lift kits

[dscowell]

So if I am able to get my first job I will be getting a lift kit once I get the money for it. I have found two kits that I am intrested in and I was wondering what you guys think about the manufactures and What else the lifts would need. Any help and Advice is appreciated thanks!
Zone http://zoneoffroad.com/product?ki=486&gr=-1
Rough Country http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_mj_4.html

[mattzj98]

rough country is generally crap, you get what you pay for. it might do ok for mostly street and a bit of light wheeling..

zone off road USED TO BE crap, but has now been bought out by BDS which is a premium lift kit company and their quality has improved greatly so if those are your only 2 choices, Zone Offroad all the way

[xaza]

I noticed both kits come with add a leafs for rear. I personally prefer a new leaf pack instead, never been a fan of add a leafs. Both kits also come with longer lower control arms but not uppers. Not too much of an issue but good rebuildable adjustable control arms are much better and uppers give you even more control and adjustability. Both kits have the transfer case drop which will be a must. My brother used some rough country parts on his xj and said they were junk. Only thing he liked was their shocks, but I don't remember what he had...think it was coil springs and track bar. At 4+ inches lift you will definitely be wanting an adjustable track bar as well.

[mattzj98]

Cliff, he liked she shocks cause they weren't actually made by rough country.. there's one manufacturer that makes them for Pro Comp, Rough Country and some other companies.. same thing but rebadged. :)

[dscowell]

Intresting! Cause on a comanche fourm everyone is using rough country or rustys. All of the rustys lifts seem to sag in the front so thats why I didn't consider them. What about a drive shaft Im assuming I will need to get a longer one along with different sway bars?

[Clickpopboom]

If you really want to have fun, moving the rear leafs on top of the axle rather than under will get you about 6" of lift in the back, then you just need to match the front to it.

[Serious Offroad]

Save a little longer and get a better quality kit.

RE FTW!

[dscowell]

Well Im not wanting anything to big sense I'm not going to be going 4x4ing a ton but I want to fit atleast 33's

what other kits would you guys suggest I know RE makes a 5.5" but for $1000 little high for a high schooler

[xaza]

Longer drive shaft is likely, as you know Bill is the guy to go to. Longer sway bar disconnects on the front is the way to go, remove the rear. My brother just got home. It was only the rough country track bar he had not coils. I personally have old school RE springs and absolutely love them, not sure what I think about Rubicon Express since the financial fiasco, but they had declined in quality just prior. My brother runs new RE coils and we both have the RE track bar and HD bracket. They have held up fairly well other than the bushings blowing from my death wobbles.

[mattzj98]

http://bds-suspension.com/product?ma=7&mo=33&ty=39&yr=1986-1991m $500 with lifetime warranty

[xaza]

also there are budget options available for a lift that can be got at a JY and if you don't lift it too much all you will need is an alignment. Here is a good JY parts list

http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/budget-builds-what-junkyard-parts-will-fit-cherokee-58797/

[dscowell]

I was considering BDS but the largest they have is the 3in and I know a lot of people use to get RE front coils and HellCreek rear leafs but HellCreek closed down their leaf factory
:frown: I'll keep looking and let you guys know what I find!

[Clickpopboom]

Alignment can be done with a can of spray paint, a screwdriver, a tape measure, socket set, and a pipe wrench.

[tonkatoy]

I am on my 4th set of rear BDS springs on my truck :bang: in a little over year. The Rough Country springs, I had lasted 4 years before they sagged. The BDS's are not sprung heavy, so they flex great. However, they do not like heavy rigs. If you plan on hauling a lot of weight, like a spare tire, tools, or spare parts, I recommend lifting your rig an extra inch or two in the rear, so when it settles it wont set so low.:2c:

[mattzj98]

but the flex is worth it isnt it? :) BDS jeep stuff def. not meant for hauling heavy loads, but their 1ton stuff is pretty stiff..

