Rusty's vs. Rubicon Express

[laredo]

I have a 99 xj (auto)and I am going for a 3" suspension lift so I can run 31" BFG's.I do light 4 wheeling and I am on the highway alot so I prefer a smooth ride.I can only spend about 500-600.The 2 kits I've narrowed it down to are either the Rusty's 3" springpack or the Rubicon Express 3.5" super-ride kit with aal.I can't afford to do a Sye or re-gear it and I know that's probably what I'll have to do if I get the RE 3.5.Do you guys agree?Should I go for the RE with aal or the Rustys with leafpack.Which one will I run into the least amount of problems with?Do I need the t-case lowering kit with the Rusty's because I know with the RE I do.I have been doing alot of research and I'm getting very mixed results.Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks

[Starscream]

If you only do light wheeling, do the Rusty's kit. If you get into harder stuff later, buy RE hard parts (arms, trac-bar, etc.). With a 99, you may still need an SYE no matter what, so plan to budget that in. You can always do a t-case drop, but that gets mixed reviews.

[laredo]

What makes you say a 99 with rustys needs a sye?I've heard this a little about the newer Cherokees but never a why.

[cwlongshot]

There is NO comparison.
Buy RE or youll be spending money twice, once you find out Rustys makes crap! You get what you pay for. RE too rich for you...there is MANY better choices than Rustys, IMHO.

CW

[need4speedjp]

I am gonna say RE thats my 2 pennies, but i'll admit not a lot of experience with rustys

[rocklandxjer]

i wouldnt say rustys makes crap, i have it and im overly happy with his stuff.

its true when he first started they said his stuff was not up to par to say the least, but if you do a little more research youll see that his stuff has come along way.

they are laser cut and machine welded. imho he makes some pretty sturdy stuff.

[laredo]

i wouldnt say rustys makes crap, i have it and im overly happy with his stuff.

its true when he first started they said his stuff was not up to par to say the least, but if you do a little more research youll see that his stuff has come along way.

they are laser cut and machine welded. imho he makes some pretty sturdy stuff.


That's what I've been hearing as well,that he turned the quality around.

[rocklandxjer]

yea, most of the people on here who say that rusty puts out bad quality products dont run any of his stuff (of course some of them do i am sure)

he is also great to deal with

imho ive heard nothing but great things about RE
if i remember correctly that kit comes with uppers?? if not id say deffinately go rustys cause a full leaf pack will help you out alot, an add a leaf will sag sooner or later leaving you with a much lower rear than front.

but upper control arms might get to be an issue later on, or not

my vote is for rustys, but let the thread go for a while see what others say

[seeker71]

I bought the fixed lower control arms for a 3" lift from rusty's, quality looked good. Time Will Tell.

[laredo]

Anyone here running a 3.5 RE super-ride without SYE and retaining stock gears?It seems that the RE 3.5 actually gives you about 4.5" of lift installed.

[Starscream]

I'll just say this: I won't bad mouth anyone's stuff until I personally break it. However, seeing others break it may persuade me not to buy it.

Also, most 97+ have more trouble with vibes. I'm not really sure why. Search for an answer on here.

[RyanM]

just because rustys has good deals does not mean its crap. he, like everytoher comp. has had some bad rep and bad expeiriance with products. RE is obviously better in that hard parts catagory, but IMO rustys springs are up there with the best, besides coilovers-great and soft and flex. thats why i run his springs.

[shimmy]

its true when he first started they said his stuff was not up to par to say the least, but if you do a little more research youll see that his stuff has come along way.


well, it wasn't when he first started that people complained about welds and overall quality. in fact it has always been a complaint.

[MoparManiac]

I run the RE 3.5" Superride on my '91 2-dr (my commuter during the school year). I just installed it about 2-3 weeks ago.

All I did was do the t-case drop and shim the axle 3*. I probably should have went with a 2* shim as i get slight vibes on acceleration, nothing that would make me think twice about driving it though.

As for an SYE, I don't have any experience with newer jeeps. Personally, I have the longer and lower pinion 8.25. I don't think the angle is too severe at all and I gained about 4-4.5 inches of lift.

EDIT: Forgot to add, I bought the fullpacks version with the DT3000 shocks from www.jeepinoutfitters.com. Granted my springs haven't settled yet, it's a little harsher ride than stock so I might go with better shocks if you can afford them.

