Rocky Road - Comanche Lift Kit

[HOrnbrod]

Stock lower arms should not be used above 2" of lift

 

Not to doubt you Pete, but the stock length LCA's will work fine for up to 3" lift, which I have. Although I'm using WJ LCA's (same length as the XJ/MJ stockers), my caster is spot on. I did have to add a couple of shims behind the LCAs to get it correct, but there's room behind them to extend w. shims to almost 3/4" longer. :cheers:

[mnkyboy]

you make it sound as if my truck can't be driven because i bought "half a lift kit"

 

Depends how you look at it. it is complete as in you can buy it and install it on your truck and it will work. i can now clear larger tires,it flexes half decent,drives down the road ok (actually better then it did before,and can go places and do things off road that it couldnt do before.

 

for the average person it probably could be considered a complete kit.

 

I bought the lift with the intention of upgrading it to the adj arms and drop brackets later,this is nice for me as i only put out about half the money and can still enjoy my truck(which is much improved) while i get the rest of the stuff i want.

 

If you buy the lift knowing what you want out of your truck you can build a nice lift out of thier stuff.

compaired to something like the RE lift someone posted on this thread i feel in the end I'm getting the better lift. the prices will be about the same but i will have long travel shocks and adjustable upper and lower control arms where that RE lift has fixed arms and no shocks,(it also says it uses an XJ drop brackets,which as far as i know shouldnt fit).

with that lift you also have to pay the $1200 up front were i get to use my truck and upgrade as i can afford it,which to me should be a major plus for some people.

 

the only arguement i can see for the RE lift is weld on perches,Mine look alot nicer and can easily be welded on too.

 

 

I don't see why this lift shouldnt be considered,especially for people on a budget or someone wanting to do it all themselves at home as its all bolt in and pretty easy to install.

[Darren]

Do not spend the money on adjustable uppers and lowers and drop brackets. Period.

 

For the same price, possibly less, you could buy the Rock Krawler 3-Link.

[mnkyboy]

from where my trucks at now i can go either way on the front arms.

 

Long arm VS. drop brakets is a confusing topic, I find info going either way.

 

alot of people like drop brackets and alot of people like long arm, some people say they are night and day different and some say they perform about the same.

 

 

when you go to a site selling long arm they compare them to short arm without drop brackets,the companies selling drop brackets also compare them to short arm with no drop brackets. they never compare each other,except RRO who refuses to sell long arm and say thier drop brackets are far superior to long arm. not sure i buy that.

 

It almost seems like a Ford VS. Chevy debate. is there any solid evidence that one is better then the other besides just opinions?

[Darren]

People ditch their drop-brackets for long arms all the time. I've never heard of anyone going from long arms to drop brackets. That's got to say something.

[mnkyboy]

Ive read a few of these too,no one seems to really dislike either.

I think if you have drop brackets everyone says to get long arm so people get them,ive read were people get the long arm and don't notice any difference over the brackets,but after the conversion whos gonna go back if its about the same.

 

besides don't you usually cut off your control arm mounts when you go long arm,that would make going back really hard.

 

 

if you took two identical jeeps except one is long arm and the other one drop brackets with adj arms do you think one is really gonna be that much better then the other?

I'm guessing they would be pretty competetive.

 

wonder if anyone can find a real unbiased comparison

 

RRO says 4wheel drive &sport utility magazine and JP magazine have both done it and both said drop brackets are better but i havent seen either article and RRO is trying to sell brackets.

 

 

here's RROs theory on the subject.

http://www.rocky-road.com/xjcad.html

[james750]

from where my trucks at now i can go either way on the front arms.

 

Long arm VS. drop brakets is a confusing topic, I find info going either way.

 

alot of people like drop brackets and alot of people like long arm, some people say they are night and day different and some say they perform about the same.

