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What will I gain? What will I lose? Please help!

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Watchtower02

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Between the 2 i would go with the BDS kit, i have run their springs on my old xj and they were great. Sounds like you are having a independent shop do the work, which means you will not get any warranty coverage you would get from the mopar kit at a dealership. Really big difference that I see are the BDS kit comes with disconnect swaybar links and the mopar kit comes with longer lower control arms with the BDS kit being cheaper based on the online prices. Based on other peoples experience I would take the BDS for the discos because you will most likely at some point want to disconnect that swaybar if you plan on doing a moderately hard trail and upgrading to adjustable control arms
Yes and the independent shop is telling me that the factory warranty would only be void on the OEM parts I am replacing, but in turn I would get a new warranty for the replaced part from the company that makes the new part - for example BDS comes with it's own warranty that would replace the OEM warranty on the springs and shocks - sounds like the BDS warranty is quite good too?

Good to know that the sway bars are included with the BDS - thanks for confirming that.

What would the benefit be of having longer lower control arms with the Mopar Kit? I am leaning towards BDS as it appears to be the better kit with the fox shocks.

I don't know if it would make sense for me to also add a Fox Steering Stabilizer to my build - benefits here / suggestions?
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A couple other things....you will want to recalibrate your speedometer. I would also think about using narrower spacers. I just lifted my Rubicon 2”, used the factory wheels with 1.25” spacers from Bora. Your Jeep May look a bit weird with fairly narrow rubber and wide spacers. You’ll need to pull a wheel and see if you have the ability to use a spacer smaller than 1.75”...Sahara’s wheels might be different. Good luck with your build...
 

jeepoch

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Watchtower2,

Be careful with the warranty story. Maybe I was fed a line of BS by the FCA rep but they told me any suspension issue that can potentially affect the drive shafts, due to altered geometry, can void the entire powertrain warranty including transfer case, axels, transmission even the engine.

They effectively spooked me into the Mopar lift installed by an authorized FCA dealer to be the only way to protect your factory warranty.

For me, I was (perhaps stupidly) sold on an unlimited mileage 7 year extended bumper-to-bumper warranty. This is my first Wrangler and wasn't quite sure of the quality of the powertrain components. So as they say, I purchased a little piece of mind.

I too was considering alternate lift providers. Still, I was mad as hell that FCA plays these games, but honestly the Mopar lift has turned out to be much better than I expected.

Please do your own homework. Maybe I was duped, but I would not put it past FCA to use any possible excuse to void any warranty claim no matter how professional the installation.

Jay
 

Richtor

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Yes and the independent shop is telling me that the factory warranty would only be void on the OEM parts I am replacing, but in turn I would get a new warranty for the replaced part from the company that makes the new part - for example BDS comes with it's own warranty that would replace the OEM warranty on the springs and shocks - sounds like the BDS warranty is quite good too?

Good to know that the sway bars are included with the BDS - thanks for confirming that.

What would the benefit be of having longer lower control arms with the Mopar Kit? I am leaning towards BDS as it appears to be the better kit with the fox shocks.

I don't know if it would make sense for me to also add a Fox Steering Stabilizer to my build - benefits here / suggestions?
Technically what the shop told you is true.

What they did not tell you is that once a dealer voids a warranty it would be up to you to prove that the aftermarket part did not cause the problem. The aftermarket part could cause the issue in any number of ways including different geometry from said lift.

Example:
Issues with the engine or tranny could be denied because you have an aftermarket lift. They say it out undue stress and torque onto the drivetrain. Voided warranty.

Once that happens they don’t have to prove their allegations. To get it overturned you would need to prove your issue would have happened with the stock drivetrain.

Often the lawyers and engineers to prove your case would cost more than the fix.
 

Notorious

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What I want to avoid is doing the build and then regretting it should it cause future parts to wear much faster and complications to arise. I would also hate to see the ride quality change for the worse where it was very bumpy and cornered like a boat with significantly reduced power. Am I at risk of this?
Of course parts will wear out faster. Ride getting worse is subjective. It really depends on the size wheel and size tire with the proper load that will determine how smooth the ride is in conjunction with the lift kit. Corning and reduced power shouldn’t change too much with the lift that you want.
 

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Watchtower02

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Thank you for all of the commentary and items to consider. Truly very helpful.

From what I am hearing I may want to go with the Mopar 2" lift only if it is installed by the dealership as this will keep the warranty in place?

Warranty aside is one of these two lifts better than the other?

A) Mopar 2" Lift
https://www.extremeterrain.com/mopar-2-lift-kit-w-fox-shocks-2018-36l-jl-4-door.html#product_pics-0

OR

B) BDS 2" Suspension Lift Kit with Fox 2.0 Series Shocks
https://bds-suspension.com/kit-customizer?kid=1435H
 

Richtor

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BDS kit does not look like it has fox shocks in that picture.
 

word302

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Watchtower2,

Be careful with the warranty story. Maybe I was fed a line of BS by the FCA rep but they told me any suspension issue that can potentially affect the drive shafts, due to altered geometry, can void the entire powertrain warranty including transfer case, axels, transmission even the engine.

They effectively spooked me into the Mopar lift installed by an authorized FCA dealer to be the only way to protect your factory warranty.