[2xtreme]

I have installed at least 5 or 6 of rusty's 3" and 4.5" lifts with either full spring packs or aal's. Every single one of them has been wonderful and is still going strong and each of the owners are still happy with the products.

At 3" of lift and 31's you can use stock length control arms.

With a newer xj (96+) you will need at least a trasfercase drop and the rear to be shimmed properly. If that doesn't work for you plan for a SYE. It has to do with the output shaft of the transfercase and the interaction with different rear axles (input shafts, lengths, heights). Tons of info to reasearch here on that. You "might" be able to get away with the drop kit, might not.

At 3" of lift the RE kit will be slightly stiffer, the Rusty's kit will be slightly softer.

Michael

[XJ6]

I just installed the Rusty's 3 inch with spring pack on my '96 with 4.0L, auto and 242. I did add 3* shims during install - drove it and had vibes, next day I added the T/C drop and vibes are gone, drives nicely on street and interstate with 31x10.5 BFG ATs on stock rims, haven't had a chance to hit any trails yet but am expecting it will do well. BTW the front tires rub LCAs on tight slow turns - need to add shims to steering stops.

Mike

[WB9YZU]

A note on the 96 and up vibes thing.

Make sure the front pinion/DS angle is zero after intallation.
Make sure all of your rear drive shaft u-joints are good.
When you reinstall the rear driveshaft, be sure to grease the slip yoke while you have it off.

As someone who installed a 3" lift on my 98' and ran it around for 3 years....
Initially it had vibes. Replacing the U-joints with new and greased the slip yoke took care of it.
I also took special note of the DS angles and shimmed the cross member an 1/8".

The 4th year, and I lifted it another inch (4inch total). That's when the strange noises started durring start/stop traffic. Kind of a clunking. The only thing I found was that my cross member was junk. It was pounded up about an inch. So I figured on a new cross member.
Just for grins, I ordered the 1" drop cross member from Rustys and installed it.
After I installed a Rusty's 1" Drop cross member, the truck became much smoother than it had been in years, and I lost a good degree or two on the drive shaft angle.

The cross member does not really loose any ground clearance. Ground to Cross member clearance was better than stock and the only thing I noticed was the t-case sat lower. Still, Rusty's makes a t-case skid for this little problem.

A good 1/2 year later and the skid is doing what it was meant to do, and the truck is still smooth.

[JEEPTUBE]

3 inches? Are u kidding me. U are wasting your money. Go get at least a 6 inch kit or u will never be satisfied and your XJ will not be satisfied. No poopoo spacers either. Get the real deal. Your XJ will love u for it.
U CAN DO IIITTT!!!

[uvaldetxj]

Yeah, you're wasting your time with a 3". I bought my 3" from rusty's last year.....I wish I would have waited another 3 months, I would have gotten the 6.5" at least.....

[cwlongshot]

just because rustys has good deals does not mean its crap. he, like everytoher comp. has had some bad rep and bad expeiriance with products. RE is obviously better in that hard parts catagory, but IMO rustys springs are up there with the best, besides coilovers-great and soft and flex. thats why i run his springs.


I said everything Rustys makes....Rustys does not make his springs, he too buys them and resells them. I have Rustys 4" leafs in the back of my MJ and am very happy with them. BUT the fact that they had to be shipped THREE times and took almost two months to get to me....they where IN STOCK, is a customer service problem. I ordered front coil retainers at the same time....still havent received them...Rustys collected my money for them...you can bet your last dollar on that!!!! I have written them off....almost 4 months now no word, Rustys dont care, as I said they got thier money!

CW

[jeepjay90]

i had no problems with them. i ordered my coils got them within 3-4 days and my longarm kit came in a week. but i heard the same in the past, but i took a chance.

[ODDBALL]

Go with the R.E. stuff. I have been pounding on the Rubicon Express stuff for over 8 years & counting & have nothing bad to say about the kit's. I have a friend here in Alaska that placed a order for the rustys Kit over 9 weeks ago & still has no kit in his hands. Not good when time is hard to come by with a short GOOD WEATHER season. I just set up the R.E. LA Kit on my 01 XJ & like the way things look like they will hold up to my driving style. I have seen the FullTraction Kit first hand & would never drop a dime on that kit for a XJ! IMO, they just LOOK good but still fall short on BEEF!

