jbyers4488

As I begin to start looking into lift kits I'm finding I like specific parts from all different companies but no one company has completely sold me so I think I'm going to start putting together my own lift kit. I was wondering if anybody has done this before? I am curious on the order of operations, as in which parts I can get first. I know there will be fans of certain brands but I am looking for the tried and true components that have stood up to time and the pros and cons of those parts.

A little detail about my Jeep and my plans for it and what I envision. First off its a 2014 Jeep Willys 2DR. I have the Genesis Off Road dual battery kit with dual yellow tops, SPOD, and Twin ARB compressor. I attacked as much electrical as possible because at the time I was working for an electrical engineering company and had the knowledge and supplies needed. Now I work for a more mechanical engineering company where machining and welding is more readily available to me. I just moved to Texas from Indiana where I had to leave my welder and some of my larger tools but my living room of my apartment is currently doubling as a garage for parts and hand tools.

What I am looking or is a lower center of gravity maybe (3.5" suspension lift maybe less but nothing more) but something that can still articulate well as I'm sure most are looking for as well. I'm more into functionality. I think the first thing I will be attacking it a new tie rod but that's up to debate and feedback I receive.

Now for the parts I am looking at, although limited I have done quite a bit of research on these specific components:
Tie Rod: Synergy Manufacturing HD Tie Rod or the Currie HD Tie Rod. Prices are pretty far apart on those two, again open to other suggestions and input.
Sway Bar: Basically I narrowed it down to Currie AntiRock front and rear but ideally I wish I could have a Rubicon electro disconnect but with more strength. Also thought about the AntiRock but with disconnect sway bar links so if I wanted I could go fully disconnected, thoughts?
Control Arms: I like the MetalCloak Duroflex but is it possible to have too much flexibility in a control arm?

I know there is more but I haven't gone looking into the other components yet.

Thanks to everyone who can chime in.

karls10jk

Many people piece together lift kits, that's how you achieve a great mix. Look at shock relocation brackets (not the cheap screw on ones) to see about maximizing the space you've got to work with.

Why limit yourself to just those two tie rods? Ruff Stuff makes one that may work just as well for your application.

Why are you looking at replacing the sway bar? With disconnects up front you'll have plenty enough travel and at a fraction of the cost.

Control arms are another topic and the more you read on them, the dizzier you'll get. Good luck there but realize that the joint itself is not the only limiting factor in the control arm system.

Biginboca

Yes my set up is pieced together (in my profile) and I have no regrets it's working really well. I agree with above check tire clearance, maintenance, and durability when you look at control arms not just joint flex, even stock joints flex enough for long travel (12") shocks. Also I'm using my stock Rubi swaybar and recommend it. If you have a Rubi get proper adjustable links and try to make it work with your set up.

Canvas

Piecing together a lift is probably the best way. May I suggest before getting coils take a ride in Jeeps with various lifts to see what you like.

As for picking control arms, check to see the availability and price of replacement bushings and bearings. It is kind of like buying that cheap $50 printer at Wal-Mart only to find out the replacement ink is $30 and the printer drinks it like an energy drink.

Check out Rock Krawler Mid arms as an option.

Lastly, since you are in Florida look for deals at Jeep Beach. Last Saturday afternoon is the best time to shop becuase most vendors do not want to pack up a lot.

R/
Will

resharp001

It sounds like you're building a a nice rig there! Totally agree with everything said above. I have a mis-matched jeep as well and it works perfectly fine for me. I actually take some pride that it was built over time with various brands for various reasons rather than just 1 kit. The main guts supporting my jeep are 3.5" RK springs, full set of MC arms, and Fox 2.0 shocks.

Depending on how you feel about gaining some ground clearance, you might consider looking at some EVO Rockstars. They provide a nice skid for your rear LCA, and they move the lower shock mount up a bit providing you with some additional clearance. I mention them now as they could possibly affect which shock you put on the rear as there's a couple less inches of travel unless you relocate the upper mount.

I have the synergy TR and it's been ok for a couple years. I've banged it around one rocks pretty good and it's held up. That said, if I had to do it over I would probably go with the Currie or Rock Krawler even they they cost considerably more. Anything is going to be better than the factory TR that bends like a pretzel.

As others suggest, I'd leave the factory sway bar for now....unless you're just working with an unlimited budget. There are other things I'd address before that. Also, one thing a lot of people seem to overlook is HD bracketry. It's not near as sexy to spend money on upgrading brackets, but the stock brackety is not great if you have any plans to wheel it like your build might suggest.

TheDirtman

You mention a dual battery but not tire size which is a very important thing to know when building a suspension around it. 3.5" is not a LCOG build unless you are running 37-40" tires.

You say you want articulation, this is achieved with properly sizing shocks and bump stops. The anti rocks will allow you gain max articulation if you size them right and should not require disconnects. If you want to fully disconnect just run the factory sway bars.

