putting together lift from scratch

jcm1990 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 14, 2015 11:01 pm **Posts:** 4

I have a 2010 KK and im looking to get 3"-3.5" lift i have looked at the lifts on JBA and thought about the skyjacker but was warned about it. As im on a budget im wanting to buy parts as i can afford them but im not sure what all i will need. I have a lathe and mill so will be able to make my own clevis spacers and spacer plates for the front but what else do i need? And what is the max thickness you recommend for the clevis spacers and top plates? I know there is alot of knowledge here and am wondering what else i need...i am open to all suggestions but buying a $1200+ lift outright is out of the question for me financially....must be piece by piece.....any input is welcome as this is my first post.

At The Helm · **Posted:** Sat Mar 05, 2016 1:02 am

jcm1990 wrote:

I have a 2010 KK and im looking to get 3"-3.5" lift i have looked at the lifts on JBA and thought about the skyjacker but was warned about it. As im on a budget im wanting to buy parts as i can afford them but im not sure what all i will need. I have a lathe and mill so will be able to make my own clevis spacers and spacer plates for the front but what else do i need? And what is the max thickness you recommend for the clevis spacers and top plates? I know there is alot of knowledge here and am wondering what else i need...i am open to all suggestions but buying a $1200+ lift outright is out of the question for me financially....must be piece by piece.....any input is welcome as this is my first post.

If you shop around you can find the partss for an Old Man Emu spring lift with Bilstein shocks.
I do recommend buying from a small outfit like JBA though...

Adding anything above what the OME front springs give you lift wise will require aftermarket upper control arms, and again JBA is the only option that is worth buying.

Part numbers are:
2927 front OME springs
2731 rear OME springs
Bilstein 24-139168 front shocks
Bilstein 33-185552 rear shocks
Teraflex front bumps
2x hockey pucks per side rear bumps.

jcm1990 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 14, 2015 11:01 pm **Posts:** 4

I was on JBA looking at their front struts they have Bilstein heavy duty but they say they are for stock height....are these the right ones or do i need to find them somewhere else?

At The Helm · **Posted:** Sat Mar 05, 2016 1:55 am

The stock length Bilstein front shocks are the correct ones.

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 05, 2016 4:52 am

Yes, stock length shock are what you need in front (as weird as it sounds). OME 927/731 will get you 2.5". You can add to it to get up to 3.5". Anything over 3" will need upper control arms (I recommend JBA).

Follow ATH's list if you want to try sourcing the parts elsewhere.

For the top plate JBA sells the 1/4", but a member used to make a 3/8" top plate for the KJ so you can go that thick if you want, just do a smaller clevis lift is all.

For the clevis, save yourself some time and material. It's really only used as a measuring device. If you want to have the spacer for ease of measurements and safety, save some time and money and head to your local Lowes or Home Deport. By 6 2" electrical conduit nuts for about $6. You'll do 3 per side for a 3/8" clevis lift (if you make a 1/4" top plate and want 3.5") or 2 per side for 1/2" clevis (if you do the 3/8" top plate, again aiming for 3.5").

I don't recommend going over 3.5" with full sized springs. Even at 3.5" you'll have some contact at full drop. The only way to avoid it is to buy JBA coilovers or make your own custom coilovers with a tighter spring.

For the rear, if you want to sit level(assuming you're going to 3.5"), you'll have to add 2 upper spring isolators per side and the OME springs. Each isolator gains 1/2" of lift. If you want you can make the 1" spacer out of treated plywood (yes some members have done it) or other suitable material. I forgot how much the isolators run for. I wanna say I paid $30 for the 4.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Mar 05, 2016 7:41 am

What he said ^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Plus you will need bumpstops , Teraflax from JBA for the front
You can use 2 per side , hockey pucks for the rear bolted down
I'd stay at 3-3.25 max to avoid strange noise ( UCA/spring contact )

jcm1990 · **Joined:** Tue Jul 14, 2015 11:01 pm **Posts:** 4

Awesome!!! Thanks for all the input guys i really appreciate it. Now i have a plan as far as what i need to buy. Up until i bought this kk my jeep experience had been limited to my 1988 grand wagoneer so this is a whole other animal. This forum is awesome though and i have learned a lot about the kk. Thanks

ArcticWC · **Joined:** Sun Oct 27, 2013 11:49 am **Posts:** 13

keep this thread updated with your progress if you can. I'm in a similar situation and want to start piecing things together as extra money shows up. As a 30 y/o going back to school for a career change, I don't have much disposable income. Hoping I can get everything together by early to mid July.

Bmxer524 · **Posted:** Sun Mar 06, 2016 12:29 am

Trust me I know about lifting on limited funds. I did mine at 20 years old on a bus boy's salary lol. Same lift I described, OME/Bilstein for 3.5". You save a ton of money by installing the lift yourself too. It's very easy.

BTW, next you're gonna wonder about tires. Aim for 245/75-16 or 265/70-16. Both are the same height, 265s are wider. They will fit with 2.5", look good with 3.5" and the Jeep won't need to be regeared.

This is that 3.5" OME/Bilstein lift with 245/75-16 Duratracs:

NAMoulton1 · **Joined:** Tue Aug 12, 2014 7:01 pm **Posts:** 1054

Sooo...if you've got a lathe all you need is some 3" round bar and mill it down to size to fit into the stock clevis and then you can run whatever you want for very minimal costs...

kkRenegade · **Joined:** Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:18 pm **Posts:** 6

Long time lurker, first time poster. I want to thank Bmxer524 for the very specific information. I have another page saved with all your suggestions on lifts and it's insanely helpful. I've had my KK for a year and have been researching lifts for over 6 months. It's hard to put it all together when there's so much to digest. OP, please keep us posted on your progress.

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Mar 09, 2016 12:47 am

kkRenegade wrote:

Long time lurker, first time poster. I want to thank Bmxer524 for the very specific information. I have another page saved with all your suggestions on lifts and it's insanely helpful. I've had my KK for a year and have been researching lifts for over 6 months. It's hard to put it all together when there's so much to digest. OP, please keep us posted on your progress.

Not that much really as far as " good " options that last and ride great
so you can keep it very simple

kkRenegade · **Joined:** Mon Jan 25, 2016 5:18 pm **Posts:** 6

That's exactly what I've learned after hours of reading. Thanks to all.

putting together lift from scratch

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