New Lift Kit to replace RRO OTT

JeepinMaxx · **Posted:** Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:13 pm

New to LOST :shock:

. My wifes '02 pre-lowered Libby Sport has a RRO OTT 2.5 lift with Strut Spacers and 245/75/R16's (BFG AT/KO's for street, MTR's for the trail). Back in early '03 the OTT was one of the only lifts for the KJ. From day 1 - we've had clunking noises. Today we found out the rack and pinion mounts (& possibly the rack itself are shot). Checking out this board, I realize all our KJ problems may be due to the OTT lift. So many posts with problems on the RRO OTT. We are looking for suggestions/feedback on a new non-strut spacer suspension lift.

The three I've heard of are:

SkyJacker LIB250 Coilover Lift

Rusty's KJSS KJ Liberty 2.5" Suspension Kit ('02-'05)

FrankenLift 2.5"

Hopefully I can get just the front lift (the rear flexes and rides great)

I appreciate any suggestions/feedback

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:35 pm

Love my Frankenlift. Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!
You Can just get the front Frankenlift, Preassembled too, to make installation easier/quicker. Call All J on Monday and discuss it with them.

JeepinMaxx · **Posted:** Sun Mar 05, 2006 1:19 am

[Love my Frankenlift. Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!
You Can just get the front Frankenlift, Preassembled too, to make installation easier/quicker. Call All J on Monday and discuss it with them./quote]

Thanks for the info - do you have a contact / info for the Frankenlift?

Cards81fan · **Posted:** Sun Mar 05, 2006 2:30 am

www.boulderbars.com

Quinn or Heather will take care of you.

Oh, and I would do exatly that: Just pick up a Frankenlift front. Less than $500 for a perfect preassembled 2.5" lift front strut.

JeepinMaxx · **Posted:** Sun Mar 05, 2006 2:54 pm

Anyone have any feedback on the Rusty's or the SkyJacker? Anyone running on these lifts?

KJ04 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 05, 2006 3:05 pm

If you want to save money, you could leave the rear pucks in and just order a pair of Rusty's front 2" lift coils.https://rustysoffroad.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=rustys&Category_Code=sus_kj_par

elephantrider · **Posted:** Sun Mar 05, 2006 5:27 pm

im running rustys 2.5 inch lift and love it. no problems...

JeepinMaxx · **Posted:** Sun Mar 05, 2006 10:15 pm

Quote:

I'm running rustys 2.5 inch lift and love it. no problems...

Jason how much do your MTR's rub at full flex? (stock or Rubi Rims ?) Have your springs sagged any over time?

I appreciate the input.

fish eye · **Posted:** Mon Mar 06, 2006 9:04 am

I have the OTT lift. Its got numbered days left on my KJ!!

I ordered the Frankenlift, seemed to be what the best out there was (not on my KJ yet), but I can say that Rusty's lift is sweet too. Last weekend LOST Rockies did a run and I rode with TokyoJoe, who runs the Rusty's. I was very impressed by its performance.

JeepinMaxx · **Posted:** Tue Mar 07, 2006 12:08 am

Thanks for the feedback

Still waiting to hear back from boulderbars

The Rusty's setup seems like a choice

still no comments on the SkyJacker :wink:

Thanks again for the replys

AJAY · **Posted:** Thu Mar 09, 2006 10:04 am

I have also purchased the RRO OTT lift for my 05' KJ. I'm so darn frustrated with myself that I didn't research diffferent companies b-4 my purchase.

I'm yet to call these guys & ask for a refund!! Anyway, I also have the banging/clunking/rattle in the left front wheel area when I go over RR tracks,crappy pothole repairs(NJ stinks) manholes,etc. And I have not yet been offroad!!
JeepinMaxx mentioned the rack & pinion mounts are now bad, could this be the same issue for my KJ?? Would anyone have any pics of these mounts..b-4 & after? Thank you all for help!

P.S. A big thank-you to Al..you've offered me a solution to the a-arms & brake hoses

fish eye · **Posted:** Thu Mar 09, 2006 4:55 pm

Ajay,
Chances are, you are still ok with that lift. I wouldn't do any serious off roading until you either remove it or replace it. Especially if you do lots of flexing. That is when you encounter lots of contact between parts that shouldn't contact.

I had mad clunking. As of last night though, my OTT came off, and the Frankenlift went on. I did 3/4 myself, ran out of time at the auto shop on base, ran to the Jeep dealer, and we threw the last strut assembly on. I left it there overnight, and this morning the tech looked it over, did an alignment, and sold me a Posi-trac (trac-loc) for $200 including installation. The techs (all good friends of mine) did a tech drive, and said that it was real tight in the front. I can't wait to leave work, and pick it up....

