Looking at the differences of the bolt-on vs. weld-on vs. DTD.
I know the bolt-on is 12" and doesn't have a 14" option.
The weld-on kits provide the option of the 14".
DTD includes mounting points for the bypasses.
I don't think I'll build this to the point of throwing on the bypasses or 14" shocks, but having the option is a plus and the cost delta isn't much.
Is there any other reason I should consider the weld-on kits?
Can you add bypasses to the bolt-on kit or don't they make a combined bypass/coilover?

Obviously budget is a concern here or I'd have at at EVO tomorrow for DTD and EVOLever!

The bolt-on coilover front and rear is in the budget and approved by the finance department. I want to do it right though.

Thank you for the help.

 

King does make a combo shock in their IBP(internal by-pass) coil over. It also has an internal bump stop. These are the shocks I went with ,, in 14". My lift was custom by a guy in highland who does the work out of his garage. His labor is stupid cheap, but he does great work. Maybe if your in the OC sometime before your decision I can show you what we did and maybe put you in touch with my fabricator. I'm not sure how backed up he is right now though. As far as the bolt on kits. I have recently wheeled with a guy with the rebel off road bolt on kit and I can tell you he drives the wheels off that thing and it does very well. I have no experience with the EVO kit, but I have to imagine it rocks. Send me a private msg if you want my # for a talk.

 

I was in the same boat as you, trying to figure this out. I went with front bolt on, rear lever set up.
I didn't see a significant difference between bolt on and weld in for the front, and the lever is different set up if you want bypass.
The way I saw it, either pony it all upfront, or commit to single shock. I'm quite pleased with my combination, and am happy I went with the lever over rear bolt in.
Feel free to pm me with questions.

 

I went with bolt on in the rear because I am stretching my 2dr and it looks like the best option

 

I guess the first question you need to ask yourself is do you need something like the double throw down. Are you running high speed washboard or similar where you are subjection your suspension to violent, fast cycling, were shock fade and foaming are a big issue? If not, there is really no need for a Coil over/bypass shock combo. If you are looking for the smoothness and stability of a coilover for general rocks and low speed wheeling, a single 2.5 piggyback or remote res coilover will be fine.

IMO, ponying up lots of cash for 12" travel coilovers isnt worth it. Yes you get the benefit of dual rate springs, adjustability of height and valving, etc, but you can acheive a solid 12" of travel with a spring/shock setup. If you're going to spend the coin, go with 14" travel.

I'm also not a big fan of the rear setups out there right now, in terms of EVO, Synergy, or Rebel rear coilovers. Too exposed. But that's just my opinion.

 

Bolt on vs. weld on was a discussion quite a few years ago till we proved via reliability of our system (hence some competitors who were strictly weld on brought bolt-on to the market very recnetly). When you consider all the things on your Jeep that are bolted on (like your engine, wheels, driveshafts, etc etc) you see bolt-on isn't as outlandish as you think. Plus, you can weld on most bolt-on systems (like ours) anyways.

12" vs 14" is a matter of preference and off road style. We do know that our rear upgrade is the only bolt-on system that allows for a true 12" coilover out back. Our new rear system allows you to choose between 12" and 14" in either our standard configuration or 14" if going through the bed (our Xtreme cage).

One very unique feature about our RECON system is that you can now bolt on 2.5" Internal Bypass King coilovers if you wish. We reworked our front mounts to allow for the larger diameter coilover body.

 

I have been looking at the Rebel kit as well and really like the setup. There is an added requirement thought to replace the rear sway bar. The kit also includes the bump stops. The added bump stops and the need to replace the sway bar put the price out of my budget. Add $212 shipping charges and $348 CA sales tax and I am almost at 5K.

Thank you California for your stupid high taxes.

 

When I had the rear lever installed, I kept the stock sway bar, and bump stops were included, front and rear. NorthRidge 4x4 is a distributor for Evo, so you could get your kit tax free and free shipping.
For me, the benefit of the lever was removing the low hanging rear shock mounts. I don't have to worry about getting hung up and even cut off half of the mounts.

 

Upgrading to a rear AntiRock from Currie isn't a requirement - but is highly suggested and something you should be considering anyways if you are adding coilovers to your wishlist. The added articulation and confidence an AntiRock provides should be paired with any coilover system.

 

In a two door, with a coil-over, set above 3.5 my anti rock is too washy on the freeway. I think it's totally fine for a offroad setup but for those guys setting up a two-door coil-over and cranking it up over 3.5 I feel it's a little washy on the highway.
Now throwing in a Body Lift and turning down the coils to 3 inches its a lot better.
My next step is a stretch so that's a whole different setup.