Newb canuck giving back - shocks... lift help still needed?

After lurking here forever after replacing my dead truck with the wife's 02 KJ Sport gasser and loving it on the trails this past fishing and hunting seasons decided to start shopping on a much needed lift thanks to threads and stickies on this site... (and thanks to having to give some winter garage TLC to exhaust and factory skids after last hunting trip).

Main question is how high I'd have to go to run 245/75r16 no rub - 3/8 plates and clevis w. conduit nut(s) and rear Iso(s) etc... ? Am 01 pre-dropped and about 18 1/2" wheel to hub front right now but rear is rough and shocks creak when it's cold - which is all the time up here :disgust: Should one be 20"-21" to run 245/75r16 without trimming or pounding pinch weld or is the main concern clearing not touching the UCA? Went by your posts, sticky and this as a guide... just wondering what to expect:

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Jeep_Liberty/Tires_&_Rims

Decided on my springs... (OME790/OME948) but have been deliberating on shocks and emailed all the manufacturers and pored over application guides to come up with this chart - exported excel to attached PDF below for your perusal (and yes converted from this canuck's metric for y'all) no offense to high lift parts guys or procomp users this is just my shopping list with stock stuff for comparison.

Seriously considered going RS9000XL on all four corners as they have a promo for a free wireless controller, plumbing and compressor but could not get a good explanation why they're shorter than RSX and RS5000 - this Aussie seems to love the kit:

http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1006540

Might just go RSX17505 fronts and RS999248 rears so I can adjust for heavy stuff, towing vs city/highway but it'd be manual adjust - RSX17004s are getting harder and harder to find if you want to order from one place.

Am not dead set against B6 Bilsteins their valving might be better as an all-round daily driver shock than a weekend warrior's ride compared to Rancho IMHO. Just to make life even easier Bilstein has decided to go with new even more cryptic part numbers so I put both. Found a well priced Canadian distributor (sorry if this is late for LibertyTC or RyNJen, Pt5 and all) that actually has free shipping - check Essex in BC at www.bilsteincanada.com .

OMEs seem a bit too pricey for me in Canada but if a deal could be had or Santa comes perhaps I could be convinced - though I hear installing the fronts can be a hassle with the big stops and ppl have even ripped CV boots getting them on... any experienced opinions welcome!

Specs sites I used with manufacturers email replies also very helpful.

ARB/OME KJ application guide:

http://www.arbusa.com/uploads/PDF/accessorizeYourRig/jeepLibertyKJ.pdf

Rancho master catalogue 2010:

http://www.gorancho.com/assets/catalog/Rancho_Suspension_2010_Master_Catalog_sm.pdf

Rancho supplement application guide 2010

http://www.gorancho.com/assets/catalog/Rancho_Suspension_2010_Master_Catalog_Supplement.pdf

Here is what you need to use and or do
Front OME 927s with F4-BE5-D916-H0 shocks/ 3/8 inch top plate
rear OME 948s with F4-BE5-6458-H7 shocks, one extra upper isolator per side
for bumpstops
front Teraflex bumpstops,
rear hockey pucks 2 per side, bolt them on

rear shocks are for a 99-04 Dakota 4wd / 98-03 Durango 4wd but you already knew that right?

Just installed one with the above for a LOST member on an 05 on Friday, took it from 18.5 to 22.5
ride is great, and looks good as well

OME 790s are for CRDs or if you are using an ARB/aftermarket bumper and winch
you only tear CVs if you don't pay close attention, with the above lift it will be super easy! On the drivers side you may wrap a heavy cloth over the CV boot ( inner) just in case since it does get somewhat close to the inner boot, but most times its when you get into even higher lifts that you have to be super careful
If you are at 18-18.5 you have sagged a bunch, even after April 12, 03 they were at 19.5
the above you should be fine with 245-75-16s may have to knock the pinch weld over

Right on - thanks for all your help msgs. Was hung up awhile on front OME790 vs. 927 but really want that ARB bumper this spring - would the 927s sag out too much maybe if I did? Or would 790s not relax enough for a livable ride if the bull bumper didn't go on soon... at least found the main Canadian distributor for springs and bumper that works out to same price here vs shipped from US. ( Ouipack in Montreal - www.arbcanada.com )

(Sorry Americans, not spamming - hope other Canucks can save a buck because shipping, duty and the infamous UPS "brokerage fees" where the guy at your door wants CASH to give you your parts are crazy.)

So for shocks the Bilsteins seem to be the way to go it seems if I can't get the old RSX. xloffroad, sfxperformance, shockwarehouse etc... in the US often don't have the rear 17004s. The biggest Canadian vendor here national4wd has all the RSX in stock but would run me $100 more than Bilsteins so looks like that's a hint where Santa will be shopping...


The new app guide for Bilstein is more confusing than anything else with new part numbers. http://www.bilsteinus.com/fileadmin/user_upload/user_upload_us/pdfs/BilsteinAppGuide308.pdf

Do most people run the F4-BE5-6458-H7 or others F4-BE5-A702-H0 or 2790-H0 in the B6 HD instead of the 5100 HD? Probably not much difference, valving the same and specs really close by the looks of it - Tom says 6458, Al's sells 6458 .... guess it's the one?

So I don't miss anything - will have to price top plates (PM coming up Boiler ) Terraflex front bumps, rear isos (52088707AA from stealerships) ... and of course some NHL game pucks from my most hated team - tough decision there now :happy175:

I would say that with 790s and the stock front bumper it would be a real firm ride ( very firm) even with the ARB and some other heavier things mine is a lot stiffer than what it was with the 927s.
By the way I ran the 927s with the ARB for over 100,000 miles so it can be done. It did start to settle some after80-85,000 miles though

just noticed that you have a 35 rear, very rare bird

thx tom

Ordered Bilsteins and ARB springs and will update on installation - hopefully next month?

Good advice as always and thanks to the Clevis sticky and Lift sticky will be using some parts from the local hardware store and from Boiler for a bit more lift up front.

Tommudd

Here is what you need to use and or do
Front OME 927s with F4-BE5-D916-H0 shocks/ 3/8 inch top plate
rear OME 948s with F4-BE5-6458-H7 shocks, one extra upper isolator per side
for bumpstops
front Teraflex bumpstops,
rear hockey pucks 2 per side, bolt them on

Click to expand...

I'm looking into doing this at the end of Jan., and will be purchasing the kit from JeppinbyAL. and noticed in his kit, he doesn't have the bumpstops ect. I will also be using the boiler 3/8 top plates, and extra iso. in the rear as well. My question for any one or even you is do I need to do the 2 hockey pucks for the rear and the terraflexx bumpstops on the front.? I want to make sure i order everything that is needed at once. Thanks again. and happy new yr everyone.

You don't have to use front and rear bumpstops, but with the different wheels-backspacing-widths/tires -different sizes-types it does help to make sure you do not hit the flares and rip them off. Think of it as cheap insurance.

Tommudd,
Thanks for the info, it looks like I'll be adding that to my cart as well.

Jeeping by Al only has the front steel top plate spacer in 1/4 inch steel I believe.
http://jeepinbyal.com/prod-Strut_spacer_plate_set-684.aspx
Boiler has the both 1/4 & 3/8 spacers available, would recommend aluminum or steel from Chip.
I guess the 1/4 is good with Daystar top plate and 3/8 for stock plate.
http://www.jeepkj.com/forum/showthread.php?t=41755