A lift that rides better than stock...truth or fiction??

[Wendy.HemiDreams]

After 7 jeeps, what has been your experience with different brands? Anything you liked or disliked?

My experience:

1. Don't let my husband install it.

2. Dont buy a cheap liftkit, and then experience the shimmy in the drive shaft, realize the angle was too great and run down to "bubba's garage" down the street to have him guess what the problem is.

3. Don't let people tell you that castor adjustments, adjstable trackbars and steering dampeners will fix deathwobble from a poorly installed lift.

4. Body lift + shacklelift + coilover= BODY ROLL

5. Good shocks are lifechanging.

 

[Wendy.HemiDreams]

And regarding brands, we've used a few Rubicon Express and Rancho kits with not great results. Then had to keep adding more parts to fix new issues: Bilstein shocks, rough country adjustable trackbars and drop pitman arms.

 

[10frank9]

And regarding brands, we've used a few Rubicon Express and Rancho kits with not great results. Then had to keep adding more parts to fix new issues: Bilstein shocks, rough country adjustable trackbars and drop pitman arms.

What kind of issues did you have?

 

[UpsideUp]

I wanted to echo what others are saying about AEV. I have the 4.5" with 35" with anticipation of going to 37" as upgrades continue. And although I feel it handles better than stock did (body roll) it is a much stiffer ride (rough on the bumps). This has improved with approximately 10k miles and some of the extra weight of bumpers, rails, winch, etc.
With that being said I wish I would have rode in an ORE lift first. For less money it seems to have a lot of endorsement from people here that it is a great combination of ride and handling. And...I would absolutely love to have a ride in some of these Jeeps with the Double Throw Downs. Of course they are out of my financial reach I'm sure it would have me saving my pennies.:thumb:

 

[Wendy.HemiDreams]

What kind of issues did you have?

I really do appreciate you help. But, I'm not trying to diagnose a current issue. I will be starting completely from scratch an now understand that I need to make an investment if I want an excellent lift, done right the first time. I have, with my previous Wranglers, spent way too much time reading posts until my eyes bled to diagnose problems.

 

[MTG]

This is where I have to disagree. For how I use my Jeeps, I want a nice ride AND great handling and I've gone to great lengths to have both. Granted, what I have didn't come cheap and is far out of the reach of most people but, to suggest that a lifted Jeep can't have a superior ride and handling is just nonsense. In the end, handing comes from correct suspension and steering geometry and a lower center of gravity/wider stance. We purposefully have our white Jeep clearing 40" tires with just 3" of lift and our wide stance allows us to drive hard fast and corner with confidence. Ask anyone who's driven behind us what it's like to try and keep up - MTG might be a good person to ask as he just recently tried following us through a tight windy mountain road and had this discussion. Ride comfort come first and foremost from the coils you have. Unfortunately, the taller you go, the stiffer the coils tend to be as that helps to prevent deflection. Also, most manufacturers like AEV try to make their coils to hold up a lot of weight - in fact, it's a selling point of theirs. You just can't have a coil that's designed to hold up a lot of weight also be comfortable. Shocks will round out the difference but are secondary when it comes to ride comfort.

Well shoot...If I CAN have it all I DO want it all. I just thought I had to choose.

Ah yes, Walker Canyon.

Wendy...first let me say that my jeep handles AND rides great! 4" Enforcer with King 2.5" shocks. I've yet to find a trail it couldn't handle and I've yet to feel the need to upgrade to coilovers. That said, it in no way handles as good as Eddie's jeep. As he said, there was no way for me to keep up with him on that windy road. I could see his jeep corner with little to no body roll at the same time feeling mine leaning. That said, there is a significant price difference between the two. :yup:

I've written this quite a few times but here is what I recommend:
Smaller budget: EVO Enforcer kit with Bilstein/Rancho shocks and drag link flip kit (I wouldn't bother with anything else, save until you can get this).
Bigger budget: Same, but get King shocks 2.0s or 2.5s
Budget not a concern: DTD/EvoLever

Good luck!

