fatcat0491 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Ok I'm going to do a spring over the cheapest way possible Coils - 4.5" 130$ rusty's off road Perch's - Cut and re weld them on Shocks - 30$ each through rusty's Can any one else tell me what I'm going to need. Please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 Ok I'm going to do a spring over the cheapest way possible Coils - 4.5" 130$ rusty's off road Perch's - Cut and re weld them on Shocks - 30$ each through rusty's Can any one else tell me what I'm going to need. Please Don't reuse the old perches, buy some new ones and save yourself some hassle, they only like $5 a pop, so what your out $10-$15, but you need not fight with making the old pretty and taking your time trying to cut them off. What are you doing a 4.5 inch lift so you need to know what ential for the front as well or just the rear? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatcat0491 Posted June 26, 2008 Author Share Posted June 26, 2008 I need to know everything i need to get. Ordering them soon Perches are 20 bucks through rustys Do i need new shock mounts or are th stock ones fine i need brake extensions What do i need to do in the front besides the coils Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddzz1 Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 For the front you need lomger sway bar links, longer bump stops, and at 4.5 you may need lower control arms. and relocate your trac bar Are you adding spacers to the front too? You will probally get more than 4.5 in the back with the SOA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 In the front you will need longer or adjustable lower control arms, or an lca drop bracket. Ditto track bar. Without the control arms, your wheel will be too far back in the fender. Without the track bar, your axle will be shifted over to the driver's side instead of centered under the vehicle. And you might also need longer upper control arms to get the axle turned correctly instead of rocked backwards. For the rear axle you will need to think about shock mounts. Look around the project forum to get ideas off what other people have done. You might also want to get longer spring perches to minimize axle wrap, although I've heard people say it really isn't too bad. Also if you want to keep the weight (height) sensing rear brake valve, you need to find a way to lengthen the rod that goes to the differential. And lastly, that kind of lift will look funny with stock tires, so you might want to go a bit larger with them, which in turn may cause you to want to re-gear the differentials to get a bit of torque back. Not too mention the fact that tires are starting to get expensive. They are made from oil, which has increased from around $20 per barrel to $140 per barrel over the past couple of years. But I'm sure you already know that, as it has affected gas prices as well. Make sure you post before and after pics. Lots of pics in between too. May want to start a project thread for your truck... Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatcat0491 Posted June 26, 2008 Author Share Posted June 26, 2008 Meh getting to expensive for sonme one who hardly ever wheels I'm going with a 3" AAL from rustys 300 bucks :) HAHAHAHHAHA AND I FOUND 31" tRUXUS TRIES FOR 150 BUCKS 10% WEAR Also Maine state law requires no more then two sizes up that came from the factory Plz tell me jeep Comanche came with optional 235's from factory Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLHTAZ Posted June 26, 2008 Share Posted June 26, 2008 I find it hard to believe that you would go with Rusty's stuff after nearly everyone on here that has had a lift from them will tell you to stay away from them. They are not known for having anything worth much for us from what I have read on here. They're prices are "cheap" for a reason :smart: . Yes...235's were and optional tire size from what I remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatcat0491 Posted June 26, 2008 Author Share Posted June 26, 2008 Hmm all my friends go with rusty's everytime... They have had 0 % problems They used to have extremely soft AAL but those were fixed sometime last year Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Motion Offroad Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Just because your Jeep won't see much offroad use does not mean that you should compromise the use of quality parts. Actually with a Jeep that sees daily driving duties it's just as, if not more important to use quality parts on. Doing SOA in the rear on a MJ will net you anywhere from 5.5-7" of lift. A 4.5" coil in the front with a SOA rear will look funny (in our opinion). You really will need a 6.5" coil for the front to make it sit level. In our opinion for 31" tires you want to keep it right around 3-3.5" of lift max. You can flex the tires out good with a quality lift at this height, but still keep your COG down on the trails. Some thoughts based on a 3" lift... Adjustable Trackbar - In our opinion anything over 2" of lift on a XJ/MJ should use an adjustable tracbar. The factory one just is not long enough. Trackbar drop brackets are just asking for issues as well. An adjustable trackbar keeps your axle centered under your rig, and at 3" of lift it is noticeable that your axle is not centered anymore. Plus if you ran with the stock trackbar it can (and probably will) wear your tires funny over time. Trackbars are much cheaper than a new set of tires. Coils vs. Spacers - A debatable topic. In our opinion anything over 1.5" of spacer is a "no-no". I'd venture to say that in my opinion the only reason spacers should be ran is to level out a lift, or for more lift after a heavy duty aftermarket bumper and/or winch. Coils are cheap once again in the 3" range. Just go with a quality set of coils and you'll be good. Some vendors just sell "coils"; others have actually spring rate matched them to the Jeeps that they are meant for. Lower Control Arms - Once again a debatable topic in the 3" lift range. At 3"-4" of lift your lower control arms should be at least 16" long to keep the axle centered in the wheel well. That's