Why does everyone recommend RE???

[Aloha365]

I just spent the weekend installing a RE 3.5 sf kit. I picked out this kit from reading this forum and talking to everyone I could.I currently have not tested the result of my lift as I am waiting for shocks but I can tell you this, most of the Christmas toys I assembled this year had better instructions. I cannot believe after spending over $600 (with adj track bar and extended shacks) that I got 3 pieces of note paper, single sided as instructions. The track bar instructions do not even talk about how to assemble the heim joint end you are just suppose to 'know'. You are also just suppose to guess which direction the shackles are suppose to go in.

Granted I am a shade-tree mechanic but come on for $600 and with there reputation I was expecting a 9 page color instuction manual with photos of nearly every nut and bolt. When I called RE 'Mike' told me the instructions I have are the updated ones and everyone has been very happy with them...well I guess I am just expecting to much but you would think RE would take some of that money they are making and invest in a &*%$ digital camera and photo printer.

I installed a Skyjacker 3" double flex kit and paid more than you did for the RE kit. A buddy of mine installed a comparable RE kit and paid less. RESULT: He was calling me for measurments and directions for his kit that the Skyjacker kit came with, and he is pretty mechanically inclined (including setting up ring and pinions). Instructions for the Skyjacker lift had multiple pages and pictures that showed important parts of the installation, only one complaint black and white. I also looked at the quality of the kits. I saw that not only did my Skyjacker kit come with better instructions, but all the parts seemed to be better built and looked much much stronger and reliable.

 

[TOZOVR]

I installed a Skyjacker 3" double flex kit and paid more than you did for the RE kit. A buddy of mine installed a comparable RE kit and paid less. RESULT: He was calling me for measurments and directions for his kit that the Skyjacker kit came with, and he is pretty mechanically inclined (including setting up ring and pinions). Instructions for the Skyjacker lift had multiple pages and pictures that showed important parts of the installation, only one complaint black and white. I also looked at the quality of the kits. I saw that not only did my Skyjacker kit come with better instructions, but all the parts seemed to be better built and looked much much stronger and reliable.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahbwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaa....

 

[Letterman]

instructions?
Sheet, I can't read! I put on 2 RE lift kits and never read the directions.
Just put on like the stock parts came off, if that don't work put it back to stock!!

OK just kidding, but seems like everyone has a write up on the net on just about everything. Did you try to search the web?

Also everyone recommended RE because we are all Lemmings and like to do what everyone tells us! Now we just need to find the first person that said to use RE and Kick his @ss!
My XJ has Pro-Crap and it sucks!

 

[small pederson]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahbwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahahahahaa....

come on now, give the guy a break :laugh2:

 

[small pederson]

Maybe some of you have missed the point, I figured out which way the shackles go in and how the heim joint parts fit together...BUT I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FIGURE THAT STUFF OUT!!! The shackles could certainly go in the other direction, in fact if you look at the access to the zerk the 'wrong' direction makes more sense.

This is a kit, a system which is meant to work together, the point is to take the guess work out of the lift. RE has left me with guess work on at least 3 items.... way to much for me.

I am starting to understand how thing got this way, the customers do not require good instruction from the venders

its good to know how everything fits together...so WHEN you break it, you can fix it

 

[Urban Redneck]

It was certainly one of the factors considering I have never lifted an XJ (although I have done other lifts before) and since I was doing this over New Years weekend with all my 'help' out of town and I was doing this solo.

I didn't have a hard time figuring it out but the point is I shouldn't have to, if I had known how bad the instructions were I would have either waited and done this lift when I had some help, chosen to go with another lift or waited until RE got there head out of there &*$ and got some real instructions.

I understand how silly this might sound to someone who has done 12 XJ lifts but understand where I am coming from, I am very mechanical have built hot rods and 4x4s; engine, transmissions, lifts you name it. I wanted this lift to be a nice little weekend project taking about 8hrs (which is what this instructions say) instead because of these crappy instructions and alot of factory loctite it took about 25 hrs and was not fun.

