Best Switch from 4" to 2.5" on JKU for highway and road. RK , TF , OME ?
#1
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Best Switch from 4" to 2.5" on JKU for highway and road. RK , TF , OME ?
Hey guys ,
I have a 07 JKU sahara with front and rear aftermarket bumpers / tire carrier with hardtop. Im currently running a 4" RC basic lift with an AEV control arm bracket, RC dual stabilizer kit , f/r TB brackets , RC pitman arm . The rest is stock .. I feel the ride could be better with a smaller/better quality lift . It is still flighty at highway speeds ( tire pressure at 30 ) and i have to keep my hands on the wheel , I know both drag link ends are beat up by looks ( both rubber boots are ripped up with grit in them ) so i will be buying a new stock drag link assembly
I will be buying either basic TF 2.5 , basic OME 2" , Or basic RK 2.5 and along with this adding an adjustable front TB ( removing RC pitman arm,) a new front stabilizer ( not sure which brand ) , and reusing my AEV bracket for the front lower control arms. Thats it
This is a road only / highway vehicle that has 35" tires , maybe once or twice a year hit a trail but not enough to base anything on that. Im looking for a better then stock ride, absorbs bumps , pot holes no bump steer
Based on research , i feel the OME would be perfect for my needs riding soft but I'm worried with my heavy 4 door ill be stuck with with a tight fit and an unattractive look , Any help will be great . Im open to all 2.5 brands that will ride great , can also mix and match
I have a 07 JKU sahara with front and rear aftermarket bumpers / tire carrier with hardtop. Im currently running a 4" RC basic lift with an AEV control arm bracket, RC dual stabilizer kit , f/r TB brackets , RC pitman arm . The rest is stock .. I feel the ride could be better with a smaller/better quality lift . It is still flighty at highway speeds ( tire pressure at 30 ) and i have to keep my hands on the wheel , I know both drag link ends are beat up by looks ( both rubber boots are ripped up with grit in them ) so i will be buying a new stock drag link assembly
I will be buying either basic TF 2.5 , basic OME 2" , Or basic RK 2.5 and along with this adding an adjustable front TB ( removing RC pitman arm,) a new front stabilizer ( not sure which brand ) , and reusing my AEV bracket for the front lower control arms. Thats it
This is a road only / highway vehicle that has 35" tires , maybe once or twice a year hit a trail but not enough to base anything on that. Im looking for a better then stock ride, absorbs bumps , pot holes no bump steer
Based on research , i feel the OME would be perfect for my needs riding soft but I'm worried with my heavy 4 door ill be stuck with with a tight fit and an unattractive look , Any help will be great . Im open to all 2.5 brands that will ride great , can also mix and match
#2
RK 2.5 springs should do the trick.
As far as the stabs, remove one and keep the relo brackets, Or swap in a stock SS.
On top of everything else you will want a raised rear TB bracket, pretty sure the kit you have runs a drop bracket.
As far as the stabs, remove one and keep the relo brackets, Or swap in a stock SS.
On top of everything else you will want a raised rear TB bracket, pretty sure the kit you have runs a drop bracket.
#3
JK Jedi
The guys that run RK will tell you how good RK is and its "upgradeable". The guys that use Teraflex will tell you how good they are as well as their customer service "top notch". The guys that run OME will tell you how nice it rides. You may have 3 or 4 others that are offended you didn't choose the lift they run, The RC guys will wonder why yours doesn't ride well because their 4" lift "rides better then stock"
What you are basically coming down to is replacing the shocks and coils. Most coils are going to handle the extra weight you have on your jeep and would not be concerned about .5" difference in the coils. OME offers several different coil rates to handle different set ups and I have seen people get 3"+ when using the HD coils on rigs with steel bumpers and a winch.
You have tons of choices at the height you are looking at and like anything you choose is going to be way better then the 4" RC lift if you properly set it up. Synergy, clayton, off road evolution, currie, metal cloak are also other manufacturers that offer coils in the range you are looking at. Get a front adjustable track bar and raise the rear axle side track bar bracket by 2"-2.5" to improver your ride.
Good luck with your search.