at least 1" longer than stock. Our 3" kit includes adjustable lower control arms. Why adjustable? Many guys down the road go larger and with adjustable you don't have to buy new LCA's when/if you do go larger. Non the less, anything in our opinion over 3" should include new lower control arms. After the 5" height you REALLY should be considering longarms. Rear Leafs vs. Add A Leafs (AAL's) - Depends on the condition of your factory packs and if your going to be offroading it or using it as a truck to haul/carry things. AAL's make your leaf packs sag faster, and throwing a miss-matched leaf with more/less arch into a factory pack typically makes the ride suffer greatly. We feel new leafs are the best route; thus why our kit comes with them. I don't care how "good" of an AAL you are using, the factory packs just are not up to the task of lasting with one. Do it right the first time and you'll thank yourself. Swaybar Disco's - EVERY Jeep driven on the road should have their swaybar connected. Driving your jeep offroad you'll get better flex with your swaybar disco'd. Bumpstops - XJ front bumpstops work on the MJ. The rear is a bit more tricky and we've got a trick setup for the MJ coming on the market in the very near future. Bumpstops are important as they limit the flex and prevent your springs/leafs from over flexing and wearing them out sooner. Also you typically get more flex when you hit your bumpstop as it forces the other side of the axle down. Typically not as important with a 3" lift as most tires ran with 3" lifts are 31x10.5's and they stuff into the fender well's much nicer than larger/wider tires do. Just go with quality products and you'll be fine. Many vendors/manufactures think that the XJ and MJ are the same and will try to sell you an XJ lift kit. Typically this leads to poor ride quality with miss-matched spring rates and using parts that shouldn't ever of been on a MJ to begin with. All I can really honestly recommend is go with good proven quality parts as they will last longer and get you an overall better end result. Spend the extra money now upfront as it will save you money in the long run. It's like buying a new car; both will get you to where you need to go however the quality (lets say Kia vs. Honda) will last twice as long and have less problems over time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatcat0491 Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 :headpop: Grrr..... I hate it when people tell Me to Buy" Quality Parts" I'm A Full Time Student In High School And only have a summer Job I buy what i can afford :) :nuts: I would buy the motion off road kit but me no have 850 bucks... Saving up for collage...... . :popcorn: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLHTAZ Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 We have all been there too, so it's not like we haven't done what you are doing ;) . I know I have agone the "cheap" route myself more than once even tough the others were telling me the same things we are telling you now. It served the purpose, but I still hated spending what I did on the cheap stuff just to have to do it over agian on a year or so with better stuff. Hind sight is always 20/20 and I can say that if I had known then what I know now...I would have waited a little longer and saved a little more to do things better the first time. I know that is Cliché, but it is true ;) :cheers: Do what you feel is best for you. No one here will judge you for whatever you decide...we just want to help you make the most informed decision possible. 8) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 hoot do what I did, Go to JC Whitney and get there Rough Country 3in lift kit, About $135, then pick up some shocks. Put on your new 31's and call it a day. No need to mess with anything else unless you got some bad ball joints then changes them as needed. Check out my build and see what that kit gets you and see how it looks with 31's.... http://www.comancheclub.com/forums/view ... highlight= Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 :headpop: Grrr..... I hate it when people tell Me to Buy" Quality Parts" I'm A Full Time Student In High School And only have a summer Job I buy what i can afford :) :nuts: I would buy the motion off road kit but me no have 850 bucks... Saving up for collage...... . :popcorn: Ah heck, that's what credit is for... even in High School I was getting Credit Card deals all the time (Worked full time from Age 15 on)... It's the American Way... You can't take the money with you when you die, so enjoy it while your here... :USAflag: :cheers: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 According to my dealership brochures, 225/75/15 were the tallest tire ever available on an MJ. 31s on factory rims will rub on the LCAs. 31s on aftermarket rims will rub on the flares. Anything above 2" and you will want LCAs. And any change in height up front will throw off your alignment and that will need to be addressed. The little things always add up. You could just do a 1.75" spacer lift up front and then either a long XJ AAL (will lift about 1.5-2") or 2" MJ AAL or longer shackle in the rear, lower the front brake line brackets, then get it aligned and call it a day. 3" is the amount of lift where the geometry of the suspension changes and all sorts of bits and pieces need to be addressed. If I remember right, at 2" the stock shocks will work fine on road, but limit your travel offroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SuperWade2 Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Is there anyone on this Forum that has installed the Motion Offroad 3" MJ Lift? I know one guy bought one, but didn't see an install thread yet...Just curious...seems there would be more action on this on heavy MJ board...especially since there are so few "full" kits that as inclusive as the MO kit without having piece and part together a XJ front and rear leafs from someone else (which seem to be the other alternative on the radar) I'd be interested in talking to folks who are actually using the product before I make up my mind on what to buy... