best budjet lift/ spacer lift

Boxer_Dog · **Posted:** Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:40 pm

I am considering all my options for lifting my 05 renegade, I have researched the full lift kits and if I decide to go that way will probably go with Rustys. But I am also considering the spacer lift any sugestions on the best kit and what shocks should be purchased for the rear? From what I have read OME are the best shocks?

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:13 pm

Old Man Emu Shocks and Springs all around.

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON SPACER LIFTS.

You WILL be replacing it soon.

Save your money and do it right the first time. Budget lifts are not good lifts and you do get what you pay for.

Again Just incase you did not understand. DO NOT do a spacer lift.

You can do a good OME lift for around 650.00 - 750.00 if you do it yourself.

Dje Ryu · **Posted:** Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:22 pm

^^^ What he said. I've even heard of people collecting the parts from various places and getting a complete OME lift for about $50 more than Rusty's 2.5" full coil lift.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:27 pm

Dje Ryu wrote:

^^^ What he said. I've even heard of people collecting the parts from various places and getting a complete OME lift for about $50 more than Rusty's 2.5" full coil lift.

I have a post on here somehwre wher I outline where I got all mine and did it myself.

OHG i can not believ how easy it was to do and how SWEET it rides with NO clunking or any noise.

Beats the crap out of a spacer lift anyday.

AbsoluteRenegade · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 3:17 am

i love the people that chime in without the lifts. I've been running a revtek 2 inch lift for about 4 months, its a non OTT and I love it. I just bought a bumper, and needed HD fronts, I checked out the front suspension and its perfect, so I'm selling it preassembled. I'll be putting in a frankenlift, and although its the way to go with heavy front/rears, no reason to talk too much smack, you get what you pay for, and i paid about 250 plus shipping and think it was WELL worth it just say away from OTT

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 8:32 am

AbsoluteRenegade wrote:

i love the people that chime in without the lifts.

I assume that is aimed at me.

Once again you ARE WRONG! I do have a lift. AN OME lift and i highly recomend it. I did the research and found that the cheap spacer lifts that you have, are just that cheap and not worth the potential troubles and price. Just because you can not admitt you made a mistake by trying to go cheap, don't rag on me. because I didn't go cheap. I got the good stuff and a solid lift without buying the over priced franken stuff.

Your own post shows you made a mistake in your first purchase.

It is obvious that you never wheel that rene because anybody who had lights mounted where they are on yours would have had them ripped off by now by a tree limb. so unless you actually wheel that cheap spacer lift then you are not really qualified to rag on somebody who does and MIGHT actually know what they are talking about.

JHCRASH · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:19 am

All I have to say to that WoodysKJ is WOW :shock:

bugnout · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 10:41 am

WoodysKJ wrote:

DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON SPACER LIFTS.

$1000 vs $200 ... Sure spacer lifts have draw backs, but your not going to damage your vehicle, make it unsafe or empty your wallet if you go with the tried and true daystar lift. especially If all you want is to get it up

, and get bigger tires under it. Spacer lift is the best bang for the buck and a way to ease into this jeep obsession.

If you going to wheel it hard and want the extra articulation, your planning on putting a heavy bumper on the front, or you just like to do it right the first time, then by all means Frankie, OME, Rusty's JeepinAl's or spend $20k to put a Solid Front Axle under it.

IMHO this is not a "cut and dried", "only one way to go" issue.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:03 am

bugnout wrote:

IMHO this is not a "cut and dried", "only one way to go" issue.

I completely agree with this. Nothing Cut and Dried about it. Heck in 5 years we might all be crapping on the Old Man Emu lifts as a big mistake.

The Point I was making is that IF you want to spend some money AND IF you want a lift that will function to the Best of the KJ's ability and IF you don't want to waste any money and IF you don't want to deal with the time tested issues we have all been reading about with regards to the spacer lifts out there, then save your money and spend it ONCE for a good quality lift that has been designed around the KJ's Geometry and have a, So Far, proven to be the best quality and the longest lasting and the best ridding lift out there for our beloved KJ's.

That is why I bought one. I purchased the components over time, assembling the neccessary pieces a pair at a time till I had all the parts needed. Sure I spent more money, but I did it a little at a time and got a better ridding, better quality lift out my money. You do not have to buy it all at once like a frankenlift. Ask questions look around on the web SHOP and you will find what you need.

