leaf spring lift

[monsterrd]

Hi Everyone, Almost ready to lift, Just had a couple questions, I think I'm going to get the 1.5 add a leaf kit,comes with new shocks,add a leafs, and a steering stabilizer, also going to do the 3 inch block body lift, are these combined going to change the drivetrain? what other mods will I have to do? new pitman arm , trans lowering kit, radiator, fan shroud? 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) [addsig]

[Snitty]

with the add-a-leaf.. you will need nothing else... no steering changes, no driveline changes... with the body lift, which i would suggest NO MORE than 2 inches... you will have to move the fan shroud, or possibly the radiator... a 3 inch lift may require steering shaft lengthening and/or body trimming/shifter lengtheneing.... i would say to bring the target body lift down... and bring the targeted suspension lift up... go with 2.5 for the suspension, and 2 for the body... that will be much better... i don't think you will need any further mods with that... if at all... you might need to cut the shifter cutout a little bit[addsig]

[rockwrangler]

I would have to agree with Snitty on this one, 3 inches of body lift is alot, you might think about doing more suspension and less body lift.[addsig]

[jhiggins]

yes 3" is alot of body lift all though it comes
with everything you need to do the lift ..we did
a buddy of mine with a 3" BL and everything is fine even
the steering shaft, just be prepared for a big gap
with very little preformance to gain, but it will
work for you straight out of the box...........good luck
and if you have anymore questions give me a hollar and I can
give you more specifics........... :-D

Also you will have to make the shifters longer and
do a little trimming on the tub to get it into 4low
depending on the year.......
8-) 8-) 8-)

edited by: jhiggins, Jun 14, 2003 - 01:53 PM[addsig]

[Tug-n-pull]

The wisdom of the board has said it all. To much of anything is bad. Dont over do the BL. I just finished my 3" supension lift and it was only 350.00 plus 85.00 in shipping so think about that prior to buying the add a leaf. Cause when you go to cutting out them old springs the dollars just fade away. It is a real pain in the hind in taken them bad boys out. Then you will have to work like a dog getting the old rubber and bushings out after that. Then add the leaf put it all back together and then its putting them on again. Spend the extra money and go with a supension lift. Just my 2 cents. tug[addsig]

[firemanharry]

My .02 is more suspension........less body.[addsig]

[monsterrd]

O.K. you guys would know better than me. What if I just go with the 3" suspension, any necessary mods besides the pitman arm and tranfer lowering kit? 8-) 8-) 8-) [addsig]

[Tug-n-pull]

Nope and it all comes in the kit. shocks, springs, tc lowering kit, pitman arm, tracking bar relocate brackets, break line lowering brackets, just like Ragu it is in there. Here is where I got mine and I had it in 47 hours after I made the payment. Cool deal and good folks. tug[addsig]

[Snitty]

the add-a-leaf does not require removal of the old bushings... the main leaf remains intact and is not removed[addsig]

[monsterrd]

Thanks Tug, I like the rough country 3 inch lift, looks like I'll be ordering it next week. 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) 8-) [addsig]

[Tug-n-pull]

Ask for Todd and tell him Danny Keplinger from Erwin Tennessee bought one from him a couple of weeks ago. He gave me free upgrade to nitro shocks and free color choice for shock boots. I know that aint much but $50.00 in free upgrades is better than not anything at all. He was super nice and a big help. tug[addsig]

[USMPK9]

Nope and it all comes in the kit. shocks, springs, tc lowering kit, pitman arm, tracking bar relocate brackets, break line lowering brackets, just like Ragu it is in there. Here is where I got mine and I had it in 47 hours after I made the payment. Cool deal and good folks. tug

thanks tug, man it's nice to deal with people who have treated others in our
little 'family' right...

[addsig]

[MORGSTER]

This is a repost from a time Long Long Ago:

I have a 1989YJ I bought new. For several years it was mainly used as a beach cruiser. One day, after experiencing an off-road vacation, I started really looking at what I had.
I noticed the lack of clearance in the fender wells and the odd reverse bend in the leaf springs. I attended several Jeep rallies and club roundups and noticed that these "Serious Jeepers" were all basically using the same spring setup. During the next several off-road runs I watched the performance of these Jeeps and came to the same conclusion, they performed without problems and made it through places I could only hope to go. With that in mind I had only a few other things to look at. How do they perform for a daily driver? What does it take to install? How do they hold up? What is the warranty? And of course how much do they cost? I was presently surprised to find these answers. The spring most everyone was using was Superlift 3 1/2 leaf. One thing I found out was that there is! A difference between the manufactures, quality and life expecentcy. I have now had my Superlift springs with greasable shackles installed for 3 years. A lot of serious rock crawling and many road miles later, I would install these again. One problem friends with other brands have told me is their leaf springs sagged. Unfortunately not always the same and you end up with a crooked Jeep. I mean really crooked. A plus to the Superlift product is they have a history of minimal sagging and if they do they stay level. But the best part is they have a lifetime guarantee. Can't beat that. I had one rear spring sag a little early on and they sent me a new pair. No Charge, Not even shipping. The ride actually improved over stock. I think this had a lot to do with the Rancho 9000 adjustable shocks I installed. The 9000’s are worth the money. Adjust the front a little stiffer than the rear, which stops the front end diving during hard stops and your good to go. The installation was pretty straight forward, floor jack, hand tools, and don't forget jack stands. I have been shopping or at least looking for many years through the J.C. Whitney catalog for odds and ends. Keeping in mind the quality of their products (not always the best) I had never considered Leaf springs through them even though the price was low (about $539.00) Here's what I found out. When you order the Superlift package you call J.C. Whitney, order the size you want and hang up. They call Superlift direct and the springs are sent to you from Superlift. You get the same item weather you buy from J.C. or direct from the manufacture just cheaper. The great part is you can deal direct if you have any warranty concerns. Tires were also a factor; I installed Goodyear MTR's. Great traction, great off-road, great ride, great in snow and they have about 30k miles on them and still look great. In conclusion. Don't make the same mistake most all of us Jeepers do. Find the quality lift and the size you ultimately want and install it the first time. Most people either by the cheap lift and end up with sagging problems or lift 1 1/2 then 2 1/2 then 3 1/2 and end up spending way more in the long run with way to much extra work. Save your money and do it right the first time. Install the greasable shackle bolts for improved ride and less noise.
Note: When shopping ask the dealer if the product is theirs? or if they just distribute for others. Most times you can go direct to save money. Have fun and Happy, safe Jeeping.


Note:
Most lift kits are similar (I use that term lightly) but not the same. Price should not be the deciding factor. There is a big difference in the quality of some of the parts, and the amount of extras you need to purchase to complete the install. Just do your homework before you spend the money. It is ultimatly cheaper to do it right the first time. Everybody has an opinion. Use those opinions as information to assist in buying what you want.
Adding a lift takes your Jeep to the next level. And that's a good direction to go, if done right

8-) :-D ;-) :-O [addsig]

[monsterrd]

So are you saying the rough country is not that good or just check around to see what every one offers? 8-) 8-) 8-) [addsig]

[Bounty__Hunter]

I'd avoid Nitro shocks, and hesitate to call them an upgrade. They ride much stiffer than hydraulic shocks, and are not needed unless you run lots o bumps at high speed.[addsig]

[jhiggins]

I agree with you bounty and I know from personal experience........ :-O [addsig]

[MORGSTER]

Monsterrd:

I have no direct knowledge as to the quality of Rough Country lifts. Not many Jeepers that I run with out here have installed those springs and I would not hype nor trash their parts without proper testing. Then again if I weren’t satisfied with the quality of a product, I would just not offer it as an option. I would though, suggest talking to as many Jeepers as you can that have or are using the products you are interested in before parting with your money and taking the time to do the work. Tug sounds happy with the way his install went, but time will tell if the satisfaction lasts. Tug I hope those springs Rock. (That’s a good thing. (LOL) A second, third or even fourth opinion from those with some serious miles on the springs would be a plus.

It's easy to get caught up in product hype and we all know there's a lot of posts added by people that have "Heard about" or "Just Like" a particular brand, without ever seeing them in action.

Use all the information you get to your advantage to make the right choice. The installation of a spring lift takes some effort that doesn't need to be repeated more than once, and the cost difference between the quality and discount part is minimal in the long run.

Shop around, choose wisely, install once and enjoy for a long time. 8-)
[addsig]

[ecor]

Nitro shocks are cheaper to make then a good hydraulic shock. A Nitro shock uses the nitrogen gas to dmpen the ride verus using oil and valving to control the ride. With valving and oil you can set up and control the "quality" of the ride based off form the weight of the vehicle and the type of springs. The more valving you have the better the shock. My experience with Rough country was a few years ago and in comaprison I found there springs to have a very hard ride and to sag quickly. The 2 suspensions that have been in my truck the longest are Skyjacker and BDS. The BDS is what is in there currently. I ran the Skyjacker for 2 years before that. A lift kit is an important part to your Jeep. Take time and research what you want to put in. Remember price is not everything and think about what size tire you really want to run later.

Hope this helps

[addsig]

[monsterrd]

Thanks everybody for all the input, I'm really new to this lift stuff, sounds like the rough country is pretty good for the money, I am not a pro offroader but try to play around when ever I can. 8-) 8-) 8-) [addsig]

[Bounty__Hunter]

monsterrd, quite a few SIJA Jeepers are using Rough Country, both leaf springs and coil lift, with great results. It's the most recommended bang-for-the-buck lift right now, I haven't heard any negatives.[addsig]