For discussion.......RK 7up lift.......

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 12:50 am

Ok we all know its a junk lift but the concept must be pretty good, 7 inches of lift for a liberty...So for the sake of discussion......

For those that have messed with this lift know it is Junk most have already pulled it and started or completed a SFA conversion....But what would it take to fix this lift? Firebald I know you messed with it for a time and ran into nothing but problem after problem... What does the lift need? If i remember right it popped springs out of the rear and kept breaking tie rod ends....So what would it take to keep the springs in place? and beef up the tie rod ends...I know there are more issues than this but lets address them...Maybe as a collective whole we can take an existing Kit and revamp it to suit our needs....and make it work. Another thing that could be addressed is could the kit be modified to fit the front diff out of a cherokee???? I just believe with enough time and effort we can take a kit that puts our kjs at the height we desire, but modified to to correct its own problems and other problems we face.. at least on screen.. After all if we wait on the aftermarket then we will just keep waiting....

gone_jeepin · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 12:52 am

sounds like a good idea to me!!!

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 1:15 am

Kinda what i was thinking use what has already been built and build upon it. trouble is that most of the guys that have bought this kit have gotten so frustrated with the kit and then lack of tech support from RK they no longer wanted it on their KJ...

So lets start with one of the issues i know about this kit and the popping out of the springs in the rear.....What causes them to pop out? could the problem be corrected by limiting straps or deeper spring buckets with some form of retaining clip that holds the spring in place?

kolesy · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 1:30 am

CarNutCertifies wrote:

Kinda what i was thinking use what has already been built and build upon it. trouble is that most of the guys that have bought this kit have gotten so frustrated with the kit and then lack of tech support from RK they no longer wanted it on their KJ...

So lets start with one of the issues i know about this kit and the popping out of the springs in the rear.....What causes them to pop out? could the problem be corrected by limiting straps or deeper spring buckets with some form of retaining clip that holds the spring in place?

First off I have no idea about this kit but i can add some opinions on the discusion. So if the springs were popping out in the rear was there any form of bumpstops inside the the springs. I think if they were added to mount inside the spring then the spring wouldn't have the option to pop out.

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 1:39 am

I am hoping to get some of the guys that have ran the kit to jump in here and fill in the gaps and questions this thread should raise. i just ask that people keep an open mind to discussion and jump in if bumpstops wont work please let us know. the end result is take a 7 up lift on paper and try to come up with a lift that is usuable. I believe the 7 up lift was a great concept. Question is what will it take to make it work...Yes I know that it is costly but the idea is to know what mods it would take to fix and maybe have a compay produce a fixed version

So will bumpstops work in correcting the spring problem?

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:43 am

Bumpstops or limiting straps would stop that. I guess the shocks they used were to long allowing the spring to pop out. Also, I believe the kit made you drill a hole in the front spindle or something of that nature. That made it to weak and I heard a few broke. If you could fit a front end out of a grand cherokee and fix the steering issues, you would have a good start.

Jeger · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:05 am

If your rear springs are popping out it is obviously because your axle drops down farther than your springs extend. So as jeepjeepster said limiting straps are a good choice, or longer bumpstops, I dont like the idea of limiting upward travel though so unless your tires are rubbing at full stuff I am somewhat against longer bumpstops. Shorter shocks are an option, but why would you want to limit downward travel anyhow? So the best fix in my eyes is longer springs. If you dont want more lift you would have to get longer springs with a different rate so that they net no additional lift at rest but will extend out further. So custom springs I suppose? $$$$$ :lol:

Oh, and then custom drive shaft and an adjustment to pinion angle may be in order as well.

I dont worry too much about the back end, I think that can be worked out. The front is a different story.

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:38 pm

Ok so it sounds as if the rear wont be to difficult I couldnt remember what the issues were with the front, Limiting the downward travel using straps, bumpstops, or/and shorter shocks to keep the springs in place Anyone care to jump in that has messed with this kit? and let us know if this is an option. So with this kit does anyone know why they had to drill holes in the spindles? and can the spindles be beefed up up using plate stock?