Just because you have 200.00 NOW to spend doesn't mean you HAVE to settle for a spacer lift. Stick that money into a pair of rear or front springs. Next month get the shocks for the rear. In another month or 2 get the front strutts. All the while getting quality parts that WORK!

Get your srping insulators for your struts, and if you want, the strut mounts. Sweet talk a mechanic to compress the front springs for you for a couple of bucks each and build your own strut assemblies. Then if you need help, wait for a good day to have a lift party. Invite other KJ'ers over for beer, pizza and have a great ridding lift for under 750.00 and BE PROUD OF IT.

JUST MY ADVICE! I hate spending the same money twice.

Jeep Dawg · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 12:00 pm

AMEN WoodysKJ

I am in 100% agreement with you.
I bought the frank II w/ HD strut coils slightly used from "ANDYSRT" on here, and ordered the rear. Paid less then the 900.00 for the fulll new set from boulderbars.
Still all in all, I got the Frank II HD kit for less then the full price. It cost me $552.29 for shopping around and I cam out with a great quality product for my KJ needs at almost half the cost. But it took time to do this.

Guest · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 1:58 pm

I don't need to hit myself in the head with a hammer to know it hurts!

Spacers that are placed between the spring & the spring perch compress the spring which changes its dynamics & characteristics. Doesn't seem the best option. I understand why people may want to do it, but I think it would be better to spend a bit extra & go with a well designed suspension lift.

Atrus · **Joined:** Fri Aug 03, 2007 10:24 am **Posts:** 48

How high do you want to go? $24 Rusty's 3/4" front spacer (1.75" lift) and 2 rear isolator pads (1") cost me a total of $75 and I think it looks good. No, it's not 2.5 or 3", but it's there and it's done me fine off-road. I really don't see it blowing out shocks in the near future, although I admittedly only have about 6500 miles on the setup.

This seems to work just fine for me and gets me where I need to go for the most part.

Stock:

Lifted:

Massive? No. Way better than stock and noticeable? Sure.

Oh, and no noticeable difference to ride quality at all.

Jeepjeepster · **Posted:** Wed Dec 19, 2007 11:17 pm

The Rustys lift is a great bang for your buck if you dont want to go with the max lift you can get. I have the OME lift all around except for the front springs of which are Rustys and the ride/look is great.

Im not looking into getting a bumper so I didnt need the ome HD coils but wanted 2.5" of lift. Worked out great.

2006JEEPKJ · **Posted:** Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:27 am

I like my Revtek lift. For what I do whith my KJ it is perfect. It gets me enough room to run 245's and enough height to actually wheel it, and yes I actually wheel it. I haven't had any problems so far although I don't have that many miles on the lift, maybe 5,000, but nothing has gone wrong yet. I too would spend the money for a full suspension lift if I was going to wheel my KJ more than I do. But for me and my budget and the amount that I wheel it made more sense to me to get the spacer lift and I have no complaints.

Corbin

AbsoluteRenegade · **Posted:** Thu Dec 20, 2007 2:19 am

.....Then ya got people that ALWAYS think they know what they're talking about and people are ALWAYS attacking them. Now, I dont know where you wheel(hopefully not through brush or dense stuff, or you cant have neat cowl mount lights like me, you know, might rip them off????) But I dont feel it was a bad purchase whatsoever. I wheel my jeep just as hard as my hardbody, although I'm not able to go everywhere, and sometimes I don't even try the same trails. It is my daily driver. Revtek hasnt failed, the struts/front end look great. I've only had it 4 months, and recently discovered my xmas present of a new bumper, and have contacted All about a Franky and all the goodies, so I can shut people up moreso. So maybe I could agree with those that say "you'll be buying a new one, blah blah blah, don't purchase things twice. Then again, you have people saying dont buy rustys cause it sags. With the Revtek, it is NON ott, not junk like most we've all heard about and is by FAR the best way to go unless you double/triple the money you wanna spend. I will agree with this, don't know where you're at in the country, but it's winter, and if you can save like woodybitch said, buy a bit here, buy a bit there, that would probably be for the best. In either case, good luck to you.

