Rocky Road - Comanche Lift Kit

[mnkyboy]

I think we may be the only ones on this thread that have even bought anything from RRO.

 

Why did you decide to go with drop brackets over a long arm kit?

[shelbyluvv]

You want real world info. Here you go.

 

I ran a RE drop kit on my XJ for a few years. I liked the way they let me slowly work into the real world of wheeling. It was a step in the right direction to get a better ride on 6.5" of lift. It rode decent and flexed OK. I finally out grew the DBs and moved on to a RK 3 link. I loved everything about that kit. I beat on it and it took everything I could throw at it. It rode like a Caddy and flexed like a beast! I had one monster of a XJ then.

 

The DBs were no where near as good a my long arms. I would bang the DBs and grind them into rocks where the LAs would just slide over them. I used my lower links as sliders more than my rails.

 

Will I run DBs again? Yep, on my wife's MJ "Onyx" which will be a street queen. I used them to save cash and give her a better ride on 4.5" of lift. Will I run them on a trail rig? Not a chance, period. I will continue to run LAs on all my trail rigs.

 

And finally some first hand info about RRO. Glen Wakefield is crook. They sell junk to novice wheelers and prey on inexperience. I have used RRO only once and it almost cost me my life and my XJ. I bought their ADJ TB and put it on my XJ to get me going after my first 4.5" lift. The TB snapped on the axle side going down the highway at 65 mph. It caused me to run off the road and bury it in a ditch. I got lucky that the Jeep nor me was hurt in the "accident". I called RRO and they said I had installed it wrong and that it was not a warranty issue. Did I not mention that the TB was only a week old! It was installed fine. I have been a mech for 18 years and think I can handle a simple bolt on part!

 

Do as you want but do not ever come here crying about their junk not fitting or breaking. I feel the same about RRO as I do Rusty's.

 

You have been warned numerous times...

[mnkyboy]

this is much better info then the "opinions" ive been given.

 

did the bar snap or the weld break? thier track bar came with the lift,i havent had any issues but it wouldnt hurt to keep an eye on it.

 

Ok so in my research i got an idea. I like the full traction 6" XJ kit,so i was thinking i could transfer the 5" RRO kit to my wifes XJ with the full traction leaf springs that come in the kit,with a 1" spacer in the front it should sit level with the rear.

then install the front half of the kit into my MJ with a 1" lift shackle.

 

I want to lift the XJ anyway and the wife would love the 5" lift.

 

this just means living with what ive got a little longer to save up.since i won't buy mj drop brackets if i plan to put the lift in the XJ. I guess i could get the adj arms to help for now as they should transfer to the XJ.

 

does that sound ok?

[JeepcoMJ]

I have not given you ANY opinions.

 

only facts

[mnkyboy]

I have not given you ANY opinions.

 

only facts

 

 

unless you have or have had an RRO lift on your MJ anything you say about thier products would be an opinion. regardless whether you are right or not

 

shelbyluvv bought something from them,installed it and it broke. this would be fact

[mfpdm]

I think we may be the only ones on this thread that have even bought anything from RRO.

 

Why did you decide to go with drop brackets over a long arm kit?

 

 

I went with the drop brackets because I was more concerned with street drivability than offroad capability. We haven't put all the time, effort, and cash into the build to make it a trail rig to abuse. I've got a TJ and future MJ builds for that. It's a mall crawler DD with street manors and limited offroad, if any, use.

 

I went with RROs because I like the design and the fact that it had a brace made for the MJ. I researched the different DBs and read just like anyone else out there about the different problems they had with different brands, but could not find a whole lot about RROs DBs with MJs. I also knew RRO had a bad rep and thought I'd still give them a try. I still don't have facts on how they perform as the build is not left the garage. Only facts I have is on the install and dealing with RRO which I stated before.

 

:cheers:

[89eliminator]

i don't think that the Full Traction crossmember will work on the MJ without some cutting. i do like your thinking though with it being a 4 link and all :brows:

[mnkyboy]

I think we may be the only ones on this thread that have even bought anything from RRO.

 

Why did you decide to go with drop brackets over a long arm kit?

 

 

I went with the drop brackets because I was more concerned with street drivability than offroad capability. We haven't put all the time, effort, and cash into the build to make it a trail rig to abuse. I've got a TJ and future MJ builds for that. It's a mall crawler DD with street manors and limited offroad, if any, use.

