Hopefully I don't get banned on my first post. Lol. I've been a lurker for a year or so on several Jeep forums including LostJeeps. I've never been serious about lifting our '04 Liberty - until now. I've seen and read tons of posts with people's opinions on what to get or what not to get. Yes, I know what the general consensus is on what to buy, IF you have the funds. I'll say upfront that Money is the major factor in the choice I make. Spending $800 - $2k is not an option. My luck the engine would blow 2 weeks later, and if you know anything about the 3.7's, you know that you just bought a vehicle.

Plain, simple, and to the point:
Can a safe, reliable, turn-key, decent riding lift be purchased or put together for $500 that won't eat up parts such as ball joints, bushings etc, or put my wife in danger while driving?

Things to consider before making a suggestion.

1. This will NOT be a toy.
2. This is, and will continue to be a daily driver for my wife, 5 days a week, driving 30 miles round trip.
3. I occasionally use it to go fishing and hunting, which requires me to use 4x4 due to rutted & sometimes slightly muddy entrance roads. That's the only time it sees 4x4.
4. I will be using the factory aluminum wheels.

Please, I would only prefer suggestions if have previous experience.

Easy answer is no. 500 would not buy everything you need to do a decent full spring lift period
Well possiby but you would be using cheap shocks which would need to be replaced in a year etc
As far as it not being a " TOY" and continues to be a DD you want the best ride and handling so you need a full spring lift and good shocks to compliment the springs.
As far as previous experience , I think i would qualify. My 04 I bought new had complete new full spring suspension installed by 20,000 miles. With over 220,000 miles it has had 2 different OME lifts, tested the ironman for quite q while, has a fully adjustable coilover now. PLUS have done over 35 lifts and continue to get feedback from those owners.
Installed one cheaper lift under protest but that what the woner wanted, in less than a year he had replaced the rear shocks, it had settled back down to almost stock height and rode like crap.
My first lift took me over 2 months of saving, buying springs one pay, another set next pay etc
So to do it right, have a good riding and handling KJ and it last a long time its going to be a bit more than 500
By the way Welcome to LOST

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MUDD'S MOTORSPORT'S We do IFS lift installs ,
03 OVERLAND EDITION /Kilby-Skidrow-Mopar-4XGuard skids/ 2.5 inch TOTAL CONTROL JBA coilovers -JBA Arms/MOABS-31 FALKEN WILDPEAK AT3W / 4.10's etc, 04 Kilimanjaro Edition loaded, plus 05 KJ limited

More pics,more pics.....

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06 Renegade, 265-70-16 Duratracs on Moab's/OMF, RL sliders ,roof rack, On board air, JBA-UCA, adjust-a strut, Rear-OME 948 two uppers ,Sensatrac shocks, Boiler rad. skid, Mopar/4x guard skid,Terra-flex 4:1,HD cooling,more lights, gauges. ARB/Warn, Mudds Rear Bumper.

I like you Mr. Yates

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05 Renegade
Frankenlift
245/75/16 Goodyear Dura Tracs
MOABs
JBA 4.5 UCA
JBA Quick disconnects
Extended Steel braided brake lines
MOPAR full skids
Smitybilt Bumper
JCR Sliders
Cobra CB/ 4' Firestik antenna

You could wait around for a used lift to come up for sale, and get close to 500, I think I paid 7 something for my used iron man kit

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02 KJ Limited, 255 70 16 General AT2, Ironman Lift, JCR sliders, Mopar skids, radiator skid, LS/373 gearing, factory front hooks and rear hitch

92 XJ 4.0, AW4, NP242, 31s, 1.75 spacer, ZJ V8 coils, double cherokee leaf pack, 2 inch shackles, dnynomax exhaust, magnaflow cat, front hooks & rear hitch, gas tank skid, front skid, warn t-case skid

This may be the bilstein in question...
http://www.allshocks.com/p-400-b46-1103-h1.aspx

other lengths are...

B46-0204-H0 (5" travel)
B46-0205OR (6" travel)
B46-0206W (8" travel)

I also wondered in Toyota Tacoma struts could be adapted. JBA's custom ones are over $2300 CDN by the time they get to me, so that's simply not an option.

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Hers: 2005 KJ, V6/6spd/NV242J/3.73/posi, 2" Teraflex, ¾" cradle drop, KK forks, 22½" hub-to-flare, RRO arms, 245/75R16s, 260,000km
Mine: 1993 W250, Cummins/5spd/NP205/3.54, Lockright, ~3" lift, 315/75R16 Duratracs, extra smoke, more noise, 374,000km

Who knows.....they deleted mryates profile. The secret is with him. We may never know. It would have been nice to have coilovers cheaper than JBA and be 100% bolt on unlike the long travel shocks and cradle drop that I am planning. I did hear he sent the files to someone who also has a KJ, but I dont know who

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I am the G.O.A.T.

You can't speak your mind around these parts...it's hurts people's feelings lol

I wonder if we could do something with 2005-2009 Dakota struts?



Swap or adapt the top plate... extend the clevis fork a little?

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Hers: 2005 KJ, V6/6spd/NV242J/3.73/posi, 2" Teraflex, ¾" cradle drop, KK forks, 22½" hub-to-flare, RRO arms, 245/75R16s, 260,000km
Mine: 1993 W250, Cummins/5spd/NP205/3.54, Lockright, ~3" lift, 315/75R16 Duratracs, extra smoke, more noise, 374,000km

Well, if you are shooting just a tad higher, springs are 336, all the way around, so wait for a free shipping deal? (Jeepinbyal) Front bilsteins are around 200 shipped from shockwarehouse, more if you choose a better shock, bilsteins work. a couple of hockey pucks for the rear, some bolts ya got lying around, 5 or 6 bucks. Just leaves ya with the rear shocks, which are a heck of alot easier to change out then the front ones. (think junkyard dakota rear shocks in the meantime, to hold ya over.) Bumpstops front 40 bucks, again, could probably be put in on the next paycheck. So long as you didn't beat on er till then. Or, you know, just set that 500 aside, and 10 bucks a week will quickly add up to a complete kit.

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Ironman HD springs, Bilsteins, MLL's, Mopar skids 245 75 16 Treadwright Claw's.