Rock Krawler 2.5 Max Travel lift

That is great! Thanks Chris for offering up the space and the tools and your time. Thank you as well Ryan and all the others that offered to help. I will have a rougher idea of a date and time once I get everything shipped. The BBQ is coming up quickly. I doubt we can get it done before then but hopefully before Go Topless! Speaking of going topless, anyone else plan on taking off hardtop this weekend? I think I may!

I heard it's supposed to get warm. If it does, I'll drop the soft top.

Let me know if there's any specific tools you guys will need for the suspension work. I'll bring the usual suspects (assuming I can make it, I should be able to) but if there's anything you're sure you'll need that's specialty-ish lemme know.

I'm also waiting for my front and rear adjustable control arms from Rock Krawler so I can start my 2.5 inch lift. If I'm available I'll come by and help. I'm lucky I'll have a lift to work on mine for a couple of days as soon as my parts come in as that is all I'm waiting for.

A lift sounds like using the Easy button! Which kit did you go with? Or did you put different pieces together? I have heard nothing but good things about RK. The only negatives have been 2-dr JK owners and getting too much lift.

Skyjacker 2.5 inch springs, Bilstein 5100 shocks, KOR (Kevin's off road) Front adjustable track bar and stabilizer to cure my death wobble , JKS rear adjustable track bar, Rock Krawler front and rear adjustable Control arms and Skyjacker Quick disconnect front sway bar links.
I didn't buy a complete kit as I found items on sale and had to buy them when I had the funds to do so,but I bought the lift parts on what I read and was told by others what was a good produce that fit my needs. Good luck as even the service manager at my local dealer said that a 2.5 inch lift was high enough and he has 2 lifted jeeps. IF you need help let me know as if I'm around I'll help you out.

I finally got the soft-top on! It was a bitch let me tell you. It took two of us to get it hooked in. I am now a bit intimidated regarding putting the top down. I wanted to try it tomorrow since we are supposed to have warm weather but I am afraid I will screw it up lol.

The Sunrider bracket or whatever it is called is the thing that I am afraid of breaking. I need someone with a JKU to show me the ropes about raising and lowering the thing. I will just have to wait until the weekend gathering which is fine. I can pick your brains then.

-bill

nsjbill wrote:I finally got the soft-top on! It was a bitch let me tell you. It took two of us to get it hooked in. I am now a bit intimidated regarding putting the top down. I wanted to try it tomorrow since we are supposed to have warm weather but I am afraid I will screw it up lol.

The Sunrider bracket or whatever it is called is the thing that I am afraid of breaking. I need someone with a JKU to show me the ropes about raising and lowering the thing. I will just have to wait until the weekend gathering which is fine. I can pick your brains then.

-bill

From what I understand, installing the soft-top gets worlds easier if you let it warm up in the sun first (Ours came with *just* a soft-top, so I don't have any real experience).

In terms of the sun-rider portion, the main thing is just to try and lift it from the center, if you can. It just makes it easier. If I do it by myself, I'll just unclip it from the windshield, then push it up from inside the cab.

To take it the rest of the way, first take off the rear windows (I forget that step *every damn time*), use the little tabbies to unhook the sunrider hinges, then just lower it towards the back. Again, two people is easier, but if just yourself, doing it from the center while inside is just as good.

A picture's worth 1000 words and all that, so I'd just search for a video on youtube.

It's a little awkward the first few times, but once you get the hang of it, it's pretty quick.

Had a sun rider on my TJ and it sucked, roof flapped all of the time when not open and when open it was worse, couldnt go over 50 .
Hope fully it works better on jks.

Mark wrote:Had a sun rider on my TJ and it sucked, roof flapped all of the time when not open and when open it was worse, couldnt go over 50 .
Hope fully it works better on jks.

Yeah, they improved them quite a bit. There's lots of stiffening bars and cables with springs running through them that provide a lot of support.

Hence why they're a bit more intimidating, because while it still folds the same way, they're cables and buckles and springs all over the place.

It is definitely snug and feels very secure. The material is very rugged as well. I guess that extra $1600 for the dual-top feature is worth it after all. Well, hopefully at least!

