Lifts and Tires and Bumpers... oh my!

Ivan · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:30 pm

Hi everyone, I'm new to LOST and trying to figure out what stuff to get.

Currently considering a RockFather II or Frankenlift. From what I read on their websights and the LOST threads, they are similar lifts in that they use a combination of springs and spacers to achieve the 2.5" lift. I checked the ARB webpage http://arbusa.com/accessorize_your_rig.php, and the OME HD gas KJ springs only generate 1.5" of lift, the remaining lift comes from the spacers.

Three differences I noticed between the two:

1. RF2 uses the OME springs "inside the strut assemply, and then include the additional lift spacer on the outside of the strut assembly" Can someone tell me how this helps and why other systems wouldn't do the same?

2. RRO claims the RF2 eliminates ball joint binding and spring contact (I suppose with the A-arm.) I asked RRO if I should buy a set of aftermarket arms (Rusty's for one, makes upper and lower arms) but RRO told me that aftermarket arms would be a waste of money because the stock arms work great and never have to be replaced. Does anyone have any feedback on this? Are the ball joints at risk?

3. RRO offers a choice of 3 different OME springs and 2 different DT shocks. I never heard of DT before, anyone know anything about them?

Next... ARB lists the OME HD gas KJ springs at 150lbs to GVW. I am considering adding a Trail Ready front bumper (I estimate the weight at 150lbs), and a Warn DualForce winch/compressor combo (listed weight 100lbs). Will this cause the front springs to sag? Anybody have any feedback on Trail Ready bumpers http://trailready.com/jeep_liberty.html ?

I thought an easy solution might be to use OME HD diesel KJ springs because they're listed at 110 - 220 lbs, but ARB lists them at only 1".

Lastly, I want to replace my current 245/75 R16s with 265/75 R16s and 1" spacers. Does anyone have any experience with this set-up?

Thanks, and sorry about the novel, Ivan.

Signcutter21 · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 6:55 pm

STAY AWAY FROM RRO.

As far as UCAs needing to be replaced...I'm on my third set (original, OEM replacement and now OEM spec Napa/ Dana brand). The OEMs both had ball joint and bushing failures. They all have contact with the coil on both a Daystar 2.5 and Frankenlift 2.5.

I'd be intrested to see how they are making their lift to avoid spring contact on it. They do not have aftermarket A Arms included in their systems.
Their site even mentions that some "clearencing" might need to be done.

As far as the shocks, heard most people swapping out the DTs. Most here will use Ranchos.

later,

mike

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 8:15 pm

Signcutter21 wrote:

STAY AWAY FROM RRO.

and why is that? have you ever used a RRO rockfather lift? i highly doubt it if you caution like that....since you mentioned you had a daystar and a frankenlift, then im guessing youve only read the negative things about the OTT kits....which is NOT what hes talking about here

rocky road is a great company...

i have a rockfather II kit, and its awesome..... you dont need the Al's A-Arms ... when i put my lift on it didnt rub anything, but in order to fix the alignment a bit, and to get the greasable moogs, i put them on as well ... but AFTER the lift

frankenlift is a great kit, and so is RRO's rock father...... i do advise to stay away from RRO's OTT kits, but its not just RRO that has problems with that, its any "spacer lift" that will mess up your suspension parts

and the DT shocks are really nice, i have them on my jeep ....i like them

renegadekj · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 8:55 pm

I have previously purchased a OTT lift from Rocky Road Outfitters( Long before i heard of this LOSTKJS website and heard of the trouble that the OTT could have ) After i FINALLY got the lift due to slow shipping to canada!! I decided to try and contact RRO about the balljoint & strut issue that this lift is know to have on kjs and tey responded by saying that yes they have had problems and complaints with the OTT.I asked why would they continue to sell a product that has these issues and they had no comment just some lame excuse! Also i asked if they woud sell me the necessary components to make a Rock Father I lift ,They said they would not sell the FEW parts that i needed to make this upgrade and that i would have to send my OTT lift back and then just buy the other lift. I told themmy situation that i lived in canada and the shipping and Duty fews would be insane and that wa not a option and they said well we cant do anyhing for you!!!( to get my lift shiped to canada was over $150.00!!) So as you can see i have had no good experience with RROand will never do business with them but this is only my opinon and others have dfferent ones iam sure!! I would go with the frankenlift if you want good customer service and a great lift from wat i hear!! thanks