Bill, your rig is like a freight train, you need tracks, not leafs :)

[Java]

Just my 2c, Rough Country is the best deal. Rough Country is the big company that makes suspension parts for the others. They also make shocks and springs for cars, trucks, lots of stuff aside from offroad. They make shocks for parts stores, they are in a different league (business wise) from all of the other suspension companies. RC is Heckthorn, Ryder, Gabriel, Rusty's, Procomp, Superlift, Skyjacker, Rubicon Express, BDS, Rancho, just about all of them are made by RC. They are the only actual manufacturer that sells systems, and can come in at a much lower price than the others. Great customer service too.

[Serious Offroad]

Paul,
Please provide your source for this info.

[Java]

phone conversation with RC tech named Jason when I needed a shock replaced. I guess you could google it too? :)

[mattzj98]

I don't think this info is too reliable, rc def. Does not make BDS nor RE, RE n procomp are owned by the company that owns 4wheel parts. Bds bhas their fab shop in MA that's like saying toyota makes bmw -__-

[Serious Offroad]

I have, and the person you spoke to is being less than honest...a lot less.
R/C farms-out a lot of their manufacturing and re-badges it as their own.
No they aren't the only ones that do it either.

R/C White Body shocks are the same as all other low-end white body shocks, typically made by Monroe.
Gabriel, Monroe and Rancho are the actual maufactures of the vast majority of the lower-end shocks sold today.

R/C making parts for RE? Ummmmm...no.

Not here to bash RC, just want the OP to do his research before buying any lift kit.

[Java]

anything is possible. what are your sources? As I understand it RC makes all of their stuff in Tenn., but I am citing the tech again, I'd be open to correction!!

[Serious Offroad]

Since I run a webstore selling the products for all of my fellow wheelers I'm privy to a lot of info from not only vendors but from the manufacturers as well, both on-shore and off-shore. Sourcing products and repair/replacemt parts is an almost daily occurrence, so the info is gained from actually being in the business.

I'm not attacking you personally Paul, but the info you were given is incorrect.

Now back to the intent of this thread...and sorry about the Hijack.

[Java]

we can talk without it being an attack!! :) I've bought stuff from you before, I know you're legit and I know I am very possibly wrong. What you said is pretty general though- what info specifically? Who is who / makes what for who? The onlyother thing I can say is that in almost every offroad mag RC has a two page spread, no other manufacturer has that. Harbor Frieght, 4WPs, Tire Rack and some others have big spreads, but no other suspension guys. I'd guess its because RC is so much bigger and can afford it, not that the others don't want a 2 page ad.

[mattzj98]

Paul, companies like skyjacker or BDS specialize in trucks, so when you look at diesel or 8lug magazine those companies have huge ads but you won't see much of RC.. its all about who they want to advertise for. If you look at magazines sponsored by 4wheel parts you will see nothing but pro comp and re and rustys.. maybe some skyjacker as they are a big vendor for them.. I don't think rough country is really any bigger than most other companies, mostly lower budget and poorer quality, but thanks to that they're able to sell products cheap. There are pros and cons to everything

[Java]

IDK about that, here's RC's products http://roughcountry.com/suspension_lift_kits.html and here's BDS' http://bds-suspension.com/product-display.php they cover about the same stuff, I wouldn't say either specializes in trucks, BDS actually has a broader line. I do stand by my original commment that RC is the best deal in suspensions. For example, Subaru is the best deal in cars. You can spend a lot more and get things that do some stuff better, a Rubicon can do stuff a Subaru can't and vice versa, but dollar for dollar they are the best cars, and I think RC is the best deal in offroad suspensions. I've been running one for 3 years, I bought it when they came out with it and were hyping it on all of the Jeep specific sites, it was under $500 with a bunch of options. I also ordered the OME system because I wasn't sure if RC was going to cut it, and side by side I liked the RC better, especially at 1/2 the price for the basic system with the exact same components. I'm not saying the OME wasn't worth it, just that the RC is a good deal.

[Fordguy77]

So if I am able to get my first job I will be getting a lift kit once I get the money for it. I have found two kits that I am intrested in and I was wondering what you guys think about the manufactures and What else the lifts would need. Any help and Advice is appreciated thanks!
Zone http://zoneoffroad.com/product?ki=486&gr=-1
Rough Country http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_mj_4.html

I would look into budget building if you are on the Highschool budget style life. There are options out there, and more than one way to get to 33" tires. And with the money you saved from budget lifting you can buy or fab other things like sliders, bumpers, pay for maintenance and so on. One option i know on the RBV side of life is that you can fit 33x10.5s in many applications with little to no lift. However a 12.50 would rub and many would tell you that a 33 wouldn't fit. Might be worth looking into, Im not to big of a player in the jeep world to know whats what though.

