Aftermarket lift kit cadence

[Revelation17]

So, other than the MOPAR lift there are a few others that are starting to come out. What I've seen (which may not be all of them) is that they're all budget boost types - spring spacers and shock mount relocation brackets. Is this typical of the early lifts? i expected to see more kits with replacement springs, shocks and control arms. Is is just too early? I assume there isn't anything magical about the JL suspension that negates the need to change these things out when we start messing with geometries of the stock ride height. Thoughts?

Pete

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[word302]

So, other than the MOPAR lift there are a few others that are starting to come out. What I've seen (which may not be all of them) is that they're all budget boost types - spring spacers and shock mount relocation brackets. Is this typical of the early lifts? i expected to see more kits with replacement springs, shocks and control arms. Is is just too early? I assume there isn't anything magical about the JL suspension that negates the need to change these things out when we start messing with geometries of the stock ride height. Thoughts?

Pete

Yeah you'll likely see more comprehensive lifts become available in the next month or so. Almost 0 engineering involved with a spacer lift.

 

[Troybilt]

I will be holding out for TeraFlex to come out with the Alpine CT3 System for the JT, or JL. Witch ever I end up getting.



https://teraflex.com/shop_items/58f533bb56d70ed493a10df1

 

[Revelation17]

I'm kind of surprised by the costs of the spacer lifts - they seem overpriced for what you get. Also can't believe anyone can call something a Stage 3 or 4 lift when it's a budget boost lift.

@Troybilt I was eyeballing the Falcon shocks from Teraflex. They look pretty sweet. Not sure about their lifts though - seem to recall some corrosion issues. However, they'll be on my list of vendors to check out once I actually get a JL and start doing mods.

I guess I'll just play the waiting game and see what shakes out for necessary part replacement for the height I end up settling on.

 

[Jtimbrook]

Quality, cost, and time... The rule of thumb is you can have two out of the three and that holds true to suspension components. Expect to see the better systems coming out pretty soon but those companies are going to test their product before releasing.

 

[Swanny297]

I will be holding out for TeraFlex to come out with the Alpine CT3 System for the JT, or JL. Witch ever I end up getting.



https://teraflex.com/shop_items/58f533bb56d70ed493a10df1

Waiting on Teraflex performance series

 

[Rough Country Suspensions]

The spring/shock kits take more time to develop which is why you are seeing so many spacer kits. We have been testing multiple different spring and shock combos. I am excited to see what comes out of this industry for the JL!

 

[aug0211]

Ok, it’s been a while. There are a few options out now.

I’m close to pulling the trigger on a mild 2” lift (daily driver, occasional light trail use).

Does it make sense to buy now, or will we see a lot more options coming out in the next couple of weeks?

I’m thinking SEMA might bring a bunch of new options? Or are we talking late winter/early 19?

 

[Shots]

I've been looking at several options. The cost is variable, and I'm trying to decide which kit is bets for me.
The top "budget" options that replace springs and/or shocks, which I've seen for the JL so far are Rancho lift ($640), Rubicon Express ($770), Rock Krawler ($1200), Skyjacker and Terraflex. They all seem to be around the 1K mark. I suspect there will be some more kits coming, but who knows how soon that will be. One company I know is working on products for the JL is Zone Offroad but they haven't given any ideas of time or cost. I assume there are other companies who are also working without saying much.

 

[aug0211]

I've been looking at several options. The cost is variable, and I'm trying to decide which kit is bets for me.
The top "budget" options that replace springs and/or shocks, which I've seen for the JL so far are Rancho lift ($640), Rubicon Express ($770), Rock Krawler ($1200), Skyjacker and Terraflex. They all seem to be around the 1K mark. I suspect there will be some more kits coming, but who knows how soon that will be. One company I know is working on products for the JL is Zone Offroad but they haven't given any ideas of time or cost. I assume there are other companies who are also working without saying much.

Right, that’s what’s really killing me. The Dynatrac 2” kit gets great reviews but it’s just enough ($1,300) that I’m in the fence about whether to just do it or wait to see what else hits the market in the next few weeks (SEMA!) at a similar price point.

