Should I buy a RC (Rough Country) lift?

Alex01 said:
OME ultimate kit would be a great kit to look at.
https://dpgoffroad.com/product/old-man-emu-ultimate-tjlj-wrangler-kit/
Personally I would rather have the aluminium block spacer for the mml then the brown dog mounts since they seem more likely to cause vibrations if not adjusted perfectly.
Also, I would opt out of the OME shocks and ask to swap them with rancho RS5000x. (should decrease the price of the kit)
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Ok cool. Trust your advice. So if im going to swap out the OME shocks for rancho... how do i do that by means of purchasing online?
 
From what I have gathered if you give the number on the website a call the guy who owns the business, Dirk, is extremely helpful and will point you in the right direction. I haven't called myself but I believe @tomtaylz ordered his kit from Dirk.
(316)776-9900

Rancho Shocks:
Rear - RS55241
Front - RS55239

*make sure he charges you at least $200.01 for the shocks so you quality for the $50 rebate through rancho.
Additionally if you want to save a bit more money you can opt out of the rear adjustable track bar and just pick up a relocation bracket from JKS. I'm not sure an adjustable rear track bar is really necessary. Jim?

Shocks for price referance: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01963N4ZY/?tag=wranglerorg-20 - $211
JKS relocation Bracket: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005TTZSQS/?tag=wranglerorg-20 - $55.59
OME front springs - 174.60 Quadratec

@bobthetj03 may be able to chime in about the choice of spring rates. I believe they have HD front springs for heavier rigs with bumpers and a winch then the normal ones.
 
There is some debate about the rear relocation bracket, yet every lift kit maker I've seen includes the bracket, so it must serve a purpose.
 
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bobthetj03 said:
There is some debate about the rear relocation bracket, yet every lift kit maker I've seen includes the bracket, so it must serve a purpose.
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The bracket itself I believe is. We needed to install one in Toms jeep in order for the TB to line up. The question was more towards the need of an adjustable rear track bar on a OME lift or if stock would be fine.
 
Stock would be fine with the bracket. OME's HD coils are 933'front/942's rear. I've been running them for 10+ years, no sagging. My rig is light, so I'm going to try the lighter 941's for the rear I got from @ac_ to see if I notice any difference. I doubt I will.
 
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bobthetj03 said:
Stock would be fine with the bracket. OME's HD coils are 933'front/942's rear. I've been running them for 10+ years, no sagging. My rig is light, so I'm going to try the lighter 941's for the rear I got from @ac_ to see if I notice any difference. I doubt I will.
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haha this is all beyond my jeep vocab.
 
tennant said:
Purchasing a 2005 X with 90k miles with Dana 30/35. This will be a DD or mild off road. Believe there is some type of lift already and either 32s or 33s mud claws on it.

I am interested in:
3" total lift.
33" tires.

Can someone guide me where to start?
1. Exchanging the lift for a better one? If so, Give me options and what to buy exactly.
2. The process I need to go through to get a 3" total lift... what to do first/what to buy first.. then what comes next.

Im new to building Tjs.
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Pics of your rig might help us a little.
 
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bobthetj03 said:
Pics of your rig might help us a little.
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sure. underneath and the exterior.

51694395-722C-43EA-9349-82C433EF7241.png


52FA6B65-F9B9-4500-BC9F-DE8C64C89980.png


11E79DB3-B8A3-4744-8E52-E94A8503F337.jpeg
 
Also, can you take a photo of the track bar. Front and rear (rear where it meets the axle)
 
Chris said:
A question I commonly see asked around here is, "Should I buy a RC (Rough Country) lift?"
I'l answer that one for you plain and simple. NO! Rough Country lifts are garbage, pure and simple. First and foremost, ask yourself this: How can they afford to sell a complete lift kit for such a fraction of the cost of the other name brands such as Currie, Metalcloak, etc.?

The answer is simple, because it's cheap, piss poor quality. The shocks in the RC kits are widely regarded as garbage. The shocks are so bad that when you install the lift for the first time, you'll feel like you're riding on railroad tracks with no suspension at all. Coincidentally the shocks in a lift are the major determining factor in how well your suspension rides. The difference between a good shock and a crappy shock is night and day both on-road and off-road. Most people who end up purchasing the Rough Country lift end up swapping out the shocks for new shocks, which adds another $300 onto the price, and at that point you could have just bought a nice OME lift (with good shocks) from the start. So in reality, you aren't actually saving any money on the Rough County lift at all.

I'm not just saying this either, this is coming from a guy (me) who has run both the Rough Country 2.5" lift and the OME 2.5" lift. You can't even compare the two, the OME lift rides so much better you'd think you were dreaming.

The bushings in the Rough Country kit are also garbage as well. The rubber deteriorates faster than OE bushings, and if you spend any time off road at all, you'll be replacing them rather quick.

