Choosing the components...?

Hey guys this is my first post so go easy on me please! Now i ran a search but didnt come up with the answer i was after so here i go...
Just got rockkrawlers x-factor high steer and an adj trac bar for my front end and im running there fixed lower arms but adj uppers.
Now i thought i had enough lift for the high steer to work correctly but apparently i need another inch or 2 to be in the zone.
I do have teraflex 1.5" shackles and 1" spacers in front but the 4.5" coils and springs should only boost me up an inch plus the front has a heavier load now with all of that steel underneath there so i may have to play with the front spacers to level her out. My XJ is already equiped with a SYE and 2 degree shims and the front axles pinion angle can easily be adjusted by the upper arms and thats why i went with fixed lower ones and adj on top. Brake lines are extended to so all is prepared for her to land up sitting at 6" of lift and i have 33's but all 4 corners are trimmed so depending on how she rides when this is all over, i may move up to 35's!
SO now i priced out rockkrawlers gear (sticking with the best here), and came up with this figure:
Front coils.....................$99 a pair
Rear leaf packs...............$249 a pair
Shocks front, long travel..$99 a pair
Shocks rear, long travel...$99 a pair
Total............................$546
(and thats before all shipping!)
My question to you guys since im working with minimal funds here, do you guys know any other companies that would be cheaper (but still get the job done), or maybe any other methods i could go by or go do to achieve a 4.5" lift just off of the coils and springs alone once i take what i have on there off??? I may have to get there front springs with a heavier spring rate, but maybe i could put my rear packs together off of scrap yard parts, (even tho i prefer nice new ones). Maybe i could save a buck with shocks to match a near 6" lift for cheaper. Rustys has them for $30 a shock which saves me $80 bucks but will they hold up is the question.
The floor is yours gentlemen and thanks for helping out a fellow "female" jeeper when you reply!

how much lift do you have now?

I'm thinking you can recoup some of your money by selling your parts you have on there right now. I also think you can save some in the shock dept. Look around and figure out what you will be at full lift and order some for about $130 a set. It can be done. I do think they have about the best price on coils and considering most of them are made by the same companies go figure.

-b

mack said:

how much lift do you have now?

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I know its a 4" lift kit plus shackles at 1.5" and 1" spacers. But the addition of the rear shackles seemed to just bow in the stock leaf pack and not give me a true 1.5" lift in the rear.

GirlScout1 said:

I'm thinking you can recoup some of your money by selling your parts you have on there right now. I also think you can save some in the shock dept. Look around and figure out what you will be at full lift and order some for about $130 a set. It can be done. I do think they have about the best price on coils and considering most of them are made by the same companies go figure.

-b

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I thought the same since rustys has the right travel size shocks for $30 a piece and that saves me $80 right there. I just would feel WAY better with rockkrawlers shock design over rustys. Hey ive seen some skyjacker shocks sell in the $30 dollar range. I am selling the lift but i wanna bring my asking price down a bit and just break even and give the guy a fair deal!
Can anyone point me in that direction for the skyjackers??

Since you are mixing and matching here's my 0.2 increase your front spring rate by going to f150 bronco 6" lift coil springs load it up and adjust height by chopping the bottom of coil to get it where you want it you should be able to get between 7-8 before chopping. I have 7 1/2. For the rear use a complete spring pack from 2000 s10 or blazer 4x4 and get an extra leaf made at a local spring shop to bring the spring rate up to 1/2 ton rating. The leaf pack will move your axle back making trimming for 35 easy. may net you 4" of lift and with the higher spring rate you can adust you ride height with blocks and not worry about spring wrap or s'ing them like xj leafs. move your shocks on the rear above axle by moving mounts or buying new ones. no need for new shocks.

coils <100.00
used spring pack 40.00
new springs 60.00
new front shocks 60.00
rear shock mounts moving and fabbing <20.00
buying new shock mounts 40.00
steel axel blocks new 40.00 used 10.00

just my 0.2

Stock control arms and trackbar/mount?

ZachMan said:

Stock control arms and trackbar/mount?

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shes aready changed all that and wants to go up to take advantage of it.

Actually if you are looking for a decent combo, handling/travel wise. The Rubicon Express 4.5" ZJ coils with DT3000 shocks are a great compromise. I've been running this setup for about 3 years, and am very pleased with everything. Just where in NY are you? And got anymore details on the RK high steering system? They don't show much on their website. Though I've been meaning to take a drive down to Green Island and check'em out first hand.

ZachMan said:

Stock control arms and trackbar/mount?

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Not sure what you ment but my LCA's are fixed BDS's and the UCA's are BDS adjustables for pinion angle changes in the future.