 

 

when you go to a site selling long arm they compare them to short arm without drop brackets,the companies selling drop brackets also compare them to short arm with no drop brackets. they never compare each other,except RRO who refuses to sell long arm and say thier drop brackets are far superior to long arm. not sure i buy that.

 

It almost seems like a Ford VS. Chevy debate. is there any solid evidence that one is better then the other besides just opinions?

 

It is not confusing, it was not even a debate until now!, Ford and Chevy both offer steaming piles of crap these days so I guess in that sense it does relate to a drop bracket but Longarms vs. Drop brackets is more like Dodge Trucks vs. Hyundai's

NOBODY that knows the $#!& about suspensions will say that drop brackets are better than long arm. Drop Brackets A) Eliminate Clearance which is already reduced by the LCA bracket B)Are the cheapo way to lift a vehicle high that works but not too well C) Because the arm is longer, Height variances between lifts from things like a unsettled or worn spring do not affect the angles of the arms as much as they would with a drop bracket D) Long arms will not affect the pinion angle as much as short arms will when the vehicle is flexed E) Less wear on the springs/shocks with long arms.

 

I do not have Long arms or drop brackets on my truck, I just can't afford it at this time. I do however have short arms that do deliver a crappy ride because of the rough angle but I will take that over the worse clearance delivered by the drop brackets and will upgrade to long arms and do the job right when I can afford it.

 

RRO claiming that their drop brackets are better than longarms is a flaming pile of bull$#!& sitting on your doorstep waiting for you to step in it. Its another example of RRO either being completely ignorant about off road products and just trying to make a quick sale, or they are lying to their customers to try and turn a quick buck on those that have little to no knowledge on suspension systems. This is why RRO is unacceptable.

[Darren]

This thread is ridiculous.

 

Look, if drop brackets and long-arms were free, Which one would you choose?

If they were both free, how many people do you think would be running drop brackets?

[james750]

I am not pissed off! I just read that hairy pile of crap that RRO feeds us in the latest post by monkey boy. The first paragraph along with the second are the biggest LIES of all on the net.

 

"The common misconception we are addressing here, is that long (control) arm kits are the best fix for front axle mounting on a lifted Jeep. Wrong!

 

While longer control arms can help with the castor alignment setting, they do nothing to help with the ride quality and tracking of the Jeep. ''

 

Here is another part of RRO's statement that does not have any truth to it that bothers me. Longer control arms help caster, CA angle, and pinion angle. THEY ARE WITHOUT A DOUBT THE BEST WAY TO "FIX FRONT AXLE MOUNTING ON A LIFTED JEEP".

 

"Misinformation is perhaps the most common item found on the internet today. Fine if its about celebrity gossip... not so good if you are researching and spending money on parts for your baby... your JEEP!"

 

 

THEN STOP FEEDING UNEDUCATED PEEPS THE MISINFORMATION DAMNIT!!! :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :headpop: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall: :wall:

 

 

I have come to the decision that RRO is trying to pull in the uneducated people that are new to offroading and vehicle modification as their customers. I can't see any knowledegable persons that would by from them after seeing the flat out lies that their site is filled with.

 

 

 

@GoBlazers, your absolutely right, this thread is ridiculous, only one person here is defending RRO, and they have no credeble knowledge or sources to back their claims, only more of the BS that RRO feeds its potential customers.

 

I will step down now...

[mnkyboy]

At this point we are discussing long arm vs. arm drop, not so much RRO as any companys product as they arent the only ones who sell them. I don't care if you like RRO,its your opinion. If what they say upsets you then call or write them an e-mail about it.

 

I want to know about long arm & arm drop in general

 

Long arms are the latest craze are they really that good or a bunch of hype.

is one overrated or one underrated.

 

then does it matter where you get them are all long arms better then all control arm drops.

is a poorly designed long arm still better then a correctly designed arm drop?

 

Is there anyone here that has a good deal of experience with both setups?

