Hello from Central Florida

[Randy Spradling]

Hi folks! Living in Bartow for now. Got introduced to KJs when I rented one in 2003 while living in OH. I later worked for WVDOH when I was assigned another KJ as a field car. Took that state Jeep places that made a County Supervisor weep. Later moved to Bartow, and needed a second vehicle as my Grand Am was becoming unreliable.

Bought a 2002 KJ Limited in 2017, and got baptized into the Rescue Jeep Club (read pouring money into replacing worn parts, most things sorted out & I have a cash reserve in case some component that has many parts flying in close formation grenades). Son wants to install a Frankenlift, and it's tempting.

 

[tommudd]

Welcome Randy
Lots of things you can do to a KJ
as far as lifts, just go OME 927/948 combo on springs then either bilstein or OME shocks ( of course longer shocks for the rear depending...........
Frankenlift is a great kit but will put you 4 inches or better and will need JBA UCAs as well then have some spring/UCA contact until very well broken in then you'll want to get larger tires, then you need to regear , then,........LOL
927/948 combo will give you a solid 2.5 inches of lift over new stock

Doesn't sound like it had been very well taken care of if you are needing to replace a lot of parts

 

[Randy Spradling]

Doesn't sound like it had been very well taken care of if you are needing to replace a lot of parts

Thanks for the welcome, Tom!

A little about my Red Rocket: bought it with 127,053 miles May 2017. So far, I had fluids replaced in both pumpkins, transfer case, and transmission at 128,074; tires replaced at 128,449; water pump and hoses replaced at 130,594; heater manifold at 130,814; headlamps & fog lights at 134,416; throttle body harness replaced 136,849; rear window regulators replaced 146,848; upper and lower control arms/ball joints 148,356; blower motor resistor replaced 151,304; A/C compressor, accumulator, hoses replaced 156,968; and outer tie rod end replaced 157,436. Oh yest, the paint was mostly flaked off, so I had it repainted. Nearly everything listed here would be considered normal replacement on a vehicle with more than 100,000 miles on it. From everything I've read, it appears that there isn't much more left to do on it (but I see a rear upper control arm ball joint replacement in the near future).

Although it came from Virginia, it spent most of its life in Florida, and the body and K member are pretty rust-free. The skid plates don't have any wear showing on them, either. I know it experienced some minor front end collision damage, b/c the paint on the bumper cover was cracked like the previous owner hit a parking lot bollard.

I'll keep the OME setup in mind, although I don't see much of a cost savings using theirs. Also, Frankenlift can be bought preassembled, and that could be of benefit to me.

I'm a little surprised that the Frankenlift gets you 4". I thought it was only 2.5-3 inches. I'm more interested in a mild lift and leveling. The state Jeep I drove did a pretty good job with stock suspension; my interest in doing a lift is to increase the max fording depth to something above the stock 19". In either case, I'm more concerned with CV joint stressing than I am about spring/UCA contact (I understand that a grinder on the rub points of the UCA can relieve that, somewhat).

 

[tommudd]

I have installed over 60 KJ lifts up to this point including Frankenlifts, BDS, etc and yes a Franky although advertised at 2.5 gives you 4 or over when new and then for a while
Getting a Franky compared to just the OME and Bilsteins etc is nowhere close in price really when figuring all in
And a HUGE NO on using a grinder on UCAs , huge NO, that is the stupid Fakebook kids way of doing it ! Been doing suspension work, building 4x4s, since 1973, and believe in doing it right
One of mine ( the 04 pictured in my sig, has over 235,000 miles ) has ran over 135,000 miles at over 4 inches of JBA coilover lift, he ( JBA) used smaller diameter springs so no contact with JBA UCAs but only disadvantage was the folds in the boots on the CVs wore through about every 50-60,000 miles on the right side

On to what you replaced , between my 3 I haven't had to replace half that amount, of course the 04 I bought new and always kept maintenance up, 03 and 05 were both one owner, all records from Jeep Dealership , at 75-80,000 miles

 

[first&lastKJ]

Welcome to the forum.

 

[Randy Spradling]

I have installed over 60 KJ lifts up to this point including Frankenlifts, BDS, etc and yes a Franky although advertised at 2.5 gives you 4 or over when new and then for a while
Getting a Franky compared to just the OME and Bilsteins etc is nowhere close in price really when figuring all in
And a HUGE NO on using a grinder on UCAs , huge NO, that is the stupid Fakebook kids way of doing it ! Been doing suspension work, building 4x4s, since 1973, and believe in doing it right
One of mine ( the 04 pictured in my sig, has over 235,000 miles ) has ran over 135,000 miles at over 4 inches of JBA coilover lift, he ( JBA) used smaller diameter springs so no contact with JBA UCAs but only disadvantage was the folds in the boots on the CVs wore through about every 50-60,000 miles on the right side

On to what you replaced , between my 3 I haven't had to replace half that amount, of course the 04 I bought new and always kept maintenance up, 03 and 05 were both one owner, all records from Jeep Dealership , at 75-80,000 miles

Thanks, Tom. I agree that the Red Rocket was pretty well used up, when I got it.

 

[tommudd]

What do you measure height wise ??
( from middle of left front wheel to bottom of the flare on level ground )
After April 12, 2002 they were 19 inches new

 

[Randy Spradling]

I have installed over 60 KJ lifts up to this point including Frankenlifts, BDS, etc and yes a Franky although advertised at 2.5 gives you 4 or over when new and then for a while
Getting a Franky compared to just the OME and Bilsteins etc is nowhere close in price really when figuring all in
And a HUGE NO on using a grinder on UCAs , huge NO, that is the stupid Fakebook kids way of doing it ! Been doing suspension work, building 4x4s, since 1973, and believe in doing it right
One of mine ( the 04 pictured in my sig, has over 235,000 miles ) has ran over 135,000 miles at over 4 inches of JBA coilover lift, he ( JBA) used smaller diameter springs so no contact with JBA UCAs but only disadvantage was the folds in the boots on the CVs wore through about every 50-60,000 miles on the right side

On to what you replaced , between my 3 I haven't had to replace half that amount, of course the 04 I bought new and always kept maintenance up, 03 and 05 were both one owner, all records from Jeep Dealership , at 75-80,000 miles

Wanted to separate the reply. Thanks for the additional input, a bit to think about. I need to find someone down here who is trustworthy to install whatever I decide to do - apartment living isn't conducive to shade tree mechanics. For what I'm planning, 4 in is way too much. 2-2.5 would suffice i I'm not planning to take on Moab

I was seeing OME springs with OME shocks at 950 or thereabouts requiring assembly (and no snubbers), and Franky was 1350 assembled with everything but the kitchen sink included.

If I were in OH I would talk to you about helping (or doing) the installation. I know a Jeep whisperer in Wilmington who works on my daughter's XJ, but that's a 1000 mile haul from where I am.

 

[tommudd]

It doesn't take but 40-50 bucks ( if that ) to have someone put the front coilovers together

 

[Randy Spradling]

What do you measure height wise ??
( from middle of left front wheel to bottom of the flare on level ground )
After April 12, 2002 they were 19 inches new

Hi Tom - Sorry for taking so long to respond, but life got in the way
To answer your question:
18-3/4 front
19-1/2 rear