Homemade KJ lift kit

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Mar 05, 2015 9:58 pm

Max Rebo wrote:

Glad I could rustle a few feathers haha. By no means was this meant as an instructional guide for anyone to tackle so I apologize if it came off as such. Just showing other possibilities.

As you guys already pointed out, yes, I'm to the point I need to figure out something to do with the upper control arms. Jba looks like a great product and I love the idea of replacable ball joints but Xmas time is not a good time to be blowing money on myself. If you guys have any other suggestions I'm all ears.

New spacers were already in motion for the front suspension; just deciding how tall to make them.

If this is correct, I sit at 24 1/4 in the rear.

I have just about 1000 miles on the vehicle since I installed everything and haven't had any issues. ....yet.

http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=80853

Not sure how you came up to 24.25, I see maybe 22.50 or 23 middle of the wheel to bottom of the flare

Max Rebo · **Joined:** Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:04 pm **Posts:** 13

Over 200,000 miles? That's definitely impressive. I'll be a gentleman and not ask how mAny dropped valve seats or Trans issues occurred in that time

I also hope those wing nuts are torqued to spec..haha

Thanks for the specs on the wheels and backspacing. I know the info is on here somewhere, I just couldn't find it last time I looked.

The picture with the measuring tape is kind of a mind f*** because I think I'm actually looking down at it on a slight angle.

tommudd · **Posted:** Thu Mar 05, 2015 11:20 pm

No dropped valves or anything of that sort, still original water pump/ PS/ Ac etc as well
Trick is to not over heat them in the first place and drive em hard but keep the maintenance up
Mine hits the rev limiter at least 3-4 times a week , some time's all in one day, need to keep the crap blown out of them
Buddy has an 03 with almost 240,000 and no issues either

mine in front, my buddys behind, both over 200,000 miles

Gageraid · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2015 12:26 am

I was wondering if I was ever going to see this KJ again!
Those JBA arms have a solid reputation on this forum. I don't have them, but they're always recommended, especially for lifts that are pretty high up there.
Like mentioned, be careful with 15 inch rims. 16 inch rims are very popular and less to worry about.

Max Rebo · **Joined:** Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:04 pm **Posts:** 13

Tom, your rig is a beaut. Love those bumpers.

Gageraid wrote:

I was wondering if I was ever going to see this KJ again!
Those JBA arms have a solid reputation on this forum. I don't have them, but they're always recommended, especially for lifts that are pretty high up there.
Like mentioned, be careful with 15 inch rims. 16 inch rims are very popular and less to worry about.

Haha she's still kickin'. I've just been daily driving it. I'm concerned with the fuel mileage so I've been brain storming ways of bettering it. I ended up porting my throttle body and putting a resistor inline with the iat sensor (old school trick I heard of 10+ years ago) but unfortunately didn't help. I also have a piggy back unit to trick the ecu but haven't gotten around to installing it. What kind of fuel mileage you guys getting with yours?

John3:17 · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2015 8:38 am

This is the part where Tom makes em cry! :cry:

and Gage as well :ROTFL:

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2015 9:40 am

Gas mileage isn't bad compared to other vehicles like this,..... if you build them right :wink:

I get 21 all day long and on long trips have pulled down 23 plus, thats at 75-80 mph and dragging all the extra weight I do. 32s/4.10s and foot on the floor

Which bumper? On mine? that one I ran for a while after removing the ARB and selling it to John. 8 years was long enough , so changed things up to that one and then after that went to the RL front

Max Rebo · **Joined:** Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:04 pm **Posts:** 13

You may have to let me in on your fuel economy secrets... I think I'm getting like 14mpg but it doesn't help that it's all city driving. I'd like to regear it but am waiting until I'm set on lift/tire size. Also want to make an air intake for it but I'd like to make a snorkel while I'm at it.

