When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
I am looking for some help on deciding what lift kit to buy. I would like to go as tall as possible and with long arms. I would like to keep the lift in the neighborhood of 2k. I have been thinking about the Iron Rock Offroad long arm kit or the Rustys Offroad kit. Both are about 2k and have long arms. I don’t know what other lifts I should compare them too. I have had a few rustys lifts over the years and never had any issues with them, don’t have any experience with the IRO kit. I have an 88 2 door if that matters. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
thanks!
There’s obviously a heavy following of this thread so I’m going to throw a question out there . Let’s say you could do it all over again and you wanted to fit 32/11.50’s or 33/12.50s and have as much flex as possible but have good road manners and not completely rob the bank . Would you buy a package lift and add a few things or piece one together and what would you use? I’m leaning heavily towards short arms with lca drop brackets for a better ride without breaking the bank . Let’s hear it any and all opinions welcome . Plan is to regear to 4.56 as well .
Maybe I'm just venting, but the issue is that everyone wants to do it cheap.
Originally my lift budget was $1200. I'm over 4k now, and still getting parts together.
Properly lifting a vehicle over 3" is inherently expensive. It is going to rob the bank.
Ordering from different suppliers means you pay for shipping on dozens of different parts.
IMO The easy "best bang for your buck" route is the metalcloak ARB 3.5" kit with rear shackles and a coil spacer up front.
That way You wont be pulling your hair out doing research, and waiting weeks for sales so you can pick up the next part....
It will only hurt once, and you won't have anything to regret.
If could do it over again I would keep my money in the bank.
30" all terrain tires on factory wheels with a 2" upcountry clone lift would be it.
Last edited by craigjacob1; Feb 12, 2018 at 01:22 AM.
Maybe I'm just venting, but the issue is that everyone wants to do it cheap.
Originally my lift budget was $1200. I'm over 4k now, and still getting parts together.
Properly lifting a vehicle over 3" is inherently expensive. It is going to rob the bank.
Ordering from different suppliers means you pay for shipping on dozens of different parts.
IMO The easy "best bang for your buck" route is the metalcloak ARB 3.5" kit with rear shackles and a small coil spacer up front.
That way You wont be pulling your hair out doing research, and waiting for sales to pick up the next thing that you need.
It will only hurt once, and you won't have anything to regret.
If could tdo it over again I would keep my money in the bank.
30" all terrain tires on factory wheels with a 2" upcountry clone lift would be it.
I wrench for a living so I’m well aware it’s not cheap to lift a vehicle properly and all the work it entails and ordering from different suppliers etc . There is a ton of knowledge here on what pieces work best from different brands . I m not doing this twice so I value opinions . I don’t think any one brand has it all bundled in one package that I really agree with . Really like some of Ironman fabs work too would really like to use some of his control arms !
I wrench for a living so I’m well aware it’s not cheap to lift a vehicle properly and all the work it entails and ordering from different suppliers etc . There is a ton of knowledge here on what pieces work best from different brands . I m not doing this twice so I value opinions . I don’t think any one brand has it all bundled in one package that I really agree with . Really like some of Ironman fabs work too would really like to use some of his control arms !
I checked out my cost on just the lift, and I'm not into the lift nearly as much as I thought. A good chunk of the change went into wheels and tires.
There is too much to list here, but I have a copy of a spreadsheet of the components that I selected. I purchased them from all over the place. My cost is included.
I still need shackle relocation brackets, front bumpstops, and coil spring retainers.
It would have been easier to level if I went with either the OME CS033RB 3.5" leaf pack, or 4.5" Metalcloak coils.
I'm changing out the rear to fox 2.0 shocks as well. The only other thing I'm thinking of changing is the track bar.
Last edited by craigjacob1; Feb 12, 2018 at 08:40 AM.
There’s obviously a heavy following of this thread so I’m going to throw a question out there . Let’s say you could do it all over again and you wanted to fit 32/11.50’s or 33/12.50s and have as much flex as possible but have good road manners and not completely rob the bank . Would you buy a package lift and add a few things or piece one together and what would you use? I’m leaning heavily towards short arms with lca drop brackets for a better ride without breaking the bank . Let’s hear it any and all opinions welcome . Plan is to regear to 4.56 as well .
33s and flex is what I'm good at. I Ran a 4.5" long and lift with 33s and it flexed really well. 4.5" RE springs front and rear, 1.25" RE shackle, no lift shackle relocation boxes, 12" travel bilsteins front, 10" travel rear, RE heavy duty track bar with the double shear track bar, flex joint and brace, extended brake lines, cavfab 3 link and steering and it did very very well and was very predictable and reliable. I had a good bit of bumpstop and never rubbed.
