Lift for 185k mile Renegade

[nginier]

OK, I'm doing it, all those things that single posts noobs love to do, but just a little history, I'm a wrangler nut and own an 08 Rubi with a 4.5" lift on 37's that I spend way too much (who are we kidding, it's a Jeep) time and money on wheeling and building.

I've recently come into a 2002 KJ Renegade, completely stock with 185k miles. Other than the rear windows not working, I think it's got a lot of life left, and I can't remember the last Jeep I kept stock. I've got the itch to lift/level for appearance purposes (mostly), as most heavy wheeling will occur in the JK. I'm VERY familiar with the options for solid axles and wranglers, but very new to the brands and technology available to KJ's. After a quick google search, I've found Rocky Road and they offer a traditional spacer rear and external strut spacer front which claims to keep identical handling characteristics (due to not needing to compress the front with their spacer system), but lifts the Jeep 2.5" and levels out the front.

What do you guys think?

Once again, this is my DD and will see 80 mi/day. I'm not looking for improved ride, but would love to wrench on this KJ and improve the look at the same time for a reasonable price. I'll need new tires in the next few months also so any recommendations there will be helpful. I'm more used to the mud terrains in a quite a bit larger variety so I'm a little newer in this category as well.

I'm looking forward to meeting this new Jeep family and thanks for the advice in advance.

:big_banana_Dance: <--- Is this a KJ thing?

 

[Luke]

Welcome!

You will find that most here are familiar with the kit your looking at ... and so will you if you take a stroll through the Lift FAQ.
You will have all of your initial questions answered immediately.... and you won't have to hear how bad that idea is a couple dozen times :happy175:

I think it's just a dancing banana type thing

 

[NJallDAY]

Before some one else gets to it rocky road is junk. Head over to jeepinbyal.com and take a look at what they have over there. You can get a good lift for around $800, thats including extra rear isos and a 1/4 top plate along with springs and shocks all around. But like luke said, read he lift faq and it should get you started. And if you go with an extra iso in the back you need long rear shocks.

 

[tommudd]

Before some one else gets to it rocky road is junk. Head over to jeepinbyal.com and take a look at what they have over there. You can get a good lift for around $800, thats including extra rear isos and a 1/4 top plate along with springs and shocks all around. But like luke said, read he lift faq and it should get you started. And if you go with an extra iso in the back you need long rear shocks.

You mean lifting the KJ/KK any in the rear will require longer shocks

 

[tommudd]

OK, I'm doing it, all those things that single posts noobs love to do, but just a little history, I'm a wrangler nut and own an 08 Rubi with a 4.5" lift on 37's that I spend way too much (who are we kidding, it's a Jeep) time and money on wheeling and building.

I've recently come into a 2002 KJ Renegade, completely stock with 185k miles. Other than the rear windows not working, I think it's got a lot of life left, and I can't remember the last Jeep I kept stock. I've got the itch to lift/level for appearance purposes (mostly), as most heavy wheeling will occur in the JK. I'm VERY familiar with the options for solid axles and wranglers, but very new to the brands and technology available to KJ's. After a quick google search, I've found Rocky Road and they offer a traditional spacer rear and external strut spacer front which claims to keep identical handling characteristics (due to not needing to compress the front with their spacer system), but lifts the Jeep 2.5" and levels out the front.

What do you guys think?

Once again, this is my DD and will see 80 mi/day. I'm not looking for improved ride, but would love to wrench on this KJ and improve the look at the same time for a reasonable price. I'll need new tires in the next few months also so any recommendations there will be helpful. I'm more used to the mud terrains in a quite a bit larger variety so I'm a little newer in this category as well.

I'm looking forward to meeting this new Jeep family and thanks for the advice in advance.

:big_banana_Dance: <--- Is this a KJ thing?

Hers the lowdown, stock springs over 35-40,000 miles and a spacer style lift will ride like crap and won't give you near the lift advertised
PLUS RRO has pretty much junk parts, poor customer service and they'll tell you anything to make a buck
At your mileage a full spring lift with new shocks all around will provide lift, way way way better ride and handling
Full spring lift in the 3 inch range with 245-75-16s is the way to go, any larger and you'll need to regear to 4.10s .

 

[NJallDAY]

You mean lifting the KJ/KK any in the rear will require longer shocks

Well that was my problem. It was either take out the extra isos or get the longer shocks.

 

[nginier]

Thanks guys for the information. I'll have to keep doing some research and hopefully learn some more from you guys but humor me for a second...

I understand solid axle suspensions well and know that if you add spacers to both the shocks and springs, other than increasing DS angle, and control arm angle, and adding to the center of gravity, your performance is fairly similar to stock.

Being that the rear of the KJ is solid axle, I imagine that this same logic would apply here, but as for the front, is there not a way to add spacers in a way that does not affect the spring rate by compressing to add height? I know that you'd have to do an alignment but I'm wondering if this is even feasible.

Also, what weird quirks do you see with height vs DS angle or CV joints? Is there a "magic" height where you start to see those issues?

Thanks for the good information so far.

 

[tommudd]

Thanks guys for the information. I'll have to keep doing some research and hopefully learn some more from you guys but humor me for a second...

I understand solid axle suspensions well and know that if you add spacers to both the shocks and springs, other than increasing DS angle, and control arm angle, and adding to the center of gravity, your performance is fairly similar to stock.

