Rear leafs and lifts...

So i'm about to get my dad's rig done so we will be able to wheel 2 rigs, and more comfortably take the family. Heres the specs on it, 97, 4.0, AX15, 30/8.25. We will be running 31" A/T's on it. Now heres my issue, I am a die hard RK fan. I think there stuff is hands down, top notch. I am running there 6.5 LA kit on my XJ.

Now his Jeep wont be seeing nearly the hard stuff mine does. It also needs to have a full 4 link front end. Handling on the street needs to be better than my 3 link. It will see more street miles than most other XJ's out there, not a to from work kinda deal. I am putting one locker in his, front, mainly for piece of mind. I am looking to spend right around the $1000 range on suspension. Heres what im looking at and my issues/concerns.

Goal
Needs all new arms, uppers/lowers, discos, anything in a complete 4.5 setup. Needs new rear packs as well.

Rock Krawler "XJ 4.5 X FACTOR SHORT ARM SYSTEM"
Issues, it comes with an add-a-leaf. That wont work. I need full packs, however it does not need Deavers luke there other 4.5 kit includes, especially for an extra grand. So I was looking at going this route, runing everything minus the add-a-leaf and just ordering some RE 3.5 springs to run with the shackle. Any input about replacement rear springs? I trashed the set of 4.5 RK springs they sent me in about 6 months. Don't have any experiance with RE springs.

Rubicon Express 4.5" short arm kit w/ full rear springs
Not much to say hear. I ran there LA kit on my TJ and broke 2 and bent 1 of there rear lower long arms. However I wasn't easy on it. It went everywhere I wanted, his XJ wont go there. lol Main plus, I can get it for a few hundred cheaper than the RK kit with separate new rear springs.

Rough Country 4.5" LA,
The price looks sweet. I tried searching but there isn't much on this kit. Any first hand experiance on how it holds up? It can be ordered with full springs AND SHOCKS. Thats a plus and makes the price even better. He really doesn't need long arms, jsut the price is decent, but I am also a firm believer in "you get what you pay for".

Like I said, I am pretty biased towards RK. However, I am biased towards it for the uses mine sees. That is why I am posting this.

I have never run an RE short arm kit nor anything from Rough Country. I don't work at any sort of a shop anymore so I don't hear the feedback on any other kits. I have recently heard RE is have bushing wear issues, but I have not seen it to believe it and it was second hand info.

So any advice or input? Anything you would change? Specifically, I have no idea how the RE leaf springs last. I have seen first hand a few of their coils broke, but that was a few years ago.. Any other leaf MFG I should look at aside from a set of race or expensive *** springs?

Thanks

RE 3.5"/4.5"

im biased torwards RE. RK makes a good 3/4 link, with the exception of their shittyjoints but i dont see a reason to buy their short arm stuff.

then again, my RE stuff is 4+ years old, and their new stuff hasnt been received well by naxja... tough choices!

if possible, build it to mirror your specs, you never know what'll happen! should you roll/crash one, you could switch to the 2nd, and buy a 3rd to replace the DD.

I have the RE 4.5 springs, arms (adjustable uppers, I think? I honestly forget), and track bar in my front end. It has been great, no problems. Well one time the track bar bracket came a little loose and started clunking. I put an impact wrench on the bolts, full torque, hasn't been a problem since.

The rear had RE 4.5" full pack leaf springs. It left something to be desired. The springs are probably fine for a stock XJ that doesn't carry a load. I like camping and I like to bring a lot of crap with me and after a couple of trips with a full load and bashing up trails the springs were getting pretty saggy and inverted and were wrapping badly. Granted they were already a couple years old at that point.

I ended up replacing them with the DPG Trailgunner 5" springs and kept my longer RE shackle. I knew that RE coils tend to run a little tall and I really wanted my no-load rear end to be higher than my front end, so it would run more or less level with a load.

The Trailgunners have one more leaf than the REs do, and a neat anti-wrap clip. At first the ass end ran a lot higher with no load, then loaded down it was just about level. They've settled a little bit since then but not much, still ridin' stinkbug a little bit. I'm fine with that, I never understood all the people driving around with the cali-tilt. My Jeep is NOT a pre-runner. I have a gas tank skid but I'd rather not use it if I don't have to. After several spring bashing heavy load wheeling trips over a couple of years the Trailgunners have held up well. Unfortunately I don't think they're available anymore, but you'd have to ask Dirk at DPG to know for sure.

I measured the lift using the official method, 5" in the front, 5.75" in the back no load with the brand new leafs. Probably more like 5 and 5 now, maybe 5.25, haven't measured lately.

Long story short; RE front end system has served me well, leaf springs were just OK.

xcm said:

RE 3.5"/4.5"

im biased torwards RE. RK makes a good 3/4 link, with the exception of their shittyjoints but i dont see a reason to buy their short arm stuff.

then again, my RE stuff is 4+ years old, and their new stuff hasnt been received well by naxja... tough choices!

if possible, build it to mirror your specs, you never know what'll happen! should you roll/crash one, you could switch to the 2nd, and buy a 3rd to replace the DD.

Click to expand...

Any chance you can explain a little bit more about the new stuff not being recieved well? I know when I did my LA kit on my TJ I had an old style lower on one side and the new style crimped in or whatever type bushing on the other side. Didn't have it long enough to see how it lasted though...

I really want to find a good set of springs that will last. I've got a funny feeling im going to be looking at replacing springs every couple years. The leafs on mine cost almost as much as a short arm kit alone... lol

Now im looking for some serious input on the Rough Country long arm kit. I just got a quote with the full rear springs and it was very nice. Anyone have input on there setup?

Thanks

my dads been running RE's 3.5" superflex (full leafs) for about a year now. no complaints yet. the bushings have held up fine so far also

they had a recall on a bunch of their bushings, 'bad batch' of rubber. also, from browsing naxja daily, that theres a lot of people who dont like their leaf's these days... much like n1ywb above.

his post also helps explain how differant rigs mean differant setups. when i go offroad, i like my xj to be as empty as possible... i go fast, more stuff = more debris flying around.