 

I went with RROs because I like the design and the fact that it had a brace made for the MJ. I researched the different DBs and read just like anyone else out there about the different problems they had with different brands, but could not find a whole lot about RROs DBs with MJs. I also knew RRO had a bad rep and thought I'd still give them a try. I still don't have facts on how they perform as the build is not left the garage. Only facts I have is on the install and dealing with RRO which I stated before.

 

:cheers:

they do look like a decent design in the pics,I think if i do end up going a different route with the MJ and transfer the RRO lift to the XJ i will get a set of DBs for it.

 

i don't think that the Full Traction crossmember will work on the MJ without some cutting. i do like your thinking though with it being a 4 link and all :brows:

I will have to look into it,If i did a long arm i think i will go 4 link.

[shelbyluvv]

The bar broke right where the bushing sleeve was welded to the track bar. Their weld failed and they said something about it being loose and causing DW . Which in turn stressed the weld making it break. I never had DW with the Jeep and there was ZERO warning it was going to let go.

 

I value Pat's "opinion" more than most others here. He is not one to put out bogus info or be a specific manufacture fan boy. He builds some really good stuff and it works very well.

 

There is a reason why people don't use stuff from certain places. History doesn't lie.

 

Want some good reading? Follow Rockkrawlers history from their early years until Jeremy and Heather took it over a few years ago. You can watch the tides turn from them being one of the scariest lift companies out there to one of the better ones. That comes from listening to their customers and fixing what was wrong with their stuff.

 

I am happy to say that I had a pretty big hand in the design and testing of their Gen II LA arm kit. I talked them into doing away with their Krawler shackles (Revolver style), the weld on front upper arm mount (very unsafe) which moved the mount to the drivers side upper control arm axle mount. That mount had 2 bolts in the early stages and it kept breaking. I had them send me 4 bolts and redrilled the mount and never had a failure again. My design is now used with all their kits.

 

Your money is best spent with a trusted company. I personally would never let my wife drive anything with a RRO kit on it. But that too is your choice.

[mnkyboy]

Good info i will have to look into it,

 

As for the RRO lift i inspected the track bar and it all looks good,welds look fine even after some abuse. but aside from the track bar about all i would be moving over is the 4" OME springs,some spacers,and shocks. really very little of the lift was actually made by RRO so i don't see an issue transfering it.

 

I will have to find the parts list but i don't think the track bar had an RRO part number,i remember it saying something about a TJ.

 

all i know for sure they made was the SOA perch kit,the sway bar drop,park brake bracket, and proportion valve bracket,really nothing too major and all were actually pretty stout.

[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.

 

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.

 

 

I remembered were i saw the exhaust mod. it was on a rock krawler XJ lift

 

XJ 6.5 TRIPLE THREAT LONG ARM SYSTEM

 

SKU: RKXJ65TTLA

Suggested Retail: $2,949.00

Rock Krawler is proud to bring you the XJ 6.5 Triple Threat Suspension System. The Triple Threat Systems are the most versatile systems ever made for Cherokee XJ’s! These systems feature a front end design that can function as a full 4 link for high speed fun in the sand or the extremely flexy independent 3 link for extreme trail use! The best part is you get to choose! . All Rock Krawler upper control arms are full length! No short or mid length upper control arms with compromised geometry. Our geometry is perfect in every way. Our high clearance lower control arms are made of 2” solid alloy steel and use 1” shank Monster Krawler joints at the axle connection and the industry’s largest bushing at the frame connection for the quietest ride quality out of any suspension system on the market. We have even included a new heavy duty passenger side axle mount made of 1” thick alloy steel and 2 build a ball joints for the upper control arm pivots at the axle. No need to worry about wearing out the stock front upper control arm axle bushings since they have been replaced! The new long arm mounts are made from 3/16" thick laser cut steel and are precision welded. The rear end features a high performance 13 stage leaf spring pack made by Deaver! No leaf springs out peform them. We also compliment the high quality leaf springs with our long travel, heavy duty Boomerang shackles to round out the back end. Simply put, we feel this is the strongest, most versatile and most capable 6.5 Inch Long Arm system ever made. Rock Krawler also backs that up with our Abuse Proof Lifetime Guarantee on all hard parts!

