Guys,
well the next step in my buildup is to upgrade to a better lift than my 2"BB. So I have narrowed my search down to 2 brands, Rubicon Express, Full Traction and Black Diamond. I know that with either lift I will need a SYE and a CV driveshaft, so I am going to purchase the combo kit from 4x4rockshop.com . For the lift i need to keep it under $1000 .

Rubicon Express has the following:
-3.5 Standard (540.00)
-3.5 Super Flex (830.00)
-4.5 Super Flex ($1400.00)a bit out of my $ range
---No shocks uncluded with RE kits---

Black Diamond
-3 with shocks (530.00)

Full Traction
-4 with shocks (960.00)

So I am not sure what to go with so I need your feedback. I guess I am leaning towards the FT kit since it comes with the most stuff, however I don't know how these kits do long term. This is going to be my daily driver and only offroad 1% of the time if i am lucky. I am going to keep my 32" BFG's for now.

Let me know
Thanks
Matt

Hello Matt,

can't comment on BD and FT, but the RE kit has worked great for me. I started off with a RE standard and along the way upgraded to a full Superflex set up with adj. CA's and adj. TB's.
That's what I liked about the kit -> get the necessary stuff as you need it (read -> SYE install, belly up etc.)

HTH

First off, what size tires you plainning on running after the 32, you did say "for now". The full traction does not come with the most stuff, though it comes with shocks, it does not come with upper control arms if you are talkin of the standard kit. Full traction also seems to have a problem with shipping out parts on time. The re 3.5 standard kit does not come with any arms, and alot of individuals receive death wobel from it. For the 3.5superflex guys on here run the kit with up to 35's with a 1inch body lift. I have the 4.5 re and very happy with it, i daily drive my jeep everyday on i95. If you are planin to run 33-35 this kit will suit u good. The 3.5 spring seems to be a good size for 32-33, and you can even get the 4.5 kit with 3.5 springs, so you can get the uppers. Just laying out your options here, for you i would prolly go with the 3.5 superflex, and you could get away with just doing the tcase drop on that for a while, until you save up a few more pennies.

I started with the 3 inch black diamond and added a set of currie tracbars and a set of front upper control arms and 33's. wheeled it like that for 2 years and just about gave my lift to ^Jeepa^ here on the board then bought a 5.5 R.E. L.A. setup from ^Matt99tj^ here on the board and tweaked the rear suspension ditching the rear tracbar ran 35's. Now i'm getting coilovers for the front and redoing the rear suspension again going to run 37's. I would have to say that things were a lot easier with the old 3 inch lift and it served me well and continues to serve a fellow jeeper. HTH

Can a squeeze a side note in to localrich?

quote:

Now i'm getting coilovers for the front and redoing the rear suspension again going to run 37's.

Have you decided on a coilover yet? What's convinced you to go to coilovers? I'm debating coilovers myself and trying to get feedback from those who are doing it. I can't really see an advantage in my setup other than the coolness factor.

it's the bling bling factor man

well really i'm looking for captured control of the front axle and 14 inches of travel aint too shabby, the problem i have is with 12 inch bilesteins the 5.5 r.e coil unseats about 3 or so inches at full droop giving some intresting off camber sidehilling. also being able to more finally tune the valving for my taste and ride preference.

yeah i'm going with fox and the setup from www.polyperformance.com $1875 includesing air bumps

quote:

Originally posted by SprungTJ:
...Full traction also seems to have a problem with shipping out parts on time...

There's an understatement. Their Customer Service doesn't exist.
Our install and prob's

If you go with them though, get the upgraded hour glass bushings on the control arms. Better flex than the poly's and maybe more importantly, your ride won't creak all the time.

RE's kit may not come with as much standard as FT's, but it would've been worth it to get it all taken care of with their service.

I put the RE 3.5 standard lift on mine a few years ago. I don't really do hard-core off road stuff and the lift has worked out really well. The Jeep is my daily driver which includes a 40 mile round trip to work. Overall I have been satisfied with the RE lift both on and off the road. The directions that came with it were terrible, but my wife and I (with the help of a neighbor kid) put it on over a weekend - and it was my first lift install.

HTH.

I need to reiterate what Farley has said... STAY AWAY FROM FULL TRACTION!!

2 years later and they corporate policy is still to screw their customers over. I had to wait a month to receive the proper bushings for my lower control arms after discovering that that had the improper inner diameter. The first two weeks was because Patrick (sales manager) kept telling me that he'd ship them ASAP that day. A second call a week later he claimed the same thing. Eventually I was had to speak with Steve Cramer (owner) who put me through to shipping, but didn't want to hear about Patrick and his lack of action, and then proceeded to send them to me at the slowest shipping possible, arrived 2 weeks later -- and I explicitly asked for expedited shipping, and was even told them would -- not by Steve, he wouldn't commit -- but by the shipping manager. I have no confidence in their products and as I continue to try and finish the install, it now looks like I have a longer front track bar -- so guess, I have another month to go while the Jeep is sitting on blocks!

I started with the RE 4.5 short arm lift - over the years I had to upgrade
to all the additional parts - you can buy them all as a kit now - but when
they first came out you had to get them one at a time.

The long and short of the 4.5 lift is - to get it to work well you have to
do alot - so you avoid DEATH WOBBLE - and have a balanced rig that works.

I ended up breaking the short arm lift - after a roll - and I upgraded to the
long arm flat belly lift - the difference from the short am setup is so much
that on my new jeep - I'm not going to do any short or intermediate lift - I'm
going to save my money and get the whole shee-bang.

With the 4.5 I could run 35s but normaly ran 33. It was just too choppy for alot
of road work with the 35s with the short arm lift. You need the front and rear
track bars , adjustable shocks, adjustable upper arms... The CV shaft and the
slip yoke are a requirement at 3.5-4.5 inches of lift.

I found the service and the help over almost a decade with RE to be the best and
I have recommended the RE setup to anyone that wants one.

The only exception I put on - any lift - is to try to consider in depth - what
you want to do - and make a plan for not only the lift but a full six point
roll cage.

The roll cage goes in my new jeep first - then my lift - because I want to live
a few years longer - gotta consider - how I can do this for at least another
twenty years...