Suspension lift for Wrangler YJ

[ADAM H]

Hi all, just joined the crew and i hope you guys can give me some feedback about a suspension lift for my Jeep YJ, after 25 years i believe is time to change the original one, I've saw some options for 2.5 inch lift and wondering if any have some info about the Rough Country coil and shocks upgrade.

Thanks.
Adam

 

[Anchor Mtn]

Dont spend your money on the Rough Country kit. You will be MUCH happier with a set of OME 2" springs and a good set of shocks. Correctly converting a YJ to a link suspension with a bolt-on kit is making a lot of compromises that you wont be happy with in the long run.

 

[ADAM H]

Cheers ! noted i will look into it.

 

[IronPercheron]

of the 3 YJs i have wrenched on

the spring over axle is the best setup I saw.

stock springs, over the axle rather than under, anti wrap bar in the rear

done. 5 inches and 33s.

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f218/95-yj-soa-step-by-step-77184.html

this is the best build thread on this option period.
there are MUCH MUCH simpler options for the anti wrap... google it.

 

[Overland-Indiana]

OME is a great option, kind of expensive though... RC springs aren't too bad, iv'e been running them for a while on my XJ. Buy good shocks though, don't skimp there or you will regret it. And make sure you buy ALL of the suggested items. I also went cheap and didn't buy longer sway bar links...that was a bad idea, rode terribly, just my .02 buy all the suggested parts and the lift will work and ride much better.

 

[ADAM H]

Thanks guys really appreciate all your input. I was doing a bit of search and i think im gonna stay with the leaf suspension , saw a leaf upgrade from RC then OME shocks , in theory i will gain 2.5 inch and the ride will be a bit softer. Doing this i think i won't be compromising a lot of the original setup.

 

[IronPercheron]

Maybe i am just bias... lol

I am a YJ man when it comes to jeeps, and an over sprung advocate when it comes to leafs.

Under will never ride "good" i wish i could toss you the keys to my old 92 that was SOA on stock replacement leafs... that was smooth. We called it the Honey Badger.

 

[Tim]

OME seems to be a good option for most moderate applications. Must be something to do with the amount of engineering and testing the Australians have to go through to comply with 'roadworthy' legislation.
I did once get to drive a YJ that had a WARN Coil conversion kit and 33x12.50's fitted - that was a very different vehicle because of it!

 

[Anchor Mtn]

Thanks guys really appreciate all your input. I was doing a bit of search and i think im gonna stay with the leaf suspension , saw a leaf upgrade from RC then OME shocks , in theory i will gain 2.5 inch and the ride will be a bit softer. Doing this i think i won't be compromising a lot of the original setup.

I dont recommend Rough Country gear. The ride is right in the name. You will be much happier in the long run with the OME stuff.

 

[Anchor Mtn]

Maybe i am just bias... lol

I am a YJ man when it comes to jeeps, and an over sprung advocate when it comes to leafs.

Under will never ride "good" i wish i could toss you the keys to my old 92 that was SOA on stock replacement leafs... that was smooth. We called it the Honey Badger.

Im a YJ guy at heart too and theres nothing wrong with a SOA conversion. Downsides are that it isnt legal in all areas and it requires fabrication and tools that not everyone has. Plus 5" of lift is a lot for 33's on a YJ.

 

[ADAM H]

I dont recommend Rough Country gear. The ride is right in the name. You will be much happier in the long run with the OME stuff.

i agree problem is i cant find any leaf from OME to fit the YJ

 

[Tim]

i agree problem is i cant find any leaf from OME to fit the YJ

Is this not what you are looking for?
http://www.arbusa.com/uploads/PDF/accessorizeYourRig/jeepWranglerYJ.pdf


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[Veggie Man]

Let me start by saying that you get what you pay for. What that means is that the more complete a lift kit, the more it will cost. Rough Country has a bad rap for no good reason. I have one of their 2.5 inch spacer lifts on my JKU and have had ZERO issues with it. Rough Country springs DO ride rougher than most and tend to sag over the years. The rest of their components are just as high quality as any other. Their customer service is top notch as well. With over a decade of poor customer service from other companies I was shocked at how well they treated me with an issue that I had. Even going over and above.

