need feedback on Skyjacker lift

rhyanb12 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:03 am **Posts:** 69

Wanting to add a 2.5 lift and I'm leaning towards the Skyjacker because I found a nice deal at 4WO-Jeep Truck Accessories. To those who have this kind of lift kit, how's the ride quality and performance of your jeep? I'm also curious about what tire size/brand is best for my target lift? My 04 KJ will be on the highway most of the time but I will do some mild off-roading sometimes. Thanks for any input.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2014 5:21 am

Very very few run that lift
reason, springs are rated same as stock and will sag in short time, just like the Rustys lift
Not sure what price they are quoting but Ironman lift does good and is 813 for 4 springs and 4 shocks , OME is 879.00 for the same
Both of which are proven on thousands of KJs and KKs

note: although both are advertised at 1.5 inches that is for insurance purposes in Australia

Most people go to a 245-75-16 tire you will lose some power and mileage

If you'd like to do some reading there are 1000s of posts on lifts to go through
Very good bed time reading for sure

LKWJeeper · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2014 7:29 am

Coming from someone who actually has this lift. The ride is a little more firm than stock. Also you don't feel like you'll bottom out going over bumps. I have a KK but I'm sitting at 21" all the way around. People will comment about the spring rate and sag but my KK was 6 years old before I lifted it. I had no sag at all. An aftermarket bumper might change that.

Don't be fooled that OME and JBA are the only way to go or the only right way.

If I were you don't waste money on the nitro shocks get the monotube shocks.

Sent from my LG-D801 using Tapatalk

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:53 am

Also LKW just installed his recently.
Experience, I have seen two with the Skyjacker lift
one with 21000, the other 19,000
First one had sagged about an inch the other a little over an inch , both on KJs but same front suspension as the KK, same motor etc .
Rustys same spring rate , local KJ owner , he bought before meeting anyone who had a KJ, wheeled one time , rest street use, less than 2 years was back to 1/2 inch over stock height. This was not his daily driver so wasn't driven that much. I think Rustys uses the Skyjacker springs or at least they look the same.
We've done over 30 lifts here over the years with OME and now a few Ironman . Sag is minimal after 100,000 on OME, just a bit more than 1/2 inch and that was with an aftermarket bumper (ARB) on front the whole time. We've had stock KJs come in with 75,000 miles and sagged almost 1.75 inches over new stock height.
You can read up from information that goes back into 03-04 and find the same information

Skyjacker "had" a great lift the first year they made them, then they reduced the spring rate

LKWJeeper · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2014 9:47 am

Yes, I have about 1k miles on my lift.

Tom, i'm not sure I understand.. If I read your comments about the Skyjacker lift, you make it seem that it would be better to stay with the stock coils than go with the skyjacker coils. Since you're saying that previous owners of this lift have sagged an inch within 20k miles. You also said that the coils had the same spring rate as stock. Now, did either of these KJ's have accessories such as an ARB Bumper or a winch mounted? I'm not sure how much an ARB bumper weights, but id assume its around 100lbs. Add a winch on top of that and its even more.

My stock coils were 6 years old with only 23k miles on them. PO didn't drive very much. I had zero sag when i measured before the lift. I dont mind giving an honest report of my experience with this lift. I did my research on it from other avenues other than from certain opinions on this forum. The only negatives i've heard about were the cheaper shocks in the rear. I've also had this lift recommended by my 4wd shop who installed this lift. They aren't the typical 4wd shop because they don't install crap. If you bring them Rusty's, Smittybuilt, or any other cheap product. They will refuse service.

You're going to get PRO OME and Pro JBA on this site. Makes you wonder when one of the JBA lift kits has a certain member's name on it. Wouldn't you promote them as well?

Also, do you're own research. Obviously I am biased towards Skyjacker because i spent a good deal of money on my lift kit and install.

John3:17 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:26 am

It's not a OME JBA only site as an example when Ironman became available they were tried and reported on as well. Tom's name is on a JBA lift package because they sought his expertise in putting together a less expensive lift that was a total package with max lift without going to coilovers. You bought what you bought - keep reporting on it. It would be great if Skyjacker improved something and the KJ KK community benefited from it. But don't take it personal if years of information and experience goes against your choice. How would you feel if you convince 50 people to follow your lead and two years down the road everyone has problems? Thats why "proven" lifts are recomended, not ulterior motives.

Have a great day.

LKWJeeper · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2014 10:33 am

Thanks John, i just want people to know there are other products out there.

I fully understand I went to a product that not very many people on the forum use. It doesn't mean its a bad product. A few Google searches outside this forum and JF will show otherwise. Some people have had no troubles with the daystar lift. I wouldn't recommend it but there evidence to prove that as well.

