2.5 rough country lift and 3" spacer lift on top

[Jod0001]

OK, I feel like I'm going go take some heat on this one but here goes. My 01 TJ needs new springs. I have a 3" spacer lift in the front and a 1.5" in the rear. After installing the new front bumper and winch the front end is sagging and I definitely don't like the look. When looking for new springs I thought I should just get the 2.5 rough country lift, (springs/shocks) and just place the spacer lift on top. I'm not very concerned sbout the rear because the spacer is 1.5"but I am skeptical about the front because it is a 3" spacer. Any with experience on this? The jeep is NOT a DD and here in Alabama the trails are more mud than rocks where I'm at.

 

[TheBoogieman]

You don't want/need 2.5" RC springs (or their shocks) AND a 3" BB up front. I'd just go with 3" lift springs up front and ditch the 3" spacers. Get 2" lift springs for the rear and ditch those spacers too. Buy some Rancho rs5000x or Skyjacker Black Max shocks in the appropriate lengths. That should be enough to compensate for the weight of the winch.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

Spacers are cheap and won't change height with weight so I would just buy as many different heights as you can, (1.25, 1.5, etc), this will give you the flexibility you need to play around with the height. Then I would try to narrow it down to a spring set you think will work, install them, drop the Jeep on the ground with all 4 tires, fully loaded etc, and see what your final ride height is and which springs are the best. Then return the springs you don't need.

For a winch and heavy bumper you might want to get some higher spring rate ones in the front. I'm using the OME 2934 fronts, and I can stand on the front bumper and jump up and down and it barely moves at all.

If you know the corner weights of your jeep and the spring rate you will be using, there is a mathematical way of calculating what ride height would be but I'm too stupid to do math so I just did trial by error and happened to get lucky with the springs I already planned on using. This is where having some extra spacers on hand can make a big difference.

 

[Jod0001]

Thanks for the reply, after thinking about it I would probably be better off going with the rough country 4” lift then a 1.5” spacer in the front. That lift come with comes with control arms designed for the lift where as the stock ones probably would do very well with the spacers and 2.5 lift. The 4” lift comes with a lot of part that are due for replacement anyway.

 

[TheBoogieman]

after thinking about it I would probably be better off going with the rough country 4” lift then a 1.5” spacer in the front. That lift come with comes with control arms designed for the lift where as the stock ones probably would do very well with the spacers and 2.5 lift. The 4” lift comes with a lot of part that are due for replacement anyway.

No you won't. Brush up on your Google Fu skills or search Rough Country on this forum.

 

[TheBoogieman]

Spacers are cheap and won't change height with weight

Some do, over time. It depends on the material they're made of.

 

[Woodsman]

You don't want/need 2.5" RC springs (or their shocks) AND a 3" BB up front. I'd just go with 3" lift springs up front and ditch the 3" spacers. Get 2" lift springs for the rear and ditch those spacers too. Buy some Rancho rs5000x or Skyjacker Black Max shocks in the appropriate lengths. That should be enough to compensate for the weight of the winch.

Solid advice above, rough country would not be a suspension system I would recommend. After running one of there suspension systems on a jeep I use to own I can tell you the ride quality I experienced gave meaning to the brand name.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

Thanks for the reply, after thinking about it I would probably be better off going with the rough country 4” lift then a 1.5” spacer in the front. That lift come with comes with control arms designed for the lift where as the stock ones probably would do very well with the spacers and 2.5 lift. The 4” lift comes with a lot of part that are due for replacement anyway.

How much lift do you expect you will actually need up front? 3 inches roughly is at the point where you may or may not need control arms, which is another can of worms. You are better off staying with the stock arms until you reach the point where driveline vibrations or axle centering becomes an issue. When/ if you do go with aftermarket arms stay away from Rough Country, Currie RockJock double adjustable will be the top recommendation, if you can get them.

Replacing the stock arms with replacement stock arms (if bushings are shot or whatever) is the best thing you can do at 2.5 inches lift.

 

[Jod0001]

Thank you for your advice, it’s funny how a lot of people don’t like rough country but they have built such a brand that people continue to use them.

 

[LONGJP2]

... people continue to use them.

IMO, because they're the cheapest.

 

[TheBoogieman]

it’s funny how a lot of people don’t like rough country but they have built such a brand that people continue to use them.

Many years ago, RC used to give me free lifts/shocks to test out and give reviews on. When Zone Offroad came out, I used their lift kit with hydro shocks and compared it to the RC lift. I never got anything free from RC again.
p.s. I'm still using the Zone Offroad 4.25" lift (with Rancho RS5000X shocks).

 

[John Cooper]

No you won't. Brush up on your Google Fu skills or search Rough Country on this forum.
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