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 8:56 pm

You may want to recheck the weight of the OME springs also, I have the heavy duty OMEs and running an ARB also did a clevis lit, ride is great, handles well and got over the 1.5 inch advertised. I am also running the Rancho struts/springs ans like them a lot on the Liberty

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 10:25 pm

renegadekj wrote:

I have previously purchased a OTT lift from Rocky Road Outfitters( Long before i heard of this LOSTKJS website and heard of the trouble that the OTT could have ) After i FINALLY got the lift due to slow shipping to canada!! I decided to try and contact RRO about the balljoint & strut issue that this lift is know to have on kjs and tey responded by saying that yes they have had problems and complaints with the OTT.I asked why would they continue to sell a product that has these issues and they had no comment just some lame excuse! Also i asked if they woud sell me the necessary components to make a Rock Father I lift ,They said they would not sell the FEW parts that i needed to make this upgrade and that i would have to send my OTT lift back and then just buy the other lift. I told themmy situation that i lived in canada and the shipping and Duty fews would be insane and that wa not a option and they said well we cant do anyhing for you!!!( to get my lift shiped to canada was over $150.00!!) So as you can see i have had no good experience with RROand will never do business with them but this is only my opinon and others have dfferent ones iam sure!! I would go with the frankenlift if you want good customer service and a great lift from wat i hear!! thanks

right, but that is not the company's fault that you live in canada is it? if shipping for you is an inconvenience it is not RRO's problem...i live in hawaii and shipping for my lift kit was 200....but thats the price you pay for not living near them....

but you cannot tell people their company is crappy up because of your situation.... thats just (edit: i dont know why it symboled out the word a-s-s, oh well) backwards

renegadekj · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 10:54 pm

HEy bud no need to be like that!! i was just giving my personal opinion and my experence With RRO and their OTT lift and like i said in my origional message many others have probbaly had different and better experiences withe this comapny. I just wanted to share my story because i would hate for that to happen to someone else! sorry if i offended you!

1300ZUK · **Posted:** Sun Feb 18, 2007 11:58 pm

i've had problems with Rocky Road before too, but that was long ago, but i still don't really buy anything from them. I've found better places(Suzuki Stuff) . But are there other Liberty Vendors?

sidewayskj · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:01 am

Edo-kj with your rockfather 2 kit and the 31inch sizied tires on there do u rub on full stuff or taken flares off because of stuffing or do you have bump stops that come with the kit or did you buy bump stops. I want to lift my kj and want to get a full size 31inch under there without ripping off bumper or flares. I am interested in the rock father kit as well and wondering how other people are making out with it and how much lift it gives ya and how those 31inch MT are fitting at full stuff and full lock some insight would be nice thank you.

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 12:26 am

if you want 31" tires on 15s youll have to go with the rim size i have....so just look in my sig.

i dont rub on stuff or anything..... i DID rub on full lock turn in forward and reverse.....but i cut a little bit of the front fender lining off and i havent rubbed anything since then

also you WILL need to mash down / cut off the pinch weld

unixxx · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:59 am

I guess it depends on what you order.

unixxx wrote:

In my experience, Rocky Road is shady to say the least. I ordered an ARB Locker from them three weeks ago and had to cancel this week because they still hadn't shipped it. When I asked them why, they told me they hadn't received their stock order yet. So I phoned back ten minutes later, got another person, and they said that my locker never came on the stock order. A stock order which they placed two weeks after they told me they would. They said my locker didn't come on it because ARB has been on back order and that I needed to wait another three weeks for a shipment to come over from Australia. So I phoned ARB USA and they told me they have sixteen in stock and haven't been back ordered for as long as they could remember. So I phone Rocky Road back and they tell me that they don't know why my locker never came and that I'll have to wait for their next stock order to arrive next week, or the week after, or the week after; no guarantee. However, they say they can drop ship from ARB for ONLY $25. I cancel my order and run as fast as possible. Phone up Performance Off-road Center and they drop ship for free via UPS Ground and the locker is $3 cheaper than Rocky Road. This whole fiasco followed Rocky Road trying to pass off Yukons as US Gear and trying to sell me gears that were incompatible my front diff. I can say that I did successfully receive the gears, which were drop shipped from Randy's, and that Rocky Road was nice enough over the phone. I just wouldn't trust them.