What you are basically coming down to is replacing the shocks and coils. Most coils are going to handle the extra weight you have on your jeep and would not be concerned about .5" difference in the coils. OME offers several different coil rates to handle different set ups and I have seen people get 3"+ when using the HD coils on rigs with steel bumpers and a winch.
You have tons of choices at the height you are looking at and like anything you choose is going to be way better then the 4" RC lift if you properly set it up. Synergy, clayton, off road evolution, currie, metal cloak are also other manufacturers that offer coils in the range you are looking at. Get a front adjustable track bar and raise the rear axle side track bar bracket by 2"-2.5" to improver your ride.
Good luck with your search.
#4
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( removing RC pitman arm,)
As mentioned above, if you go with OME do a little reading before the purchase. They have a bunch of different coils, and most say they are 2" - the difference is the amount of weight they are designed to carry. (I went with their heavy coils based on suggestions here and from a vendor, the medium or light coils would have been a much better choice for me.)
#5
Super Moderator
Based on what you want and research I've read over the years looking for similar requirments. I would go with OME or AEV 2.5 lifts to go with the 35's you have and get a better ride. However, I'm by no means an expert, just read a lot of other expert's advise. What I've gathered is that OME and AEV lifts below 3in tend to maintain more stock geometry while giving you enough clearance for 35's.
Last edited by Rednroll; 03-28-2016 at 04:43 PM.
#6
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Be sure to remove the front trackbar bracket as well, they work together.
As mentioned above, if you go with OME do a little reading before the purchase. They have a bunch of different coils, and most say they are 2" - the difference is the amount of weight they are designed to carry. (I went with their heavy coils based on suggestions here and from a vendor, the medium or light coils would have been a much better choice for me.)
As mentioned above, if you go with OME do a little reading before the purchase. They have a bunch of different coils, and most say they are 2" - the difference is the amount of weight they are designed to carry. (I went with their heavy coils based on suggestions here and from a vendor, the medium or light coils would have been a much better choice for me.)
#7
JK Jedi
All of the one coils are roughly the same length but have different coil rates. The HD coils are made for a very heavy rig, think heavy bumpers, winch, rails armor and the back full of gear. Running them on a stock jeep will net you around 3.5" of lift and it will ride rough and jarring simply because they need the extra weight to compress. How the no load coils on a stop jeep and expect around 2.5" of lift with a much better ride. I ran the HD coils years back on a 2 door with steel bumpers, wine,h and some heavy duty side rails and I was not heavy enough and sat at around 3". I swapped them out to the no load coils and dropped down to around 2" and a much nicer ride.
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#8
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Pretty much what Dirtman said. With the heavy load coils, I ended up at about 3.25", even with a full width steel bumper and winch. Stiff/jarring ride, compared to the nice smooth experience everyone talked about with lighter load OME coils. Needed to add control arms for caster, which I wasn't expecting based on the stated 2" lift. Then it was front and rear adj trackbars. And brakelines. And bumpstops. And so on. But ya know how it is, by then I had the bug. 33's to 35's to 37's. 3.73 to 5.13 to 5.38. OME coils sold in favor of MC coils. It never ends.
#9
JK Enthusiast
I have the 2.5" TF kit with Bilstien shocks and I havent had any issues from it. It rides fine on the highway, even at 80+ if needed.
I also have a Synergy tie rod, drag link, track bar and ball joints if that helps.
I dont think its really the "best" lift kit but its perfectly fine on road and for the mild off road I have done and it doesnt break the bank either.
I also have a Synergy tie rod, drag link, track bar and ball joints if that helps.
I dont think its really the "best" lift kit but its perfectly fine on road and for the mild off road I have done and it doesnt break the bank either.
#10
JK Enthusiast
Thread Starter
Pretty much what Dirtman said. With the heavy load coils, I ended up at about 3.25", even with a full width steel bumper and winch. Stiff/jarring ride, compared to the nice smooth experience everyone talked about with lighter load OME coils. Needed to add control arms for caster, which I wasn't expecting based on the stated 2" lift. Then it was front and rear adj trackbars. And brakelines. And bumpstops. And so on. But ya know how it is, by then I had the bug. 33's to 35's to 37's. 3.73 to 5.13 to 5.38. OME coils sold in favor of MC coils. It never ends.
Are there different levels of shocks for the OME 2" kits ? . I always thought stiffness/harshness was primarily shock related