System Benefits:

-The best highway ride and handling out of any long arm system!

-Versatile 3 link or 4 link front end geometry.

-High clearance lower control arms made from abuse proof 2” solid alloy steel!

-Rear 13 stage Deaver leaf springs!

-Bolt in long arm mounts made from 3/16 thick laser cut steel and precision welded.

-Long travel, adjustable, heavy duty boomerang shackles.

-Allows for 33" Tires!

-Limited Lifetime Warranty!

-Upgradeable to any of our higher lifts!

 

System Includes:

2 dual sport tuned linear coil springs, 2 high misalignment/adjustable lower long arms made from 2.0" solid alloy steel, long arm brackets made from 3/16" thick/laser cut steel, 2 adjustable front upper torque arm made from solid alloy steel, high misalignment/adjustable front track bar made from solid alloy steel, one front track bar relocation bracket made from 1/4" thick laser cut steel, 1 drop pitman arm, 1 heavy duty passenger side axle mount, 2 build a ball assemblies, 13 stage Deaver leaf spring packs, 2 heavy duty - long travel Boomerang shackles, extended stainless steel brake lines, front adjustable sway bar disconnects, rear u-bolts, hardware and detailed instructions.

 

*Available for any axle combination

 

**Requires a C.V. Driveshaft Conversion, or a SYE with C.V. Driveshaft Conversion

 

***Requires welding of the crush sleeves to the frame and removal of the OEM lower control arm brackets. The long arm brackets themselves bolt into position.

 

****May require minor front fender trimming to run 33 Inch tires.

 

*****Using the front end as a full 4 link system may require full manifold back exhaust modifications.

 

******To use as a full 4 link the OEM passenger side front upper control arm axle mount will need to be removed and the newly supplied mount welded in its place.

[whowey]

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.

 

Pat.. you are exactly right.

 

Having helped doing two of them... They are an ENORMOUS pain in the rear to install. And even worse to remove if you need to repair anything. The first one the owner toasted a tranny and we had to basically remove the front axle to get everything out of the way to get the tranny removed. The way it worked out. It was eaiser to remove the axle on the floor then lift the rest to remove the tranny on the 2-post. I can't imagine how big of a pain it would have been without the lift.

[comanchedude]

WoW

mnkyboy

 

you got beat up a bit in this thread... I think you have good points to share on the bolt on SOA.good to see you hold your ground. I used that part and have the mounts on my current AMC 20 axel..modded and welded now. but they are nice parts very thick metal and very long. they work well.

[mnkyboy]

I figured i would take a crash course in offroad suspension :cheers:

 

if anything it helped my post count :D

 

ya,mine works great as well,when i lifted my MJ i knew the stock axle wasnt gonna stay under it so the bolt on SOA was perfect. I'm gonna weld them on when i put in my other axle with 4.10s

[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.

 

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.

 

 

I remembered were i saw the exhaust mod. it was on a rock krawler XJ lift

 

XJ 6.5 TRIPLE THREAT LONG ARM SYSTEM

 

SKU: RKXJ65TTLA

Suggested Retail: $2,949.00

Rock Krawler is proud to bring you the XJ 6.5 Triple Threat Suspension System. The Triple Threat Systems are the most versatile systems ever made for Cherokee XJ’s! These systems feature a front end design that can function as a full 4 link for high speed fun in the sand or the extremely flexy independent 3 link for extreme trail use! The best part is you get to choose! . All Rock Krawler upper control arms are full length! No short or mid length upper control arms with compromised geometry. Our geometry is perfect in every way. Our high clearance lower control arms are made of 2” solid alloy steel and use 1” shank Monster Krawler joints at the axle connection and the industry’s largest bushing at the frame connection for the quietest ride quality out of any suspension system on the market. We have even included a new heavy duty passenger side axle mount made of 1” thick alloy steel and 2 build a ball joints for the upper control arm pivots at the axle. No need to worry about wearing out the stock front upper control arm axle bushings since they have been replaced! The new long arm mounts are made from 3/16" thick laser cut steel and are precision welded. The rear end features a high performance 13 stage leaf spring pack made by Deaver! No leaf springs out peform them. We also compliment the high quality leaf springs with our long travel, heavy duty Boomerang shackles to round out the back end. Simply put, we feel this is the strongest, most versatile and most capable 6.5 Inch Long Arm system ever made. Rock Krawler also backs that up with our Abuse Proof Lifetime Guarantee on all hard parts!

