designing own lift asking for input

Duffner · **Posted:** Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:43 pm

So I have ome front springs and a 3/8 spacer.. What's the difference between the daystar top plates the ones used in the frankenlift and the rro rockfather ones. I was looking to see the height gain difference between the two and to see if the studs on the rock father top plate are long enough to use the spacer

Basically trying to get as close to 23 or 24 as possible minus cv problems what could I do to get there

These are plans for the first nice day or next lift party no rush just trying to plan ahead

Second if I spaced the t case down what else would I have to do by doing that

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:49 pm

Duffner wrote:

So I have ome front springs and a 3/8 spacer.. What's the difference between the daystar top plates the ones used in the frankenlift and the rro rockfather ones. I was looking to see the height gain difference between the two and to see if the studs on the rock father top plate are long enough to use the spacer

Basically trying to get as close to 24 or 25 as possible minus cv problems what could I do to get there

Second if I spaced the t case down what else would I have to do by doing that

The Daystar top plates(used on the Frankinlift) lowers where the top of the front shocks mounts down to get max extension/compression.The others are only spacers,no gain but in the lift area.

You do not wnat to go about about 23.5",your going to regret it and lower it back down after having to replace alot of parts in a very short amount of time,not a issue if your 2wd though.

If you lower your t-case you must also lower the front engine cradle which creates a whole host of other issues.

Duffner · **Posted:** Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:59 pm

Well then First..
What would it take for me to get to 23.5 If I have ome springs/ome stuts up front using stock isolators and stock top plate and a 3/8 spacer. Right now im at 22 with ome springs and 3/8 top plate so basically a lil shy or right at two more inches of total lift

Idea one buy the extra parts to complete the frankenlift daystar top plate and prop. isolaters and internal spacers and buy a 1/4 boiler spacer for on top any ideas as to where this would put me?

Idea two buy the rro top mount if the 3/8 spacer works that would be cool..
Idea three rro top mount spacer and the frankenlift extras

ive seen 23.75 and i really like the way it looks.. Would like to gain a little more than that
Basically I just dont want to do a clevis lift just dont like the idea of it...

I just fixed my post.. put it from my cell phone didnt realize i put 24 25 instead of 23 24.... So basically if I want to go any further than 23 and some change, I should start to look to go the sfa route?

I mean jeepinbyal offers a 6 inch lift with nothing more than a knuckle extension and spacer blocks for k frame and trans
So if he can do it why cant I?

Do you know whats involved for me to lower the engine cradle/ transfer case? I reguards to other things that have to move be relocated etc... I have replaced my share of engines/ engine swaps... all sorts of crazy things ive done in the past.. However like i told a few other members this whole 4wd thing is new to me... I come from the track racing community.. Never seen a ball joint on a lifted vehicle and been like whooaaaa that looks scary!

After all said and done if i go this route is it worth anything? Could i get higher than 23 24 and still be a functioning vehicle?

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:54 pm

So from my experience :wink:

ask most anyone I've had mine apart enough times trying different things to get the most lift, but still be able to drive safely coast to coast and wheel every day if want to.
So like Troy stated stay "below" 23.5 , your CVs will last much much longer, and driveability/handling will be great.
Going any higher will not net you anything much at all.
OME 927 springs don't know what you have since you didn't state.
3/8 inch upper top plate with a 3 ring clevis, install 4.10 gears and 265-75-16s and be done.
3/8 inch top plate and 3 ring clevis will net you almost 1.5 inches
Best all around.
Sure Marlin has a 6 inch lift but with the money spent on it you can buy the 4.10s/ 265-75s and have money left.
You're not going to run a bigger tire with a 6 inch than Ywould with what I mentioned above anyways!
Dropping transfer cases, cradle drops etc just leads to more things until you have a vehicle that you would not want to drive on a daily basis.
Not worth it in my opinion, doesn't matter what kind of crazy things you have done in the past :wink:

Now if you don't need it as a daily driver and want it for looks only

Duh just looked back to who you were :ROTFL:

Do you know for sure which springs were in that kit? Do they still have a tag on them?

