Rubicon Express vs. Skyjacker Lift

[socal_rob]

Hello everyone,

I've got a Skyjacker Single-Flex 4" lift on my 1999 TJ. I've never been particularly pleased with the ride. It's rough and very squirrelly. I replaced the Skyjacker shocks recently with Rancho RS9000 and that has helped. However, I still find the vehicle pulling all over the road.

The thing that bothers me the most is the way both the front and rear axles seem to shift slightly from side to side, especially when braking or accelerating after shifting gears. I've read else where that this might be a problem with Skyjacker's track bar, so I've thought about replacing it and having the vehicle aligned.

Or...

I've recently been considering ditching the Skyjacker lift altogether and going with a Rubicon Express Extreme Duty Long Arm lift. I'm currently running a 4" lift, so I'd probably go for the 3.5" RE lift.

Do any of you have thoughts on either of these lift kits or my experiences with the Skyjacker lift? I'd very much appreciate any and all feedback as I consider what to do next. I simply have to improve the quality and stability of my ride, so all suggestions are welcome!

Thanks,
Rob

	Track bar A track bar is a component of a car suspension system that provides lateral location of the axle. While the purpose of the rear suspension of an automobile is to allow the wheels to move vertically with respect to the body, it is undesirable to allow them to move forward and backwards, or from side to side. It is this latter movement that the track bar is designed to prevent. It is a simple device, consisting of a rigid bar running sideways in the same plane as the rear axle, connecting one end of the axle to the car body or chassis on the opposite side of the vehicle. The bar is attached on either end with pivots that permit it to swivel upwards and downwards only, so that the axle is, in turn, allowed to move in the vertical plane only.

[Bounty__Hunter]

You can start by replacing only the front track bar, the RE adj. is a quality unit, I've installed several. Then you can decide if you want the LA kit. Several companies sell LA upgrade kits that allow to reuse your springs and shocks, something that may save you quite a bit of money.

Caster has a lot to do with squirrelly handling as well, what's yours set at?

	Track bar A track bar is a component of a car suspension system that provides lateral location of the axle. While the purpose of the rear suspension of an automobile is to allow the wheels to move vertically with respect to the body, it is undesirable to allow them to move forward and backwards, or from side to side. It is this latter movement that the track bar is designed to prevent. It is a simple device, consisting of a rigid bar running sideways in the same plane as the rear axle, connecting one end of the axle to the car body or chassis on the opposite side of the vehicle. The bar is attached on either end with pivots that permit it to swivel upwards and downwards only, so that the axle is, in turn, allowed to move in the vertical plane only.

	Caster Caster angle is the angular displacement from the vertical axis of the suspension of a steered wheel, measured in the longitudinal direction. It is the angle between the pivot line (in a car - an imaginary line that runs through the center of the upper ball joint to the center of the lower ball joint) and vertical.

[TwistedCopper]

I've head a lot of complaining that the SJ trackbar is a bad design.
I have the RE1600 Trackbar on my XJ and it works well. My only complaint is the frame end joint wears quickly. If I could do it over again I would go with one that uses standard bushings, even if it didn't flex quite as well as it is pretty frustrating when a joint doesn't even make it a year before it starts popping :?

	Track bar A track bar is a component of a car suspension system that provides lateral location of the axle. While the purpose of the rear suspension of an automobile is to allow the wheels to move vertically with respect to the body, it is undesirable to allow them to move forward and backwards, or from side to side. It is this latter movement that the track bar is designed to prevent. It is a simple device, consisting of a rigid bar running sideways in the same plane as the rear axle, connecting one end of the axle to the car body or chassis on the opposite side of the vehicle. The bar is attached on either end with pivots that permit it to swivel upwards and downwards only, so that the axle is, in turn, allowed to move in the vertical plane only.

[socal_rob]

Thanks for the suggestions.

What are the primary differences between the Skyjacker Single-Flex kit I have installed and the RE Long Arm kit? Just curious. Wish I'd done more of this research BEFORE the shop talked me into the Skyjacker kit.

Regarding a long-arm upgrade, any suggestions on good kits?

Regarding caster, I'm not sure (I'm a bit of a newbie when to comes to all of this stuff). I took my TJ into a shop to have it aligned and the mechanic was talking about caster, etc. That was the first time anyone had explained to me what it was...although I still don't know what it should be set at. We decided not to align it until I'd decided what to do re: the track bar.

Finally, why only replace the front track bar? Why not a rear adjustable as well? Just curious...

Thanks to everyone for your advice and suggestions. Much appreciated!

-Rob

	Track bar A track bar is a component of a car suspension system that provides lateral location of the axle. While the purpose of the rear suspension of an automobile is to allow the wheels to move vertically with respect to the body, it is undesirable to allow them to move forward and backwards, or from side to side. It is this latter movement that the track bar is designed to prevent. It is a simple device, consisting of a rigid bar running sideways in the same plane as the rear axle, connecting one end of the axle to the car body or chassis on the opposite side of the vehicle. The bar is attached on either end with pivots that permit it to swivel upwards and downwards only, so that the axle is, in turn, allowed to move in the vertical plane only.

	Caster Caster angle is the angular displacement from the vertical axis of the suspension of a steered wheel, measured in the longitudinal direction. It is the angle between the pivot line (in a car - an imaginary line that runs through the center of the upper ball joint to the center of the lower ball joint) and vertical.