 

[Wendy.HemiDreams]

I wanted to echo what others are saying about AEV. I have the 4.5" with 35" with anticipation of going to 37" as upgrades continue. And although I feel it handles better than stock did (body roll) it is a much stiffer ride (rough on the bumps). This has improved with approximately 10k miles and some of the extra weight of bumpers, rails, winch, etc.
With that being said I wish I would have rode in an ORE lift first. For less money it seems to have a lot of endorsement from people here that it is a great combination of ride and handling. And...I would absolutely love to have a ride in some of these Jeeps with the Double Throw Downs. Of course they are out of my financial reach I'm sure it would have me saving my pennies.:thumb:

I'll look into that. I'm with you. It's not that money is no object. But, the time effort and frustration that has come from trying to pinch pennies while installing a lift has not been worth the savings. Maybe if we were blessed enough to enjoy the time spent under the Jeep tinkering. Some people are just not mechanically (engineer) inclined that way. We install our own bolt on parts. But, the lift has more to do with safetly on and off road. We have learned at this point to leave that to the experts.

 

[Wendy.HemiDreams]

Ah yes, Walker Canyon.

Wendy...first let me say that my jeep handles AND rides great! 4" Enforcer with King 2.5" shocks. I've yet to find a trail it couldn't handle and I've yet to feel the need to upgrade to coilovers. That said, it in no way handles as good as Eddie's jeep. As he said, there was no way for me to keep up with him on that windy road. I could see his jeep corner with little to no body roll at the same time feeling mine leaning. That said, there is a significant price difference between the two. :yup:

I've written this quite a few times but here is what I recommend:
Smaller budget: EVO Enforcer kit with Bilstein/Rancho shocks and drag link flip kit (I wouldn't bother with anything else, save until you can get this).
Bigger budget: Same, but get King shocks 2.0s or 2.5s
Budget not a concern: DTD/EvoLever

Good luck!

Nice! Thank you for that. You've given me some good options for each of the price points. :thumb:

 

[DWiggles]

Ah yes, Walker Canyon.

Wendy...first let me say that my jeep handles AND rides great! 4" Enforcer with King 2.5" shocks. I've yet to find a trail it couldn't handle and I've yet to feel the need to upgrade to coilovers. That said, it in no way handles as good as Eddie's jeep. As he said, there was no way for me to keep up with him on that windy road. I could see his jeep corner with little to no body roll at the same time feeling mine leaning. That said, there is a significant price difference between the two. :yup:

I've written this quite a few times but here is what I recommend:
Smaller budget: EVO Enforcer kit with Bilstein/Rancho shocks and drag link flip kit (I wouldn't bother with anything else, save until you can get this).
Bigger budget: Same, but get King shocks 2.0s or 2.5s
Budget not a concern: DTD/EvoLever

Good luck!

why would you jump straight to the DTD? Im just asking as im trying to understand the options. Why wouldnt something of a "Good-better-best"? as in the bolt on F&R coilovers, then Bolt-on front w/ EvoLever rear, then the DTD system front and back?

I am interested in this topic as i will be lifting my jeep with coilovers MOST LIKELY, but I do not see myself ever utilizing the DTD system, and these are the things Im thinking about as I wear my factory tires. so this is my reason for asking. (after lift- 37s on my factory D44s, and replace axles as they break, 40s possible)

-Noob, NO lift experience- but "Buy once, Cry Once"

Thank you, sorry for the thread jack.

 

[OverlanderJK]

why would you jump straight to the DTD? Im just asking as im trying to understand the options. Why wouldnt something of a "Good-better-best"? as in the bolt on F&R coilovers, then Bolt-on front w/ EvoLever rear, then the DTD system front and back?

I am interested in this topic as i will be lifting my jeep with coilovers MOST LIKELY, but I do not see myself ever utilizing the DTD system, and these are the things Im thinking about as I wear my factory tires. so this is my reason for asking. (after lift- 37s on my factory D44s, and replace axles as they break, 40s possible)

-Noob, NO lift experience- but "Buy once, Cry Once"

Thank you, sorry for the thread jack.

Why tell us you have had 7 jeeps if you have no clue about jeeps? Seems kind of irrelevant.

 

[Sharkey]

For myself, handling is the most important. The ride is secondary. I want tight steering and relatively little body roll. It's just the nature of the beast that the ride will be stiff, but I don't want to get beat up during the trip.