[xaza]

On my Cherokee I have 3.5 inch springs with 2 inch spacers and still rubbed with 31s until some fender trimming for new bumper. I have outset rims which causes the rub to be on front of fender, with stock rims, same tire, my brother used to rub on frame rail. If you are on a limited budget, I recommend going with a JY lift. My brother took 2 leaf packs from cherokees and combined them to get himself about 4 inches of lift. Pretty funny, we loaded my Magnum 360 Engine into the back and it barely sagged....poor Chrysler 8.25 held up great. Possibly post up a WTB thread for acquiring some of your lift. Lot of guys on here with extra parts laying around. For instance an F-150/Bronco stock coil spring is very possibly sitting in someones garage and would give you 4 inches of lift for front.

[dscowell]

alright well Im not sure where any JY are near me other then jeeps unlimated and I'd prefer not to pay full price for used parts. I know there is one in fort collins Used 4x4 parts? other something around those lines that I heard was pretty good. I will see there is a skyjacker spacer and shackles I've been looking at so I might go with that for now sense I can afford it (http://www.4wd.com/Jeep-Lift-Kits-Jeep-Lift-Kits-Suspension/2-inch-Poly-Value-Lift-Kit.aspx?t_c=1&t_s=38&t_pt=3533&t_pn=SKYXJ20)

Then there is this 5.5" lift thats kinda makeshift. only thing is it uses stock control arms and has heavy duty front springs I believe.
http://comancheclub.com/topic/35519-55-600-mj-lift-cheap-high-quality-100-complete-lift/

Seems like everything over 4.5" is SOA including the lift above. So would it just be more worth it to do the SOA and get new springs depending on how high the lift is? The only reason why I don't wanna do SOA is because you have to reweld the leaf perches and I have no clue how to weld nor do I know anyone who knows how to weld.

[Fordguy77]

alright well Im not sure where any JY are near me other then jeeps unlimated and I'd prefer not to pay full price for used parts. I know there is one in fort collins Used 4x4 parts? other something around those lines that I heard was pretty good. I will see there is a skyjacker spacer and shackles I've been looking at so I might go with that for now sense I can afford it (http://www.4wd.com/Jeep-Lift-Kits-Jeep-Lift-Kits-Suspension/2-inch-Poly-Value-Lift-Kit.aspx?t_c=1&t_s=38&t_pt=3533&t_pn=SKYXJ20)

Then there is this 5.5" lift thats kinda makeshift. only thing is it uses stock control arms and has heavy duty front springs I believe.
http://comancheclub.com/topic/35519-55-600-mj-lift-cheap-high-quality-100-complete-lift/

Seems like everything over 4.5" is SOA including the lift above. So would it just be more worth it to do the SOA and get new springs depending on how high the lift is? The only reason why I don't wanna do SOA is because you have to reweld the leaf perches and I have no clue how to weld nor do I know anyone who knows how to weld.

As far as the welding goes there a several people who can help you out, and even a few of them I trust! Ha but all you need do is ask, welding new spring perches isn't to hard, and can be done on the cheap.

fwiw I'm doing a SOA lift on my fj60 whenever I get the time, for similar reasons.


what do you mean as far as jy charging full price for used stuff? Most jy I hit up charge penny's on the dollars, your not to far away to come down and hit the Denver yards. There's a few on the north end of town anyway.

