Duhust

I was looking at the Rubicon Express 3.5" Kit with full replacement leafs for my 91'. What kind of lift can I expect to get out of it? Ive heard that the RE kits get a bit more than there advertised. Is the RE equipment that much better to justify the price? I was also looking at the RC 4.5" kit with replacement leafs. The RC kit seems like a more complete product and ive heard alot of good things about it with the exception of the shocks, but when upgraded it rides great. When I add the shocks into the price for the RE 3.5" kit it comes out to around the same price as the RC 4.5" kit. I have a family member who can get me around a $100 discount on that RE kit. Ive also read somwhere on this forum that forum members can recieve a "forum" discount on rc kits if we talk to Jason at rc at the time of order, does anybody know what kind of discount it is?

kapowsinpunk

i can only speak to the 3.5" Rubicon Express lift, i also opted for their tube shocks. i ordered the super flex kit with rear springs and the lift turned out great. i'm not sure what effect your going for with your rig (ride quality, ground clearance) but i gained well over 4 inches of lift with the 3.5 as the stock rear springs were toast. search around for a better price, i was originally going to order direct from Rubicon, but i ended up going to a local 4x4 shop and they got me a great deal.

Duhust

Thankyou for the reply. This is my offroad vehicle, no DD here. Im looking for a starting point I guess. My fenders are already trimmed up, thankyou to the po for fudging that modification up . And im not looking to go any bigger than a 33" tire. Im just looking for a kit that will take a bit of a beating, and is a good starting point for this project. Eventually I would like to go to a 6.5" LA kit with 35's, axel swap, 4 link rear, interior cage and many other "ideas". But again, this vehicle is just my "toy" (I have to say that calling a vehicle my toy makes me feel kinda warm inside ) and is kind of my purpose built 4x4. Maybe I should just spring for the RC 6.5" SA kit for 250 more and just upgrade to the long arm down the road.

kapowsinpunk

well, it sounds like you have a direction to go.. if i were you i would go with what you want up front, because...
1- you won't get the money you spent on the smaller lift back
2- you won't be happy with the smaller lift because you really want the LA lift...
Spend the extra cash now and save yourself the heart ache later.

Duhust

Is moving from a short arm kit to a long arm kit as simple as swaping out the swing arms, or is it a completely different setup needing completely different parts?

What should I be looking for to get alot of articulation out of my suspension? I know to get it out of the rear im gonna have to ditch the leafs for a coil. But does having a good lift (5.5"+) and coils on 4 corners mean your gonna get alot of motion out of your suspension or is there something special im not seeing that gets that articulation?

lliamsdad

a long arm setup would net you better articulation and a much better on/offroad ride also. i have the 4.5 in rc short arm and it impressed me other than these stiff *** shocks. worth the money in my opinion.

Duhust

BUMP

tannerp89

well if you go over 4" you'll need an SYE, a CV drive shaft, longer brake lines, an adjustable track bar, a drop pitman arm (depends) and upgraded steering to handle the 33's or so i assume you'll wanna run for a comfortable ride...i find its another $750 plus for the drivetrain/steering components needed to go higher than that, on top of the cost for the lift and LA kit. i run the RE 3.5" super flex w/ trimmed fenders and can tuck my 31's all the way to the top of the wells so....when i go higher im just gonna add 2" shackles and spacers for like $60 and spend the real $ on the SYE and CV and any other parts needed. that should set me at about 6" total of lift with the shackles n spacers cause the RE kit got me around 4.25"....and if your gonna run RE lift run their shocks too. they are a positive pressure nitrogen shock thats well worth the money and handles great, plus helps keep the tires on the ground in extreme flex situations.

tannerp89

and the forum discount for RC is 10%. get ahold of chris at 4wheelcustoms.com he's who got me my kit...the 3.5" superflex w/ rear leaf packs and 4 monotube shocks for 999.99 and free shipping...thats like $350 in savings....

caged

well, since you're looking at rubicon express, and you want a long arm upgrade later, i'd say get the rubicon express 5.5 inch extreme duty kit.
it comes complete with lca and track bar drop brackets. it even comes with disconnect sway bar end links, but no shocks. but it's upgradable to their long arm upgrade later when you're ready.

i ran this kit for 5 years. rides great, good flex and tough as hell.

offroadnut36

x2 Rubicon Express is a great company, and make high quality parts. There's an RE vendor on Jeepforum that has great deals, hes the guy I got my 4.5" longarm from.

As for your longarm vs. short arm differences. The axle mounts are the same. the only thing you really need to do it cut off the LCA mount and then you have to weld the new control arm mounts onto the frame. You don't HAVE to weld them, but it is recommended. The upper control arm mounts to the lower long arm. It's called a y-link/radius arm. I can take pics of mine if you want.

FLAXJ

I have the RE 3.5 kit with full leaf packs. Initially the leafs netted me close to 5 inches and settled out after a year to about 4~4.5. Haven't sagged or bent after plenty of breaking in and flex well. 3.5 has good road manners when coupled with good shocks, though you will probably need a SYE and shaft, and def. an extended track bar to do it correctly.

The only issue I have heard is that the RE 5.5 extreme duty leaf packs have a tendency to fan out on the smaller leaves and some people have reported experiencing "S" bending and metal fatigue and failure resulting in sagging height. Could be an isolated issue, but just some food for thought.

BTW if you live near a 4wheel parts, they will ship the lift to the store free of charge, you just have to pick it up. Nice way to beat a couple hundred bucks in shipping.

88MJ.uggernaut

if i were you i would go RE all the way bro!you get what you pay for.so i'v heard lol.

xj don

i have a 2000 xj with a re 3.5 lift in town and on highway when i hit bumps in the road it is bone jaring what is up with that

xj don

any one have any ideas