Rough Country 2.5" Progressive lift

[hotwiredxj]

I just got off the phone with Jason at Rough Country, and just ordered a http://roughcountry.com/jeep_tj_2.html 2.5" Progressive lift for my 2002 Jeep Wrangler Sport. This kit retails for $299 Plus shipping. Old Man Emu 2" kit sells at Quadratec for $787

When this lift gets in I will be doing a full write up, and include pics. Please check back. This will be my second lift from Rough Country, and my 3rd lift kit install.

This lift consists of Front and rear progressive coil springs, transfer case spacers to maintain factory driveshaft angles, and front and rear Performance 2.2 shocks.
I am currently running 31x10.50 street tires on my factory ride TJ with 2" body lift. This is the way I bought it. My objective after installing this kit is to retain my 2" body lift and be able rock 33x12.50s with out rubbing, and to offer the jeep community an alternative to thinking they have to have a 4" long arm lift kit with a SYE and D44 front and rear to be able to rock 33x12.50s. I am like many Americans, I make middle income, and still owe on this jeep. I have to decide if I want to buy upgrades this weekend, or buy gas for next weekend.

Kit install:
The kit has been installed. I started installing this kit this morning around 10am and have to say that it went VERY smooth. The directions are easy to follow, and are very informative, it is also very concise; there isn’t a lot of filler that makes it several pages long. Note: the passenger side pig tail seat is kind of hard to find, it is toward the front of the spring perch. I was done with the install in about 3.5 hours. I have to say that this kit is top notch, just like the rest of kits that Rough Country sells.

First impressions:
After installing this kit, I installed my 33x12.50s and went for a ride. I had several things to take care of after the install, so I hit the town. I tried to hit every bump, pothole, and rail road tracks that I could, and I have to say, I am VERY pleased with the performance. I noticed right away that there was a HUGE difference even over factory ride. It rides better then a 6 year old factory suspension. I can say honestly, it rides better then Rough Country's 4" TJ lift. I plan on taking a TJ with a OME 2" lift for a ride this weekend, and I will make a note comparing them when I do, but it better be a Cadillac ride to impress me.

Driving off road:
I took the TJ across a field, and got a few articulation pics listed below. I was very quiet, comfortable, and easy to handle. I found a small ditch and dropped a tire off to show the flex you can get. Please note, my sway bars are attached, so it wasn’t extreme. I have more tests to complete, time was limited today.

I give this lift 5 Stars, and would recommend this kit to anyone looking to buy a 2.5” lift, I will be willing to take the Pepsi challenge to anyone’s Old Man Emu lift as well.

In conclusion, if you want to run 33s with out rubbing, I recommend the Progressive 2.5” Rough Country lift and a 2” body lift. I did not have to install the transfer lowering kit as my jeep already has a Motor mount lift kit on it as well, and I had NO vibrations at city or highway speeds. I give this lift 5 Stars, and would recommend this kit to anyone looking to buy a 2.5” lift, I will be willing to take the Pepsi challenge to anyone’s Old Man Emu lift as well.

Please feel free to post up on this thread, ask questions or PM me. I will answer any questions about this lift.




Current pics:


Rear Assembled

Front installed

Complete

Steering stabilizer installed


Flex 1

Flex 2

[RCXTREME]

Sweet, thanks for the writeup. Hope you enjoy it.

[Unlimited04]

Originally Posted by RCXTREME

Sweet, thanks for the writeup. Hope you enjoy it.

does Rough Country have 2.5" spring rates specific to LJ models? I've got a very fat LJ (fully armored, hard top, roll cage, gas cans, hi-lift, bumpers, camping gear, etc), and OME is the only supplier I've found so far that offers spring rates talored to LJ's with heavy loads (OME933/OME949, IIRC). I'm sure I would flatten a set of 2.5" TJ springs to 1.5" loaded down. Not interested in spacers, thats a bandaid, correcting the spring rate is the way to go.

[RCXTREME]

Sorry, not LJ weight specific, but the LJ is only around 200 pds heavier if I am not mistaken.

[03_X]

don't clog his thread with posts that can go to the other thread!

[Zennashton]

Watching with anticipation

[Bill_Dunnigan]

let us know how the shocks are too, because in the past they have been notoriously non performing

[Pvt_Joker]

no thread jack intended but hotwired i just want to get a lift on my jeep without doing a whole bunch of stuff and not to spend a lot of money. I'm kind of a newbie at jeep lifts so would this be all i need for my jeep or would i have to buy other stuff besides this to get a lift and how hard is it to install?

