Rubicon Express vs. Skyjacker Lift

[socal_rob]

Rubicon Express vs. Skyjacker Lift (Wrangler TJ)

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

 

[Bounty__Hunter]

Re: Rubicon Express vs. Skyjacker Lift (Wrangler TJ)

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?

 

[TwistedCU]

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 :?

 

[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