the driveshaft issues is from the height, not the arms. with the extra height, the front driveshaft boot will hit the tranny skidplate if you have the automatic. A few guys have notched the plate and then it wont tear the boot on the driveshaft. The first time I wheeled my jeep after lifting it I lost my driveshaft boot in just minutes. the rear shaft will last a good long while in a 4 door, but on a 2 door the height is really hard on driveshaft because of the steep angles. Driveshafts are kinda crappy on the JK anyway. Look under your rig and see the weird driveshafts it has. A plus is that you don;t have to do a slip yoke eliminator like in the TJs. There are many manufactures of shafts and lots of styles and prices if you decide to lift high enough to need them.

A pretty good rule of thumb is if you have an auto and go over 3" you will tear the front driveshaft boot.

if you have a 4 door with 4" or less of lift your rear shaft will last a good while. with a two door over 3" of lift your rear will eventually die. It will last a good while though, unlike the front.

if you have a 6 speed, the front shaft is not such a big deal because the driveshaft boot wont hit the skidplate.

 

If you have a 4dr auto and go much over a BB or even with a BB your frt driveshaft is gonna make contact with your skid and the tranny pan when you disco off-road. You'll need frt adj lower arms at least to get castor back for better drivability. Your rear ds on a 4dr will be fine till you bash it. Then you'll need at least rear uppers to adjust your driveline angle for an after market shaft. All that being said, minmum on a 4dr 3or 4in lift would be adj track bars frt and rear and frt lowers. That's what I have at least. Front driveshaft will last awhile, but start saving for a new one. Like bigblue said , you can always upgrade as funds come along.

 

Dang bigblue, you beat me to it, I type slow

 

lol, if I knew you were typing all that... I would have let you brother. hah. you added good info.

 

only one thing to say rusty's 3.25 was the best all around pick for under $1,000 dollars. comes with 4 rustys hydro, shocks 4 coils , front and rear adjustable trac bars,and discos. i got a 4 inches total from this kit

 

So what is the difference in an aftermarket shaft....why will it not have clearance issues. Sorry for all the newbie questions.

 

simple... it is smaller around.

 

why is everyone hating on the RC stuff? For the price you cant beat it.
with most basic lift you still need to add front lower control arms, and track bars (most basic kits come with cam bolts)

Lets compare

Rough Country basic 4" lift as follows($499.95) plus Jk forum discount:
Front and rear coil springs, trac bar bracket, pitman arm, front sway-bar links, rear trac bar bracket, brake line brackets, cam bolts, and (4) Performance 2.2 series shock absorbers.

Superlift basic 4" lift as follows($772.97):
front and rear coil springs, track bar bracket, new alignment cams, Urethane stops, hydro shocks, sway bar links, brake hose relocation brackets and emergency brake cable bracket

Rock Krawler basic 3.5" lift as follows($829.99):
2 long travel linear front coil springs, double adjustable front track bar made from 1.5" solid alloy steel, adjustable front sway bar disconnects, 2 long travel linear rear coil springs, double adjustable rear track bar made from 1.5" solid alloy steel, precision welded rear track bar relocation bracket made from ¼" thick laser cut steel, rear extended sway bar links, stainless steel brake lines front and rear, Shocks Not Included

Pro Comp basic 4" lift as follows($630.99):
2 Front coil springs, 2 Rear coil spacers,Rear track bar with eccentric adjuster, Billet aluminum bump stop extensions, Extended swaybar links, Extended brake line extensions,ES9000 shocks

Skyjacker basic 4" lift as follows($894.97):
Kit features Softride front & rear Coil Springs along with front and rear Track Bar Brackets. Also includes front & rear Lower Control arms with Greaseable Bushings. front and rear Bump Stop Spacers, swar bar links

TeraFlex basic 4" lift as follows($1,151.99):
4 extended length coils, shocks, front sway bar disconnects, rear track bar bracket, bump stops, front track bar

 

Who said anything bad about the RC on this thread? Did I miss something?

 

the RC guys are always lurking in the shadows. With their cam-bolts and incomplete kits. Always hiding and waiting o ruin your jeeps ride quality. j/k

Only JK rough country experience I have is the 2 guys with 6 inch RC lifts that wanted to buy that FT long arm I sold cause they didn't like the way the RC performed. The systems are a little less complete than what I would want.

I think comparing the RC kit to teraflex is apples and oranges. I think Full traction, currie, clayton, or similar systems would be a more appropriate comparison.

Rough country is more like pro comp, rusty's, skyjacker's lower end stuff, etc.