[hotwiredxj]

lactrain's install thread -
http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f9/rough-country-2-5-progressive-lift-rubicon-594241-post5572810/?posted=1#post5572810
Rough Country's 2.5 Progressive lift thread -
Rough Country 2.5 inch TJ lift kit.

[lactrain]

Im crawlin this thread .... cant wait to get mine installed. Good luck with this.

[Unlimited04]

Originally Posted by RCXTREME

Sorry, not LJ weight specific, but the LJ is only around 200 pds heavier if I am not mistaken.

Its got to be more than that, D44 vs D35c, 15" more body & frame, 15" more glass on the hard top. you can handle a TJ hard top with 2 people, but an LJ top needs at least 3 people or a hoist, unless you got 2 BIG dudes.

I know my LJ is FAT. Its at least 500lbs over stock. The JeepMedic skids alone added near 200lbs based on shipping weight, most on the front end. The gas tank skid is 70lbs or so, the front bumper is 50lbs, the rear bumper/tire carrier is 100lbs, the roll cage adds about 150lbs (based on shipping weight + wire added). The rockers will add about 100lbs. Thats ~700lbs. Now add gear and a winch and you're near 1000lbs over stock. All that extra steel adds up fast, you might want to tell the engineers at Rough Country to account for that. While the price is sure attractive, I'd rather spend the extra money to get something designed to work with the extra accesories I've added, because I know the Jeep will sit level and ride great. With a coil designed for a normal weight TJ, on an armored LJ I'll be overcompressing the springs on every cycle, resulting in premature shock and spring wear. It will be sagging badly when loaded, and I'll end up unhappy with the lift. I'm already overcompressing the stock springs, I can feel the bumpstops on the street, and off-road I need to go slow to avoid bottoming out. Installing a lift without an increase in spring rate to account for the weight will show the same results.

[likhary]

I'm kind of a newbie at jeep lifts so would this be all i need for my jeep or would i have to buy other stuff besides this to get a lift and how hard is it to install?

[03_X]

Originally Posted by Unlimited04

Its got to be more than that, D44 vs D35c, 15" more body & frame, 15" more glass on the hard top. you can handle a TJ hard top with 2 people, but an LJ top needs at least 3 people or a hoist, unless you got 2 BIG dudes.

I know my LJ is FAT. Its at least 500lbs over stock. The JeepMedic skids alone added near 200lbs based on shipping weight, most on the front end. The gas tank skid is 70lbs or so, the front bumper is 50lbs, the rear bumper/tire carrier is 100lbs, the roll cage adds about 150lbs (based on shipping weight + wire added). The rockers will add about 100lbs. Thats ~700lbs. Now add gear and a winch and you're near 1000lbs over stock. All that extra steel adds up fast, you might want to tell the engineers at Rough Country to account for that. While the price is sure attractive, I'd rather spend the extra money to get something designed to work with the extra accesories I've added, because I know the Jeep will sit level and ride great. With a coil designed for a normal weight TJ, on an armored LJ I'll be overcompressing the springs on every cycle, resulting in premature shock and spring wear. It will be sagging badly when loaded, and I'll end up unhappy with the lift. I'm already overcompressing the stock springs, I can feel the bumpstops on the street, and off-road I need to go slow to avoid bottoming out. Installing a lift without an increase in spring rate to account for the weight will show the same results.

[jeepramnauth]

I too am a lift newbie like likhary, so I have the same question! I have a stock TJ, if I got the kit would this be all I need?

[lactrain]

This kit is brand new what you all are seeing are pictures and comments that will determine wether or not it will be all you need or what you may need to add. It's looking good that the shocks, springs and spacers are all you need when lifting from stock.

There is a install that has been completed on a stock TJ that is noted in the thread originally started by Rough Country and his install went well and any vibrations were corrected by the spacers. So the answer to your question is yes, but will be a bit clearer as others complete their install. So keep crawlin this thread. But, depending on your needs will determine wether or not you want to add other accessories like quick disconnects, body lift (BL) etc.

Just keep in mind that hotwiredXJ already has a 2" BL this may or may not make his install a bit more complex.