Hey everyone....I've the same old question as everybody else does, I guess...I have an '06 Rubicon Unlimited, and I am researching the lift kits. Finding info, but I couldn't find where it applies to the LJ... :confused2

I'm ready to lift it,:omg: but still considering which, and how much.
I know I want to go with RE, but narrow it to 3 or 4".
What's the advantage of getting the 4.5 kit with 3.5 springs? Is the hardware that different? Is there a $ break for the shorter springs? Also, I have an 06 Rubi, which is supposed to have a CV drive line setup. How come I am reading that I need to upgrade the upgraded drive line?
I am not going to make it a major crawler, (yet :censor: ) But I do want good clearance, and next tires will be closer to 33's. So, not too tall, and definitely not too short (stock) ...so all the advice from those who have read, used, witnessed, or just plain figured it out, please give your :2: .thank you

One more little question, how about adding the ACOS systems to a smaller lift, wouldn't that work ok?

These topics have been covered many many times, please search...

But if you want my opinion go with the RE 4.5" kit with 4.5" springs, you wont be dissapointed. With that kit you wont need acos. Everyone says at first "not too tall" but if you go too small youll want to go higher. Do it once.

How much do you want to spend? And how much work do you want to do.
In order of price and best in my eyes
1. Clayton Supension $$
2. TNT $$
3. Tera flex 4 link system $$$
4. RE LA with tri link rear $$
5. Nth degree $$$$

Ok...still doesn't answer my question about the the drive line....At what point do I need to change the connection...I know after a certain point length has to be added, but when do I need to pay attention to the joints? I thought it had a CV telescoping shaft already. Am I wrong?:dunno: How much lift can I do with no other mods?

And I want to keep it under the 2k mark, if possible..so I guess that kinda answers the 'which kit' question...

Stay at about 3.5 To keep the extra cost down>
With an unlimited you can probably getaway with 4.5
And Not need to change your drive line.

Stay at about 3.5 To keep the extra cost down>
With an unlimited you can probably getaway with 4.5
And Not need to change your drive line.
Or save up and do it once and do it right instead of mickey mousing it...

According to my Rubicon Express catalog you will need to change your DS.

2K is enough to go with the 4.5" kit (RE7000): MSRP: $1462.95
and new Driveshaft (RE1895) (This is a direct bolt in): MSRP: $449.95

or if you want to change your rear CV yoke you can go with:

Rear CV Yoke(RE1809): MSRP: $105.95
and get Rear Driveshaft (RE1861): MSRP: $294.95 (THis option saves you a little)

Then youll need shocks, wheels, and tires... But thats the MSRP on that stuff, you can find it cheaper (with member discounts, through clubs, organizations, etc..)

Stay at about 3.5 To keep the extra cost down>
With an unlimited you can probably getaway with 4.5
And Not need to change your drive line.

it all costs. the question is pay now or pay later. :dunno:

I can't believe I'm posting this...

listen to sw. :D

AHAHAHA I cant believe that either... :eek: :D

Hey, I know these aren't the most stimulating questions, and I do appreciate everyone's input...This stuff is expensive, I know, and that's why I am asking. People may have posted in the past, when the LJ Rubi became available....but the long term report is what I was after. I want to do it right the first time, but that doesn't mean I have to go all out and with tri-link rear.. even though.:drool: ... But I do want it have decent clearance, Clarence. :)

You guys get what I mean, so I apologize for the ridiculous questions.:geek:

My last silly question would be this, then...
What real is the advantage of a LA over SA...no, seriously. Besides being longer:doh, does it give more travel? Is it a better angle for the dangle? They offer 4.5 either way.:confused2
Why, technically, is the long arm that much better?

:thumbs_upThanks again for your help, and when I see you on the trails, I owe you guys :beer::beer:

The LA vs. SA debate is very VERY long and drawn out... A lot of it comes down to your terrain. Are you in the rocks mostly? go SA (also cheaper). If you wanna romp through the desert go LA. There advantages and disadvantages to each. Youll never get a straight answer on which is better.

Dont listen to Jimmy, he doesnt know what hes talking about with his Tri-Link rear. :P The 4.5" (RE7000) i stated above will do you just fine. I know these things cost money but its best to save and do it once rather then buy a kit and later buy a new one (you'll just be spending money twice)

Which one is the 1700? I just DL'd their catalog and don't seem to find that #...Are you talking about the 4.5 SA super flex?

