JBA 4" lift update

Emos Way · **Posted:** Fri Jan 04, 2008 1:54 pm

I was speaking with Al yesterday as I am interested in the 4" kit for the CRD and I ordered a set of Al's Uppers (mine are almost completely shot at 33,000 kilometers). I'm very interested in seeing how this kit turns out after all the issues are resolved.. The thought of a 4" lift sounds great, I'm looking to change my tires in 6 months so hopefully I can go to a bigger size.

Guest · **Posted:** Fri Jan 04, 2008 2:19 pm

BeepBeepJeepJeep wrote:

Who're you kidding? If you are anything like me you had the money sitting there waiting to be burned on a lift, one came out, and you said "What are the odds of it f*cking something up?"

I'm not kidding anyone. It's a spring issue. The springs that were sent to me & Tokyo Joe are strong enough & long enough for a 6+" lift. Marlin will figure out the spring length & strength problem shortly, & things will be fine. There are only 3 of these things out there, the prototype, Tokyo Joe, & mine. Being a fellow owner of a MOPAR product, you should understand better than most that issues come up with new products... The difference is JBA is committed to solving the issue, MOPAR prefers to pretend it's not there. :lol:

kolesy · **Posted:** Fri Jan 04, 2008 4:35 pm

KJpilot wrote:

Didn't want to leave anyone hanging...

I did get all the parts. & installed the rear, & partially the front. That wasn't my intention, of course, but the springs for the front are WAY too stiff. So Marlin of JBA is currently doing the leg work to remedy this problem. Part of being a guinea pig, I guess

So, for now, I have about a 5" lift in the rear & a 5/8" clevis lift in the front... My headlights don't shine as far out as they used to! :shock:

I'll do a writeup once the issue is sorted out, & the whole kit is installed.

You got any pics of the KJ with just the rear lifted up? I would love to see that!

Guest · **Posted:** Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:11 pm

jerbacher wrote:

the one major concern i have with the lift is just the fact that those CVs are apparently so difficult to modify. I think that was according to rock lizards install? It doesnt seem like a complete lift kit to me if you still have to buy new half shafts or pay a bunch of money to get hardened steel machined to make it work. But, it would of course cost a bunch of money to include new half shafts in the kit. I dont have a solution for this or anything, just pointing out a concern.

When I bought mine, Marlin was selling axles with the 3/8" machined off at JBA for $135 a piece... pretty inexpensive. He didn't even have the JE Reels until I asked if he could get them. I'm guessing that they weren't included because it was assumed that modifying them would not be so difficult or expensive to DIY.

Guest · **Posted:** Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:13 pm

kolesy wrote:

You got any pics of the KJ with just the rear lifted up? I would love to see that!

I'll take one tomorrow.

ReneDave · **Posted:** Fri Jan 04, 2008 11:40 pm

KJpilot wrote:

When I bought mine, Marlin was selling axles with the 3/8" machined off at JBA for $135 a piece... pretty inexpensive. He didn't even have the JE Reels until I asked if he could get them. I'm guessing that they weren't included because it was assumed that modifying them would not be so difficult or expensive to DIY.

That's insanely cheap - about half what new axles cost! Is that really for both an axle and the machine work, or just the machine work? I haven't heard anything about the KJ JE Reels, what's the advantage of them over the stock axles?

Thanks for brush beating the path on this one. There's lots of us waiting out here for proven kits to put on our trail rigs that also happen to be our daily drivers!

Guest · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:06 am

That's what I was told when I ordered the kit. He was having a sale on various things, but even so, not 1/2 off. The JE Reels have heavy duty CV joints. I can't find the info on them now, but their supposed to be very tough.

When Al had JBA, he sold JE Reel CV/axles & front drive shafts. So when I ordered the kit from Marlin, I asked if his JBA could still get them, & he can.

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:15 am

What happened to TokyoJoe? I'd like to hear how this lift wheels, not installs!

JE Reels are just stock axles with stronger races in the CV.

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:49 am

DaveKJ02 wrote:

What happened to TokyoJoe? I'd like to hear how this lift wheels, not installs!

JE Reels are just stock axles with stronger races in the CV.

No wheeling,front springs are to stiff causing CV bind in 4wd.

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 3:54 am

I'm a 2WD junkie right now...unless weather requires a short amount of use. Sitting between 5 1/4" - 5 1/2" of front lift and the CV's not machined down, I am grinding in 4-Full Time. Not going to hit the trails like that.

CD · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 6:10 am

Emos Way wrote:

I was speaking with Al yesterday as I am interested in the 4" kit for the CRD and I ordered a set of Al's Uppers (mine are almost completely shot at 33,000 kilometers). I'm very interested in seeing how this kit turns out after all the issues are resolved.. The thought of a 4" lift sounds great, I'm looking to change my tires in 6 months so hopefully I can go to a bigger size.

