plans for lift and armor

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 5:04 am

arite, so i know i dont post a lot, im not new to offroading or jeeps, but im in iraq right now and kinda busy with all this

to start off ---- i dont have much experience offroading my KJ, but ive gone through 3 wranglers so far...i bought this thing, not planning on modifying it, but ... well, you all know how that goes!

anyways....i have a 2006 4x4 Sport, with tow hooks and the factory skid plates...heres a pic from day 2 of owning it....

im looking at a full 2.5" lift ... decided on either the frankenlift or rusty's full kit with the RSX shocks..

another question im going through are skids....i havent really checked out my kj but it has the "factory skids" .... but im looking at diff guards (either the poison spider rings or the rocky road guards), an engine/tranny skid (most likely the rocky road slider plate) ...

tires and wheels also to be changed out ASAP! - most likely cragars and revos (yeah just like everyone else :p)

any input to what im looking at? thanks all

- mike

krazz1e · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:04 pm

good lookin, and looks like your in the right direction.

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 3:09 pm

any insight into the frankenlift vs rustys..... 1/2 the price difference, but franken looks taller and uses better parts i think

also , changed my mind on the cragars, i want a 15" rim, i thought they made a 15" soft8...but oh well

decided on the Rock Crawlers 15x8

sucks i have to wait 4 more months to do any of this stuff, but at least i have the money saved up already

kolesy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:17 pm

I can tell you bout the Rusty's lift. I have had it on for bought eight months now and have never regreted getting it. I could not justify spending almost $400 more on the frankenlift. To get the same hieght as the franken all you need to do is add the front strut plates Rusty's offer ($29) and do a little clevis lift for the front. The back just add another spring isolator pad and you are right at the same hieght. I never drove a KJ with the franken but I can tell you one thing that the Rusty's coil lift rides a million times better than stock. The only bad thing i have seen people say about the Rusty's lift is the shocks rattle in the rear. Well all you have to do is add a couple washers to the upper shock mount and problem soleved. Some even had that problem with the frankenlift.

Quote:

but franken looks taller and uses better parts i think

Eloborate on the better parts.....

My .02

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:23 pm

Well what exactly does the Rustys come WITH. their site says :

"This kit is a true suspension kit, no spacers or blocks. 4 coil springs, a pair of Rusty's twin tube hydro shocks for the rear and a pair of Rusty's performance long travel gas struts. "

I know you have to upgrade to Rancho shocks on the Rustys, which is another question anyone know how much that comes out to ---465 for Rustys shocks but _____ for Ranchos , and they come standard with Frankenlift, plus the Frankenlift uses OME springs which are very good. Does the Rustys come with the DayStar spacers?

I am also trying to find Al's A Arm for my install while its all out, but i cant seem to find any link to buy it at.

JFortier777 · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:30 pm

EOD-KJ wrote:

any insight into the frankenlift vs rustys..... 1/2 the price difference, but franken looks taller and uses better parts i think

also , changed my mind on the cragars, i want a 15" rim, i thought they made a 15" soft8...but oh well

decided on the Rock Crawlers 15x8

sucks i have to wait 4 more months to do any of this stuff, but at least i have the money saved up already

The rock crawler is currently the only 15" wheel that fits the KJ so its good that you happened to choose it..

kolesy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:30 pm

They come with longer coils front and rear, shocks for the rear (which you don't need to chang eout with the Ranchos, just user preference) New struts up front (which I think are OME). The front uses the stock upper mounting plate so you have to disassemble the atruts and put them back together. The springs that come with Rusty's I believe are their own brand which are perfect IMO. No spacers anywhere on this kit, which in my opinion is a plus.

I am bout to order the same a-arms and MOOGS. His site is www.jeepinbyal.com

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:34 pm

kolesy wrote:

They come with longer coils front and rear, shocks for the rear (which you don't need to chang eout with the Ranchos, just user preference) New struts up front (which I think are OME). The front uses the stock upper mounting plate so you have to disassemble the atruts and put them back together. The springs that come with Rusty's I believe are their own brand which are perfect IMO. No spacers anywhere on this kit, which in my opinion is a plus.

I am bout to order the same a-arms and MOOGS. His site is www.jeepinbyal.com

is it me orrrr i cant find the a-arms on the site....i see the LBJ for 140 a pair....(seems a bit much, i found moogs for 60something a pair on other sites) .... help?