I don't want to be that guy who tries to talk down on people just because they are using a Rough Country lift. However, I also don't like seeing people waste money, only to realize that they made a mistake. I was in this situation myself when I bought a Rough Country lift and then realized how crappy it was.

How would a company like Rough Country be able to sell a lift for $350 and make money off of it if it used such high quality components? They get those $350 lifts manufactured probably somewhere around the tune of $150. I'm sorry, but you can't make a quality suspension for that price, plain and simple. This is common sense if you think about it.

Save your money and do it right the first time with a good quality kit such as OME or similar. I promise you, if you're buying a Rough Country kit with the intention of keeping your TJ for a long time, you will be disappointed.
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I can also vouch for this. When I bought my 04 TJ Sahara 42RLE it had a R/C 2.5 in lift kit installed, I rode for a month, had to be put into a back brace, bought a OME 2.5in loft and now, no back brace!
 
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Mcnenc1 said:
I can also vouch for this. When I bought my 04 TJ Sahara 42RLE it had a R/C 2.5 in lift kit installed, I rode for a month, had to be put into a back brace, bought a OME 2.5in loft and now, no back brace!
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Yes, they definitely ride terribly is my experience!
 
Some of these comments crack me up. LOL. Like seriously, you really think all these company's that sell lift kits make their own parts? Yeah some parts are better than others, like shocks, but most the other stuff most likely from the same company. It's all in how it's packaged. Why pay $3k for a poison spyder kit when you can get a rough country for less than $500.00 then get what ever track bar and control arms you want and save some $$ in the process
 
I'll throw in a vote for a seriously rough ride. Beyond uncomfortable. Jeep doesn't have to ride like this.

I have the 2.5" RC lift with the N3 shocks installed by the PO. I get it... installing the RC kit certainly helps the resale on the cheap. This was half done. No adjustable track bar up front, no relocation bracket rear, no extended end links. Actually prefer that it wasn't fully molested by RC stuff as it's less I need to replace.

I don't mind dropping a a little on replacing the shocks since my '00 had only 60k miles on it. Already ordered all new sway bar bushings, links and the track bar. I'm not carrying bumpers or a winch, yet, so I'll keep the spring for a bit while I attend to the few other things I want to do. It's all about the shocks...

Ranchos are on my short list. Right after I add the exogate.
 
In my opinion, folks love to give Rough Country a bad rap because they put them in a category they don't belong in. Rough Country Suspension is a decent entry-level, budget friendly option that works just fine for many. Don't anticipate a high level of performance from a kit that's sold for a such a low price. Are there better options available - ABSOLUTELY. Should everyone be able to justify the cost for those higher level kits - NO. There are some items offered by RC that I would stay away from, but not everything they sell is total garbage.

I ran a 2.5" RC kit for many years with good success. Were the shocks a bit harsh compared to others - YES. Honestly though, I didn't know any better because I had nothing else to compare to at the time. It's not like the RC suspension rattled any teeth out of my head. Do your homework and make a decision based upon your needs/ wants/ budget. Just don't expect to get something that you're not paying for.
 
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SvtLdr said:
In my opinion, folks love to give Rough Country a bad rap because they put them in a category they don't belong in. Rough Country Suspension is a decent entry-level, budget friendly option that works just fine for many. Don't anticipate a high level of performance from a kit that's sold for a such a low price. Are there better options available - ABSOLUTELY. Should everyone be able to justify the cost for those higher level kits - NO. There are some items offered by RC that I would stay away from, but not everything they sell is total garbage.

I ran a 2.5" RC kit for many years with good success. Were the shocks a bit harsh compared to others - YES. Honestly though, I didn't know any better because I had nothing else to compare to at the time. It's not like the RC suspension rattled any teeth out of my head. Do your homework and make a decision based upon your needs/ wants/ budget. Just don't expect to get something that you're not paying for.
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I agree… I assume they are a profitable business that has a lot of resources and sells 1000s of lifts for vehicles… but I assume if you ask a “off roader” .. the only option is metal cloak or savvy.. but I get it… if you ask a professional runner what kind of shoes to get… I bet they don’t recommend Chuck Taylor’s!
 
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Hog said:
I agree… I assume they are a profitable business that has a lot of resources and sells 1000s of lifts for vehicles… but I assume if you ask a “off roader” .. the only option is metal cloak or savvy.. but I get it… if you ask a professional runner what kind of shoes to get… I bet they don’t recommend Chuck Taylor’s!
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Truth be told, I'm betting if you asked an "off roader" (anywhere but here) you'd get a more varied response. Around here, yes, MC/ Savvy/ Currie are very popular and for good reason. They make really good stuff. But yeah, you're right, you don't see too many Ultra4 or Baja 1000 vehicles rocking the Rough Country option.
 
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