Used Rubicon Express or New Rough Country Lift?
12-17-2010, 08:55 AM
#1
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Used Rubicon Express or New Rough Country Lift?
Hey guys, i am looking for a lift for my 1990 2 door cherokee. I came across used a 5.5" rubicon express lift. its a short arm lift w a new set of adjustable front upers and lowers. This lift has rear leaves and drop brackets in addition to the arms. He wants 750 which is a great price but shipping across the country is gonna cost me 300 bux at least. Or I can just buy a new rough country 6.5 x-series kit for just under 1k shipped. It would be new, the biggest difference would be no drop brackets for the control arms, otherwise the kits are similar (upper and lower front arms, rear leafpaks, coils etc...)
So is Rubicon Express that much better that buying a used kit for about the same money is better than a new kit from rought counrty? I know it has the drop brackets, but the jeep is not my DD so unless they give more articulation, I owuldnt want them anyway.
So is Rubicon Express that much better that buying a used kit for about the same money is better than a new kit from rought counrty? I know it has the drop brackets, but the jeep is not my DD so unless they give more articulation, I owuldnt want them anyway.
12-17-2010, 10:06 AM
#3
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Year: 90
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The best thing to do is sit down and compare piece for piece each part of the individual kits...
Rough Country keeps their kits cheap by not including everything other manufacturers do, or using lesser parts.
The 6.5" X-series kit comes with brake line relocator brackets rather than extended brake lines and a TRE style track bar rather than double shear style.
You have already noticed it doesn't include CA drop brackets.. that's another $190 you would have to spend to get the same style of parts.
Also RC is not a true full spring lift. Its a leaf spring AND a shackle to achieve the 6.5"
With either set-up an SYE is gonna be a must...
5.5" or 6.5" of lift on short arms.. the ride is gonna suck. Its gonna suck worse on 6.5" and no drop brackets.
Rough Country keeps their kits cheap by not including everything other manufacturers do, or using lesser parts.
The 6.5" X-series kit comes with brake line relocator brackets rather than extended brake lines and a TRE style track bar rather than double shear style.
You have already noticed it doesn't include CA drop brackets.. that's another $190 you would have to spend to get the same style of parts.
Also RC is not a true full spring lift. Its a leaf spring AND a shackle to achieve the 6.5"
With either set-up an SYE is gonna be a must...
5.5" or 6.5" of lift on short arms.. the ride is gonna suck. Its gonna suck worse on 6.5" and no drop brackets.
12-20-2010, 10:02 AM
#5
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Completely false. Our kits are less expensive for multiple reasons....
1) we dont sponsor any trucks and dont have race teams therefore less overhead
2) we have been in business longer then just about all others and are the largest volume mover in the industry therefor better buying power from our vendors
3) Lower overhead lower profit margin = great price
one thing that alot of people fail to understand is that we are a full suspension company, not only dealing in jeeps but for just about all 4x4 applications. We would not be in business if we sold shoddy parts and we would not continue to grow through a struggling economy where every dollar is watched if we were junk. Most of if not all negative things that are said are from forum users who only repeat what they have read and have no first hand experience with the product.
oh wait there is always the "you get what you pay for attitude" but hey if one likes to pay for someone else truck to get sponsored in a event instead of paying for what you need and thats it then I guess thats the right attitude to have.
I will not nor will anyone else in this company say our product is perfect or better then anyone else however I will put it up against anyones any day on any test.
anyways end rant
happy holidays and have an awesome 2011
1) we dont sponsor any trucks and dont have race teams therefore less overhead
2) we have been in business longer then just about all others and are the largest volume mover in the industry therefor better buying power from our vendors
3) Lower overhead lower profit margin = great price
one thing that alot of people fail to understand is that we are a full suspension company, not only dealing in jeeps but for just about all 4x4 applications. We would not be in business if we sold shoddy parts and we would not continue to grow through a struggling economy where every dollar is watched if we were junk. Most of if not all negative things that are said are from forum users who only repeat what they have read and have no first hand experience with the product.
oh wait there is always the "you get what you pay for attitude" but hey if one likes to pay for someone else truck to get sponsored in a event instead of paying for what you need and thats it then I guess thats the right attitude to have.