Being that the rear of the KJ is solid axle, I imagine that this same logic would apply here, but as for the front, is there not a way to add spacers in a way that does not affect the spring rate by compressing to add height? I know that you'd have to do an alignment but I'm wondering if this is even feasible.

Also, what weird quirks do you see with height vs DS angle or CV joints? Is there a "magic" height where you start to see those issues?

Thanks for the good information so far.

Not really feasible with anything over 30,000 miles
Spacers can be added if the springs are new, not the best way to lift but possible
With worn out sagged springs adding a spacer only compounds the problem with the sagging springs. With that many miles I'll guess that your KJ is already an inch or more lower than stock, springs and shocks both are weak so adding a spacer style lift only makes them wear faster
Magic height is 2.5 -3 inches without much issue

 

[nginier]

Not really feasible with anything over 30,000 miles
Spacers can be added if the springs are new, not the best way to lift but possible
With worn out sagged springs adding a spacer only compounds the problem with the sagging springs. With that many miles I'll guess that your KJ is already an inch or more lower than stock, springs and shocks both are weak so adding a spacer style lift only makes them wear faster
Magic height is 2.5 -3 inches without much issue

Thanks for the great info! I looked at jeepinbyal.com, and the site doesn't look like your traditional jeep site, but more like an infomercial site, but if you say its good stuff, I believe it. You mentioned the $800 range for lifts, but on that site the "complete" kits start at $1700.

What and by who should I be looking at for the $800 range?

Do these questions feel like this yet? :beatdeadhorse5:

 

[lfhoward]

Check out:
JeepinbyAl.com - Product Catalog - Old Man Emu Suspension Products
And:
JeepinbyAl.com - Product Catalog - Ironman 4 x 4

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

Well, TomMudd is too modest to point you to TomMudd's Econo 3.5" Lift at JeepinByAl but it is a very good setup that includes upper control arms for the front - which the lower priced lifts do not. I think the only things you may need to add to this kit is Terraflex extended bumpstops for the front.

You don't NEED the upper A-arms but they do help with alignment and driveability.

This page has other Ironman options if you want to look at those. Also cruise through the site and look for OME kits - a couple hundred more than the Ironman kits.

P.S. Don't ya just love the dancing bananas...? :wtf2:

P.P.S Have no idea why Marlin at JBA is running two different websites right now. Pretty confusing.

Bob

 

[tommudd]

Yep thats it too modest:signs8:

 

[TwoBobsKJ]

Yep thats it too modest:signs8:

C'mon, Tom. You're an angel, right? :emotions36:

Bob

 

[Luke]

Well, TomMudd is too modest to point you...

:happy175: ...

 

[tommudd]

Must be, drove 2 hours one way this morning just to pick up a used wheel to help out a friend and it was all up hill all the way there and back :shrug::buttkick:

 

[NJallDAY]

Must be, drove 2 hours one way this morning just to pick up a used wheel to help out a friend and it was all up hill all the way there and back :shrug::buttkick:

You forgot to mention that it was snowing and you had no shoes on.. lol

 

[nginier]

Well, TomMudd is too modest to point you to TomMudd's Econo 3.5" Lift at JeepinByAl but it is a very good setup that includes upper control arms for the front - which the lower priced lifts do not. I think the only things you may need to add to this kit is Terraflex extended bumpstops for the front.

You don't NEED the upper A-arms but they do help with alignment and driveability.

This page has other Ironman options if you want to look at those. Also cruise through the site and look for OME kits - a couple hundred more than the Ironman kits.

P.S. Don't ya just love the dancing bananas...? :wtf2:

P.P.S Have no idea why Marlin at JBA is running two different websites right now. Pretty confusing.

Bob

TomMudd has been exceptionally helpful, and I would love to purchase a lift from him if/when I do, but I think that the 3.5" will be too high, especially as I'm trying to do this on a budget.

You bring up a good point with the arms though. Are alignments feasible with stock arms at 2-2.5" of lift? How adjustable are these KJ's?

Also, Ironman vs OME? Why one over the other?

 

[NJallDAY]

TomMudd has been exceptionally helpful, and I would love to purchase a lift from him if/when I do, but I think that the 3.5" will be too high, especially as I'm trying to do this on a budget.

You bring up a good point with the arms though. Are alignments feasible with stock arms at 2-2.5" of lift? How adjustable are these KJ's?

i didnt have any problems with alignments and I have a litlte more lift then that, but other people have had problems with finding a place to do the alignment. If you just want the minimum amount of lift just order all iron man stuff, that will be cheapest. Or if you want to get the most out of that lift you can get 1/4" top plates conduit nuts for a clevis lift and 1 extra rear iso for the rear, which will give you a little more lift for around $800. If you decided to put the extra isos in you will need to get the longer ome132L which is only $15 more per shock. Those are basically your cheapest options using the best parts for the money spent. hope you decide to lift it... you wont regret it!

 

[tommudd]

and by the way I by no means am selling lifts,
nor do I receive anything for advising anyone on which lifts to buy

 

[NJallDAY]

and by the way I by no means am selling lifts,
nor do I receive anything for advising anyone on which lifts to buy

Oh c'mooon tom your getting royalty checks left and right hahaha just kidding