My Rough Country lift installed.

[AmnDay]

Nice... Any issues with your steering linkage hitting the right sway bar pin when turned to the right? Mine does, I set the upper control arms at their recommended length. I think I'll have to pull them back about 3/8 to get the linkage to clear. I was going to confirm pinion angle as well. Hopefully it's just a bit high right now.

I have the 6.5 short arm with drop brackets, the rear springs on mine sagged on the driver side only and they sent me the wrong track bar first but they took care of me and made it right. My Steering does the same thing but when i fixed that it rode really bad and was kinda scary so i put it back but its probably the short arm.
And I have the relocation brackets but cant install the I get a SYE.

 

[GordoSmasho]

Keep in mind that the shackle relocators will add some lift to your current setup.

With the angle you have there you probably won't gain more than half an inch once you dial in the proper angle. Throw a ton of weight back there for a week or so and settle the springs in a bit. Then you can be sure you get the relocated shackle placed correctly.

My guess is you'll probably want the normal relocators. If you do the low profile you will likely loose lift. And it will become more exaggerated when the leaves get broken in.

 

[Sneaky]

With the angle you have there you probably won't gain more than half an inch once you dial in the proper angle. Throw a ton of weight back there for a week or so and settle the springs in a bit. Then you can be sure you get the relocated shackle placed correctly.

My guess is you'll probably want the normal relocators. If you do the low profile you will likely loose lift. And it will become more exaggerated when the leaves get broken in.

Thanks for the heads up. Makes perfect sense. It's a little raked now. I'll load up the back and break these springs in the add the shackles. Here in another month I'm doing armor and bumpers with a rear tire carrier. That'll help keep me level for a bit till the rear starts sagging more than ride height.

 

[xpedition xj-eh!]

Ya it's a 6.5 lift. Same as your leaf setup. Before I bought this lift I saw several pictures of the shackle at 45 degrees the wrong way. Talking with Jason at RC he said they're 1/4 inch longer and softer than previous.

I'm one of the guys with the horrid reverse shackle angle after installing RC springs. To date, RC has been of no help in trying to resolve this issue. I just chatted with them again and pointed them to your quote regarding new longer and softer springs. Jimmie (support staff) flat out denied that the springs have changed. He told me they will release newer springs in 8 to 12 months.

My chat with RC:

History:
Thanks for contacting us. An operator will be with you shortly...

[Mitch] Hello, how may I help you?
[Neil Grover] Hi, I installed the XJ x-series 4.5 lift last October. I wasn't happy with the shackle angle in the rear (see here: http://i4s.ca/photo/picture.php?/944/category/7 )

I had chatted with you guys a couple months back and was told you were working on a fix?
[Neil Grover] Any news on that? My shackle angle is still horrible ( pointing the wrong direction )
[Neil Grover] I was chatting with Jimmie. Just found some history. The chat was on October 2nd
[Neil Grover] "If he is willing to wait just keep his info until we have a solid fix"
[Neil Grover] Just wondering if there is a solid fix yet
[Mitch] sorry I was on the phone neil
[Neil Grover] np
[Mitch] let me get you to him
[Jimmie] Hello, how may I help you?
[Jimmie] what was this on
[Neil Grover] Jeep Cherokee XJ
[Neil Grover] 1997
[Neil Grover] I bought the X-Series 4.5 inch lift from Alberta Engine & Parts ( http://albertaengine.com/ )
[Jimmie] we are waiting on the new springs its going to be around 8-12 months out
[Neil Grover] Do you have the text I typed to Mitch? I was just describing my shackle angle dilema
[Jimmie] to fix the problem the shackle relocation kit would fix it
[Neil Grover] So my gripe boils down to this then: I paid for a kit that was advertised to work without any relocation kit. I put it in and the shackle angle is... very wrong. Now I have to pay for another one of your products to fix it?
[Jimmie] thats all I have at the time to fix it until I get the new springs in
[Neil Grover] Does that seem OK to you? No really? wouldn't you be a tad upset if you were in my shoes?
[Neil Grover] I'm not the only one complaining .. so is this how you guys deal with this engineering mishap with other customers? I'll bet they aren't happy either.
[Jimmie] what you will need to do is call in and speak to a manager thats all I can do
[Neil Grover] what about this guy: http://naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1096666&highlight=low+profile+shackle+relocation