[steel58ers]

Go with the RE.. I picked up my 3.5 for under $600 with full rear spring packs minus shock.. another $160 for shocks with free shipping.. theres a few vendors on the site to get price quotes from..I'm leaving my stock 3.55 gears in with 31 tires until its no longer my daily driver and I have more money to regear and 33's

[algeroth79]

My buddy got Rusty's 3" (heavier load springs) on his 99 XJ
2* degree shims and T-case drop
I have also heard a YJ slip yoke can also help The gurus would know more about this.
He likes it. Its nice and stiff ride (he use to drive a civic)
The stuff looked good he had issues getting it to his house this is why I will not buy from Rusty.

I got another buddy that Loves Rusty and has a monster XJ that will give Rustys' rig a run for its money. He swears by Rusty

Me I would have gone with R.E. I have seen their stuff and delt with the people. I like getting answers and results quickly.
I was going to do R.E. 4.5" springs with RK long arm
But heading a different way trying something new
I will be posting once the build is on its way. All I will say is AIR ROCK. :)
If you have the time you can find deals on used parts that are in good shape.

thats my opinion

[WB9YZU]

2 deg shims and a t-case drop? Seems like overkill for a 3" lift.

The YJ slip yoke is bad info.

[rocklandxjer]

why is the yj slip yoke bad info??

its at least an inch longer and comes from the same transfer case. many people have installed these for some added slip

maybe ive been reading all wrong...

[djblade311]

affordability but customer service frustration = Rusty's

I have Rusty's 4.5 and the rear leaves had to be rebuilt. Front coils are nice though. If I had to do it again, RE.

[jdogg4]

I was going to go with rustys at first, but after shipping issues and then charging a CCs for stuff that hasn't shipped yet, and other bad customer service issues I went with RE. I have one thing from rustys on my rig and no more. That part alone is about to get trashed here pretty soon. I have seen some of his new stuff and it's better than it used to be, but still don't like the over all rusty setup he has going on.

What ever you go with sence it sounds like you got more of a DD rig than trail get OME shocks you will love them.

[Luggz]

Everything on my rig is Rusty's i have the long arm springs ect..Never had a prob with them and they always have been more than helpful with me...I'll buy from them again..

[krelja]

my vote is for RE I have the 4.5 and couldn't be happier got mine from jeepin.com with the OME shocks it drives amazing. I only have the TC drop and very minor vibes @ WOT. One other thing that changed my mind was that most of the rigs I saw with Rustys stuff the back end usually sits noticably higher than the front.

[Randy_66]

I have had the Rusty's three inch springpack kit on my 99 for about 9 months now. I think it is OK. The balance of cost to quality is there. I was very lucky with the customer service. The rear springs gave FAR more lift than the regular rate coils and I had to add 1 1/2 inch spacers in front to level it out. I got a used set of upper and lower control arms and the are functional. I would rather have the finer threads like the JKS arms, but these fit the budget.
I got a Rusty's adjustable trackbar that was useless. It was too long and pushed things an inch to the passenger side. Same friend I got the control arms from had an HD trackbar bracket and bushing end, which allowed me to finally center my axle. I think I actually got around 4 or 4 1/2 inches.
An SYE will be the next thing I do. I have the 242 so I don't have many good options, I plan on going with the Tom Woods kit. I am hoping to be able to run a front driveshaft on the rear also.
If I had it to do again I would have waited and got the T&T longarm kit and aimed for 5-6 inches The cost is indeed more but I think the results would be worth it.
Good Luck,
Randy

[laredo]

Thanks to everyone!

[RyanM]

just because rustys has good deals does not mean its crap. he, like everytoher comp. has had some bad rep and bad expeiriance with products. RE is obviously better in that hard parts catagory, but IMO rustys springs are up there with the best, besides coilovers-great and soft and flex. thats why i run his springs.
I said everything Rustys makes....Rustys does not make his springs, he too buys them and resells them. I have Rustys 4" leafs in the back of my MJ and am very happy with them. BUT the fact that they had to be shipped THREE times and took almost two months to get to me....they where IN STOCK, is a customer service problem. I ordered front coil retainers at the same time....still havent received them...Rustys collected my money for them...you can bet your last dollar on that!!!! I have written them off....almost 4 months now no word, Rustys dont care, as I said they got thier money!