System Benefits:

-The best highway ride and handling out of any long arm system!

-Versatile 3 link or 4 link front end geometry.

-High clearance lower control arms made from abuse proof 2” solid alloy steel!

-Rear 13 stage Deaver leaf springs!

-Bolt in long arm mounts made from 3/16 thick laser cut steel and precision welded.

-Long travel, adjustable, heavy duty boomerang shackles.

-Allows for 33" Tires!

-Limited Lifetime Warranty!

-Upgradeable to any of our higher lifts!

 

System Includes:

2 dual sport tuned linear coil springs, 2 high misalignment/adjustable lower long arms made from 2.0" solid alloy steel, long arm brackets made from 3/16" thick/laser cut steel, 2 adjustable front upper torque arm made from solid alloy steel, high misalignment/adjustable front track bar made from solid alloy steel, one front track bar relocation bracket made from 1/4" thick laser cut steel, 1 drop pitman arm, 1 heavy duty passenger side axle mount, 2 build a ball assemblies, 13 stage Deaver leaf spring packs, 2 heavy duty - long travel Boomerang shackles, extended stainless steel brake lines, front adjustable sway bar disconnects, rear u-bolts, hardware and detailed instructions.

 

*Available for any axle combination

 

**Requires a C.V. Driveshaft Conversion, or a SYE with C.V. Driveshaft Conversion

 

***Requires welding of the crush sleeves to the frame and removal of the OEM lower control arm brackets. The long arm brackets themselves bolt into position.

 

****May require minor front fender trimming to run 33 Inch tires.

 

*****Using the front end as a full 4 link system may require full manifold back exhaust modifications.

 

******To use as a full 4 link the OEM passenger side front upper control arm axle mount will need to be removed and the newly supplied mount welded in its place.

 

hmmm, guess i was wrong then haha. whoops. i would be interested to see those mounts then as to why the exhaust would need to be modified.

[mnkyboy]

You can't be current on everything all the time. :cheers:

 

whats wierd is they say "may require" and only if you run it as a 4 link :dunno:

 

BTW I contacted full traction about thier 4 link set up going into an MJ but havent heard back yet.

[89eliminator]

You can't be current on everything all the time. :cheers:

 

whats wierd is they say "may require" and only if you run it as a 4 link :dunno:

 

BTW I contacted full traction about thier 4 link set up going into an MJ but havent heard back yet.

 

call Full Traction. i honestly don't think they check emails cause i have sent them about 4 different ones and have never gotten a response.

[mnkyboy]

I'm not too worried about it right now,currently I'm laid off so I'm not in a position to do it right away. :(

 

once everything gets back to normal and money starts coming back in i will call them if i havent heard back.

[earl*t]

I'm sure glad this site exists. :clapping: This has been an exhaustive thread, however, informative. I've been lurking for over a year searching for info and enjoying the builds. I am ready to lift my MJ and was seriously considering RockyRoad Offroad's kit. I had followed Pat's issues with them and still thought I'd use them. Why? Price. I'm a firm believer in "you get what you pay for" and quality is certainly an important consideration. Now, before you go off half cocked, look at the math. Rubicon Express = $1199.00 vs RRO just over $500 for the lift and $200 for the Drop Brackets plus shipping. Like Pat my ride will see very little if any offroad use. It's 2WD and will have new paint this fall. Another Jeep will be used offroad. Pro and cons? :dunno:

[Pete M]

In my opinion, driving on the road requires more than off the road. Just because you don't wheel, doesn't mean you will stress the components less than someone who does. Hitting a pothole at 70 mph has way more force involved than does a big rock at 4mph.

[earl*t]

100% Agree. Economics?

[Pete M]

you get what you pay for. The RR kit is cheap for a reason.

[Pete M]

Also, I realize you're in CO and I'm deep in the rustbelt, but screwing the frame brackets into my truck scares the bajesus out of me.

[earl*t]

I'm in Maryland. My MJ came from S.C. Absoutely RUST FREE and will remain that way in the garage. I don't want to start the debate over again, but aside from one failure, quality doesn't really seem to be an issue.

[Pete M]

haha, i saw the "CO" in your location, but not the Maryland. :doh:

 

And for what it's worth, one failure is too many.