matt852

So after months of thinking I'm going to get a BB I was told that a bumper such as ARB would sag the front with my stock springs. So I decided to go the next level up.
I'm looking at the Rough Country 3.25 lift http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_jk_3.html
2.5" lifted coil springs,
0.75" coil spacers,
brake line brackets
track bar bracket
sway-bar links,
Shocks

No Disconnects
Or Break lines

Shocks: (4) High Performance 2.2 series shocks

vs. the Terraflex 3 inch with shocks
http://www.quadratec.com/products/16190_0001.htm
Parts Included
Front and Rear Coil Springs
Rear Sway Bar Links
Front Sway Bar Disconnects
Front and Rear Bump Stops
Rear Track Bar Bracket
Pair - Stainless Brake Lines
Front and Rear Shocks

I know there is a significant price difference between the two but which would you recommend? I want something that will last long with ride quality. I'm only going to go up to 35" tires with my JK maybe someday 37" if I can afford it. I will eventually do some light rock crawling nothing that extreme (I mostly mud and play around in the forest) but this is my first lift. The rancho uses coils as well as spacers to achieve it's lift. The Terraflex uses just coils to achieve it. Is there any advantage that any of these have over the other? In Sedona there is a rental company called Farabee's Jeeps in Sedona the owner said I only needed 3 inches on my Jeep and 35's to do the Broken Arrow Trail which I guess is the hardest trail.

The Rancho looks like a steal with it's price but I'm not sure if it's up to par with the Terraflex they look like they have similar components but the price difference is what makes me wonder.
Thank You

Matt

nthinuf

A few thoughts...

Compare components before you compare prices. Know what they do, and decide which you need, which you want, but can wait to add, and which you don't need. Add the cost of missing components to make a more fair and informed comparison.

Research the lifts to find out what 'actual' lift heights you can expect. (3" TF coils are known to give in the 4-5" range, depending on model and added weight...) As the lift height goes up, you will want more components to get you back to a stock-like ride.


Go back and browse the FAQ's again.
Q: What is Caster? How much do I need? (neither of those kits addresses caster !!!!)
Q: What are all the components that I will need with a 3" lift?
Q: What are all the components that I will need with a 4" lift?
Q: Are new driveshafts needed after installing a lift?
And then check the drivetrain area and decide which gears you want to go with...

rvator

My 07 JKU first had a Rough Country BB that I later changed to a 2 1/2 inch spring lift with the 2.2 shocks. It drove fine even with less caster. I never added lower control arms. I never did really like the ride though. It was very harsh , plus I was running D rated 16 inch tires @ 27psi. I just installed a 2 1/2 inch Teraflex spring lift on a coworkers 2010 JKU. He added TF lower control arms and a TF front trackbar. I netted 3 1/4 inches in the front. The ride was great,much better than mine was with the RC lift. So for my new JK guess which lift I am going to buy?

rcjeep

You might be interested in our new 3.5" kit. It is pretty complete and comes with front lower arms to recenter the front axle and help with caster. It also comes with our new N2.0 shock which is based on OEM valving and then tweaked. Honestly, this is the best riding kit that we have ever released. Springs, shocks, bushing, were all researched and designed to optimize ride quality.

$499
http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_jk_3-seriesII.html

iwantaJK

Do you guys sell a similarly equipped kit in a 2.5 in or 3 in lift?

RedRock GatorRaider

I can't speak to Terraflex, because I've never run one of their lifts.

However, in the past year and half, I've run Rough Country's 2.5" BB, a 1.25" Body Lift, and their 4" Suspension Lift.

I've never had any issue with any of their components, and was always happy with the ride.

Recently I shifted to a 2.5" Rock Krawler lift and am also happy with that.

The question always comes up... Why are Rough Country Lifts so much cheaper and do the other guys just over charge?

My opinion is that for the most part you get what you pay for. Is the RC lift good enough? Sure, I think it is. I never had any problems with mine. But I do think you get better components with some of the other more expensive brands. Does it matter and is worth the price? That's up to you.

Here's an example...

Both the Rough Country Lift and my Rock Krawler lift came with crush sleeves to use on the rear track bar relocation brackets. Here's a photo of the difference between the two:



(The one on the left is RC, the one on the right is RK).

As you can see, there is definitely a difference in quality. Again, it's a personal decision as to whether the RC is "good enough" or whether the RK is "worth the cost". Alot of that depends on how you wheel.

Just my $.02.

TeraFlex

Do you have a 2dr or a 4dr JK? Make sure you get some front lower adjustable control arms so you can set the caster. TeraFlex use a OEM style Clevite bushings on the frame for a better than stock ride. The FlexJoints are quiet,rebuildable and greasable.



Also take a close look at what you get from TeraFlex for a rear trackbar bracket.

matt852

I have a 2dr JK, yeah I'm just starting to research about these lifts and the components I would need.

Canadian Jker

I bought the RC 2.5 BB with shocks, and that will be the last thing i ever buy from RC. Their prices are cheaper for a reason, skimp on engineering and quality of parts and you can offer a lower priced lift and still make the same amount of money. I got their "Premium kit" which they stated i would need nothing else and there would be no problems with alignment etc. Put the kit on and the first time i took it out the rear track bar relocation bracket dented in the brand new rear right shock... Called them to ask what was up, i got hung up on. Tried their online chat and they ended the conversation. Finally got a hold of someone higher up and sent pics, did not hear back for weeks and sent another email. Ended at they had bump stop extensions at first article and will ship me a set as soon as they can. 2 months now and i just purchased the TF ones. The TF kit comes with them already, and their quality of parts and engineering are far superior. The RC lift is squeaking over ever bump and the rear 2 shocks are leaking now, one is understandable from the giant dent in it....

Learn from my mistake go with TF, or another mid range kit for what you need it for.

OneSickSix

Who did your install?