CW
chill out little boy. i know he doesnt make his springs. sorry your panties are in a bunch, u dont have to quote me and blow off steam.

front coil retainers? if i lost 2.00 us dollars like that i would be mad too!!! i forgot Rusty personally delivers products in his XJ

[rocklandxjer]

yea i lost a package in the mail one time, i have completely written off USPS lol

just because you never got it doesnt mean he didnt send it. did you contact them and ask if it was shipped, how about ups or usps or fedex etc.

im thinkin its a shipping problem not rustys, if it was just some random guy id say yea you got swindled, but an actual company who deals nationwide, i doubt he would run your money like that.

i agree with the statement that skyjackedxj96 said hes just like every other company good and bad experiences.

[sandmcrew2]

I have a couple things to add here. I used to work for Stroppini Enterprises, the maker of almost everything Rubicon Express sells (only about 2 miles north of their shop). I can tell you that every single piece that is manufactured for them must be PERFECT. We QC'd as often as possible on the CNC machines, and if the machine mig welds werent absolutely (and I mean ABSOLUTLY) perfect, they were junked.

So you know which kit I chose for my XJ I just bought?? Rusty's 3" AAL. First off I didnt want almost 5" of lift the RE 3.5 gives, and second, all I wanted was the springs and shocks, because Im planning on fabricating all the links with RE super flex joints in the near future. Even without modifying anything yet exept the hole in the trac bar mount to recenter the axle, it drives great. Its a 98 BTW. I have 31's on 15x8, 4"BS. Had to extend the bumpstops and trim only a little, none that is noticable from the outside of the jeep (exept for the very front where I decided to trim off the front fender part on the front bumper). As for driveline vibrations, only between 45-52 MPH, and minor. Nothing a Transfer case drop (gay in my opinion) or a 3° axle shim cant fix, cant say that for the huge RE 3.5 lift. Also, if you get the full leaf pack 3" rustys, you will be raked out at about 5 inches in the rear and only 3 in the front, I would go with the AAL, perfect height front and rear, and ride is fine, especially after you do some wheelin to break them in and CHEAP!! I am very happy with my setup and tires/ new rims/ lift only cost about $700 total, you cant beat that. Sorry for the essay but hope this helps.
-Jerry

[JEEPTUBE]

CANT WE ALL JUST GET ALONG?

[ZachMan]

I've run both and I say RE all the way. Rustys control arms are crap, is tracbar/mount are crap, his coils are too soft, his springs alot of the time are very uneven...etc.

I live close to Rusty and he is a good guy, I just won't buy from him again. Plus RE ends up being atleast as cheap as Rustys when you add everything to Rustys kit to make them complete like RE.

[Bouncy]

I have mostly Rustys stuff on the front of my XJ. 4.5 coils, UCA/LCA adjustables, track bar, drop bracket and frame support.

Coils almost hit the sway bar and can't get the axle centered.
Seems like the clunking noise is from the UCAs but not sure. Every bump on the highway seems to thump my foot pretty good. Didn't have that before the adjustables went in.
Track bar is too long. Even when I removed the jam nut, it is still about 1 inch to long and has the axle pushed to far to the right.

As I redue my lift from 6.5 (using pucks) up to 8in lift, I plan to replace the parts with RE as I go. Whatever I can keep and use, I will but I see a long arm kit in the future with 8" lift. Just need to start gathering parts.

[Waterhammer]

I ran 3" for a long time w/ no SYE or transfer case drop. I'd drive to Moab, wheel for a while and hope not to break anything too bad, then drive home. Kept the stock gears and ran 32's. My only huge issues were steering which an adjustible track bar and drop down bracket (from Rustys) seemed to fix. But, if you don't have that much to spend, don't start modifing your jeep...

[JAS]

RE Coils and SuperRides LCAs up front and DakPak in the bak.

Actually I have the superflex arms but you said you do lots of highway. The only differances is the vibs and noise transmitted to the body from the road It is road noise. The rubber super ride bushings do not transmit the noise to the same effect as super flex joints do.

