fluid)

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Videos in the LJ Build Series

• LJ Build pt.3 – 3.5in Lift Kit Front Install (this video)
• TJ Lift Kit Install – Cruise Series Full Walkthrough
• Why You Need Control Arms — educational overview of what control arms do and why upgrades matter

Shop TJ / LJ Wrangler Parts

Fitment: Jeep Wrangler TJ 1997–2006 | Jeep Wrangler LJ Unlimited 2004–2006. Questions? sales@core4x4.com | (385) 375-2104