So, that's really the main difference? Desert vs. rocks?
I was actually thinking a long those lines...looking at pics of the RE LA...Although, Nth takes care of that one, don't they?
Ok..makes sense, almost....If I play mostly in the rocks and mountains...SA would benefit more...with just a hint of Pismo every blue moon....

pretty much your on the right track. If you really wanna find the right kit, go on some trail runs, take a look at people's kits, take a ride in different rigs with different kits and setups and yeah its the 4.5" Super-flex.

oopps, yeah its RE7000 not RE1700, my bad. (Dont know where i got that number from haha edited it for later reference)

Don't listen to SWBooking he just got his drivers licenses like last summer :)
Yes your best advice is to save and do it all once!
Well yes the whole long arm vs short arm is very debatable:

My 2cents with short arms your tires will want to under steer when you are crawling on rocks. Long arms maintain a constant arch/ dangle as you said and allows your suspension to actually work rather then your rig be pushed by under steer. Causing less drive line binding and resulting in less breakage. Now I am not saying that short arm will cause breakage as I wheeled my 99 TJ with a RE 4.5 super flex kit ( with no cv) and no vibes, all over tough rock trails in CO. Now consider this, you will be driving your jeep mostly on the street. An unlimited will ride much better with a long arm and I think you will like it better off road as well. The only long arm complaint is you hit your arms or drag them. Well the one or two times that happens will be less the the quality of wheeling you receive the rest of the time. They can also act as ramps. You may also look into Curries J arm design you get the benefit of long arms but with the clearance of shorties.

Another nice tip for saving money... buy used! My lift and tires cost me a total of..... wait for it........... $675 for a 4.5" RE SF lift (granted it's got a heim going on the front track bar) and 5 33" Goodyear MT/Rs on 15x8 american racing baja wheels (granted the tires are all but bald).

I did buy some other stuff new, like front brake line extensions, SYE/CV combo, rear shock relocators, OME shocks, rear brake line extension, extended bump stops, extended rear sway bar links (optional) but all that stuff was only another ~$800. So for a 4.5" lift, proper driveline fixes, tires, and all the whosawhatsits I was right at $1500 which is damn good!

Plus beer and double cheesburgers! And lots of extra tools not needed :)

Plus beer and double cheesburgers! And lots of extra tools not needed :)

Oh yeah... I left extra tools out of the equation...

Add in $40 for beer/food for the helping hands on the install, and $300-$400 in tools if you don't have an air compressor, air ratchet, impact hammer, etc.

Thanks Jimmy, Allen, Johnson, and Rudy! :D :D :D

HAHA no problem even though we put your rear trackbar on backwards LOL

anyways... Like i said there is a big debate on that one and youll never get a straight answer on which to get you just have to decide for yourself...

off topic sorry Is this why it was easy to put in...I think I recall that and said it goes this way and Allen you said no it goes this way.....ahhh Matt thats what you get when you have a half mexican, little asian guy and a dude from Panama helping you....

off topic sorry Is this why it was easy to put in...I think I recall that and said it goes this way and Allen you said no it goes this way.....ahhh Matt thats what you get when you have a half mexican, little asian guy and a dude from Panama helping you....

Haha! Funny thing is I'm over it, Allen keeps bringing it up! :D

Haha! Funny thing is I'm over it, Allen keeps bringing it up! :D
HAHA only cause i feel stupid about it and its pretty funny, Chris was probably like WTF? when he saw it lol...

and im not from Panama FU@&ER ahaha

:omg: Easy guys, settle down... :8

:oops:I didn't mean to bring up the past...:gun:

:devil:Now, have some beer and pizza and breath it out (or in)

:beer: :beer: :cocktail: :pizza::pizza:




:hammie:ahhh...that sounds good right now....

new here however I have an '04 LJ and removed a 3"/4" short arm lift. The SA lift did articulate well in the rocks but on the street was a little quirky. No drive shaft was needed or dropping the skid, the LJ shaft is long enough.

I had a TJ with a 5.5RE long arm kit, worked great however for the LJ I was afraid of ground clearance, the RE long arm rear arms hang down real low, you can see them a mile away. My friend has one on his LJ and so far the only place he has problems is on shelves like a Moab, the arm hit and stop him when his rear tires come off the ground. I went with the Nth, long arm, no problems so far.

new here however I have an '04 LJ and removed a 3"/4" short arm lift. The SA lift did articulate well in the rocks but on the street was a little quirky. No drive shaft was needed or dropping the skid, the LJ shaft is long enough.

I had a TJ with a 5.5RE long arm kit, worked great however for the LJ I was afraid of ground clearance, the RE long arm rear arms hang down real low, you can see them a mile away. My friend has one on his LJ and so far the only place he has problems is on shelves like a Moab, the arm hit and stop him when his rear tires come off the ground. I went with the Nth, long arm, no problems so far.

Hey, thanks for the input...
Now I really want the Nth LA...Just too much....
What were the modifications done for the lifts?

