Lifting on a tighter budget...

[TennJK]

i have the 2.5" TF BB right now. it's gotten me by for the last couple years, but it's a very limited starter kit. if you plan on doing any serious offroading, you'll want to replace that with a coil spring lift as the ride will be much better. that said, i just got my 3.5" rock krawler coil springs, bump stops, long travel brake lines, exhaust spacer and extended sway bar links in today. i wish i would have done it right the first time.

also, i have the rancho9000xl's and i love them. they're awesome and will work up until i'm ready to go evo king coilovers!

Welcome to WAL. Why don't you stop by and give us a wave!

 

[cozdude]

i have the 2.5" TF BB right now. it's gotten me by for the last couple years, but it's a very limited starter kit. if you plan on doing any serious offroading, you'll want to replace that with a coil spring lift as the ride will be much better. that said, i just got my 3.5" rock krawler coil springs, bump stops, long travel brake lines, exhaust spacer and extended sway bar links in today. i wish i would have done it right the first time.

also, i have the rancho9000xl's and i love them. they're awesome and will work up until i'm ready to go evo king coilovers!

Ride is 100% subjective. Also since the beginning doesn't really effect ride quality and you haven't installed your RK lift yet how do you know it rides better?

 

[Mike_JK_Houston_711]

Ride is 100% subjective. Also since the beginning doesn't really effect ride quality and you haven't installed your RK lift yet how do you know it rides better?

Yep, I totally agree that your own ride is 100% subjective. I've ridden my budget boost offroad a bunch...and have ridden in friends jeeps that have the RK lifts and long arms. The ride and performance was really night and day between the two. But I totally agree with you.

 

[Byte]

I just looked at your profile and since you are in MT I do not recommend the RC series II BB. They use steel spacers and they will begin to rust with all of the salt they use on your roads during the winter time.

Going with TF or some other similar BB that uses the rubber spacers will last a lot longer for you. No matter what 2.5" BB you choose you will be able to run advertised 35s without cutting your fenders, just make sure you get a kit with bump stops too.

They don't actually salt here anymore thankfully. Haven't for years that I know of. They do use the glycol based snow melt when conditions are in the very small sweet spot for it temp wise. Not sure what kind of long term affects that might cause. I do know I've lived with my Tacoma in MT, WY & CO for 18yrs now and the only rust it has are small spots where I gave it rock rash and a few odd paint chips that I didn't take care of early on its life. No actual body rot even where the rash spots are, just minor surface rusting. Surface rust abounds on the undercarriage of course.

When you say the spacers are steel...are they coated with anything at all? I can coat them in a rubberized spray if I need to but I'm hoping to be up and out of this BB withing 3-4 years. That might be right at the far end of its useful life based on the research I've done so far. Can it be considered a temporary solution if it goes past a few months? :naw: It's a medium term solution then.

And thanks again for all the advice and info guys. You all :rock:!

 

[Byte]

Yep, I totally agree that your own ride is 100% subjective. I've ridden my budget boost offroad a bunch...and have ridden in friends jeeps that have the RK lifts and long arms. The ride and performance was really night and day between the two. But I totally agree with you.

Did look a little at the RK 2.5, is that a completely bolt on kit or is there some welding involved. I can weld 2 4" pieces into a T on the bench but I don't trust myself to weld anything on to my jeep's axle housings. :grayno:

 

[Mike_JK_Houston_711]

Did look a little at the RK 2.5, is that a completely bolt on kit or is there some welding involved. I can weld 2 4" pieces into a T on the bench but I don't trust myself to weld anything on to my jeep's axle housings. :grayno:

no welding involved. the 2.5 coil springs will replace the factory ones. you will have to add their bump stops also, which just require a little bit of drilling into the spring perch. little more expensive than the BB, but reading about RK and riding in rigs with RK installed, I think we'll both be happy! Ultimate decision up to you, your rig. So do your build!

 

[WJCO]

To be fair to Teraflex.....On this forum, I have seen the Teraflex BB kit recommended many times by people who have installed it. HOWEVER, as far as metal components such as track bars, tire carriers, control arms, there's not a chance in hell that I would ever put one of those on my current Jeep or if I got a JK in the future. Too much photographic evidence and personal experiences from members that have had those parts break. Don't care about the cost either high or low, I would not feel safe putting that on my Jeep.

 

[MR.Ty]

They don't actually salt here anymore thankfully. Haven't for years that I know of. They do use the glycol based snow melt when conditions are in the very small sweet spot for it temp wise. Not sure what kind of long term affects that might cause. I do know I've lived with my Tacoma in MT, WY & CO for 18yrs now and the only rust it has are small spots where I gave it rock rash and a few odd paint chips that I didn't take care of early on its life. No actual body rot even where the rash spots are, just minor surface rusting. Surface rust abounds on the undercarriage of course.

When you say the spacers are steel...are they coated with anything at all? I can coat them in a rubberized spray if I need to but I'm hoping to be up and out of this BB withing 3-4 years. That might be right at the far end of its useful life based on the research I've done so far. Can it be considered a temporary solution if it goes past a few months? :naw: It's a medium term solution then.

And thanks again for all the advice and info guys. You all :rock:!

Learn something new every day. The pucks do come powder coated but it isn't anything to write home about. There have been a few spots now that I have had to treat with some form of rust buster.

 

[Mike_JK_Houston_711]

To be fair to Teraflex.....On this forum, I have seen the Teraflex BB kit recommended many times by people who have installed it. HOWEVER, as far as metal components such as track bars, tire carriers, control arms, there's not a chance in hell that I would ever put one of those on my current Jeep or if I got a JK in the future. Too much photographic evidence and personal experiences from members that have had those parts break. Don't care about the cost either high or low, I would not feel safe putting that on my Jeep.

I've seen and heard the same stories as you man. The bushings on TF stuff stink...they wear very easily. That's why I go synergy or RK on anything metal with movement at the joints.