For me, I was (perhaps stupidly) sold on an unlimited mileage 7 year extended bumper-to-bumper warranty. This is my first Wrangler and wasn't quite sure of the quality of the powertrain components. So as they say, I purchased a little piece of mind.

I too was considering alternate lift providers. Still, I was mad as hell that FCA plays these games, but honestly the Mopar lift has turned out to be much better than I expected.

Please do your own homework. Maybe I was duped, but I would not put it past FCA to use any possible excuse to void any warranty claim no matter how professional the installation.

Jay
Yes, you were duped.
 

word302

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Technically what the shop told you is true.

What they did not tell you is that once a dealer voids a warranty it would be up to you to prove that the aftermarket part did not cause the problem. The aftermarket part could cause the issue in any number of ways including different geometry from said lift.

Example:
Issues with the engine or tranny could be denied because you have an aftermarket lift. They say it out undue stress and torque onto the drivetrain. Voided warranty.

Once that happens they don’t have to prove their allegations. To get it overturned you would need to prove your issue would have happened with the stock drivetrain.

Often the lawyers and engineers to prove your case would cost more than the fix.
This is just completely false. The onus is on THEM to prove that your mods caused the problem. Again, find a good Dealership and you won't have to fight.
 

word302

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Thank you for all of the commentary and items to consider. Truly very helpful.

From what I am hearing I may want to go with the Mopar 2" lift only if it is installed by the dealership as this will keep the warranty in place?

Warranty aside is one of these two lifts better than the other?

A) Mopar 2" Lift
https://www.extremeterrain.com/mopar-2-lift-kit-w-fox-shocks-2018-36l-jl-4-door.html#product_pics-0

OR

B) BDS 2" Suspension Lift Kit with Fox 2.0 Series Shocks
https://bds-suspension.com/kit-customizer?kid=1435H
Don't believe all the naysayers. Find a mod friendly dealer. There are plenty of them. Do yourself a favor and don't buy either of those lifts.
 

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Watchtower02

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BDS kit does not look like it has fox shocks in that picture.
Correct. The original picture of the components shows the base shocks but you can upgrade to the fox shocks by clicking “customize this kit”. Here is a picture of selecting the Fox. Do you like one kit over the other - Mopar 2” vs BDS 2” with Fox Shocks?

2B2DEF0D-F6A6-423D-8904-2B0E92DAB2C3.jpeg
 
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Watchtower02

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Don't believe all the naysayers. Find a mod friendly dealer. There are plenty of them. Do yourself a favor and don't buy either of those lifts.
Why should I not buy either of these lifts? What do you see that is wrong with them?
 

jeepoch

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Yes, you were duped.
That was (is) my suspicion. What proof can you provide? Will this always be a "he said, she said" discussion based only on opinion? Does it always have to come down to getting a lawyer involved?

I can't seem to get a definitive answer from anyone. However, the FCA rep I conversed with at Auburn Hills, MI. certainly seemed to read me something like a riot act. Claiming any non-factory authorized modification whether installed correctly or not can always be a mitigating factor in rejecting a warranty claim.

My take away was roll the dice and take a chance, or play their silly 'keep it Mopar' game to stifle competition. Sorry but I don't personally have the wherewithall to gamble on voiding a seven year unlimited warranty. Of which I invested in (knowing full well up-front) of the negative reputation of FCA quality control.

For the record and full disclaimer, I had worked for Chrysler back in the 90's and early 2000's as a Powertrain Control Software Engineer developing all models of their Engine Control Modules. Quite a bit of our feature set effort was on managing torque output power to limit any potential damage to transmission and powertrain components. Of course doing so in as subtle a way as possible in order to not be so obvious to the average consumer. The primary purpose was obviously to minimize warranty liability.

While that was twenty years ago and many quality improvements could (and likely) have been made since, I know what goes on behind the scenes in regards to cost analysis vs practical outcome within large car companies. Regardless, all manufacturers of every product type from widgets to satellites make cost / function tradeoffs.

I've never been involved with the legal aspects of what can be considered to be valid reasons for claim rejections. Sorry but as a lowly software engineer those policies and decisions are way above my pay grade.

My warranty is important to me, and I'm not willing to just throw it away due to dubious corporate policy in trying to thwart third party competition.

Please provide evidence that I was indeed duped. I'm on your side and I believe I was. However, how do we help other Jeepers to be confident in making mods the way they want and not necessarily just strictly only Mopar? Especially without any fear of voiding their warranties.

There are threads on this forum with stories of just that. Voided warranty claims due to third-party modifications.

I wanted a lift, but couldn't take that chance. Duped or not, I admit I am enjoying my Mopar lift. No steering or any other suspension issues whatsoever. I couldn't be happier, except perhaps for my dismay at the economic hardships unduly now placed on legitimate off-road companies.

Please do to your Jeep anything you want. Like everything else in life though there are complications and tradeoffs. I really am trying to walk my way through all this crap as everyone is, including the OP.

Jay
 

word302

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Why should I not buy either of these lifts? What do you see that is wrong with them?
Neither of them is complete. The Mopar lift is famous for it's spring Boeing issues. You can get a better ride on and off road for roughly the same money. As I said earlier in this thread, buy Rock Krawler or Metalcloak and you won't be sorry.
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