I am looking for some help on deciding what lift kit to buy. I would like to go as tall as possible and with long arms. I would like to keep the lift in the neighborhood of 2k. I have been thinking about the Iron Rock Offroad long arm kit or the Rustys Offroad kit. Both are about 2k and have long arms. I don’t know what other lifts I should compare them too. I have had a few rustys lifts over the years and never had any issues with them, don’t have any experience with the IRO kit. I have an 88 2 door if that matters. Any help or advice would be appreciated.
thanks!
You're going to need to get more than just a lift
Kit if you're going "as high as possible" you're going to need custom front and rear driveshafts and a slip yoke eliminator to start. Not sure what your reason is for as high as possible, because 5.5" of lift will fit 35s and that's about all the stock axles can take. You're going to be in over 2k to lift anything right high. Also, you didn't mention if you would be doing the installation or not. There are tons of factors you left out.
Ok I am asking hope I'm in the right place. I have an 89 and lifted 8.5 in". What should my pinion angle be front and rear? I know it don't make a difference but I have a DANA-60 rear and a DANA-44 HI-PINION FRONT. PLEASE HELP?
Hi All, just finished my 3-1/2" Tuff Country lift , and other work, got some road time on the Jeep...Noticable vibration at 20 -30 MPH...Got tires rebalanced .. They were pretty far out of balance...Better , but still vibration at 25..but it is better....
Should I look for another cause, or is what I'm feeling now a result of bad tire wear from the previous bad balance ???
Later
You're going to need to get more than just a lift
Kit if you're going "as high as possible" you're going to need custom front and rear driveshafts and a slip yoke eliminator to start. Not sure what your reason is for as high as possible, because 5.5" of lift will fit 35s and that's about all the stock axles can take. You're going to be in over 2k to lift anything right high. Also, you didn't mention if you would be doing the installation or not. There are tons of factors you left out.
I know I am gonna need more than just a lift. I have had over a dozen XJ’s and probably half of them lifted. I will do the install myself. Just wanted advice on what brand to get. I had a 8in rustys long arm with 35’s, I have also had the rustys 4.5 in short arm kit with 35’s. The rest of the lifts I have had were piece together or eBay junk. I don’t know much about all the lift brands and I wanna spend the money to get a good one. I plan on keeping this jeep a long time and don’t wanna have to buy a lift again. Thanks again! And if the axles break, then good reason to upgrade lol! It’s a project, not a daily.
Hi All, just finished my 3-1/2" Tuff Country lift , and other work, got some road time on the Jeep...Noticable vibration at 20 -30 MPH...Got tires rebalanced .. They were pretty far out of balance...Better , but still vibration at 25..but it is better....
Should I look for another cause, or is what I'm feeling now a result of bad tire wear from the previous bad balance ???
Later
Could be the rear driveshaft, didn't mention if you had an sye or transfer case drop.
Ok I am asking hope I'm in the right place. I have an 89 and lifted 8.5 in". What should my pinion angle be front and rear? I know it don't make a difference but I have a DANA-60 rear and a DANA-44 HI-PINION FRONT. PLEASE HELP?
That is extremely high of a lift, but pinion angle depends mostly on what kind of driveshafts you're running. If you have an sye in the rear then the pinion should point at the transfercase output, and the front should be the same. At that height though you might run into pinion oiling issues with the "correct" angle so you may need to compromise. The front, there is compromise between steering, driveshaft angles, and pinion oiling. I can't tell you x degrees or y degrees, but hopefully this might have helped.
I know I am gonna need more than just a lift. I have had over a dozen XJ’s and probably half of them lifted. I will do the install myself. Just wanted advice on what brand to get. I had a 8in rustys long arm with 35’s, I have also had the rustys 4.5 in short arm kit with 35’s. The rest of the lifts I have had were piece together or eBay junk. I don’t know much about all the lift brands and I wanna spend the money to get a good one. I plan on keeping this jeep a long time and don’t wanna have to buy a lift again. Thanks again! And if the axles break, then good reason to upgrade lol! It’s a project, not a daily.
I personally have rubicon express springs and track bar, cav fab steering and 3 link with bilstein shocks. It rides well and the only thing I would change about it is going with the cav fab over the axle track bar mount and track bar. Which I plan to do down the road and I would highly suggest if your goal is as high as possible.
So a possible change of plans came up. one of my managers at works husband May be selling me his old lift out of his Jeep. It was a 6 1/2 inch X series rough country lift. It's the one with the adjustable short arms. He said he would sell it to me for a hell of a lot cheaper than it runs on line. I have also been told to avoid rough country you however. Do you think it would be worth it, also is a 6 1/2 inch lift with 33 inch tires too much for the tire ?
So a possible change of plans came up. one of my managers at works husband May be selling me his old lift out of his Jeep. It was a 6 1/2 inch X series rough country lift. It's the one with the adjustable short arms. He said he would sell it to me for a hell of a lot cheaper than it runs on line. I have also been told to avoid rough country you however. Do you think it would be worth it, also is a 6 1/2 inch lift with 33 inch tires too much for the tire ?
Sep 21, 2015, 02:17 PM
Finally got the time and money