The double entendres abound. Lol.

 

[DWiggles]

Why tell us you have had 7 jeeps if you have no clue about jeeps? Seems kind of irrelevant.

I didnt, that was my first post in the thread? Sorry for your confusion, I was just addressing the topic. I'm here to read and pop in an ocasional question from time to time. once I learn a thing or two specifically, I'll chime in. Gotta "earn my stripes" so to say. Ha! Screen names should help you figure out who's whom :yep:

 

[MTG]

why would you jump straight to the DTD? Im just asking as im trying to understand the options. Why wouldnt something of a "Good-better-best"? as in the bolt on F&R coilovers, then Bolt-on front w/ EvoLever rear, then the DTD system front and back?

I am interested in this topic as i will be lifting my jeep with coilovers MOST LIKELY, but I do not see myself ever utilizing the DTD system, and these are the things Im thinking about as I wear my factory tires. so this is my reason for asking. (after lift- 37s on my factory D44s, and replace axles as they break, 40s possible)

-Noob, NO lift experience- but "Buy once, Cry Once"

Thank you, sorry for the thread jack.

If you won't ever utilize the DTD then why do you need bolt on coil overs at all? To set your ride height? :idontknow:

 

[10frank9]

I didnt, that was my first post in the thread? Sorry for your confusion, I was just addressing the topic. I'm here to read and pop in an ocasional question from time to time. once I learn a thing or two specifically, I'll chime in. Gotta "earn my stripes" so to say. Ha! Screen names should help you figure out who's whom :yep:

I think he was referring to the OP.

 

[wayoflife]

Can you tell me exactly how to order what you are describing?

Well, for me, I'm running EVO long arms with their DTD and EVOlever. There's nothing cheap about this setup but, it is about as good as it gets. Of course, I'm also running it with full width ProRock 60 up front and ProRock 80 in the rear. Set at a low stance, my Jeep drives like a sports car and even more so when running super wide 40x15.50's on 20" wheels. As far as the ride goes, you can have them setup however you want but, I have mine setup Cadillac smooth.

I've made a conscious decision to get a more of a base model JK, without all of the add-ons, so that I can put that money toward the lift, wheels and tires.

I've tried that route with our old 2009 JKU that I eventually sold. When it came to getting another JKU, I made sure to get another Rubicon. Things like a 4:1 transfer case, electronic sway bar disconnect and axles with lockers are worth a lot more than a lift, wheels and tires. But, that's just my opinion.

 

[DWiggles]

If you won't ever utilize the DTD then why do you need bolt on coil overs at all? To set your ride height? :idontknow:

If it will be anything like the difference between lowering springs/shocks vs coilovers on a car, then I already know it's worth the money for ride quality alone. I'm just not sure where to draw the line. I'm not sure I need triple bypass shocks, plus the amount of money required to utilize the DTD is a huge downfall IMO on the JK, where in a perfect world where money didn't matter, I would be all about it, but here in reality, I don't ever see myself bombing though the desert and if I was, my natural driving tendency would be to slow down for the whoops, especially while still running stock D44s. I just think, for me, and my driving, with the dog, and family in the jeep, I wouldn't ever "utilize" the full ability of the DTD system, my point was to bring attention of other "middle ground setups" as the original post read as though "coil and shock combo, or DTD" I've never been in a DTD'ED rig, but hope to ride in one before I make up my mind on what lift I want to justify for myself. So I'm very much in "the research phase" and am curious why the bolt on coilovers F&R, or the front 12" coilovers and the rear EvoLever was not reccomended, only the full blown DTD system. While I admit to be a noob, I would like to know the differences between the different levels of "king coilover systems" available. And I thought this would be the prefect thread to bring it up, as it was headed that direction from what I read. Thanks

 

[Flash1034]

My Metal Cloak Game Changer rides butter smooth. Much better than stock.

Flash

 

[wayoflife]

My Metal Cloak Game Changer rides butter smooth. Much better than stock.

Flash

It's official!

 

[OverlanderJK]

My Metal Cloak Game Changer rides butter smooth. Much better than stock.

Flash

How's their tie rod work?

 

[olram30]

My Metal Cloak Game Changer rides butter smooth. Much better than stock.

Flash

That's awesome.