[Popsgarage]

Not attacking you at all Matt, but personally I think BDS is very over priced for what they sell. I've seen your kit for your ZJ and I wasn't impressed. Crossmembers left a lot to be desired in my opinion. If the ownership of RE hadn't changed, I'd be inclined to agree with Frank on saving your pennies and going with them, but maybe I'm a bit biased. Rusty's arms are okay, but their skid plates leave something to be desired. RE has always had and probably always have the best skid plate/belly pans on the market. T and T Customs makes a killer kit that is very heavy duty and their skids are really above par. The Zone kits have come a long way with the infusion of money from the new ownership to where they'd actually be a viable option. The RC kits for the Jeep are okay, but their shocks aren't the best. Their new long arm upgrade for the Cherokees, which includes the skids and arms is a heavy duty unit very similar to the RE parts. I've seen the RC kit in person and I own a RE kit from before they changed ownership. Very very similar. Both belly pan/arm attachment points fasten to the body in the same places and use the same factory bolt locations. I can say I don't know about where and how the arms mount on the RC kit, 'cause it was not yet under the rig when I saw it. The old RE kit was, in my opinion, hands down the best kit on the market for the XJ and, Frank can correct me if I'm mistaken, should bolt directly to the MJ with minor changes if any. Shocks on many kits can be had as an option if you call in and tell them you'll buy the kit with no shocks or you'll make your purchase elsewhere. This frees you up to purchase shocks by any manufacturer you chose since this seems to always be the number one point of irritation for most. And, as mentioned above somewhere, junkyard lifts can be had for fractions of the amounts that manufacturers are charging for their kits. A small amount of research can net you great results. I've gone on several yard runs and found anything from Teraflex superflex arms to RoughCountry upper arms to Rusty's HD trackbars to Procomp shackles to aftermarket rear leaves by multiple manufacturers to Daystar bump stops to aftermarket bumpers and good homemade bumpers. And that's my two cents.

[dscowell]

Yeah I figured I'd ask on here sense many of you know how to weld and all that fun stuff

And I read on colorado4x4 that jeeps unlimated makes you pay way more then you should and I looked through some of there invetory and it seemed a little pricey
http://www.jeepsunlimited.net/inventory

[Popsgarage]

many of you know how to weld

Yes. As do Steve and Mike to name two. Nope, three.

[Popsgarage]

Some info on junkyard jeep lifts and other stuff.
This is what I searched for........
http://us.yhs4.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?&hspart=FreeCause&hsimp=yhs-shopathome_001&type=100973&p=front%20XJ%20LCA%20to%20WJ%20LCA%20swap
these are some of the things I found.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=66012 Tons of info!
http://xjcrawlers.com/vehicle-help/xj-parts-fit-interchange/
http://www.tnjeeps.com/topic/729-upgrades-for-the-xj-from-the-junkyard/
http://www.4x4wire.com/jeep/tech/axle/xjupgrades/
http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/junkyard-upgrades-2236/
http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f9/will-wj-lcas-work-zj-xj-16516/
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/wj-lower-control-arms-xj-1117521/

Some words of wisdom.
(http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f11/wj-lower-control-arms-xj-1117521/)http://www.kevinsoffroad.com/techarticles/f2rswap.html

[mattzj98]

Whatever you don't like about it, its still the only kit for zj with best clearance and best unibody stiffening. (Even though its all plated now)

[dscowell]

http://www.rocky-road.com/jeep-comanche-lift-kit.html
What about rocky road any thoughts on them?

[Java]

the only reason I'd avoid BDS is the name... but if that's what you want or need, nothing else will do!! :thumb:

[mattzj98]

Lol

[Popsgarage]

What about rocky road any thoughts on them?

It's all Old Man Emu stuff with a spring over axle in the rear. You should be able to find the front springs cheaper somewhere else. Forget the "bolt on rear spring over axle". Get some spring perches from someone like Dan at RuffStuff for the rear and have someone here weld 'em on for ya and set pinion angle while you're doin' it. Dana 44 simple swap kit shown. It should work for a Dana 35 as well.

http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/D44SS.html
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/graphics/00000001/IMG_0517.jpg

[Java]

laughing at myself this morning, the new Petersons mag showed up with, for the first time, a two page ad for Tuff Country and a full page BDS ad... it's like they heard me or something... :blah: Tuff Country has some very good prices in the new ad, might be worth looking into.

[dscowell]

I have checked their website but I did not find any comanche lifts. Knowing myself I probably looked right at it and didn't notice

[dscowell]

I think for now I'll go with the skyjacker lift then when some money rolls around Ill do a SOA and see what I can find either from JYs or get the RE 5.5"
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