The currie tie rod and drag link suck. don't waste the money. Like Karl mentioned you can get the DIY Ruff Stuff tie rod on sale for around $100 You will need 4.5" bs after market wheel or wheel adapters to run them though. For the money its hard to beat. Unless you are bending your factory tie rod or have worn it out I don't see a reason to swap it out.

Metal Cloak makes a shock called the 6-pack that allows you to run a longer travel shock with a short collapsed length. These are expensive and may require more maintenance then other shocks but they will give you massive travel on a minimum lift. For conventional shocks with 3.5" of lift you should be able to run 11"-12" of travel without changing the factory mounts. If you want to move mounts you can get creative and run a longer shock. The Evo Rockstars will give you more clearance but will rob you of up travel and ideally you want to be around 50/50 on up down travel on the shocks so it may limit your overall shock travel to between 10" and 11" unless you just want mostly down travel in your set up. It will work but is not ideal for either going fast or for steep rock climbing.

Control arms are more for correcting pinion angle and caster then for flex, like stated already unless you are running more then 12" of travel then your factory arms will flex enough. For me the metal cloak joints are to soft to run all around. I run them on my upper frame side joints and a Johnny joint style elsewhere. Don't get caught up in the marketing bs that you need 30 degree misalignment joints on a JK because you don't.

At 3.5" of lift (more like 4"-4.5" from most companies) people will do a drag link flip to correct steering and reduce bump steer. This generally requires either 3.5" of additional front bump stop or to notch the frame above the drag link and track bar bracket. This can also have an effect on you shock length as you will have less available up travel. Like I said before a 50/50 ratio is a target to shoot for.

I would only look at a 3.5" lift if you are going to be running 37"+ tires. If you are going to stay on 35's you are better off in the 2"-2.5" range (actual height) and the jeep will perform better on the highway and off road in both speed trails and steep rock crawling. Your set up will also be cheaper and more simple to build with better handling. Max articulation is just one aspect of a well rounded good performing jeep and you should not get hung up on running real long travel shocks or what your score is on a RTI ramp. Don't fall for the gimmicks of the RTI ramp or the metal cloak trailer, these things only measure one thing and don't show the overall performance of the jeep.

Trail Jeeps

Mixing and matching has its upsides, but really only if you're trying to create a really high performance rig.

So, my opinion on this is that unless you're trying to achieve long travel rock crawler status with your JK, then you may want to go for reliability, drive ability, and quality, taking more of a total vehicle approach for what best suits your needs.

I might recommend a 2.5" lift kit, especially if you're sticking to a 35.

Opinions on control arms are like... holes. You know what I mean, everyone's got one. The one true fact of the matter is that fancy flex joints won't do anything except add extra expense and a possible complicated failure point that you have to maintain unless you're addressing all of the other aspects that allow you to take advantage of the extra flex.

If you're going for max RTI type numbers, there are a lot of great options for flexy control arms. More on that in a second.

Before you tackle all of that, you have to take a look at the rest of your suspension. Someone had mentioned shock relocation brackets, and that is a good start, that'll free up a little flex by eliminating bind. You'll also need longer shocks. A conventional short arm system can take up to a 12" shock, but that presents it's own problems. First is that you'll need a front driveshaft. There are a lot of great brands out there, I like J.E. Reel. We have driveshafts custom made locally to spec for our customers. Next, you'll need to address your sway bar links, and realize that if you're using a factory sway bar, you may want to strap it to keep the sway bar links from inverting. You'll also need to run your links a little on the long side than ideal for most driving, which makes your sway bar slightly less effective. You will also want to beef up your draglink, tie rod and track bar, which it sounds like you already have planned. With wheel travel like this, you have to realize that your wheel physically pivots toward the middle of the Jeep when you're at full droop, and can cause some strange behavior on the trail with less predicable unloading of the suspension and less stability, especially when you're ascending or descending steep terrain. You also put more stress on all of the components holding your Jeep together. Super flexy rigs break more. That is just a fact.

Now, you mentioned sway bars. Anti Rock bars are a blessing off road. They do work. You also won't have any issues with inversion. On the street though? To each his or her own, but I am not a fan. While they aren't like running around fully disconnected, they do compromise handling. Where does you Jeep spending most of its time? Probably on the road. These coil sprung Jeeps are not the old leaf sprung trucks of old, that sway bar does a lot to keep that squishy coil sprung suspension in check on the street. If I were you, I'd get a set of good quick disconnects and keep it simple. As for the rear sway bar, just leave it, throw some longer links on it. It doesn't limit your suspension travel and generally doesn't have some of the issues with inversion that the front does. It does provide a little bit of stability, removing it makes you a little less stable especially when you're off camber.