I will not nor will anyone else in this company say our product is perfect or better then anyone else however I will put it up against anyones any day on any test.
anyways end rant
happy holidays and have an awesome 2011
12-20-2010, 11:47 AM
#6
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I must say I got the 4.5 RC lift kit for my 90 Ramcharger 3 yrs ago and it was an excellent product. Easy install, good quality and one of the few kits made for that truck. My 01 XJ had a 5.5 RE on it when I bought it, also good quality and I'm happy with it too. I would buy either one again. sorry it doesn't help you decide. Just my experience and .02c.
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12-20-2010, 12:37 PM
#9
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I would definitely go with the new RC Kit. I would also give Jason ie Griumus a call and order through him. Not only is he a vendor but he has a rep of taking care of folks.
What get's me about these posts is when someone chimes in to say something sucks they never give any valid reason or proof just blanket statements of their springs suck or this sucks or they use cheap crap. If you are going to call something junk atleast provide valid proof so you don't look like an idiot. I hold little respect in an opinion on a products quality from someone who has either never used use, read it on another site or has used it and provides no valid backing to their statement.
What get's me about these posts is when someone chimes in to say something sucks they never give any valid reason or proof just blanket statements of their springs suck or this sucks or they use cheap crap. If you are going to call something junk atleast provide valid proof so you don't look like an idiot. I hold little respect in an opinion on a products quality from someone who has either never used use, read it on another site or has used it and provides no valid backing to their statement.
Last edited by okcjeeper; 12-20-2010 at 12:39 PM.
12-20-2010, 12:40 PM
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Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
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Completely false. Our kits are less expensive for multiple reasons....
1) we dont sponsor any trucks and dont have race teams therefore less overhead
2) we have been in business longer then just about all others and are the largest volume mover in the industry therefor better buying power from our vendors
3) Lower overhead lower profit margin = great price
one thing that alot of people fail to understand is that we are a full suspension company, not only dealing in jeeps but for just about all 4x4 applications. We would not be in business if we sold shoddy parts and we would not continue to grow through a struggling economy where every dollar is watched if we were junk. Most of if not all negative things that are said are from forum users who only repeat what they have read and have no first hand experience with the product.
oh wait there is always the "you get what you pay for attitude" but hey if one likes to pay for someone else truck to get sponsored in a event instead of paying for what you need and thats it then I guess thats the right attitude to have.
I will not nor will anyone else in this company say our product is perfect or better then anyone else however I will put it up against anyones any day on any test.
anyways end rant
happy holidays and have an awesome 2011
1) we dont sponsor any trucks and dont have race teams therefore less overhead
2) we have been in business longer then just about all others and are the largest volume mover in the industry therefor better buying power from our vendors
3) Lower overhead lower profit margin = great price
one thing that alot of people fail to understand is that we are a full suspension company, not only dealing in jeeps but for just about all 4x4 applications. We would not be in business if we sold shoddy parts and we would not continue to grow through a struggling economy where every dollar is watched if we were junk. Most of if not all negative things that are said are from forum users who only repeat what they have read and have no first hand experience with the product.
oh wait there is always the "you get what you pay for attitude" but hey if one likes to pay for someone else truck to get sponsored in a event instead of paying for what you need and thats it then I guess thats the right attitude to have.
I will not nor will anyone else in this company say our product is perfect or better then anyone else however I will put it up against anyones any day on any test.
anyways end rant
happy holidays and have an awesome 2011
Last edited by freegdr; 12-20-2010 at 01:13 PM.
12-20-2010, 01:38 PM
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Okay... then you should have no problems answering the question as to why your kits(specifically the 6.5" X-series as the OP asked) use brake line re-locators rather than extended brake lines, TRE-style track bar rather than a double shear and does not include drop brackets. If its not a business case of using cheaper parts to keep the kit prices lower, what is the reasoning?
