jeepboy1990

http://www.summitracing.com/checkout/cart.aspx
crager rims
3 inch lift kit just as beginner kit
http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/merchan...ode=sus_xj_kit
im buying allterrains 31s

builtnotbought89'

The first link just shows an empty shopping cart! As for krustys, I for 1 would go with rough country!!! - http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_xj_3.html

aggiefan07

isnt rough contry a roughr ride

builtnotbought89'

no more than any other lift kit at first... That is if your talking full leaf packs which is the way to go! The key to getting a softer ride outta any kit is FLEX, FLEX, & MORE FLEX!!!

96_xj

rusty's lift is fine. Some people have issues and everyone is bias.... my ex had an 01 with the 4.5" rough country lift (spings and full leafs with their shocks) and it rode like 1ton truck, just really rough. I ran rusty's 4.5" lift(full packs, springs, shocks) and it rides really nice. i have since then made my own rear leaf pack to bring me up to 6.5" in the rear and i still run rusty's coils and love how the ride is. but i ran about 13,000 on rusty's with no problem, just changed their shocks(with exact same replacements). I had a shock mount break while off road and the shock bent around the axle from hitting rocks and i just sent it in and got a free replacement(minus me shipping it in the first place). I never had any sag, and neither did the RC but ROUGH is the key word. off road it would rattle you to being sore the next day, and on wash boards it would just bounce and you would lose all traction.

This was an apples to apples comparison:
Mine:
2-door 96 jeep XJ 33" tires

Hers:
4-door 2001 Jeep XJ 33" tires

all same components came with our lifts

builtnotbought89'

I'm sure she went out & FLEXED it as much as you did too?!?!? lol

96_xj

considering we both did the same trails, yes. She also took it up to her cabin and wheeled it. She is a true off road girl-grew up on a quad and in a cj-5.

She was perfect, other than being to clingy. but we still wheel together even to this day and hers still rides rough....

builtnotbought89'

See I went with RE 3" (full leafs), & it rode like a tank at first, as I was told I went out & BEAT the leafs as much as posable!!! Now she rides like a caddy, & has some sick rear flex! Either way the OP won't get a rough ride outta AAL's anyways ya know

96_xj

hmmm i have no say on add a leafs, but i have to ask for the sake of the original poster.

how is adding one thick, extra arched, stiff leaf into your leaf pack going to give you a soft ride when that single leaf is forcing your jeep to stay up in the rear?

Once that leaf is spent it will sag because your other leafs are not supporting the vehicle as much.

Also, full leaf packs for lift kits are longer so that they give you the correct shackle angle. adding the extra leaf will shorten your shackle angle giving you a rougher ride even still and limit your flex right?


when the shackle is at its recommended 30-45* it rides nice and when you go to drop the rear tire the shackle goes to vertical and then to a negative(forward) angle allowing the springs to drop as much as they can.
So when you arch your pack higher that brings the shackle to a 90* angle most of the time. so when you go to flex it goes to that foraward angle sooner not giving you much more drop in the back tire.

correct me if i am wrong but thats what i believe to know.

Which is why jeepboy1990 try to go full leaf packs if you can =]

mcssls

the improvement having gone to a RC lift over the stock ride was huge, and yes I got the AAL to start with. go to carparts.com and look up the price. For a starter/builder kit you'll like it.

builtnotbought89'

Exactly correct 100%! I was just saying he will still get a bit of a softer ride out of the AALover a full leaf pack, cause of the strain being put on the factory leafs that will give at the ends of his AAL!

96_xj

oh haha. now i feel as tho I came off as a smarty-pants.....woops...