 

[aug0211]

I've been looking at several options. The cost is variable, and I'm trying to decide which kit is bets for me.
The top "budget" options that replace springs and/or shocks, which I've seen for the JL so far are Rancho lift ($640), Rubicon Express ($770), Rock Krawler ($1200), Skyjacker and Terraflex. They all seem to be around the 1K mark. I suspect there will be some more kits coming, but who knows how soon that will be. One company I know is working on products for the JL is Zone Offroad but they haven't given any ideas of time or cost. I assume there are other companies who are also working without saying much.

Hey @Shots - I just realized this was you posting. You’re the other reasonable guy that I see on another forum You ask good questions and I like your approach/thought process.

You and I are looking for the same product, based on what I’ve seen you post so far.

The Dynatrac option seems a bit pricey for what it is (not too much included), but knowing the shocks and springs were designed as a pair to work together has me thinking they may be the best option for the mild lift we are looking for.

Anyway, just noticed your name and connected the dots. Curious to see what you land on!

 

[Shots]

Right, that’s what’s really killing me. The Dynatrac 2” kit gets great reviews but it’s just enough ($1,300) that I’m in the fence about whether to just do it or wait to see what else hits the market in the next few weeks (SEMA!) at a similar price point.

That's exactly my hang up too. It sounds great, but it's priced just a bit higher than it seems that is should be when compared to other similar kits. It's not so much much more as to put it out of contention, but enough that it makes me consider other options. Glad I'm not the only one with this dilemma.

Hey @Shots - I just realized this was you posting. You’re the other reasonable guy that I see on another forum You ask good questions and I like your approach/thought process.

You and I are looking for the same product, based on what I’ve seen you post so far.

The Dynatrac option seems a bit pricey for what it is (not too much included), but knowing the shocks and springs were designed as a pair to work together has me thinking they may be the best option for the mild lift we are looking for.

Anyway, just noticed your name and connected the dots. Curious to see what you land on!

Ha ha, yeah it's me. Thanks, I try to be open minded and not jump to conclusions on things (statements, products, etc).
As for the Dynatrac lift. Yeah, I was really considering it because it sounds like a great kit. I'm still considering it, but I'm more of a 50/50 on it now with some other kits. Since I don't jump into things without exploring my options first, I started looking a other kits. I also looked at adding control arms in case I wanted to fix the caster after lift, and possibly track bars. That really bumped the price tag up, and got me wondering if it was a better choice to buy a different kit. I could add those extra items if they don't come with it (which some do) and the price range would be the same as the Dynatrac kit. But then I keep going back to the fact that it really does have great reviews, and more importantly it sounds like it's designed for exactly my type of use.
I'm still up in the air on it, but I'll definitely let everyone know what I end up with.

 

[aug0211]

I'm still considering it, but I'm more of a 50/50 on it now with some other kits.

Can I ask what else you’re considering?

•Daystar 2” spacer is on my short list
•I considered something like springs with Rancho 9000s but once you hit that price, you may as well add a few hundred for the kit that is designed together (my view at least)
•Turned off by Mopar, it’s just too much lift for me (wish it was an actual 2”)
•Most other options I have seen are 2.5” or more, which is more than I’d like

I’m with you - I like to research a lot before buying. I’m curious what other options you’re looking at in case I’ve missed any.

 

[Shots]

While I get that the Dynatrac kit has springs/shocks that are designed together, I assume any kit that is selling them together has designed them that way. I doubt they've randomly grabbed a set of shocks off the shelf to go with a set of springs. So I consider any kit that is sold as a kit to have been designed that way. This obviously changes if you see a kit with various shock options, which then does seem like a random shock stuck with a spring.
Here's what I'm considering/researching from low to high price, not by which I prefer:

• My initial look was the Daystar kit. It's hard to argue with a 2" kit that also corrects caster for under $400. Knowing that I will only see light trails it's hard to argue with something like that. But then I think to myself, that an extra $200 - $300 gets springs and/or shocks, and in some cases they can be found for roughly the same price as the spacer kit.
• Rough County has a kt for about $500, though it's a 2.5" kit (67731). Like you, I'm trying to stick with a 2" kit. Also, from what I've found the RC kit is slightly stiffer than some of the other kits. This is probably a good thing for those who off-road, but I'm trying to keep it close to the stock feel, and I suspect a softer kit will match that better.
• Rancho has a 2" kit with a lot of great reviews, at $640 (RS66122BR5). This is probably top 2 kit at the moment. My issue is it says it's intended for the Rubicon. Some sites show it fitting Sahara, others say Rubicon only. I'm still trying to figure out why it won't fit a Sahara, but don't want to order it and find out it doesn't half way through the install. I'm still looking into this, and I've reached out to Rancho for more info.
• Rubicon Express also has a kit at $650 (JL7100E). Like the RC kit this too is a 2.5" kit. This kit reuses the stock shocks, with extensions so you don't lose any travel, and should basically retain the stock ride. I also like that it comes with lower control arms to correct caster. I really wish this was a 2" kit, because they also get a lot of great reviews.
• JKS has a kit for $1000, but it's 2.5" kit (117K). I just came across this one, so haven't done a lot of research on it yet. The $1K kit comes with a track bar, but not control arms. Seems odd to me to fix offset/shift but not caster. FWIW, caster adjustment bracktes can be bought for $175 on Amazon, which would put this kit at roughly $1200 for a kit that has shocks, springs, track bars and corrected caster. I'm looking a little closer at this, despite it being a 2.5" kit.
• Rock Krawlers has a kit for $950, and it comes with track bars, control arms and springs (JL25AS1-4). Why no shocks? Add at least $200 for a set of 4 shocks from someone like Rancho and this kit bumps to $1150 (or more if you buy more expensive shocks). They get a lot of great reviews so, I haven't counted them out yet. Gotta do a lot more research but so far so they're not too high on the list at this point since you're buying random shocks instead of a kit that was designed together like all the others on my list,
• Dynatrac is the last on my price list, though they're pretty high on my consideration list (JL20-1X5310-A). This is a 2" kit, which is what I'm looking for, but it's also $1300 for springs and shocks only. If I add the control arm brackets from Amazon this kit bumps up to $1500, and doesn't address the track bar length like some of the cheaper kits. The reviews on this kit, and the height put it on my top 2 right now, but the price is killing it. If this kit was maybe a little cheaper it would be a shoo-in. Fox shocks or not, I'm not seeing $1300 here when someone like Rancho can do it for half that price.

Also like you, I'm undecided if I should wait for other options. For example I've used Zone Offroad lifts in the past and was very happy with them. I know they're working on a JL kit, but how big, how much, hasn't been announced. I'm sure there are other similar companies. Do I wait to see if one of them release a 2" kit, or go ahead with one of the lifts from my list. I guess only time will tel.

 

[aug0211]

I assume any kit that is selling them together has designed them that way. I doubt they've randomly grabbed a set of shocks off the shelf to go with a set of springs.

Careful here. It’s not the case. Plenty of kits are put together using shocks that already existed and are used in other applications, and the springs are not matched to them.

Also, from what I've found the RC kit is slightly stiffer than some of the other kits.

I’ve read this consistently, as well.

Rancho has a 2" kit with a lot of great reviews, at $640 (RS66122BR5). This is probably top 2 kit at the moment. My issue is it says it's intended for the Rubicon. Some sites show it fitting Sahara, others say Rubicon only. I'm still trying to figure out why it won't fit a Sahara

Is this the cheaper kit with the 5000 and not the adjustable 9000 shocks? I considered Rancho, briefly (with the adjustable 9000 shocks, though - not the 5000s). I’ve heard the Rancho springs yield a less comfortable ride (stiffer) AND the advertised 2” is really 2.5” on a Rubicon and 3.5” on a Sahara.

Difference between the Rubi and non Rubi version is that the non Rubi has longer bump stops to account for the decreased travel potential (hi rise fenders). I believe that is all.[/QUOTE]

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