-bill

When I was at Lawless last week there were three dudes (two of them Lawless employees) attempting to put the soft top back up on a new JKU. I looked over to them and said, "It takes three people now to put one of those up? I can do mine alone in 10 minutes." to which I got the reply, "They don't make 'em like they used to."

Amen to that brother.

You should be able to do it by your self, one person.
Made so operator can do, imagine if you needed 3 people in jeep all of the time so you can put top up and down.That would be pretty stupid. lol

Yay just got the shipping info for my lift kit! Am psyched.

And the lift kit has arrived! They screwed up and sent me the wrong rear bump stops but those have been re-shipped. I think I have everything I need:

Rancho RS9000XL series shocks
RK 2.5" Max Travel Kit
Front/Rear Coils
Front/Rear LCAs
Front adjustable track bar
Rear track bar relocation bracket
Front/Rear brake lines
Front/Rear sway bars
Front bump stops
Rear bump stops
Coil clips
Exhaust spacer relocation kit

Hopefully that should do it. I look forward to chatting with people about their experience(s) installing lift kits and any tidbits or advice.

-bill

When are you getting high?

I am not sure yet. I will talk with folks Sunday, see what they think is a good idea for a timeframe. I would love to be done before Go Topless Day! It will depend on when folks that have time can help out. I have a friend that said we xould use his father's lift but I told him I thought we were all set. Will know more Sunday! I am pumped up!

It was great meeting folks yesterday. Hopefully I at least got to say howdy to everyone. And I hope the ribs were a good addition. So down to the nitty gritty! Anyone willing and able to help within the next few weekends to get my lift kit installed? I can provide a lot of tools, food, beverages. What I can't provide is a real jack or any real air tools or the like or any expertise/experience whatsoever.

I am hoping to learn a great deal about how the Jeep works and I think this will be a golden opportunity to do just that. I know this will eat up someone's Saturday or Sunday and I am willing to chip in some cash if needed. If you think you may want to volunteer please let me know!

-bill

I'm free this next Sunday coming up or the weekend after that (I think both days). I can bring 2 floor jacks if I need to, but if someone has some more local, that'd be better. Mine are about an hour away, but I'll be up in NH where they are between now and then anyways. Just make some ribs and I'm in.

Another thing I forgot to mention, I do not have a real spot to do the lift. My "parking lot" is dirt and gravel and not even at all. I can bring the Jeep to someone else's location with all of the stuff. I mentioned before a buddy being able to provide a garage with a lift. I can find out more about that. If that is a possibility maybe we can get folks to meet there. I am not sure the location as of yet but will find out tomorrow if it might be feasible.

Actually, this time of year, gravel is better than mud!

I did my lift in a mud-pit in a friend's backyard still half-frozen. Boy that was no fun.

As long as the gravel is sturdy and level, that should work just find for you!

Glad you got your lift kit. IF I can get free sometime this weekend I'll help. If you can get a compressor even a small one I have the air gun and ratchet which would make life easier. Let me see if my next door neighbor has my old compressor and if possible I may be able to bring that one. Mine is too big to truck or I would bring that one.

Hey all,

Rob suggested I hop on this thread as I could also use some help with a couple minor mods for my jeep.
I'm basically in need of the right tools to get some tough bolts off to install my skid plates and a grinder to make my smittybilt rocker guards into place for my '08 Jk.

I'm in Boston so depending on where you all are installing Bill's lift, maybe I could join and help/be helped?

I'm free Sunday.

Let me know. Thanks!

-Miles

The more the merrier! I am working on getting availability to a garage with a lift. That I am sure would make our lives much easier. Would folks still be willing to help if we had to meet at a 3rd party site?

So my buddy with the garage and lift is tied up atm working with the FBI regarding the bombing. So this weekend is out for that idea. If someone has a good spot to do the lift and has jacks and such we can still do it the old fashioned way.

Let me know if this sounds feasible. I will work around schedules as needed. I just want to get this thing in before Go Topless. The sooner the better.

-bill

I know plans kind if fell through, but if people are still up to help, I would really appreciate the extra hands.
Of course, I'll also lend myself to any other projects who might want to co-op!

This coming weekend perhaps?

Let me know,

Miles
(714) 296-1766