[Automan2164]

I would say that the length of the long arms, versus the drop is an advantage. Not to mention the flex gain with the long arms. Also most the time, you are getting a stronger, better replacement that will handle more trail thrashing than the stock arms and a drop bracket.

 

Rob L.

[89eliminator]

I would say that the length of the long arms, versus the drop is an advantage. Not to mention the flex gain with the long arms. Also most the time, you are getting a stronger, better replacement that will handle more trail thrashing than the stock arms and a drop bracket.

 

Rob L.

 

i concur

[Automan2164]

I would say that the length of the long arms, versus the drop is an advantage. Not to mention the flex gain with the long arms. Also most the time, you are getting a stronger, better replacement that will handle more trail thrashing than the stock arms and a drop bracket.

 

Rob L.

 

i concur

 

:D

 

Rob L.

[james750]

To answer your question about the Long arms. No, not all long arms are built equal. IMO, the TNT y-link setup is the best there is, I like this setup because it has the upper arms incorporated into the lower bent arm but it has a joint at the point where the upper arm attaches to the lower arm which allows more flex because it does not bind up with the attached upper and lower arms that some setups have such as IRO's setup. However, IRO's setup is still better than a CA drop because they only have the incorporated upper arm on one side (drive side) and there is a angled bracket that allows for upper arm movement since there are no separate joints from the lower arm. Because the passenger side upper arm is dropped it is kind of a tri-link, but not so much because of the attached drive side arm. Rock Krawler also has a good try link long arm setup. The seem to have one of the less costly long arm kits that is a true tri-link with three separate arms (two lowers and an upper). The thing that I don't like about the Rock Krawler kit is that it does not incorporate a crossmember into the arm mount like many of the other kits do. Not a huge deal as the factory unit is OK but it is nice to be able to add that extra strength/protection at the same time as you are doing the long arms.

[89eliminator]

fwiw i can outflex a XJ with the TNT kit. i have a 4 link.

 

I'm not turning this into a this is better than that thing, but i always like the 4-link cause thats what came factory and its proven to work.

[mnkyboy]

I would say that the length of the long arms, versus the drop is an advantage. Not to mention the flex gain with the long arms. Also most the time, you are getting a stronger, better replacement that will handle more trail thrashing than the stock arms and a drop bracket.

 

Rob L.

 

i concur

 

 

I wasnt talking about stock arms with drop brackets, I'm looking at adjustable uppers and lowers with johnny joints.

 

 

so James750 you like the TNT long arms,i will have to look at them. I have no doubt that you have more experience with this then i do.

 

As for RRO I never claimed to have credible knowledge of these systems,i believe at one point i said this is fairly new to me. I was only commenting on my own experience with them and their products,which so far has been good.

 

 

 

Ive been reading a little about the 4 link vs. 3 link,i did notice that some people prefere the 4 link,looked like there may be a little more work to installing them then the 3link though

[89eliminator]

I would say that the length of the long arms, versus the drop is an advantage. Not to mention the flex gain with the long arms. Also most the time, you are getting a stronger, better replacement that will handle more trail thrashing than the stock arms and a drop bracket.

 

Rob L.

 

i concur

 

 

I wasnt talking about stock arms with drop brackets, I'm looking at adjustable uppers and lowers with johnny joints.

 

 

 

so James750 you like the TNT long arms,i will have to look at them. I have no doubt that you have more experience with this then i do.

 

As for RRO I never claimed to have credible knowledge of these systems,i believe at one point i said this is fairly new to me. I was only commenting on my own experience with them and their products,which so far has been good.

 

 

 

Ive been reading a little about the 4 link vs. 3 link,i did notice that some people prefere the 4 link,looked like there may be a little more work to installing them then the 3link though

 

it isnt that much more work. you just need to copy your driver side upper mount to the passenger side.

[JeepcoMJ]

the TNT kit is GREAT from what I've read.