EOD-KJ wrote:

Signcutter21 wrote:

STAY AWAY FROM RRO.

and why is that? have you ever used a RRO rockfather lift? i highly doubt it if you caution like that....since you mentioned you had a daystar and a frankenlift, then im guessing youve only read the negative things about the OTT kits....which is NOT what hes talking about here

rocky road is a great company...

i have a rockfather II kit, and its awesome..... you dont need the Al's A-Arms ... when i put my lift on it didnt rub anything, but in order to fix the alignment a bit, and to get the greasable moogs, i put them on as well ... but AFTER the lift

Tokyojoe · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 3:11 am

Have you verified that Trail Ready has a bumper made for the KJ? Many on here have asked TR and they get conflicting answers even though the website says they make them. There are other bumpers out there.

AZScout · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 6:41 am

I was at the point of reading them my credit card. Unless he was going to make it in 24hrs, then they have the 02-04's in stock.

Ivan · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 10:46 am

Thanks for all the replies, learning a lot...

To clarrify, I'm not going to get an OTT, that's why I'm considering the RF2 and Frankenlift.

From what I read on AllJ's and RRO sites, neither the F'lift or the RF2 come with control arms. So regardless of which kit I get, if I develop the control arm problems that Mike mentioned, I'll just cross that bridge when I get to it. Judging from EOD-KJ's positive experience, RF2 isn't having these problems. What other aftermarket control arm options are there besides NAPA / DANA and Rusty's?

Tommudd - are you using the gas or diesel OME HD springs? I'm guessing gas.

Will the OME HD gas springs sag if I put 200 - 250 pounds on the front (TrailReady bumper and Warn DualForce winch/compressor)?

As far as tires go, I want to get 265/75 R16s. Like SidewaysKJ, I want to figure things out ahead of time. I want to avoid cutting, trimming, and pounding if possible. Would a 2.5" lift combined with 1" wheel spacers prevent the rubbing?

I'm looking at both the ARB and TrailReady bumpers. I like the TR better because, judging from the pics, it provides a better approach angle to the front tires, and I also like how the D-rings for the shackles are located high and out of the way compared to the ARB. Since I plan to get the TR rear bumper (only rear bumper I can find), then I think the TR front would look better than the ARB since it would match the rear.

Tokyojoe - I checked with TR and they make both the front and rear bumpers, but they don't make them year round (much the same as the KJ factory doesn't make KJs with manual transmissions year round). So, it can take a while to get the order.

Anyone have experience with TR?

What are the KJ bumper options (besides ARB and TR)?

AZScout - wasn't sure what you meant.

Thanks, Ivan.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 11:44 am

Quote:

What are the KJ bumper options (besides ARB and TR)?

Rock Lizard has a sweet rear bumper and a front one coming soon too.

EOD-KJ · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:01 pm

as far as a-arms...if you get a new one i would only suggest to upgrade, and go with Al's

he has a greasable moog ball joint in it to connect to the wheel area...plus it is longer so if you even do experience any rubbing it will space it out more, who knows i might be unique on my jeep and didnt rub, but yours might, who knows?

plus it will help you with your alignment getting back to evened out levels

napa/oem are just the same as before

Ivan · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:23 pm

Thanks guys, will check out Rock Lizard bumpers and AllJ's arms.

EOD - did you get the 3000 or 8000 rear prerunners?

elephantrider · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:31 pm

Quote:

Thanks guys, will check out Rock Lizard bumpers and AllJ's arms

dont get to quick on the RL bumpers. seems everytime there's an update, there's a delay.

if you dont mind the wait, then thats they way to go, otherwise, look for bumpers that are already made ( even though they are few and far between )..

KJ04 · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:38 pm

Ivan,
You may want to hold off awhile, OME is coming out with 500 lb. rate CRD coils which Al J's will be testing on a heavy gasser with aftermarket bumper and winch.

This is what I'm waiting for with my ARB/winch combo or else the King coils 465 lb. rate, once someone stateside starts selling them.

PBrug · **Posted:** Mon Feb 19, 2007 1:39 pm

Ivan wrote:

Thanks guys, will check out Rock Lizard bumpers and AllJ's arms.

Just so you have it correct, it's Jeepin By Al not All J's for the A-Arms.

Lifts and Tires and Bumpers... oh my!

Who is online