12-20-2010, 01:41 PM
#12
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I'll tell ya right now, anything over 5" on short arms is gonna be a rough riding, poor handling combination on the street and off the street. I would not even be considering a short arm lift with that kind of height. Go with a long arm kit. You will me much more pleased. BTW, I am speaking from personal experience.
12-20-2010, 01:46 PM
#13
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Completely false. Our kits are less expensive for multiple reasons....
1) we dont sponsor any trucks and dont have race teams therefore less overhead
2) we have been in business longer then just about all others and are the largest volume mover in the industry therefor better buying power from our vendors
3) Lower overhead lower profit margin = great price
one thing that alot of people fail to understand is that we are a full suspension company, not only dealing in jeeps but for just about all 4x4 applications. We would not be in business if we sold shoddy parts and we would not continue to grow through a struggling economy where every dollar is watched if we were junk. Most of if not all negative things that are said are from forum users who only repeat what they have read and have no first hand experience with the product.
oh wait there is always the "you get what you pay for attitude" but hey if one likes to pay for someone else truck to get sponsored in a event instead of paying for what you need and thats it then I guess thats the right attitude to have.
I will not nor will anyone else in this company say our product is perfect or better then anyone else however I will put it up against anyones any day on any test.
anyways end rant
happy holidays and have an awesome 2011
1) we dont sponsor any trucks and dont have race teams therefore less overhead
2) we have been in business longer then just about all others and are the largest volume mover in the industry therefor better buying power from our vendors
3) Lower overhead lower profit margin = great price
one thing that alot of people fail to understand is that we are a full suspension company, not only dealing in jeeps but for just about all 4x4 applications. We would not be in business if we sold shoddy parts and we would not continue to grow through a struggling economy where every dollar is watched if we were junk. Most of if not all negative things that are said are from forum users who only repeat what they have read and have no first hand experience with the product.
oh wait there is always the "you get what you pay for attitude" but hey if one likes to pay for someone else truck to get sponsored in a event instead of paying for what you need and thats it then I guess thats the right attitude to have.
I will not nor will anyone else in this company say our product is perfect or better then anyone else however I will put it up against anyones any day on any test.
anyways end rant
happy holidays and have an awesome 2011
12-20-2010, 05:42 PM
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I can not argue delay in shiiping with you simply because based on the dollar amount I am assuming you were getting our long arm kit with they first came out and yes we messed up on that. We released the kit with no where near enough inventory to fill the orders we received then again we also had no idea it would sell so many so quickly. If that is the case then I as well as the rest of us here at Rough Country do apologize.
Okay... then you should have no problems answering the question as to why your kits(specifically the 6.5" X-series as the OP asked) use brake line re-locators rather than extended brake lines, TRE-style track bar rather than a double shear and does not include drop brackets. If its not a business case of using cheaper parts to keep the kit prices lower, what is the reasoning?
Unlike what so so many people say or believe I ran our 6.5 short arm with no sye nor extended driveshaft, no brake lines or even drop brackets and took it off road all the time with no issues and no vibes. It was my daily driver for about 2 years and from 0 to about 80 no vibes or shakes outside of crappy tire vibrations. SO having said that saying that we use brkts instead of lines to save money is not the case in point. The fact of the matter is they are NOT required therefore no validation in that statement.
As far as the track bar goes, we have been selling this kit long before we came out with the double shear trac bar and have never changed the kit contents. In fact not to long after the new trac bar came out we lowered the price of the 6.5 by 100.00 total. That alone would just about cover the cost of a new one.... we did not do it for that purpose but the math happens to work out that way.
If we indeed did sell faulty low quality or junk parts one would think we would either A) not be in business and growing each year or B) be up to our neck in lawsuits from so-called "cheap" stuff. The main complaint we receive is bushing problems but we as well as 99.9% of all aftermarket companies buy them from the same place so if ours are bad so are everyone elses. In middle of 2009 I believe there was an epidemic to say of bad shock bushings but doing research will show that many of our competitors were having the same problems.
Last edited by GRIMUS99XJ; 12-20-2010 at 05:47 PM.