rooneypower said:
3" spring pack kit (Rustys) $418.00 - Some swear by Rusty's, most swear at him. Never had to use him so can't say for sure...
JKS Quick Disconnects $127.00 - do Quicker Discos, or better yet, fab your own. They're easy to do and cost like $20...
Pitman drop (do i need one?) $59.00 - nope.
T case Drop (do i need one?) $20.00
A/A SYE w/ Tom Woods driveshaft (do i need one?) $480.00
Okay. Here's where things get hairy. I own a 2000 Jeep XJ with 4" of lift that initially started out a Skycrapper and ended up piecemeal. I'm not running an SYE OR a t-case drop, although I will be popping in a drop here shortly (mostly preventative maintenance). Why is that? I've NEVER developed driveline vibes or death wobble. It's not to say that I won't EVER get it, It's just not happened yet. With 4.5"? START with the t-case drop. Buy it AND DON'T put it on. Completely install the lift kit, get the front-end balanced AND aligned, take it on the highway, and open 'er up. If death wobble be waitin' fer ya, it won't take long to feel it. If it comes THEN install the t-case drop, and then take it for another drive. If the problem worsens you'll need the SYE. If it improves vastly, you didn't throw money at a phantom problem. Nuff said.
2" shackles (non greaseable) $49.95 - No. Get greasables. Seriously. Unless you like to listen to squeaking ALL THE TIME.
1 3/4" coil spacers + $40.95 - since you've been shaving money off on other things, DO THIS RIGHT. Get 4" springs right from the get-go. If you're looking to go higher down the road, buy yourself a set of ACOS's later on (Adjustable Coil Over Spacers). Then you can adjust the ride height in the front to compensate for loads like an aftermarket bumper and winch.
NEEDED ITEMS:
You have to have these when putting on a kit this size.
New Lower Control Arms - Your stock control arms aren't gonna stretch to accomodate that 4" of lift. (EDIT: Double-check this. I did one when I lifted mine, but it might not be as necessary. If you DO need one, get adjustables.)
Trackbar relocation bracket - That bar's gonna get in the way of your suspension.
NEW SHOCKS - Either hydro or nitro gas shocks, depending on your mood.
OTHER ITEMS:
Okay. Here is a small list of stuff that is optional but could really help your Jeep-modding life a little more.
DPG Offroad Bumpstop Plates - These are a lifesaver. They keep you from continuously "bottoming out" your rear axle and overflexing your leaf pack. They mount at the u-bolts and bump against your bumpstops when you flex your leaf pack. Saves wear and tear on your rear suspension and it's also adjustable!!!
Bar Pin Eliminators (BPE's) - Like quick dosconnects, you can either buy these or fashion your own. Ever had to swap out shocks? Ever had to rebore and tap a %^&# shock bolthole because the damn thing rusted itself in the hole and snapped when you went to remove them? You more than likely will in this kit, so add these on anyway. They mount where your shock crosspin goes (at the bottom near the coils in the front, and at the undercarriage in the back), and make your life easier if you have to swap out shocks for varying ride heights.
Tow Points - Dependent on what you're doing, either rock-crawling, mudding, or mallin'. If you intend to wheel that thing, you're gonna need recovery points. Places for d-shackles and tow hooks front AND back are a necessity. In the rear, a towing kit is all that is needed to give you a rear anchor. On the front, consider mounting tow hooks to the frame. Even if you never get stuck, you can always save someone else...
SKID PLATES/ROCK RAILS - I don't care if you never take your rig into a rock garden or not, even BASIC trailing you'll come across an area where you might scrape something, either the diffs, the LCA's, the undercarriage, especially your gas tank, which is highly susceptable to denting/punctures due to its inconvenient location. At the very least, a gas tank skid will keep you from losing fuel economy when you score that big hit in the rear coming off of a rock (the dent takes up room inside the tank that gas would normally accomodate), or at the very least, save yourself from leaking gas all the way back to the trailhead after puncturing your tank on a log you straddled on the trail. And the rock rails? You're investing in a Hi-Lift, how are you gonna jack that beast up? Not on the side of the body.
Hope all this helps you.
:wierd:
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