I am looking at the 3" Zone Offroad lift kit for $290.
The rough country kit comes with the sway bar drop brackets, are these really necessary? Zone does not include these, and it does not look like they even sell them. Is there anything else I should consider replacing or ordering, or is everything in the kit what I need?

If you do decide to go with zone get sway bar quick disconnects instead of getting the sway bar drop bracket. That's what should be sold with a kit instead of drop brackets.

Hmm that suddenly makes my $290 lift kit go to $390 while rough country's comes with those and new control arms for $350. Gotta think about this now.

You can make quick discos for less than a buck a side ...

You didn't specify what all the zone kit came with all you said was it didn't come with the drop brackets, And RC did? And like Gee oh Dee said you can make quick discos for cheap. And that leaves money for control arms or any thing else you may need or want?

The Zone comes with:

Front coil springs
Add a leafs
New UBolts
Zone Nitro Shocks(+$21.08)

How about brake line extensions?

yea youll need to relocate ur brake line brackets, or get yj ones for the junk yard for $20.

I made a custom lift, also only paid $60 for my RC quick discos, then I got adj control arms for $140.

you might want to consider piecing a kit together, maybe shackles instead of the leafs.

Autozone shackles $35
Shocks $120
RC quick discos $60
Coil springs (ive seen on clist for $60!) or $120 new

then some control arms, mby adj trac bar (i got my RC for $50)

this isnt a bad kit either, id offer him $300
id stay away from the short AAL's

good luck

3" Kit you need brake line extensions? I was under the impression you don't need brake line work until your around 4.5"?

You my not, depending on how you flex, but its a good idea and it can be free to do.

I can unseat my coils with my 3" lift. I would rip mine off if the brackets weren't moved.

Im piecing together my lift also and so far ive only spent 250 bucks and have all the basic parts down.
Leafs-$90
Coils-$65
Shocks-$30
RC Brake line-$20
T-case drop/Ubolts-$45
Im also looking for adjustable control arms and a track bar but im prob goin to have to wait a while because they are expensive new. lol