WoodysKJ · **Posted:** Thu Dec 20, 2007 7:26 am

AbsoluteRenegade wrote:

.....Then ya got people that ALWAYS think they know what they're talking about and people are ALWAYS attacking them. Now, I dont know where you wheel(hopefully not through brush or dense stuff, or you cant have neat cowl mount lights like me, you know, might rip them off????) But I dont feel it was a bad purchase whatsoever. I wheel my jeep just as hard as my hardbody, although I'm not able to go everywhere, and sometimes I don't even try the same trails. It is my daily driver. Revtek hasnt failed, the struts/front end look great. I've only had it 4 months, and recently discovered my xmas present of a new bumper, and have contacted All about a Franky and all the goodies, so I can shut people up moreso. So maybe I could agree with those that say "you'll be buying a new one, blah blah blah, don't purchase things twice. Then again, you have people saying dont buy rustys cause it sags. With the Revtek, it is NON ott, not junk like most we've all heard about and is by FAR the best way to go unless you double/triple the money you wanna spend. I will agree with this, don't know where you're at in the country, but it's winter, and if you can save like woodybitch said, buy a bit here, buy a bit there, that would probably be for the best. In either case, good luck to you.

You continue to show your intelligence level. I don't need to say anything more, except that you are a rude and insulting idiot. I appologise to all and the moderators for my comment.

alljeep · **Posted:** Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:55 am

I remember a lift war like this a few years ago on this board. Got pretty ugly. I would like to add that there is a definite difference between applications for a gasser KJ versus a diesel KJ. For my diesel application and for my useage I knew going in that I wanted my Daystar 2.0" spacer only lift. I wanted the pre-loaded feel on the front CRD springs and this lift achieved this.

With my job I wheel pretty heavily through construction sites in all locations, from flat muddy fields to extremely steep hill sides constantly crossing large rocks, logs, construction debris (large concrete pipe, steel pipe, all kinds of junk). Some of my jobs make the Badlands in Attica, IN look like a prairie field.

I also do lots of highway driving to get to the rough stuff. And, I also needed a lift guaranteed to behave when towing a big-a camper. I've had it on for over 2 years and 25,000 miles of very diverse driving conditions and am very happy and never plan to change it out.

Like I said, maybe it's a gasser versus diesel thing, but for my diesel the spacer lift is perfect. And with my CV shorter on one side due to my offset front diff with the diesel, this lift leaves my CV angles near level. I've also noticed that everyone (diesel) that puts on a Rusty's lift ends up doing a clevis lift or an over the top spacer at a later date due to sag. Only recently is there an all spring option for the CRD that supposedly actually works, but I have no plans to change as I don't see it as an upgrade.

I'm not defending all spacer lit kits, nor all spring lift kits as there are poor versions of both out there. But for my application I can easily say to other similiar KJ owners that a spring lift could easily be a waste of money and time. At a minimum, I would not knock the Daystar spacer products. They work exceptionally well for many KJ owners.

ATXKJ · **Posted:** Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:05 am

I have a Daystar on the front - no problems and it's been to Moab.
At the time I was looking for a lift Daystar was about the only thing that worked for a CRD - OME didn't have springs strong enough - they now have them - and at some point in the future I'll upgrade - but I'm not in a rush.
The advantage I do see in an OME is actually that they will ride softer on-road - a product of OME progressively wound spring while still being good in full travel.
That said - we've had folks on the forum who have had OTT lifts and made them work (extend bumpstops!!!)
and we even had 1 person who got the 7 inch lift to work(I don't even remember who made that)

I do think that OME is the best suspension out there - however it's by no means the only solution.

immadmacs · **Posted:** Wed Jan 16, 2008 3:54 pm

Atrus, how does the .75" spacer provide 1.75" lift? I can't find a 1" rear spacer on the Rust's site for a KJ. You said you used 2 per side, so that's a 2" lift in the rear without needing longer shocks? I like the look (I just want a little lift for 235/75/16 tires), and the price passes the wife test. I don't plan on serious off-roading, just to get to a good fishing/hunting spot.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Jan 16, 2008 4:42 pm

Simon Says...... :wink:

Daystar and Revtech are good kits for sure, no argument, have not heard anyone that had them say anything bad about them, except..... IF I was doing either I would look into replacing the shocks and struts though with something better i.e. Ranchos or OMEs. Stock stuff will only last so long may as well replace when you have it torn apart.
Moving up the ladder though its hard to beat OMEs either by themselves or in a Frankenlift.
Just stay away from OTTs
I think what confuses some of the new people on here is the fact that some cheaper lifts are OK ( see above ) while OTTs are bad, very bad... but then some get into the arguments of which is better and loose the person that they were trying to help in the first place.

OK done preaching.......
Tom

best budjet lift/ spacer lift

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