If you are looking to stay under 500 there are a couple of short cuts that can be done the Dak Pak is one of them. just get some S10 or Dakota packs from a bone yard and re-use the XJ main leaf and the bone yard springs to net you the desired lift to match the front.

[Nine Mile]

I bought my current XJ with pretty much all rusty's stuff up front.

I am slowly swapping it all for RE *much better quality IMHO) and it is already 60% better after gertting rid of his track bar and adjustable uppers so far.

[Highmiles]

"I have a 99 xj (auto)and I am going for a 3" suspension lift so I can run 31" BFG's.I do light 4 wheeling and I am on the highway alot so I prefer a smooth ride.I can only spend about 500-600."

Laredo -

I've got a '99 and kind of did the same thing your looking to do. I drive from NH to Framingham MA everyday, so highway ride was really important.

I did a mutt lift on mine that seems to work well. I installed the RE full length AAL, but removed the second stock spring (essentially replaced on spring with the other). I added Rocky Road 1 1/2" lift shackles and their1 1/2" coil spacers to the front. I'm sitting at 19 1/2" in the front and 20" in the rear. I needed a 1" Rusty's T-case drop and used 2.5* shims in the rear. I'm using their BPE's all around with stock shocks, but will replace those with slightly longer shocks later this fall.

The bottom line is the Jeep is smooth on the highway - no vibes at all. I spent well under your $500 budget, and I can fit 30" tires. Plus, I can use most of this stuff later when the Jeep's more of a fun rig and less of a commuter.

Opinions on here will differ, but I wouldn't put 31's on my jeep without regearing the speedo and regearing the driveline. Then, why spend the time & effort on regearing a D-35, let's put in a D 44. While I'm installing the D 44 I might as well put disc brakes on it.... and so the money pit begins.

Good luck

[laredo]

I talked to Rusty's yesterday and the guy there runs the 3" spring pack on his 2001.He said the ride is alot better with the springpack vs. aal and is woth the extra money.He has stock gears with 31" and the only thing he has besides the 3" lift is a transfer case drop.It does 80mph fine with no vibes and he drives 40 miles to work.The additional stuff I asked about such as the sye he said not to waste my money and that he could sell me one but that I don't need one at all.Yes I know he works there and it is a business but he truly seemed to care and had alot of knowledge.I think this is the setup I'm going to go with,I guess if I run into problems I'll just take it from there.Lol,and stop giving me all the bs about,"why go 3" when you can go 4" or 5" etc." That's all the height I'm looking for and if I listened to you guys I would have to move into my 12" lifted cherokee with dana 44's and lockers,snorkel,safari rack,air suspension etc. because I'd be broke!I do know what you mean though,you get that itch like"well this kit is only 200 more and this is an extra 100"Once again guys thanks for your help and opinions.

[gorp]

i have been beating my rusty stuff for 2 yrs now and have no probles. i dont know about re.

[laredo]

i have been beating my rusty stuff for 2 yrs now and have no probles. i dont know about re.

That could be taken the wrong way:shocked:

[Phager]

:laugh: :rof: Too Funny!

Pat

[rocklandxjer]

no, hes right, my rustys stuff SATISFIES me every time.
some times i need to grease 'er up but she just keeps boucin and climbin up over everything
im tellin ya rustys makes em gooood

lol

[dan]

I have had both on 88 XJ.Both worked fine both need to be kept up with.The RE seems a little stiffer but it seems to be better offroad. My thought is the only big difference is $ the base cost for the RE is higher but you get everything but the sye and shocks.The Rustys kit you will add to at some point. Try to look ahead at what your use wiil be 2-3 years down the road if you plan to get something else or you are just going offroad once in awhile then Rustys is fine. If your are going hardcore and plan to keep this XJ then save up and go with RE mine is 5.5" with Arcos and shackles and I'm getting a good 7". No matter which way you go it is alot of work but that seems to go with being a XJ owner.

[edgreeson65]

get Rusty's it's cheeper at the same quality.

[gung_ho_xj]

I'm happy with my rusty's kit so far

[JEEPTUBE]

Im happy with my Reubicon E kit. I guess its just a preference around here. Ill stick with RE, JCR, and c-rok.