Is SAS really the way to go..pros and cons

Sport · **Posted:** Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:55 pm

I have been considering the options for building a rig and while I am still a few years away from that and have more wheeling to do with the IFS alot of thinking and planning now will help me make the decision when the time comes

I know originality has alot to do with it and I have seen the pictures but can a SFA KJ really compete with the Wranglers? The JKs are putting 40" tires on only 6" of lift and to spend 20k on a quality sfa swap, is it really the best route? I know you can spend that much easily on a Wrangler so why not mod the KJ right? I guess that would be the answer, why not.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Wed Jan 28, 2009 6:21 pm

It boils down to what do You want to do w/ Your Jeep?
It made sense to me because I owned the KJ outright, had access to some parts at less than retail and Wanted to wheel my KJ harder. It was my 1st Jeep and vowed to never get rid of it and felt I owed it to my Jeep to wheel the hell out of it.

I did also want a JK but I priced that route out and would have spent WAY more money and ended up w/ a rig that wouldn't be challenged on the trails I wheel. That is also why I settled for 33's. I like having to think about wheeling, not just having to point and shoot it down the trails.

If you need a Jeep on 40's then the KJ might not be the rig to build. Funny thing is I know of very few trails that require tires that big to get through them.

USAFCOP · **Posted:** Wed Jan 28, 2009 10:42 pm

Well, you do not need $20G to do it, mine will be a bit less.
Like JJ said, depends on what you want. I own mine out right, so it is easy for me, I do not want a payment, and have been slowly gathering parts new and used at deal prices because I have not been in a rush (impatient and anxious, but taking time to do it right). I wanted originality (even though we are building 2 similar) and I know a guy who fabs good stuff and has built a few good rigs. Slow, but quality.

It is not that the Lib has not done all I expected and more as IFS, but I wanted more. So all in all it is not a matter of keeping up with the wranglers and JKs, but it was Why? Anyone can have a nice wrangler TJ or JK, how many really have a KJ that turns heads. That and with the correct driving, can go more places than thos other jeeps. Heck even as IFS, I have seen some KJs where seriously modded wranglers could not go because the driver did not know how to drive.

aliastel · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 10:51 pm

AMEN to that, USAFCOP!!! Too many try to BUY driver skill and finesse! A vehicle with less tricks up its wheel wells will make you a better driver, and that is worth a whole lot more than all the hardware you can throw at the trail!!!

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Feb 18, 2009 11:10 pm

Like USAFCOP and JJ I own my KJ outright and with the parts I want to put under a Jeep it would cost the same to do a TJ/JK or a KJ,granted some parts need to be custom fabbed for the KJ but it will not be any cheaper to do a TJ or JK with what I want added and will end up with the capabilities.Plus I don't want another vehicle payment right now and I've kinda got to much blood and sweat in my KJ so I will never get rid of it.

KW AV8R · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 4:47 pm

Depending on what the future holds for me I may pursue this as well (using the same setup as USAFCOP and tjkj2002) because I would want more out my KJ than the IFS will handle. The nice thing about the KJ is that it is closer to the ideal wheelbase (for crawling) than a TJ or 2-door JK. Also, since the process to get to the SFA takes quite a bit of time and money, you learn to wheel the KJ better than most with a TJ. Ergo, once you get the SFA installed, even though you will be running smaller tires than some TJs/JKs, you will be able to go the same places because of experience and skill. The only guys you won't be able to "keep up with" are the guys that are running trailered rigs.

However, if you're planning on doing something that requires 40" tires such as DEEP mud or EXTREME rockcrawling, you may want to look at a different vehicle.

InCommando · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:22 pm

IMHO, I think recent posts about split housings shows that SFA is the only way to go in a KJ if you want a high level of off-road performance without caveats such as " for what it is" or " for IFS." The cheaper option is an older jeep with serious off-road performance (you can do this for less than an SFA swap & run much bigger than 33-35" tires) and keep the KJ for lighter stuff. Otherwise, SFA that sucker. The more of you that do it now, the cheaper/easier it will be when I get around to it....

Troysterr · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:39 pm

For me, all the fun in wheeling a KJ is surprising people with what an IFS Jeep can do. So, right now, it isn't worth anything to me to go SFA. But eventually my front end is going to implode and I'll have to choose between fixing it and replacing it with a SFA. At that point, I'll definitely pony up for SFA (assuming I can talk Quinn or Marty into building it for me

).

Inc · **Posted:** Thu Feb 19, 2009 10:46 pm

InCommando wrote:

IMHO, I think recent posts about split housings shows that SFA is the only way to go in a KJ if you want a high level of off-road performance without caveats such as " for what it is" or " for IFS." The cheaper option is an older jeep with serious off-road performance (you can do this for less than an SFA swap & run much bigger than 33-35" tires) and keep the KJ for lighter stuff. Otherwise, SFA that sucker. The more of you that do it now, the cheaper/easier it will be when I get around to it....

Well put.

ohv_kj · **Posted:** Fri Feb 20, 2009 12:16 am

i tell you we as kj,kk owners have our club but as a sfa owner is even better...i can wheel w/ other wranglers set as same as me w/ 35 easy and sometimes i out wheel them due to being more of a driver oriented wheeler so that my knowledge helps me to out wheel them... the wheel base helps...being a smart driver helps...but having confidence in you rig helps too...not sure where i'm going with this...lol...

Is SAS really the way to go..pros and cons

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