So, you've decided you want to build a flexy rig and you're searching for control arms. There are several solid options out there, but they generally break down into two categories: metal flex joints and flexible bushings. Metal Flex joints tend to be the a Johnny Joint type design, or a hiem. Steer clear of hiems, they don't belong on a street rig. Johnny Joint "type" flex ends are great, but they do require a little additional maintenance and generally don't last as long as a rubber or poly end. They also do better in environments that isn't full of salty contaminants. The Duroflex joint from Metal Cloak is a cool joint, they always work well. I've heard of some guys who have had trouble with them failing, but I don't have enough personally experience with them to say if that is the fault of the joint or the user's suspension. They do seem to be less robust than other options, but that doesn't mean they're bad. Synergy offers their dual durometer bushing, which is nice. Basically it functions like a Duroflex joint, but without the metal parts.

In our shop, 90% of the suspension we sell is JKS brand, so our recommendations always lean heavily in that direction. We sell the JKS J-Flex adjustable arms. They have JKS's own Johnny Joint type forged flex end, but have a longer shank and are held together but a c clip, which makes servicing a little easier. They have a rubber bushing on the other end. This is all you will need to take advantage of extra wheel travel, and the rubber bushing still cushions and suspension a little and keeps it quiet. For those who want it all, we sell the JKS J Axis control arms. They are rubber bushed on each side, but the arm itself is threaded. The arm physically rotates on itself, so there is zero binding and completely free wheel travel. The real bonus is that this rides like a factory control arm, and other than keeping the thread greased, they are maintenance free. Do you need em? No.... but they're cool and they really do give you it "all" in once package.

What would I do in your situation? If you're daily driving your Jeep, I would focus on a more moderate suspension. Make the thing rock solid, then invest in some gears, lockers, braces and skid plates. Lifting a wheel here and there won't hold you back if you're locked up, and your Jeeps will cost a little less to build and generally be a little more reliable. We are a fan of selling complete suspension kits by the same manufacturer with components that are designed to work with each other on mind, especially if you're a relative newcomer to the whole Jeep thing.

If you really want to take it all the way, then go for an EVO Double Throw Down/Evolever setup, and forget about it it. We are big into the Evo stuff as well. This is the suspension nerd's setup, throwing all of the factory suspension in the dumpster and basically sticking an Ultra 4 race car suspension under your street Jeep. It will cost you, and it is relatively high maintenance, but man, is it fun. Will it get the average Jeeper anything? Not really except bragging rights. Even comparing a decked out JKS suspension with a Double Throw down suspension, you only gain about 3.5" of real world flex on an RTI ramp. If that is worth $10,000 more than a conventional suspension then just do it. If not, focus on what will make your Jeep the better all around vehicle. At that point you might as well invest in a Pro Rock setup, because why put all that work into the factory axles? Then down the rabbit hole you go... never to return until your wife tells you to stop.

I will throw one anecdote at you, then I'll put my soapbox back under the table. The owner of Trail Jeeps built a hemi powered, Double Throw Down/Evolever Dynatrac'd seizure inducing bright blue pile of awesomeness on 40" Nittos and ran it for years. It's been everywhere. It was awesome. It was stiff on the road, it required a lot of servicing. It also allowed him to do things like this: , which is cool. He sold the Jeep, named Jefe, bought a 2016 and installed an off the shelf 3.5" JKS Spec suspension, fixed length rubber control arms with Rubber bushings and 37's. He runs the same trails, drives the same distances and does the same silly man child like things off road as he did before, granted not quite as fast, and maybe having to try a line twice, but the Jeep is reliable, rides and drive like an OE type set up and is hassle free.

jbyers4488

I just purchased new wheels and tires. I bought 18x9.5 Black Rhino Armory wheels, which have the 4.5" BS you spoke about and decided on 35" Nitto Ridge Grapplers for now as I wait to build my lift and possibly new axles before I go bigger. The reason i went with 18" wheels over the more popular 17" wheels is because I installed the Mopar Big Brake kit when I was still on the stock wheels and the weights on the inside of the wheels to balance them were rubbing so to avoid that whole scenario again I went to 18" wheels. I appreciate your feedback. Thank you.

jbyers4488

Currently this is my daily driver as I just moved down here and well I wasn't going to try and bring multiple vehicles down so I sold them all, except my jeep of course. Now that I am all settled I am looking for a work vehicle/daily driver, specifically a mid 90's Ford Ranger as I had one for quite some time, loved it, and I know my way around that vehicle pretty well. That's neither here or there though. I do appreciate your response though. I definitely want something I can go off road and wheel with but also something I can travel with on highways to go do so, I don't want to have to trailer it places, I bought it to drive it.

TheDirtman

This would be the description of a stock jeep. Some good AT tires are really all you need to really improve it over stock for off road.