But seriously, save your self the aggravation, and purchase a coilover lift, or a reputable spacer lift. You'll make your jeep happy.

JeepinMaxx · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 12:36 am

Quote:

Sent: Sunday, March 05, 2006 6:07 PM
Subject: Front Frankenlift

Hello,

I am an east coast KJ owner who (unusually) takes my pre-lowered 2002 Liberty Sport off road. I’m a member of a local jeep club as well as friends with members of the Lost KJ forum. I currently have a 2.5” rocky road OTT lift with strut spacer which has caused some damage and I am very dissatisfied with it. I want to upgrade. The Franken lift came recommended by several club members.

I am faced with a choice of your lift, the Rusty’s 2.5” KJSS lift kit, and the Skyjacker 2.5” LIB250 lift.

Because of the damage I’m ‘fixing’ now ie: ball joints and steering rack, you can understand my caution with purchasing any upgrade without reassurance that it won’t happen again.

Perhaps a “wont cause damage” warrantee?

Can you tell me a little about how this lift performs, LONG term, any issues you’ve encountered, feedback from KJ owners, cautions you’d share and tips in comparing (if you can) with the Rusty’s / Skyjacker lift. Any additional information you can provide to help with my decision would be appreciated.

Also, is it possible to purchase only the front part of your lift kit as the back of my current rocky road lift is not causing any issues and there is no need to replace it. Please comment if you don’t agree.

Thanks for your help.

reply -

Quote:

If I could compile all of the emails I've received from customers who have switched to a Frankenlift from any of the lifts you mentioned below...I'd send you an email that would exceed your inboxes capacity. Truly, there are hundreds.

Long term, we have not had any issues. We have over 100,000 miles on a few KJ's using the Frankenlift. The RRO changes the geometry of the front struts which causes the damage. The Rusty's kit is good, but because of the softer springs, it doesn't tend to last for the long term. Also if you do a lot of off-road, the Frankenlift combo will hold up longer. If you wish to replace on the front, we can ship you an assembled front strut set for $490. That is another big difference in the lift kits. Our lift is pre-assembled so you don't need the front strut tool.

Quinn Thomas
All J Products

Since we didn't get any positive feedback on performance and warranty for the FrankenLift we went with Rusty's lift

Today we spent $900 on a new steering rack + labor due to the issue with RRO OTT lift

AJAY · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:42 am

All,
I recently emailed RRO and explained how unhappy I have been with their product and I'd like a refund. I have asked them several times about the issue with the alignment(camber) and they told me no other person who has purchased this lift has had any problems. Now I have the serious banging/clunking noises while traveling down blacktop roadways. I am yet to find a 4WD shop that is local to help me with identifying this problem. I would appreciate any feedback you all may have on this subject. I do not know how to describe this mechanical issue to them in "Mechanics" terms. This is the reply I have received from RRO :

We cannot stop you from reporting to the BBB. We have sold literally thousands of Liberty suspensions around the world though and folks love them. We have a number of Jeep dealerships that install them to sell new Jeeps off the showroom floor.

Perhaps you could explain some of your problems and we can try and help troubleshoot.
We know the lifts are the best in the industry. We're tried all other systems as well as the Rockfather, nothing rides as smooth or handles as well and as safely. You could try and resell the used lift on Ebay if you wish. We cannot accept return of used parts though. We are willing to try and help troubleshoot.

However, if you truly wish to rectify the situation, we can assist in helping to find out why there may be troubles with your vehicle. If your goal in life is to approach purchases with hostility and attack businesses.... and we've come across a handful of 'those' in our literally tens of thousand of lift sales for the nearly 50 vehicles in which we do suspensions.... then we recognize there truly is nothing any business could ever do within reason to appease. Some people are reasonable, a very few are not not. We work hard and will take whatever time is necessary to work with the vast majority of the population who are reasonable people.

Guest · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:26 am

AJAY wrote:

All,
I recently emailed RRO and explained how unhappy I have been with their product and I'd like a refund. I have asked them several times about the issue with the alignment(camber) and they told me no other person who has purchased this lift has had any problems. Now I have the serious banging/clunking noises while traveling down blacktop roadways. I am yet to find a 4WD shop that is local to help me with identifying this problem. I would appreciate any feedback you all may have on this subject. I do not know how to describe this mechanical issue to them in "Mechanics" terms. This is the reply I have received from RRO :

We cannot stop you from reporting to the BBB. We have sold literally thousands of Liberty suspensions around the world though and folks love them. We have a number of Jeep dealerships that install them to sell new Jeeps off the showroom floor.