I'll be the first to admit I'm wrong if my coils should sag. If I even have my KK long enough to see the day. I'm loving the setup now though. It's amazing how much of a difference they are over stock.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:12 am

First I don't make one red cent off of any lifts if they have my name or not. I don't care where you buy/ what you buy or even if you buy a lift. If you notice over the last almost ten years I report honestly what I find. Not only in talking to people, but reports on here and several other forums. If you ask people around me they'll tell you I measure strangers ride height in parking lots etc. Its all for keeping a handle on what works/ what doesn't work. No where above did I mention any company except OME/ Ironman.
Most times I will add, you have two great companys with great customer service in AllJs and also JBA that deal with KJs and KKs. That is only due to the fact the next question from a poster is " where do I buy from". I have bought from both of them before for my own lifts so there is no " you must buy here" . Was just talking to Heather at AllJs last evening on a related matter and marlin this morning from JBA. . If you look I have even been invited up to BDS to spend a day during their Liberty build up for the Ultimate Adventure. Now one would think that since I was invited there I would try and push their product. But no I report what I find.
As far as other owners that had Skyjacker, neither had bumpers etc, nor did the Rustys owner. 99% they were street driven. As far as 4 wheel drive shops, they sell what they make the most dollars on. Local shop only sells Skyjacker, they do produce a good lift for other brands the one for the KJ/KK not so much any more.
NOW you report your findings and I will report what I have found
Its all good for the members of the various forums. Not sure why a few get hostile.
To me when asked this is no different than being an automotive reporter who has driven several different cars/ plus has interviewed other owners of that model, report the good and bad no matter what so the end customer ends up with a product that will not only last a long time, but also will serve their purpose.
Now can we continue on with the movie now in progress ? :mrgreen:

I missed the intro :wink:

WWDiesel · **Posted:** Fri Mar 28, 2014 11:23 am

rhyanb12 wrote:

Wanting to add a 2.5 lift and I'm leaning towards the Skyjacker because I found a nice deal at 4WO-Jeep Truck Accessories. To those who have this kind of lift kit, how's the ride quality and performance of your jeep? I'm also curious about what tire size/brand is best for my target lift? My 04 KJ will be on the highway most of the time but I will do some mild off-roading sometimes. Thanks for any input.

I chose to put together my own lift kit based on the experience and posts of some on this forum. And I might add, I am most grateful for their guidance that prevented me from making a high dollar mistake. :BANANA:

I ordered and installed Ironman springs from JBA (best price)
I ordered and installed Bilstein shocks from shock warehouse (best price)
Added ½ inch strut lift spacer to front. Made them myself.
Extremely happy with lift, ride and performance! Installed 245’s three weeks ago and consider it a perfect setup for daily driver and some off road adventures. Fit and function is good and looks good with the 2.5 lift and bigger tires...
Before you buy, do your homework and in the end buy what you think will best fit your needs and budget, there are some very good products out there for our KJ’s if you shop around… :google:

rhyanb12 · **Joined:** Tue Mar 18, 2014 11:03 am **Posts:** 69

That's a lot of info guys. Thanks. I'm seeing mixed reviews about the Skyjacker. So looks like Skyjacker is a miss and hit. But I can't resist the good offer so I decided to order the kit. It should be here in a few days. My mechanic friend will help me set up it probably next weekend.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Mar 30, 2014 10:34 am

How much are you paying for the kit?
Just curious why you went that way .
Good luck with it, it'll work for a while.

Just looked at their site
WOW expensive aren't they
Hope you went with the upgraded shocks etc.

ebbnflow · **Posted:** Mon Mar 31, 2014 4:51 pm

WWDiesel wrote:

I chose to put together my own lift kit based on the experience and posts of some on this forum. And I might add, I am most grateful for their guidance that prevented me from making a high dollar mistake. :BANANA:

I ordered and installed Ironman springs from JBA (best price)
I ordered and installed Bilstein shocks from shock warehouse (best price)
Added ½ inch strut lift spacer to front. Made them myself.
Extremely happy with lift, ride and performance! Installed 245’s three weeks ago and consider it a perfect setup for daily driver and some off road adventures. Fit and function is good and looks good with the 2.5 lift and bigger tires...
Before you buy, do your homework and in the end buy what you think will best fit your needs and budget, there are some very good products out there for our KJ’s if you shop around… :google:

What bilsteins did you go with? Did you put the spacers in the clevis or top mount? Thanks.

Johnny · **Posted:** Tue Apr 29, 2014 1:31 pm

Update?

dstnm523 · **Posted:** Sat Sep 20, 2014 7:47 pm

I've noticed alot of you guys making your own suspension spacers and I am planning on doing the same. I've got some 1/4" aluminum I'm wanting to use. Can anyone provide some dimensions to what they used or possibly even a template? Im really trying to avoid pulling apart the suspension just to take measurements.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Sep 21, 2014 2:09 pm

dstnm523 wrote:

I've noticed alot of you guys making your own suspension spacers and I am planning on doing the same. I've got some 1/4" aluminum I'm wanting to use. Can anyone provide some dimensions to what they used or possibly even a template? Im really trying to avoid pulling apart the suspension just to take measurements.

VERY VERY VERY few make their own spacers, those that do seem to be gone soon after or swap out to better parts
Do it the right way from the get go

redcrd · **Posted:** Sat Sep 27, 2014 9:51 am

GARBAGE

JeepMorrison · **Joined:** Thu Jul 16, 2009 11:34 am **Posts:** 1236

I have made a few from steel and aluminum. 1/4" and 3/8".

Sent with the power of children's screams!!!

need feedback on Skyjacker lift

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