Now, the real truth with lifts is that no kit is perfect nor is it fully complete in that you will probably need an add-on or two once you get into it. If you want honest advice from a former mechanic it is this: look into what is needed to make the vehicle handle like it is supposed to then buy the parts needed for that to happen. For example, on the JK 3+ inch lift kits require the front and rear track bar to be adjustable, the drag link to be replaced or dropped, and the front LCA's, and the rear UCA's to be replaced in order for the vehicle to align and drive properly. This can be done without all of those things but handling will definitely be compromised. RC is a cheaper kit and many gravitate to that without getting the rest of the parts needed to do it right. Hence the bad name. It isn't the company that did it, it was the consumer. Research, research, research.

Rough Country, OME, AEV, Tereflex, etc all have bare-bones kits which require additional parts.

 

[ADAM H]

Guys really appreciate your time and input on this matter, i will ask OME if they ship to Mexico, if not i will go with RC 2" leaf and OME shocks , this will be a cheaper alternative of course. Main problem is after 25 years my stock leafs have being " restored" twice, last time adding and extra "sheet".... dont know the proper name in english... resulting preatty bad... stiff as sh....
Dont know if it's just me , apparently im always fixing the previous upgrade on the YJ, cant help myself...

 

[Veggie Man]

In my experience modding a vehicle means more repairs. It's just an acceptable fact of the process. It doesn't mean the mods are (normally)wrong, it just is what it is.

One alternative to replacing leaf packs is to have the arch redone and a new height set. A shop by my house used to re-arch springs and would set a custom height +/- OE ride height. That may be an option for you.


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[Randy P]

Hi all, just joined the crew and i hope you guys can give me some feedback about a suspension lift for my Jeep YJ, after 25 years i believe is time to change the original one, I've saw some options for 2.5 inch lift and wondering if any have some info about the Rough Country coil and shocks upgrade.

Thanks.
Adam

For the money and performance you can't beat a SPRING OVER CONVERSION on a YJ!

Use the factory springs. I would take out that extra spring leaf that the previous owner put in. You want a good, supple and flexible spring. The "flatter" the spring, the better the flex. The stock springs are perfect for this. And you don't want any additional "lift" in your springs. The spring-over will give you plenty for 33" or 35" tires.

If you can weld, you can do this yourself. Just purchase some new spring perches (mounts) for the axles. You will want to set the pinion angle with the suspension loaded.

Do you have the slip yoke eliminator on the back of your transfer case? If not, I recommend doing that at the same time.

You'll need some extended brake lines and new (longer) shocks.

 

[IronPercheron]

Im a YJ guy at heart too and theres nothing wrong with a SOA conversion. Downsides are that it isnt legal in all areas and it requires fabrication and tools that not everyone has. Plus 5" of lift is a lot for 33's on a YJ.

I had to cut it for TJ fenders to clear 33s with an soa....

 

[MOAK]

Hmmm, I've read all of these advice posts most thoroughly. Adam did ask about a 2.5" lift for his YJ. Spring overs are great. cept your going up, as stated 5" or a bit more, which is twice as high as was asked about. Another stated that no problems have popped up using Rough Country "spacers". I should hope not, as there are only a small handful of companies that make rubber or poly spacers for the entire automotive industry. It'd be pretty difficult to break a poly spacer. Having stated that, Rough Country lift kits are just that "lift kits" and they do real well on street machines and mall crawlers. Adam, I've been building "Overland" rigs for 25 plus years and 2.5" is just about right. With a YJ you will need a slip yoke eliminator kit, even with a mild lift. Don't skimp on cost. You certainly don't need an AEV conversion, but a thousand dollars or a little less for a complete OME suspension kit, or a Dobinson suspension kit will last longer than your jeep and you will have no problems if installed correctly. BTW, a leaf spring suspension geometry is very simple compared to a coil spring linked suspension. They also give you complete choices about spring rates, ie, Heavy, Medium, or Light.. As an example. The OME shocks on my cruiser have nearly 100,000 miles on em and still good. I'm gonna change them before winter just because I want to follow a world renowned Overlanders advice and try out some Dobinson shocks. Hope I sorted a couple of things out for you.

 

[ADAM H]

I finally found a guy over here who import OME so i bougth the 2.0 Inch lift ( leafs+shocks) its basically double de price of the RC but im getting old and i think i deserve it.... :)
I´ll let you know once its installed.

Cheers¡