Im looking to buy my first lift for my jeep, nothing to expensive or big. I found this lift online, I just wanted some input on whether this is a good lift for the money and if I will need any other parts for it? Thanks



http://store.4wheelingplus.com/prodd...od=670H&cat=84

 

I dont know about the 3", but my jeep has the 4.5" and it rides better than my girlfriends stock 96. Shocks must be softer or something..
Also, youll pry end up with more lift in back than front. I assume its from weight distribution.

 

did you have to buy a SYE and extended drive shaft with your 4.5? thats what i really want but im not sure what all I will really need.

 

Mine was done before I got it, I dont know how long its been on but I think its a first gen Rough country so its been there for a while..

I think it was just a basic 4.5" with lift blocks and coil springs.
The jeep has the stock driveshaft, no Tc drop, and No sye. I get no vibrations on the road and no deathwobble, even with some steering issues (bad joints).
Here is what mine looks like with the 225/75/15s the PO had on it (pretty silly, but No money for tires)

 

It's a good all-around lift kit, but the rear will sag a bit cause of the add a leafs. I suggest you add some 1/2 inch shims if the u bolts are long enough.

 

I've heard that using blocks is a bad idea, how have they worked out for you? Could I buy this lift and put in 1.5" blocks to make it 4.5? Would using shims be considered a form of blocking it?

 

Shims are usually used for correcting pinion angle and are different than lift blocks, and blocks are a bad idea. trust me. the AAL's will be fine unless your springs are pretty bad and you are better off spending the extra few bucks on the kit including springs as opposed to buying new stock ones and the AAL kit.

 

A block with an angle is a shim. I personally have a 1 inch shim and have no problems with it. Obviously if you go over 1.5 inch the lever force will be much more and you might have problems like axle wrap or negative leaf deflection.

 

I have a RC 3" lift and it is very nice for the price. I decided after a week to go bigger (and because my rear springs were shot) so I added a 1.5" spacer up front and built a bastard pack for the rear. I then sold the rear AAL and the extra center pins- that paid for the spacers and BP (1995 Dakota 4X4 Rear Springs- ended up with 4.75" of lift in the back).

The shocks the lift comes with are OK, but I will be upgrading to something better in the future. It does ride soft and bouncy, but not bad.

I forgot to add that with 4.5" of lift I got zero driveline vibes and no DW. I did need to put in an adjustable track-bar. Not enough room to re-drill the mounting hole with that much lift (3" is pushing it close to the edge). I did drive it for several months before the track-bar, but it did track like crap and the turning radius was small one direction and big the other (and rubbed the tires bad one way too if you turned the wheel to far).

With my 31's I get a touch of wheel rub on the LCA's at full lock in both directions.



~K

 

can i buy those 1.5" spacers online? how much did it cost you for the dokota leaf springs?

 

yep. http://www.jeep4x4center.com/jeep-li...n-lift-kit.htm

 

I have the 3" Rough Country as well but I got mine with the new leaf springs. It's a great lift and with 31's I only get a little bit of rubbing when I take hard turns.

 

My spacers I got off CL for cheap (got a second factory spring isolator for 3/4" for $5 on CL and made a spacer on our CNC Machine to fit between the two isolators out of steel).

Dakota springs were $35 from the local JY- they were actually cheaper than the Pick_N_Pull and I didn't have to wrench on them. They did cut them off at the shackles with a torch but the springs themselves were in great shape.

I sold my AALs for $40 and the lift blocks that came with the lift (for MJs) for $20. :-)

 

In my area dakota leaf springs go for $45.00 each