Perhaps you could explain some of your problems and we can try and help troubleshoot.
We know the lifts are the best in the industry. We're tried all other systems as well as the Rockfather, nothing rides as smooth or handles as well and as safely. You could try and resell the used lift on Ebay if you wish. We cannot accept return of used parts though. We are willing to try and help troubleshoot.

However, if you truly wish to rectify the situation, we can assist in helping to find out why there may be troubles with your vehicle. If your goal in life is to approach purchases with hostility and attack businesses.... and we've come across a handful of 'those' in our literally tens of thousand of lift sales for the nearly 50 vehicles in which we do suspensions.... then we recognize there truly is nothing any business could ever do within reason to appease. Some people are reasonable, a very few are not not. We work hard and will take whatever time is necessary to work with the vast majority of the population who are reasonable people.

What a bunch of a-holes. Instead of just offering help, they have to imply something bad about you as a customer. We all know your not one of 'those' people.

Wilmo · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:19 am

Mate, they are not a bunch of a-holes - the lifts they make are all produced and engineered properly.

What they are saying is that they will assist you in troubleshooting the problem and try and come to a mutually acceptable resolution. Of course they aren't going to refund a used lift kit - no business would. But they will not work with the 1% of unreasonable people that are never happy - its just too hard. There is always going to be this 1% - they are the real a-holes!

The OTT lift is engineered for the street - to fit big tyres on - and that's it. Not to go wheelin with. The only problem that it exhibits is when the suspension is at full droop and the upper a-arm contacts the spring. But if you're not wheelin then this shouldn't happen anyway. Like they say on their site - you need to have it installed and aligned properly.

The Rockfather or Rockroad Combo lift are more suited to wheelin and are very good. I have the Combo on my CRD and absolutely no complaints, and the guys were easy to deal with via email all the way from Australia! And I wheel it hard.

How are they to know that your jeep hasn't got faulty ball joints or something else that is causing the clunking sounds? Maybe a nut holding the suspension together somewhere has come loose? The fact that they are offering to help troubleshoot says a lot for them. The could just tell you to take it to your local suspension/jeep specialist and have it checked by a professional - would be a lot easier for them.

:roll:

elephantrider · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:19 am

Quote:

Jason how much do your MTR's rub at full flex? (stock or Rubi Rims ?) Have your springs sagged any over time?

I appreciate the input.

my mtr's do not rub at all. i have not put the jeep to full flex, but i will on thte 26th at the badlands run! i have the tires on stock liberty tires. no rubbing except when i am pulling the steering wheel one way or the other completely...

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... php?t=6441

Wilmo · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:29 am

and..... the Frankenlift has an extrodinary strong following on this board.....but I reckon there's going to be several people with stuffed CV joints before too long looking at the angles of the front after a new frankenlift is installed. Of course you will probably never hear of the complaints, cause no one wants to tarnish the image of the all mighty, all singing and dancing 'Frankenlift' - everyone just wants to brag they have one.

The look of the front Frankenlift looks weird too in my opinion - the front ends up an inch higher than the rear when you use the OME rear springs with their kit.....when you load up your KJ its dragging its arse big time. The front under diff clearance is then way more than the rear is ever going to be - why you need that much clearance is anyone's guess.....unless you want to put huge tyres on, which look stupid too on a KJ.

My 2 cents....

Guest · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:44 am

Wilmo wrote:

The OTT lift is engineered for the street - to fit big tyres on - and that's it. Not to go wheelin with.
:roll:

They advertise it as an off-road kit, not what you have stated. They really should advertise it as you have described it.

And proper business etiquette is to offer just help, not help AND a put-down.

We can agree to disagree here, but this is just how I feel and act when conducting official business. There is no need to put a little 'stab' of a put-down into an offering of help. It's just a method used to belittle a customer.

Wilmo · **Posted:** Wed Mar 15, 2006 9:51 am

alljeep wrote:

Wilmo wrote:

The OTT lift is engineered for the street - to fit big tyres on - and that's it. Not to go wheelin with.
:roll:

They advertise it as an off-road kit, not what you have stated. They really should advertise it as you have described it.

And proper business etiquette is to offer just help, not help AND a put-down.

We can agree to disagree here, but this is just how I feel and act when conducting official business. There is no need to put a little 'stab' of a put-down into an offering of help. It's just a method used to belittle a customer.

without knowing what the guy actually wrote to Rocky Road - we can't say for sure why they responded like that. Maybe he was being a bit demanding - email has a strange way of being interpreted differently to intent......I still think they speak the truth though - they are just setting an expectation up front - we will help you, but if you are unreasonable, we won't! It probably saves them hours of time from people that waste their time otherwise with complaints that they can just never rectify within reason.

New Lift Kit to replace RRO OTT

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