Jeepin Al · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:35 pm

For my arms just e-mail me, and I will get a shiping est. I would go with the heavier springs if you Rusty's. A couple of years ago, the "softer" springs did settle.

The rear shocks need a new tube for the bushing with the same i/s diameter as the bolt. The interesting thing is that the bolt for the shock is not the same dia. the lenght of the bolt. It is larger arouud the head and septs down to smaller dia. (at least on my 2002) closer to the threaded area. This may be the cause of all the rattling..

Al

kolesy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:36 pm

The a-arms ar eon the very first page you get to after you skip the intro. Just scroll down a bit. They are $350 a set and come with the moogs already in them. Where did you find the MOOGS for cheaper?

kolesy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:38 pm

Quote:

The rear shocks need a new tube for the bushing with the same i/s diameter as the bolt. The interesting thing is that the bolt for the shock is not the same dia. the lenght of the bolt. It is larger arouud the head and septs down to smaller dia. (at least on my 2002) closer to the threaded area. This may be the cause of all the rattling

my "05 the bolts fit like a glove. All I needed was washers.

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:39 pm

to be honest...i cant remember....ill do another search later on.... its almost 1am here in iraq though and im about to pass out

thanks for all the help so far guys....ill be back to talk later on

im still leaning towards the frakenlift, someone sway me away if theres no reason for the extra 400 to be spent, since thats the cost of my skid plates i could get instead

kolesy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:42 pm

I am out your way now too. To dang humid over here!!! :evil:

Honestly I don't think you are gonna find anyone here to sway you away from the Frankenlift. Everyone swears by it. But I swear by the Rusty's as well. Held up excellent everytime I wheeled it up in the "Coal region" in Pa. I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER WITH IT. Plus the cost diference will get me new a-arms and lower moogs. That sitt efor the MOOGS will be appreciated if you get around to it.

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:49 pm

kolesy wrote:

I am out your way now too. To dang humid over here!!! :evil:

Honestly I don't think you are gonna find anyone here to sway you away from the Frankenlift. Everyone swears by it. But I swear by the Rusty's as well. Held up excellent everytime I wheeled it up in the "Coal region" in Pa. I COULD NOT BE HAPPIER WITH IT. Plus the cost diference will get me new a-arms and lower moogs. That sitt efor the MOOGS will be appreciated if you get around to it.

ya know what? im stupid, it was 66 PER joint.. http://www.car-stuff.com/mmparts/jeep-l ... joint.html ... so it comes out to 120, not too different....plus id rather give the money to a KJ store than "car-stuff.com"

kolesy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:51 pm

Quote:

plus id rather give the money to a KJ store than "car-stuff.com"

Me as well! Al does great work from what I have seen on here, so my cash is gonna help him. Thanks for looking it up though.

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:55 pm

kolesy wrote:

Quote:

plus id rather give the money to a KJ store than "car-stuff.com"

Me as well! Al does great work from what I have seen on here, so my cash is gonna help him. Thanks for looking it up though.

i think frankenlift is going more and more in my head.....but that extra 330 bucks is def a nice chunk of change....

did you say youre coming out here? as in iraq? are you in the military

kolesy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 4:59 pm

I have been a lil south of you for three months now. I am in the Air Force.

Jeepin Al · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 6:23 pm

I had the ball joints at $125, but all the warehouses were and still are I think out of stock here in the east (Keystone, A-Tech and NAPA). I ordered them from a place in Cali. this way I had them in stock if you guys needed them. I had to pay a steep shipping charge, so I needed to raise the price. And if you look at it its only $10.00 extra a ball joint, which isn't that much, but... Shipping using the USPO is around $8.00 a set in the US. Anyway, if you read my for-sale post I offering a $5.00 discount to ever sez they saw the price in the section. So its a $135 a set.

The a-arms are on the front or home page of my web site. I haven't visited the site today, so they better be there!

Al

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 6:26 pm

no its still there.....i just didnt use my eyes!

anyways, anyone have any opinion on the rockfather II kit? im looking at that one as my main choice right now

auggy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 14, 2006 7:03 pm

Also, if they were $66 each on the other site that works out to $132, so you're really only spending 3 extra dollars to get them from Al and you're getting it from a good guy.

plans for lift and armor

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