My jeep had a Skyjacker short arm lift on it when I bought it, so I knew I would be changing it soon, appeared it was a simple bolt on, and on the trail, other than the belly hanging up on rocks due to the stock belly skid, it worked fine however on the street the steering was quick, and made the jeep feel squirly, I think due to incorrect camber/caster whchever the leading/trailing is from no adjustment, like an old Jeep, not an LJ.

The Nth kit can be bolted on, mine we welded the arm brackets to the frame. Also there is a lot of cutting to remove the short arm brackets, as well as rear end brackets and correcting the geometry on the lower rear arms, consists of trimming and drilling new holes in the existing lower brackets. The cost all in all I figured about $1500. more than going with an RE kit, which was my 2nd choice having had one before. In conclusion was 3 inches worth it, for me, so far yes. I read people think the short arm is better in rocks and long arm better for all out desert blasts, I have the best of both in my opinion. All the kits out there appear to be good, safe quality parts and depending on the wheelin' you do, will all get you there. You have a nice rig now, don't let $$ cloud your vision, get what you want, do it once, if you can. You will notice it's an ever evolving project!

Mine is the Nth 6" lift, which I think still has a ride height lower than an RE 5.5", FYI.

Take a serios look at FULL TRACTIONS 6" LA kit, it is awesome and performs extremely well,,,,,,,,,,

I got a good look at that Nth lift on two LJ's so far and I gotta say I am impressed! the clearance of the design and the stout pieces, the skids and the brackets all look bombproof and the install is super clean. I know the Nth is pricey... $$ cha-ching! but it is the best kit I have seen in a long time.

Now having said that... :D

nothing beats sliding your leaf springs up on some rocks baby!!! just because I git an RTI score of like, 750 doesnt mean my leaf sprung jeep can't make it happen on the trail! :)

Funny...last week I was ready to just get the RE 4.5 SF SA....
That's the thing...
I think I was just settling on it.
I know RE is good stuff, but looking at the Nth, it looks like the best of both worlds, if that's even possible.

So, Kodiak, you've seen these in person? Looks good, doesn't it? Did you take a ride in them?

I think I am going to save for a little bit more and get Nth. All the protection AND hidden LA !! Fantastic design...

Now, who knows who to get the best deal... :D

only rode in one of them, I gotta say it was strange to me. I am so used to the leaf springs that all of you coil sprung rigs feel funny floaty like to me and it makes me sick, but it felt very controlled and solid, and everyone that has a Nth that I have run across has good stuff to say. The Nth do end up with badass coil overs with resivors and that just looks sweet but I'm sure that is optional stuff...

Take a serios look at FULL TRACTIONS 6" LA kit, it is awesome and performs extremely well,,,,,,,,,,

:confused2 Been asking a lot of people, and the vote seems to be leaning in the favor of Full Traction.
This is why I ask so many questions, and research for so long. I keep changing my mind.:bonk:

I take it you are running Fulltraction?
Do you have the 4 or 6?
If you did the 4, and it's on the 06 Rubi Unlimited...
...what other mods did you have to do (or get done) besides the exhaust?

I sure didn't "lean" that way! By the time you add all the skids and exhaust, it's almost a wash. And @ $100. a pop to replace the fromt heims, I passed. Next time you go wheelin' look under the Jeeps and see where the Jeepers are leaning!

My vote is for the RE or Nth however the RE rear arms hang real low (Full Traction too). The more you ask, the more you will get confused. Find a shop you are comfortable to deal with in your area and use them. I think JC Fab is out your way and He's Full Traction's best installer.

Yeah, Jim's shop is about 30 min from me...just went there and got his tire carrier and asked all about lifts...
He was all over Full Traction...He just had a lot more positive things to say about it vs. Nth or even RE. I have always appreciated RE's stuff, too. They have a great 'word of mouth' history....Full traction is somewhat new to my ear, and I know it's not new to the industry, but I need to hear what the good things are about it before I get totally convinced.
I am going nutz trying to make up my mind :bonk:
Maybe I should just do the budget boost:geek: for a little while, let the warranty run closer to the end

Of all the guys I talked to about Full Traction, 2 people had posative things to say, Jim was one of them. I did get an estimate from him, I'll just say I cheaped out and got an Nth!

I'm sure they are all good and will get you where you want to go, have you asked RE about their new bent arms? It's top secret. My friend could go almost all the places mine would however ground clearance stopped him a few times and his top heavy feeling sent him around the easy way more than once.

Radius arm vs.4 link vs. try link, just wait a while if you don't really know what you want, look around, talk to others. The service you get from a shop could decide the brand you go with. Experience pays off as to how the new suspension will work, the right shocks and bump stops can make or break it.