CartsXJ said:

Actually if you are looking for a decent combo, handling/travel wise. The Rubicon Express 4.5" ZJ coils with DT3000 shocks are a great compromise. I've been running this setup for about 3 years, and am very pleased with everything. Just where in NY are you? And got anymore details on the RK high steering system? They don't show much on their website. Though I've been meaning to take a drive down to Green Island and check'em out first hand.

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Sent you a pm as well.
The high steer kit has to be the best ive ever seen! Allows for incredible axle droop and will make your springs fall out!! (i may need limiting straps after the 2" gain). Before they put it on he handed me JUST the front bar and my arms dropped!! I may be a gorl but i picked up all if my tie rods after and was easily able to hold em up with just my one weaker arm! I had to put a diff guard on since it gave so much clearance also! I can take pics of it if you want. The shop i use builds some nasty rigs!! (and i didnt pay the prices that are up there for the high steer or trac bar wbracket!). Connections are always nice to have. Im close to the delmar/bethlehem area.
Hope that helps.

how much would you be selling the kit you are taking off for? you said it 4"?

Mind you there are not alot of shock mfg out there. I think Rusty's are relabeled Gaberials. Many people just buy from a mfg and slap their silly name on it.

fzabolla said:

how much would you be selling the kit you are taking off for? you said it 4"?

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Are you SERIOSLY interested?
If you are serIous in a buy and my first guy that im working with falls through then you would be next. Only thing with you is that he only lives 2 hours away so the cost of shipping is gone (and thats a big number), i can just go pick up CASH and take him for a ride to show him what my XJ's made out of. Im leaving him every piece of personal information of me down to the social security number so that he feels safe while i order my new parts and swap them out so that im rollong on something when i remove his lift. And now im just waiting to see if a friend will be able to help me to make it quicker and easier or i may be faced with going to my 4X4 buddys that put in some of the components that i could not.
Let me know

GirlScout1 said:

Mind you there are not alot of shock mfg out there. I think Rusty's are relabeled Gaberials. Many people just buy from a mfg and slap their silly name on it.

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I FOUND SKYJACKERS HYDROS FOR $32 AND NITROS FOR $38 !!!
Bar pin eliminators in the rear and upper shock eye conversion for the fronts.

Im sold on shocks now!!

GirlScout1 said:

Mind you there are not alot of shock mfg out there. I think Rusty's are relabeled Gaberials. Many people just buy from a mfg and slap their silly name on it.

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very very true.

Things may have changed a little bit since I've been out of the sport, but before there was only gabriel and monroe. Other than that you had your choice of edelbrock, fox or bilstein shocks. We used to sell gabriel silver e shocks with our company sticker on it. They were the same shock as the old rancho 7000 back in the late 80's. Its now the same exact shock that fabtech used to sell with their kits. Before Dick Cepek closed, their shocks were identical to the rancho 5000 except for a slightly smaller shaft. And so on.

Alyzabeth said:

I FOUND SKYJACKERS HYDROS FOR $32 AND NITROS FOR $38 !!!
Bar pin eliminators in the rear and upper shock eye conversion for the fronts.

Im sold on shocks now!!

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I see you're from New York.
Do you know Gerard Cartaino?

Okie Terry said:

I see you're from New York.
Do you know Gerard Cartaino?

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No, doesnt ring a bell. I can ask my husband but what is the nature of this guy and why would i know him just for living in New York may i ask??

Alyzabeth said:

No, doesnt ring a bell. I can ask my husband but what is the nature of this guy and why would i know him just for living in New York may i ask??

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See this thread for details.

Well sorry there is NO connection to such a scumbag like that to me!!!

New York is very big and has lots of country land which is where im very close to living. If you travel a few hours south of me, then you hit suburb towns like some of the ones that may be found around what many concider to be "upstate NY", and are actualy around the capital region of N.Y. The capital of N.Y. is albany and im not sure of its specifics exept that it does have city like areas and some outskirts of very nice towns. NOW if you go another 2 hours south you still run into other suberb areas that i have actually lived in in my past but are still very similar to what people call "upstate ny". The only thing that these towns/cities that are south of the capital hold different is the fact that there only one to 2 hours away from the actual city that many just classify all of N.Y. to be and that place is known to us as Manhattan, the big apple, the city that never sleeps, the city thats so nice they named it twice, New York, New York.

Hope this takes the stereo type of the "New Yorker" away from your thoughts!
Thank you,
Alyzabeth.

I live a good 6 to 8 hours out from the actual cities you may be classifying New Yoprk to be. Im on country land where the closest gas station is 20 miles away and i actually own 33 acres of land so it would take you 10 minutes at high speeds on a dirt bike just to get across my own land.