He ordered his kit recently. I'm curious about this quote: "When I ordered my lift I was told the springs are now longer and softer"
[Neil Grover] are the springs that are shipping now longer and softer?
[Jimmie] they have not been changed yet
[Neil Grover] Can you please take this chat and forward it to your manager. I can't call right now and I want the history of this chat to be forwarded to him/her.
[Jimmie] I dont have a way to do that
[Neil Grover] What his his email?
[Neil Grover] typo. should have been "what is his email"
[Jimmie] *censored*@roughcountry.com
[Neil Grover] Ok thanks Jimmie. I guess you've done all you're going to do for me. I'll email him this dialogue and see where it gets me.
[Jimmie] No problem, have a great day!

I emailed the manager. I'll update this post if I hear back from him.

 

[Sneaky]

Crazy... Wonder why they told me this other than to sell me on it. Very frustrating. Also told me that no one has complained in months about the issue. However, on the other forum I found posts regarding this issue just weeks before I ordered my kit.

 

[xpedition xj-eh!]

Crazy... Wonder why they told me this other than to sell me on it. Very frustrating. Also told me that no one has complained in months about the issue. However, on the other forum I found posts regarding this issue just weeks before I ordered my kit.

Your shackle angle looks better than mine. Perhaps they did make the springs longer and softer but they don't want to tell existing customers like me that they goofed up and now have a better spring? Maybe we'll never know.

I haven't heard back from the manager yet. I will post his response if I ever get one. I realize I bought a cheap product and was forewarned that better products existed...but I've also read a lot of people praising their customer support and how Rough Country bends backwards to make their customers happy with warranty, defective parts, and returns. That's why I'm surprised that they are largely ignoring this issue and the people complaining about it.

They way I see it, here are the possible outcomes:
1) They ignore me... which means I can't possibly recommend them or their customer service to anyone else.
2) They offer the relocation brackets at a heavy discount. Not an ideal solution, but it would show partial effort on their part to make their customers happy. I'd stop going out of my way to give their customer service a bad name.
3) They give me free relocation brackets. I'd be slightly happier and would praise their customer service for coming clean about a defectively designed product and their effort to make customers happy.
4) They release new leaf springs in 8-12 months (as they told me) and they send me replacements. This would be the ultimate solution but they haven't given me any indication that they intend to do this. Funny how they say new springs are coming (which means there is a problem) but then leave me hanging without a solution.

I predict I'll be ignored and just buy some FST low profile relocation brackets. That would of course leave me being pissed with Rough Country because I had to spend money to fix their problem.

 

[scottmcneal]

You need longer shackles thats all.Those springs are for there 6.5 lift.

 

[xpedition xj-eh!]

You need longer shackles thats all.Those springs are for there 6.5 lift.

My Jeep is being worked on for the next couple weeks and I plan to get some new shackles. I just thought I would contact them to see how they handle their own mistake. That said, the kit is sold as a 4.5 inch lift kit without shackles and their customer service said I didn't need longer ones. I don't think longer shackles will completely fix this problem either... just make it slightly less worse. I also don't want more than 4.5 inches of lift. Hence I think I'll be going for some FST low profile relocation brackets

 

[scottmcneal]

Looks like they sent you the wrong springs then.Show them this link for the thread and ask them to come on here to say why it sits this way.I haven't had any big problems with there stuff. I know shit happens, but i have been lucky in all the years i have been doing lifts on 4x4's.
If Jason is still around i would talk to him, he is a great guy to deal with when it comes to RC lifts.

 

[xpedition xj-eh!]

Show them this link for the thread and ask them to come on here to say why it sits this way.

Good idea Scott. I just did exactly that. We'll see what happens.

 

[scottmcneal]

Made be this will help, if not they'll know people are talking about being treated bad by them.I know they worked hard for there rep and don't want to screw it up.I think they have a great product