Duffner · **Posted:** Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:48 pm

The medium duty as the rro guy told me when i gave him the name of the original purchaser.. Thats going to a purchase along (heavy duty springs) with jba ucas ill be doing that in the next week or so....

Even with the spacer and the medium duty springs i was still only at 22.5 before it settled.. the heavy duties arent any taller right? i mean yea with the heavy duty springs i would be at probably where i was before i settled but still.

I am at 22 with a ott spacer and spring lift... no clevis
I can get the frankenlift extra parts along with the hd springs for a reasonable price minus the top plate...

Hence the reason i brought up the rro top plate... its similar to the daystar in the fact that it changes the shock mounting position lower to increase lift.. I was just curious if the rro could use the spacer plate that i already have .. if thats the case i dont have to do the clevis and i should be were i want to be at least for now

I have the RRO rockfather II but its older and uses a stock top plate with a 3/8 spacer medium duty springs and ome struts..
The new rockfather II uses a new top plate with a lower shock mount point to increase lift
curious if anyone has tried these together ott spacer with rro top plate
I know people can use the 1/4 spacer on the daystar as ive seen with the frankenlift

So many options to choose from lol!!! This is probably one of the best forums ive been on thanks you guys
Hey where do I become a lifetime.. I'm willing to pay this site has more than paid for itself

Duffner · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:32 am

Ok short and simple get me to 23.5 without a clevis lift and already settlled lol
I have ome struts medium duty springs and a 38 spacer willing to buy whatever I need

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:37 am

Duffner wrote:

Ok short and simple get me to 23.5 without a clevis lift and already settlled lol
I have ome struts medium duty springs and a 38 spacer willing to buy whatever I need

Not going to happen,you need a different lift,and no those daystar/RRO plates do not give any lift just allows for more even extension/compression of the front shocks is all.

Duffner · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 12:47 am

what if I bought hd springs and the parts to complete the frankinlift. Where would that put me

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:44 pm

Read above, all questions have been answered in previous posts, OME 926s will more than likely not get you there, 927s will a little closer
23.5 is not some magically number you"have " to be at to do a certain thing, build a lift which will give you a good ride, will handle well and go from there.
Anything from 23 or so is OK
If you're doing a complete new lift I would disassemble the one you have and try and sell it if you don't like it and go from there and build a new one

Done

STINGN · **Posted:** Thu Dec 02, 2010 8:37 pm

if you want to make it really easy, just get a front frankenlift, let it settle. then add clevis to it or top plate from boiler if you want to bypass the hassle of putting it together. for the rear, just add the rubber iso pads to the top and bottom

and for life time, you goto the top of the forum under official membership info and you have to paypal it

RED_KJ_666 · **Posted:** Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:17 pm

Here's another issue when buying Daystar top plates by themselves and not the spacer kit..... You don't get the Shock cushions with them and they where extremely difficult to find until I got on the phone with All J customs. 2.50$ each and you need 4. In my experience you get about 2" more down travel and a better ride by using the Daystar top plates when compared to the stock units, Like troy said it moves the shock mounting location down it also relaxes a lot of Pre-Tension on the springs. With the Daystar plates The whole coil and shock setup is about 1.75" to 2" longer out of the vehicle once you put the weight of the KJ on it they go back to pretty much normal lifted Height. You also need to buy 8 wheel studs that will fit the Daystar plates because they don't come with those either and with a 3/8" top plate the stock studs are to short.