On this discussion please try and think about what is avaliable on the market. Dont limit to just jeep stuff, Dodge, Toyota, Ford, GM they all have some pretty beefy stuff than can be retrofitted? Here in Oklahoma old cars trucks and jeeps are laying around everywhere and can be sometimes picked up for a song. We just bought a 87 S-10 blazer for 100.00 drove it onto the trailer, engine is shot but we were after the tranny and transfer case for my bro in laws Cherokee he wants a SBC in it. If we all had the money to go have a custom stuff built we would, there are alot of people on this board that can weld and turn wrenches, I have exp in working on everything from motorcyles to 18 wheelers to airplanes and there are times that we just took something to the table and made it stronger by welding more steel to it in certain places, I cant think of a single part on this thing that cant be welded or beefed up cept that front diff, and even then it is aluminum and a machine shop can.

As far as drive shafts go that is a minor cost i believe most any drivetrain shop can build new ones. i had some built a few years ago for a pu and i think it cost around $100.00 for the rear. wasn't to bad,

what would it take to make it practicle? Not trying to reinvent the kit but make it usable maybe even do a Frankenlift II you know keep what works fix what dont through the use of other parts or modification of the existing parts. with an end result of giving us a lift that will allow the use of larger tires, keeping the IFS, and just simply giving us the baddest Jeeps on the planet that are not only fuctional, practical, but also capable beasts that sling mud, crawl rocks, rip through sand, and pull that rubicon out when he attempts the same obstacle, hey its my dream...lol

gone_jeepin · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:43 pm

What comes in the 7 up kit?????

uvalax236 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 3:03 pm

The problem with the 7-up is that it calls for you to drill the steering knuckle. We have cast iron knuckles but where they want you to drill compramises the strength of the unit. All in all, you bend the knuckle when you try and turn. So one tire goes straight and the other wants to turn.

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:51 pm

So what is the hole for?

Jeger · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:53 pm

Perhaps someone has the install instructions for the 7 up kit. If not maybe we can get them from rockkrawler? Then we could pick it apart a bit better.

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:02 pm

Went to rock krawler earlier today but the kit is not there....maybe i will email them and see if i can get a set.....

gone_jeepin · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 10:31 pm

CarNutCertifies wrote:

Went to rock krawler earlier today but the kit is not there....maybe i will email them and see if i can get a set.....

yea, atleast they took that lift off with all of its problems, but it really doesn't help our cause much!!!

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Sat Sep 09, 2006 11:34 pm

No it doesnt but i did find that they have an article from Sept of 05 in Four wheeler showing all the parts and a complete build up of a kj using the kit. cant read it tho, Anyone got the article and their take on the kit?

fireblad1 · **Joined:** Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:04 am **Posts:** 74

I dont like talking about this but ok these guys of RK sent me staight to hell and basically I had ruined my Liberty, the back was solved with limiting straps and bumb stops in the middle of the springs I also put 2 aditional shocks in the rear, speaking of the front every single part of the RK piece of junk came off nothing worked, I bent pieces every single time i used it.
I switched to a solid front axle wich from my esperience is the only way to go if you want youre liberty to do more agressive things.
If you guys want pictures tell me of what parts an I will send them.

CarNutCertifies · **Posted:** Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:07 pm

Thank you firebald i knew you had had a really messes up experience with this kit.

Now it just brings me to the question of does the Steel need to be of thicker stock? or is there just no way to fix or use this kit as a prototype to build a stronger one..

There has to be a way to make an IFS kit for the kj anyone else have any input?

zeero · **Posted:** Tue Sep 26, 2006 10:57 am

Hey guys,

Thought I might try and revive this post......the RK 7up.....personally I think to much of a headache....buuuuuut......the idea of getting a kit like this to actually work without concerns or issue is interesting.

So I'm curious as to whether anyone has any other tech. thoughts to make a kit of this height.....not necessarily the brand......actually work out.....

Matt400 · **Posted:** Tue Sep 26, 2006 11:55 pm

zeero wrote:

Thought I might try and revive this post......the RK 7up.....personally I think to much of a headache....buuuuuut......the idea of getting a kit like this to actually work without concerns or issue is interesting.

Seems a bad idea to me. A lift that big will make room for tires that will break tie rods and axles. A 3.5 or 4" lift makes room for the biggest tire the rest of the front end will handle so I would think that size lift would be a better focus.

Jeger · **Posted:** Wed Sep 27, 2006 5:31 am

Come on now, these ARE Jeeps we are talking about here. If your tires are too big and it causes you to break something, you dont just put smaller tires on, that just means its time to upgrade what broke :!:

Whenever I hear of someone twisting an axle it is usually that "my axles werent strong enough, guess its time for that D44" or whatever is stronger than what they had. Not, "man my axle shaft just twisted right off, guess I need to run smaller tires"

For discussion.......RK 7up lift.......

Who is online