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatcat0491 Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 The dealership lies..... Thats my story and I'm sticking to it... haha I'm keeping my 205's for inspection purposes ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOrnbrod Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 :headpop: Grrr..... I hate it when people tell Me to Buy" Quality Parts" I'm A Full Time Student In High School And only have a summer Job I buy what i can afford :) :nuts: I would buy the motion off road kit but me no have 850 bucks... Saving up for collage....... :popcorn: If you're saving up for college, be serious and concentrate on just that. A lift on your rig is great to have, but is absolutely not needed at this stage in your life. Just keep your rig in good D/D shape, maintain it well, then do your lift right later when you've accomplished the more important stuff first. You know what it is. I'm not trying to preach to you here at all, but by going the cheap lift route, even though you calculate down to the penny what you think it will cost, there is always a snag, a hidden cost you were not planning on. Snapped bolts, needed tools, possible alignment/wheel balance/vibe problems; the list goes on, and it always costs more than your original estimates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fatcat0491 Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 Mini Beast what lift did you get and what came with it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
comancheman Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 fatcat i have been in your shoes, in a way i still am. i graduated last year and also bought my mj last year. i didnt want to go the cheap route but could no way afford to drop a grand on a lift kit. so i saved a little at a time and stock piled parts till i had everything i needed. in the end i went with soa rear RE 5.5 inch coils in the front jks adjustable uppers and RE superflex adjustable lowers and a jks adjustable track bar i scored the lower control arms for 50 bucks used from my buddy and also got his shocks for free when he went a little higher. in the end i ended up paying a little more than had i bought all these in a kit but i was able to afford it by doing a little at a time. do it right the first time its deffenitley worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroader461 Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Mini Beast what lift did you get and what came with it? I bought the same lift when i did my MJ the first time....comes with 3" coils and AAL...thats it...$150 bucks and mine still sat at 3" after 3 yrs of on/offroad driving Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Mini Beast what lift did you get and what came with it? I got the one for $119 but wanted the one with the shocks For $239 but for some reason I was under the impression that the kit I got came with shocks, (Girls suck when asking questions about jeeps :nuts: ) But yeah for a low budget I couldn't complain, I knew I was going to up grade later, but Wanted to have my 31's on so what's a couple hundred bucks for this kit. Why not, I ran it about a year while I pieced the rest of my SOA lift together. I think this is your best bang for the buck for your situation. These guys told me as well what there telling you on wait, but you know damn well you want a little more aggressive look, being it's mainly a pavement pounder then why not. But whatever you decide just keep in mind school is your priority like hornbrod said. But I know where your coming from this being why you have a smaller budget but this kit I'd say will be easy on your pocket and still make you happy in the end. http://www.jcwhitney.com/ROUGH-COUNTRY- ... _10101.jcw Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 The risk is that after putting on that LCA-less lift, the steering will feel loose due to the lack of proper caster. Deathwobble might even rear its ugly head. Also, how does that particular kit raise the back end? The picture shows an XJ kit with the spacer block. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Also, don't forget that you can look for used parts too. I would definitely keep an eye out for 3" LCAs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiNi Beast Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 The risk is that after putting on that LCA-less lift, the steering will feel loose due to the lack of proper caster. Deathwobble might even rear its ugly head. Also, how does that particular kit raise the back end? The picture shows an XJ kit with the spacer block. And add a leaf the kit they send comes with blocks for an xj and leafs that goes over the bottom leaf, the helper leaf thing, and a option to put it back in but I did giving a 1/2 more lift and I had flipped it over for $#!& and giggles. I had problem with DW before I did this lift, so I had replaced the whole fron end just before I did the lift so I got the lift and got a new steering dampner with it. But I never had an issue with DW on this lift. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted June 27, 2008 Share Posted June 27, 2008 Sorry for the late reply on tire sizes. My glove box lid has tire pressures listed ranging from 195/75R15 to 225/75R15. I believe 205 was stock, with 225 optional from the factory. I currently run 235 on the stock turbine 7" rims, and have the occasional rub on the ps lca. One of these months I may adjust the steering stop to eliminate that. Also, be aware XJ lift blocks don't work, as the XJ has the rear spring over the axle and our tracks have the spring under the axle. Stick a block in there and you'll be lowering your truck closer to the pavement. I also have only have heard bad things about the ride with 3" add-a-leafs. I'd like to lift my truck about 6" with a SOA conversion, but not until I have saved up money for the lift with long arm kit, wheels and tires so I can do it right. I might get a 3" lift next year, but keep the 235 tires I'm getting in an hour and a half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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