Duffner · **Posted:** Tue Dec 07, 2010 4:58 pm

RED_KJ_666 wrote:

Here's another issue when buying Daystar top plates by themselves and not the spacer kit..... You don't get the Shock cushions with them and they where extremely difficult to find until I got on the phone with All J customs. 2.50$ each and you need 4. In my experience you get about 2" more down travel and a better ride by using the Daystar top plates when compared to the stock units, Like troy said it moves the shock mounting location down it also relaxes a lot of Pre-Tension on the springs. With the Daystar plates The whole coil and shock setup is about 1.75" to 2" longer out of the vehicle once you put the weight of the KJ on it they go back to pretty much normal lifted Height. You also need to buy 8 wheel studs that will fit the Daystar plates because they don't come with those either and with a 3/8" top plate the stock studs are to short.

probably makes the use of spring compressor a lot easier considering you dont have to compress as far im assuming

ptsb5a · **Posted:** Tue Dec 07, 2010 5:13 pm

I did a 3/8" cradle/tcase drop just to see if could be done. Pretty easy to do.

With my OME790s, 3/8 top plate, 3 ring clevis lift and JBA 4.5 UCAs I've got plenty of lift for the 31" GYs or my 265/75R16 Craplops and my alignment is all within spec. Right around the 23" mark.

Don't forget the Terraflexx bumpstop extensions when you lift. I didn't have any at first and there's lots of scars on the old UCAs from where they contacted the structure above and below the mounting pockets and ruined the bushings.

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Dec 07, 2010 5:56 pm

ptsb5a wrote:

I did a 3/8" cradle/tcase drop just to see if could be done. Pretty easy to do.

With my OME790s, 3/8 top plate, 3 ring clevis lift and JBA 4.5 UCAs I've got plenty of lift for the 31" GYs or my 265/75R16 Craplops and my alignment is all within spec. Right around the 23" mark.

Don't forget the Terraflexx bumpstop extensions when you lift. I didn't have any at first and there's lots of scars on the old UCAs from where they contacted the structure above and below the mounting pockets and ruined the bushings.

So you have a 3/8 cradle drop, 3/8 inch top plate, 3 ring clevis, 790 springs and you're only sitting at it 23 inches? :shock:

ptsb5a · **Posted:** Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:22 pm

tommudd wrote:

ptsb5a wrote:

I did a 3/8" cradle/tcase drop just to see if could be done. Pretty easy to do.

With my OME790s, 3/8 top plate, 3 ring clevis lift and JBA 4.5 UCAs I've got plenty of lift for the 31" GYs or my 265/75R16 Craplops and my alignment is all within spec. Right around the 23" mark.

Don't forget the Terraflexx bumpstop extensions when you lift. I didn't have any at first and there's lots of scars on the old UCAs from where they contacted the structure above and below the mounting pockets and ruined the bushings.

So you have a 3/8 cradle drop, 3/8 inch top plate, 3 ring clevis, 790 springs and you're only sitting at it 23 inches? :shock:

I'll measure it after work. Took the 3/8" cradle drop stuff out a month after I did it. Just to see if it could be done. :goink:

I'm kinda weird about spending quality time with my KJ.

tommudd · **Posted:** Tue Dec 07, 2010 6:42 pm

Ian
I think some would say that I spend too much time with my Liberty as well. I've had mine torn down 5 times in the past three weeks just to get it sitting level all around. Not close either, exactly ! :ROTFL:

Fine tuning shall we say. Front is still too high though and now need to tear it back down and lower the front more. :banghead:

ptsb5a · **Posted:** Wed Dec 08, 2010 12:30 pm

Tomm

Measured the hub center to flare and got a smidge over 23 1/8". Are the Renegade flares any bulkier than the sport/Limited flares? If so it might be even a wee bit higher. How about using ground clearance, say from pinch weld to ground or skid plate to ground as a benchmark standard? But you're right when you say there is NO magic number you must be at. It's all about the attitude. A stock rig on the trails beats a lifted mall crawler anyday!!

tommudd · **Posted:** Wed Dec 08, 2010 4:13 pm

I'm still trying to get mine back down under 23.5 :banghead:

No the flares are the same in every way really
can't use ground to anything since tire size, type of tire, how new the tire is would all play into that measurement . Only way to do it is from middle of wheel to bottom of flare, but then there can still be some or little difference in that

Tom

designing own lift asking for input

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