 

but the way it mouhts kind of sucks if you plan on being prepared for ANY trail repairs you could possibly need to.

 

what I mean is that the mounts on the body side mounts are on the transmission crossmember...and the tranny x-member is a belly skid. the belly skid means that you cannot replace or service the trans, t-case, or 4x4 shift linkage without removing the body side suspension mounts...which means you have to block the body or the front axle will fall out.

 

 

also, pulling an engine sucks with it in there...you need to pull out all of the engine mounts so you can drop it down and remove the top bolts.

[mnkyboy]

I saw that with some of the long arms,looks like alot of repairs would be a bit more difficult with them.

 

89 eliminator,I'm sure it depends on the kit but i saw some that required some extra work including completely rerouting the exhaust system.

 

 

 

I drive my truck on the road most of the time were as far as i can tell DBs or LAs are gonna be pretty close on road although i think the DBs may work better then some of the more offroad designed LAs.

 

Off road I'm usually driving out into muddy fields or on dirt trails,so far i havent had any trouble getting anywere on my current set up so i think either lift is gonna be ok.

 

I think i need to get out and see the different lifts in action,before i make up my mind on what to get.

[JeepcoMJ]

I saw that with some of the long arms,looks like alot of repairs would be a bit more difficult with them.

 

89 eliminator,I'm sure it depends on the kit but i saw some that required some extra work including completely rerouting the exhaust system.

 

 

 

I drive my truck on the road most of the time were as far as i can tell DBs or LAs are gonna be pretty close on road although i think the DBs may work better then some of the more offroad designed LAs.

 

Off road I'm usually driving out into muddy fields or on dirt trails,so far i havent had any trouble getting anywere on my current set up so i think either lift is gonna be ok.

 

I think i need to get out and see the different lifts in action,before i make up my mind on what to get.

 

dude, EVERY TIME you say something about lifts, it just proves how little you know.

 

 

you DO NOT have to relocate, tamper, or redo your exhaust in any way, shape, or form.

[89eliminator]

I saw that with some of the long arms,looks like alot of repairs would be a bit more difficult with them.

 

89 eliminator,I'm sure it depends on the kit but i saw some that required some extra work including completely rerouting the exhaust system.

 

 

 

I drive my truck on the road most of the time were as far as i can tell DBs or LAs are gonna be pretty close on road although i think the DBs may work better then some of the more offroad designed LAs.

 

Off road I'm usually driving out into muddy fields or on dirt trails,so far i havent had any trouble getting anywere on my current set up so i think either lift is gonna be ok.

 

I think i need to get out and see the different lifts in action,before i make up my mind on what to get.

 

can't say that i read about changing the exhaust system on a XJ or MJ. i have read though that certain TJ long arms kits you have to purchase a new exhaust system. :dunno:

[mnkyboy]

It may have been a Tj lift i saw that on,I was looking at all sorts of long arm lifts to see pros & cons.

 

 

JeepcoMJ i don't remember claiming to know anything about lifts, alot of this is new to me.

 

Ive turned wrenches for years but started playing with 4x4s somewhat recently.

[Pete M]

Ford radius arms ftw!. :D

 

[mnkyboy]

I had thought about going frankenstien,My F250 had a tree fall on it last winter totalling it and the gears started turning.

I ended up giving it to my brother,he wanted some parts for his Bronco.

 

His YJ is getting the full frankenstien treatment going to a 351W,C6,NP205 and Dana 44 front and rear.

 

Hes really into 4X4 stuff and has had some nice rigs over the years.

[mfpdm]

OMG

 

It amazes me how many opinions are on this thread but not too much actual experience with the products or venders in question.

 

Do your research. Make a decision. And go from there. If you wait for someone to make up your mind, you'll never get anywhere.

 

Remember, opinions are like @ssholes. Everyone has one and they are sure to post it on the internet.

 

And for the record, blue is better than green and don't buy from the hat rack in the corner.

 

:cheers: