ok here we go, lift question

ratmloud · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:17 pm

yes, I searched but cant get a answer I like.

I know everyone says frankenlift is the best and I want it but, its big bucks. how about daystar 2.5 spacer lift? how and why is the frankenlift better? will i even notice the difference?

also if my kj is lowered I will get the 2.5 inch lift over where its sits now but , the frankenlift will give more since its new coils right?

loaded question but I need to get info choose and clear my head!

thanks guys

KW AV8R · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:29 pm

The Daystar is a decent budget lift but is no way as good as a full suspension lift (ie: springs, etc). I've been running a Daystar lift now for approx 27K miles and doing some fairly extreme trails here in Colorado with very few problems. Since your's is a pre-lowered '02, your post lift height will actually be higher than mine since you're starting higher than I did. (Someone correct me on this if I'm wrong) If you went with a Frankenlift, you would end up with about the same lift height though with better articulation and a smoother ride. Some people will tell you that you'll get more than 2.5" out of the Frankenlift but since you're pre-lowered, I don't think that would be accurate. IIRC, the Frankenlift claim of 2.5" is based off of a pre-lowered KJ so the rest of us tend to get in the neighborhood of 3.25".

jeepkj02 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 4:30 pm

The pre-lowered is 7/8" higher in the front and 3/4" higher in the rear. When you swap out the stock coils for aftermarket coils (Frankenlift) you get 2.5" of lift. This means you are at the same hieght to a 'lowered' Liberty with a Frankenlift.

When you add spacers (Daystar), you are 2.5" + 7/8" higher in the front than a lowered KJ, and 2.5" + 3/4" in the rear.

In other words, when you remove the coils, you are at the same hieght with any other KJ with the same lift. But when you add spacer, you still have stock coils.

Hope this helps.... :wink:

ratmloud · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:03 pm

2003 is lowered correct

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

Yes, you are most likely lowered.

kolesy · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:30 pm

Look at the rusty's lift if you are worried about spending BIG bucks for a quality lift. Almost half the price and frickin sweet!!! Not one complaint outta me!

ratmloud · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 7:57 pm

how does the rustys coil lift compare to frankenlift? will it get the same height as the franken?

Bohica_KJ · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 8:06 pm

I'v got the Daystar 2.5 with Rancho 17004 shocks in the rear. Couldnt be happier

I really like this set up!!

Skyjump136 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 05, 2005 6:50 pm **Posts:** 1633

ratmloud wrote:

how does the rustys coil lift compare to frankenlift? will it get the same height as the franken?

It is a bit shorter than the Frankenlift, but Rusty's coil lift is a good all round lift. Rusty's has great flex and ride, but a smidge less height (like .5" to .75"). In terms of value I'd say go with Rusty's. If you have to have the absolute best and have spare $$$ then go with the Frankenlift.

callaway · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 9:41 pm

what does pre-lowered mean?

corwyyn · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:12 pm

callaway wrote:

what does pre-lowered mean?

Pre-lowered means a Liberty built before April 2002 - this is when they changed the springs and suspension in order to avoid possible roll-overs. One magazine had a test driver who inadvertantly rooled a KJ during a slalom test and DC decided it would be a good idea to drop the center of gravity by lowering the suspended height of the KJ, which means lower overall ground clearance :cry:

It dropped by 7/8" in front and 3/4" in back, which is why those with Libertys built before April '02 like 'em so much.

JFortier777 · **Posted:** Sat Jul 29, 2006 10:15 pm

But of course that was done by changing the springs, so anyone with a lift including new springs no longer falls into either catagory.

kolesy · **Posted:** Sun Jul 30, 2006 2:12 am

Quote:

It is a bit shorter than the Frankenlift, but Rusty's coil lift is a good all round lift. Rusty's has great flex and ride, but a smidge less height (like .5" to .75"). In terms of value I'd say go with Rusty's. If you have to have the absolute best and have spare $$$ then go with the Frankenlift.

All you would need to do to get the same height is do a clevis lift with the rustys and throw in some top strut plates they offer(only like 25 or 30 dollars) and add another spring pad seat in the rear and you are at the same height as the frankenlift for way cheaper. Just my thoughts. :wink:

brasilrenegade · **Posted:** Sun Jul 30, 2006 3:56 am

what is a clevis???

corwyyn · **Posted:** Sun Jul 30, 2006 4:52 am

brasilrenegade wrote:

what is a clevis???

