Daystar 1,5"/2" spacer lift

tonycrd · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 3:00 pm

Finally lifted, very happy with it. So I want to show it to everybody

Also made a 'how to' if you're interested:

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=29217

dloc_jeep_KJ · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2008 5:01 pm

looks good buddy. what size tires are those? looks like more than 2" to me

tonycrd · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2008 8:39 am

Those are the standard 235/70/16. And it's a pre lowered so I gain more lift from the spacers then later models.

Also encountered a problem: as you advised me already, standard rear shocks do not work on this. If I hit a speedbump and the rear goes up it does 'boing' as the shocks are not any longer...

501 · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2008 10:25 am

tonycrd wrote:

Those are the standard 235/70/16. And it's a pre lowered so I gain more lift from the spacers then later models.

Also encountered a problem: as you advised me already, standard rear shocks do not work on this. If I hit a speedbump and the rear goes up it does 'boing' as the shocks are not any longer...

So even with this lift you need to replace the shocks and struts?

dloc_jeep_KJ · **Posted:** Tue Feb 12, 2008 11:20 am

well he does because it pre lowered but i would anyways just to have the extra flex. u should get struts that are as much longer as the lift u put on. the Rancho 17004s or the OME shocks would be ok though i would think. also get longet bump stops.

tonycrd · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:07 am

501: you do not have to replace the $$$ front struts. Since all you do is put more tension on the spring you do not change the suspension travel lenght, as you do in the rear...

But: since you have an '03 you will probably not have my problem. I know a forum user named Dogparty who has this lift kit on his CRD and has no problems whatsoever with stock shocks.

dloc_jeep: I need langer bumpstops? In the rear? Then I'll loose flex! That way you shorten the length of travel....I can only see me fitting those if I had like 31" tires to avoid rub...

The stock rear's are not that bad IMO, on mine they are gasfilled...but now they're just to short.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2008 9:56 am

always need longer bumpstops

tonycrd · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:16 am

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2008 10:30 am

been discussed a 100 times but anytime you say raise a vehicle 2 inches you must or should install a 2 inch longer bumpstop, keeps the suspension in the limits. If you dont you can compress the shocks/ struts too much. Also not very good on the springs, it compresses them way to much and will lead to premature failure
Does everyone do it, NO but they should
Can you get by without doing it, maybe but sooner or later you will wish you did
If you run those rear shocks very long you will destroy them, topping them out all the time

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Wed Feb 13, 2008 11:16 am

Well - it's been stated several times that you need to extend the bumpstops -
however the only people saying they've blown struts - have been the OTT lifts without bumpstops.

correct me if I missed it - but I haven't seen any posts about a Daystar or OME style lift killing a strut because they didn't extend the bumpstop.

tonycrd · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 10:03 am

tommudd wrote:

been discussed a 100 times but anytime you say raise a vehicle 2 inches you must or should install a 2 inch longer bumpstop, keeps the suspension in the limits. If you dont you can compress the shocks/ struts too much. Also not very good on the springs, it compresses them way to much and will lead to premature failure
Does everyone do it, NO but they should
Can you get by without doing it, maybe but sooner or later you will wish you did
If you run those rear shocks very long you will destroy them, topping them out all the time

Sounds logical. Still: I have red almost al there's to read about lifting a KJ ( of which many good info come from you.Thanks!) and I do not wish to argue with anybody as I am a lift newbee ( with the cheapest lift available..) but:

Daystar could also easily have closed the hole in the spacer, but they didn't......I wonder why...? Seems like the spring can slide over the spacer a little ( not that it will do any good for the poor spring but at least it doesn't get tensioned so much ).

And I've sofar not seen any extended bumpstops for the rear? Unless you mean the hockeypucks OME has..and I am getting Rancho's 17004 asap.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 6:57 pm

I have tried to explain to the best of my knowledge :roll:

why you need bumpstops and what I have learned from almost 35 years of wheeling various 4WDs, plus talking to various people in the lift industry. WHY do they sell bumpstops if they are not needed.

Oh well I have better things to do tonight :wink:

Tom

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Feb 14, 2008 7:01 pm

ATXKJ wrote:

Well - it's been stated several times that you need to extend the bumpstops -
however the only people saying they've blown struts - have been the OTT lifts without bumpstops.

correct me if I missed it - but I haven't seen any posts about a Daystar or OME style lift killing a strut because they didn't extend the bumpstop.

please take some time and and go to any 4WD forum on the internet and see what they say about bumpstops, they are needed no matter if you run struts, shocks, coil springs, leaf springs what ever you run, unless the lift system has it built into it

done ! :wink:

tonycrd · **Posted:** Fri Feb 15, 2008 6:49 am

tonycrd · **Posted:** Fri Feb 15, 2008 6:50 am

OK.

All j's has them.

Video Guy · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 12:39 am

Man, I wish I could find prelowered springs for my '03 KJ that don't already have a million miles on them. I run this same lift, but my KJ sits noticeably lower in the front. Looks great!

I don't have a steel bumper or winch, nor do I have plans for them. Would OME light-duty (926?) springs be the equivalent of stock pre-lowered springs? I'm wondering if I could use them with my 1.5" front spacer to level out the ride. Hmmmm...

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Feb 19, 2008 1:02 am

the light duty are basically the same as factory so it should bring you back to what you have LOST over time.

tonycrd · **Posted:** Sat Feb 23, 2008 5:55 am

Can't you correct that by doing a 0.5" Clevis lift? Then you're back at R2"+F2".

And you missed the 'free CRD front springs' in the for sale forum?

501 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 09, 2008 1:09 am

So far so good Tony! We got the rear in and thanks to some @#$%$ Original Jeep lug nuts, we stopped for the day and will install the front in the morning. Thoose orignal lugs are so cheaply made, had one of the chaep metal coatings break off and strip the nut so we had to find a nut remover (or whatever they are called) and it was on so tight it took some major fighting to get it off, one of the guys helping me even jumped on the breaker bar and it wouldn't budge (he's 350±). But while I was out, I bought 20 new metal lug nuts and I'm replacing them all as the tires go back on.

I will have pictures tomorrow of how the lift went using your write up Tony!

jpsmith · **Joined:** Tue Dec 04, 2007 1:52 pm **Posts:** 40

Is anybody running the 1.5", 2" lift kit on a non-CRD KJ? I don't want the full 2.5" lift; I just want enough to fit 245/75/16s comfortably. So this lift interests me and daystarweb.com says it's for "KJ Liberty 2 & 4WD," but I think I've only seen CRD owners use this lift.

Daystar 1,5"/2" spacer lift

Who is online