I'm excited to see if my piggy back system will have a positive effect on fuel mileage but I need to figure out wiring since it's only suppose to control one bank and these obviously have 2. That, and I'm afraid that the ecu will relearn and compensate for whatever adjustments I decide to change.

tommudd · **Posted:** Fri Mar 06, 2015 11:34 am

Stock airbox with a paper filter, 3 inch hose running from the airbox out to the grill is all I have as far as intake, works great and has for sevearl 1000s of miles
none of those hot ( supposedly cold) air intakes etc work
I never look around town at average mileage since my right foot likes to take over and have some fun light to light.
She ( my KJ ) does as well since she runs better when ran hard :wink:

Gageraid · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2015 2:09 am

Max Rebo wrote:

You may have to let me in on your fuel economy secrets... I think I'm getting like 14mpg but it doesn't help that it's all city driving. I'd like to regear it but am waiting until I'm set on lift/tire size. Also want to make an air intake for it but I'd like to make a snorkel while I'm at it.

I'm excited to see if my piggy back system will have a positive effect on fuel mileage but I need to figure out wiring since it's only suppose to control one bank and these obviously have 2. That, and I'm afraid that the ecu will relearn and compensate for whatever adjustments I decide to change.

The 3.7L sounds great with a CAI.
What "piggy back" are you talking about?
The only thing you can get that works is a Hypertech programmer. That's what I run. Anything else is a scam besides a dyno tune.
If you want more power, get the CAI and install the 4.7L throttle body.

offroadohio · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2015 10:15 am

I like it. I've been told a million times thing I do won't work.

Yet they always do. Though I'm not sure how pa Inspection is going to like it????

sent on tapatalk

John3:17 · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2015 10:19 am

Gageraid wrote:

Max Rebo wrote:

You may have to let me in on your fuel economy secrets... I think I'm getting like 14mpg but it doesn't help that it's all city driving. I'd like to regear it but am waiting until I'm set on lift/tire size. Also want to make an air intake for it but I'd like to make a snorkel while I'm at it.

I'm excited to see if my piggy back system will have a positive effect on fuel mileage but I need to figure out wiring since it's only suppose to control one bank and these obviously have 2. That, and I'm afraid that the ecu will relearn and compensate for whatever adjustments I decide to change.

The 3.7L sounds great with a CAI.
What "piggy back" are you talking about?
The only thing you can get that works is a Hypertech programmer. That's what I run. Anything else is a scam besides a dyno tune.
If you want more power, get the CAI and install the 4.7L throttle body.

Gage, looking at his picture at the beginning it looks like an 02-04 model. As far as I know there are no chips that work and the 4.7 won't fit. Only option is a bored out throttle body.

Max Rebo · **Joined:** Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:04 pm **Posts:** 13

This is similar to what I plan to install. It gets wired into stock sensors (map,iat, tps, o2). You can modify the signals before reaching the ecu to make it run richer or leaner at different rpms by basically tricking the computer. Example: if you are cruising highway speeds, and your air fuel ratio is at 13.0, you can modify the o2 signal into thinking it's running richer, and the ecu will compensate and in turn run leaner.

Only issue with this, is some ecu are too "smart" and will eventually just run off of whatever fuel map is it originally programmed with. This gets into long term fuel trim and short term fuel trim/ open loop and closed loop. Makes your head spin after a while..

I am actually an inspection and emission tech and fortunately the liberty just passed emissions this week. So I have a year of screwing with this in case I throw a check engine light with all my shenanigans.

Gageraid · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2015 11:37 am

Are you certain it will work with the Liberty? Not all "universal" products will work with the Jeep.

Max Rebo · **Joined:** Sun Nov 30, 2014 7:04 pm **Posts:** 13

Nope! But isn't that the fun of it?

Gageraid · **Posted:** Sat Mar 07, 2015 1:44 pm

Yeah. Let us know if it works.

tommudd · **Posted:** Sun Mar 08, 2015 6:53 pm

Different strokes for different folks
different builds for different builders
I build all of mine so if someone suggests we head out to California tomorrow there won't be a problem
I have built 3 that would be called on the edge due to adding parts that shouldn't of worked but sort of did, problem was none were trustworthy enough to run long distance.
Lot of thrown together ones that will make it around town but I wouldn't trust them going 100 miles down the road

Homemade KJ lift kit

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