The tuning-fork looking device that comes down on either side of the front drive shaft in the picture below (the part that has the black strap wrapped around it) is the clevis. Thanks Miah for posting this nice pic in your Frankenlift install write-up.

ratmloud · **Posted:** Sun Jul 30, 2006 10:52 am

Hey guys, thanks!, some of my questions are answered. Thanks also for not flaming, cause I am sure this topic has been beat to death around here.

Big D · **Joined:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:08 pm **Posts:** 349

Hey, I'm in the same position. I eventually will lift my RENEGADE. Right now I'm just getting into offroading, and the kit the seems to appeal most to me is Rocky Road's 2.125. It's kind of a compromise. I know I will probably hear everyone telling me that the struts are going to go. Well, what if I will put longer bump stops and longer shocks in the rear. I read Frankelift stuff, and I don't think I would never buy it for that price. All it is it's 4 new longer coils, and shocks. I mean couldn't you get all the stuff for a fraction of the cost. I don't want to be dissing the product, but if you read around there are lots of people who are very happy with it, but there are also lots with problems.

Having said that if the price was lower I would probably get it for the simple fact that all the pieces in the kit are supposed to work as one and I'm sure they fit great.

ratmloud · **Posted:** Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:30 am

people have posted that the spring coil compressors that you rent at autozone etc. do not work? why? what style do you need to use. anyone got a pic of the one that works?

Se7enLC · **Posted:** Mon Jul 31, 2006 9:56 am

Big D wrote:

I know I will probably hear everyone telling me that the struts are going to go. Well, what if I will put longer bump stops and longer shocks in the rear. I read Frankelift stuff, and I don't think I would never buy it for that price.

Putting longer bump stops and longer shocks in the rear are a great idea, and something that any lift should include. But it won't help save your struts, because your struts are in the front.

Quote:

All it is it's 4 new longer coils, and shocks. I mean couldn't you get all the stuff for a fraction of the cost. I don't want to be dissing the product, but if you read around there are lots of people who are very happy with it, but there are also lots with problems.

I'd stretch to say that some of the reasons people end up having problems with the frankenlift more than any other lift are:
- More people are using the frankenlift, thus more problems. The percentage is probably much lower, however, just the actual number is higher.
- Frankenlift was designed to give the largest amount of lift + droop that you could get on the liberty for a reasonable price. Because it's operating at the maximum, it's going to be more likely to cause a problem than a lift that is only an inch or two.

All that being said, ANY lift is going to change the vehicle, and parts will be more likely to break if you do anything but leave it stock. But that's just something that comes with the sport, you pay to play.

Quote:

Having said that if the price was lower I would probably get it for the simple fact that all the pieces in the kit are supposed to work as one and I'm sure they fit great.

I to agree that the price is a bit high compared to the other lift kits. If the lift just included 4 springs and 4 shocks, it would be much cheaper. The extra money goes into:
- Custom lower strut plate, bump stop
- Upper strut spacer
- Rear bumpstop
- Strut Assembly
- And of course the engineering and testing that went into the lift.

So if you took a comparable lift, like the rusty's lift, add to that a bumpstop, a spacer, the cost of assembling that front strut and installing the lift, you might find that it starts getting closer to the cost of the frankenlift. If you can do the strut assembly yourself you save some money.

Big D · **Joined:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 10:08 pm **Posts:** 349

Ok, since you say I'd be OK at the back let's have a look at the front. Why are the struts braking?

A coil holds the vehicule weight and the strut keeps the springs from continually boucing up and down due to road imperfections. Now for offroad driving we must look at the extension, and compression. So if the shock breaks from extension, then the top would leak as the casing would be continually pounded by the piston inside. If the shock breaks from compression, the piston would continually pound the inside of the shock until either it broke or the shock casing cracked.

From the majority of complaints, it seams that the shock breaks from compression as we have raised the height without limiting it's top range of motion. Now, I believe there is a fix for this. I believe if you limit the top compression by installing a longer bump stop all the problems would be solved.

We could also look at the angles of the shock before and after the lift but I don't think we have to get so technical.

Sorry, if I sound like very basic but I want to get to the bottom of this lift dilema. Some of us do some light offroading and cost prohibiting I think a combo lift (space and OTT) and spacers would be a much better option. Like everyone I was stunned at the amount of advertising for the Frankenlift. I like a good product like the next guy, but the price is steep. They have to pay for the advertising somehow.

I am by no means a suspension engineer or anything of that sorts, but I'm curios how and why a certain system works and one doesn't (or so it's claimed).

Anyway that's my 2 cents worth, and any comments are welcome

ok here we go, lift question

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