How can you tell if your upper arms are on the blink?

Too bad about the lift Tokyojoe, how long till it's all good?

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 8:25 am

I hate to say it but here is anther case of a lift sold and not completely tested. This should not be the responsibility of the consumer to "fix" the shortcomings or wait on the "real" parts to be made available. Nice guy or not, not a nice way to do business.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 10:29 am

DarbyWalters wrote:

I hate to say it but here is anther case of a lift sold and not completely tested. This should not be the responsibility of the consumer to "fix" the shortcomings or wait on the "real" parts to be made available. Nice guy or not, not a nice way to do business.

agree completely!!! I think it should of been installed on at least two or three to get the kinks worked out, YES he is working with people but yet if I buy something like that for that price I want to drive it the next day not a week away, due to it being my DD. I know hes is on the cutting edge and all with the lift but this can also kill a business real fast.

InCommando · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:44 am

Maybe I missed something, but didn't KJ pilot say that his & TokyoJoes' were prototypes being tested? With the KK being different, we are seriously orphans here on the KJ front. I don't see any more big companies going through the trouble of making much for us. As the little guy does not have the R&D budget, these kind of deals are what it is going to take to get parts for us.

That diff drop intrigues me. It seems like the same sort of device could be used to mount a replacement diff. It does not seem like an extremely complex part. Some measurements, some ciphering, and someone in the know should have the goods without tesn of thousands in production costs. Whip up some axles that would work at the diff end & the wheel end, and you have built a better mousetrap.

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:58 am

tommudd wrote:

DarbyWalters wrote:

I hate to say it but here is anther case of a lift sold and not completely tested. This should not be the responsibility of the consumer to "fix" the shortcomings or wait on the "real" parts to be made available. Nice guy or not, not a nice way to do business.

agree completely!!! I think it should of been installed on at least two or three to get the kinks worked out, YES he is working with people but yet if I buy something like that for that price I want to drive it the next day not a week away, due to it being my DD. I know hes is on the cutting edge and all with the lift but this can also kill a business real fast.

I raised this point while trying not to make it sound like I was bashing the real Al who sold the company before it was done. Who has wheeled and tested this lift? I havent even seen pictures of it on any other jeep except JoeJeeper and not to bash him either, but I've wheeled with him too and he likes to wheel "mildly". Not that that is bad, just makes me question how much stress its actually seen. Plus he was customized on 32" by Jeff Daniels Jeep before it was the model Jeep. Al was breaking things when I was out with him and still experimenting with Rock Crawler parts and such? His test mule cant be a good example because it has the cradle drop?

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 11:59 am

My KJ is a test vehicle to work on the kinks. Please don't judge JBA as negative.

Because I am up near the Rockies, my Reny was chosen to test in the mountains but the kinks need to be worked out first. Have time for that with the amount of snow we will have for awhile.

DaveKJ02 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:04 pm

Then it should be marketed as a R&D lift. Who would want to spend that much on a potential poser lift? Rock Krawler made one of those, remember?

Fulltimer · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 12:10 pm

InCommando: "That diff drop intrigues me. It seems like the same sort of device could be used to mount a replacement diff. It does not seem like an extremely complex part. Some measurements, some ciphering, and someone in the know should have the goods without tesn of thousands in production costs. Whip up some axles that would work at the diff end & the wheel end, and you have built a better mousetrap."

I have been thinking about that for a long time now. I have spent many hours on the net with no results. But it seems like a swap is something that could be done. The result would be a stronger differential and hopefully a better gear selection.

Terry

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 1:24 pm

I don't think anyone is faulting JBA for trying to bring us a bigger lift...I just want to be sure other L.O.S.T. Members don't mistake it for a tested install before it is completely ready. The problem with RockKrawler is they said they HAD a working lift and would tell customers it was thier problem. JBA is working with people and fixing the problems. I just don't want anyone to be confused...that is why L.O.S.T. is here.

KJ04 · **Posted:** Sat Jan 05, 2008 2:01 pm

A few things I haven't seen addressed about the lift yet is the lower rear control arms for $365.95 that are reccomended when you click on the rear springs in the picture on the site.

Also, there is no mention if longer or adjustable swaybar links are needed for the front.

And at this point, it seems that the JE Reels at $950.00 are no longer just an option, but a necessity.

Considering the kit is currently "ON SALE" at $2057.95, then add $950.00 for JE Reels, add $365.95 for rear lower control arms, not to mention around $700.00 for a new set of five 32" tires, and all of this can be had for the moddest cost of only $4,173.50 not including shipping charges.

http://jeepinbyal.com/4inSTDliftkit37L.aspx

JBA 4" lift update

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