I have never installed a lift before but have built a few engines. From what I have seen from my RE kit (2" BB, Full AAL) and the instructions, it shouldn't be a problem. I thought that the instructions were pretty straight forward. I wouldn't bash RE for the factory locktite problem, either. 25 hours solo on a lift...? Seems like a little long, but nothing out of the ordinary for flyin' solo. Just my .02

 

[Çrestfa||en]

I got a sticker on the door into the garage that says it all. "REAL MEN don't read instructions"

 

[Danno]

I started out with Rusty's parts and then migrated to Tomken, RE, JKS, ORGS, etc. There never was any instructions worth a crap. If you want TOTAL instructions then you are in the wrong business. I went into this with your kind of expectations but soon got over them as NOBODY had great instructions. NOBODY. Also, most parts always seemed to need some modifications due to the fact that Jeep has poor tolerances in their manufacturing.
Look at what you take off and then replace it with the part that looks most like it. Ask LOTS of ?? in these forums. I did and was helped quite a bit.

 

[CRASH]

Also, most parts always seemed to need some modifications due to the fact that Jeep has poor tolerances in their manufacturing.

That's funny Danno, I'm always trying to convince people about the excellent build quality of Toyota parts and no one ever believes me.

I can tell you that I've swapped ring an pinions around on Toyota diffs of different vintages and designs (elocked to open and vice-versa) and never had to change pinion depth shims. They hold tolerances SOOOOO much tighter than USA designs.

Oh well, still love my Jeep, it just needs more Toyota parts, like a 7MGTE motor.

CRASH

 

[RCP Phx]

I understand how silly this might sound to someone who has done 12 XJ lifts but understand where I am coming from, I am very mechanical have built hot rods and 4x4s; engine, transmissions, lifts you name it. I wanted this lift to be a nice little weekend project taking about 8hrs (which is what this instructions say) instead because of these crappy instructions and alot of factory loctite it took about 25 hrs and was not fun.

You want to see bad instructions,buy some kind of a kids toy like a "Jungle-Gym".LOL

Seriously,when you got the kit and started looking at the parts and the instructions,if you had any questions why didnt you call RE or ask any of the "boards" before you even started!!!!!!!!

 

[Kejtar]

I don't think anyone posted this link yet, but for any future readers here ya go: http://www.rubiconexpress.com/instructions/instructions.asp

My upper and lower arms and track bar bracket came with instructions each. They were satisfactory, although I did question something that didn't make much sense to me, but..... a quick post on had me going again (I worked on a different part while waiting for an answer).

In any case, as many have said, you will never get perfect instructions. Even good is too much to ask for! A good example would be a Nortel phone switch. Those things cost a LOT and the documentation for them is terrible! And even the trainng their techs get leaves a lot to be desired....

Anyways, one of my side projects that will help me with my jeep projects involves setting up a comp in the garage. I already ran cat 5 almost all the way there, now I just gotta drop it down a wall, install a wall socket, dust off one of my older comps and monitors and fire 'em up. Then I will always be close to all the resources (pdf'd fsm's and so on) and even have some tunes streaming from the net or my mp3 collection.

 

[RCP Phx]

Ive only bought parts from RE(no kits) so I dont know what their printed instructions look like,but their online instructions look real good(w/ pics)!!!
http://www.rubiconexpress.com/instructions/instructions.asp

I did 2 days ago! No response!How much easier does it get?

 

[Kejtar]

I did 2 days ago!no response!

Lol.... I must have missed that... there was so much to read here

 

[Stoney]

boo hoo hoo!!!!!!! go cry to ur mother!!!!!

stoney

 

[XJEEPER]

I wanted this lift to be a nice little weekend project taking about 8hrs (which is what this instructions say) instead because of these crappy instructions and alot of factory loctite it took about 25 hrs and was not fun.

Sorry you had so much trouble..........ask Chewy about his TSM rear disc install sometime........you don't know how good you have it!
:laugh:
We've all had stuff not go our way before, hopefully your efforts in enlightening RE on their deficient instructions will make things better for those that purchase the product in the future.

 

[Moto]

Wow you mean that yours came with Instructions? I can't say that I was as fortunate, my whole RE kit came in many boxes half destroyed with no directions in sight, gotta love UPS, except for my JKS discos that I bought at the same time. And I had never installed any XJ lift kit before in my life. I Do hear what you are saying, I expected the lift to come with full easy to understand directions, I mean even my maglite came with them and you have to be slow to not know how to use a flashlite, but anyways half of the fun and the challenge of lifting your Jeep is figuring stuff out. What your instructions may have lacked I am sure that many of us on here could have helped you out. I know that alot of us are running RE kits and have been more than happy with them, sure there are other kits with better directions, but that doesnt mean that they hold up or perform very well, ask alot of people on here about how well their Pricejacker kits are holding up, I seem to remember quite a few posts about the crappy quality of some of their components. Directions arent everything, and if you ever need help with anything XJ related, you already know the place to ask it.