DirtyKK
JPOTM WINNER
dont waste your money on cheap budget boost because you will end up replacing it all anyway. nobody listens but they all end up doing it!
depends on how high you want. if i had to do it again i would go with 2.5" or less with 245/75 tires to save all the headaches. then i would buy a cheap XJ and mod that. i wheel literally every weekend so i feel it justifies buying a weekend warrior. only reason i havent is because i already have so much into this one.
if you just want a mild lift you could do a few things. buy front KJ OME springs and add upper plate spacers and what not. with stock a-arms and a 2" lift i had contact on bumps and full droop. you could get a frankie for the front of a KJ and the JBA a-arms and you will be fine. although, with the frankie, you will have 1/2 to 3/4" less lift because the KK suspension is a little bit longer. then you could purchase the JBA rear springs because he is currently the only supplier of aftermarket height springs. you could get other rear shocks then he has listed and save money there. this should be good enough for a small lift thats better then any budget boost.
if you want more lift comes the problems, along with cost. not to mention with those 32s youre gonna end up wanting to fill the wheel well youre gonna need to regear. if youre already in there might as well install lockers to save money on future labor.
front-
with more lift you will have more severe uca/spring contact, even with after market uca's. only way to remedy this is adjustable coil overs. JBA sells the front kit for $1500!! you could do it WAY cheaper. you would need to weld some plates for the upper mounts and then for the lower where it connects to the clevis you would need to have someone machine adapters. you could use pics of the JBA coil over for basic ideas and both of which would be easier then most people suspect. then a little research would be needed to order the shocks, Fox are about $400 depending where youre shopping. then you would need 2.5" I.D. coilovers, 12" long and whatever spring rate you see fit, eibach has em for $65 or you can find other brands cheaper. JBA uses 10" long and variable rate springs. reason i say 12" is because there is a large gap where i have my coilover cranked down so much and i believe may be limiting my up travel before even getting to the teraflex stop (which btw JBA says is not necessary with his but depends on tire height and rubbing). i have not tested this theory yet but just looking at it looks like a limiting factor. i plan on doing some experimenting and ordering 425lb Eibach springs and see how my ride is and if it flexes any better.
rear-
the only option im aware of on the KKs for rear springs is JBA, havent done any research for maybe other vehicles springs working. the rear shocks are fairly universal though. just remove the rear sway bar. the adjustable track bar JBA sells for $350 seems too short to me. it is adjustable but should be made longer because the hiem joints on either end are towards the end of the threads, i feel this could be a potential weak point. you could cut your stock track bar and lengthen it to spec once you figure out how long it needs to be to keep your axle centered. JBAs $185 rear brake lines are also not necessarily needed, i simply (and very carefully) bent the hard lines and mounts. 3" bump stops are a MUST! with taller springs comes with the ability of more droop, with matching shocks of course. the KK has enough flex in the rear with the 4" springs that the drive shaft swings left/right entirely too far. without long enough bump stops the drive shaft WILL hit either the gas tank skid and muffler. it might help to have the adjustable track bar because you can move the axle away from the tank skid but then your axle isnt centered. to prevent you from jacking up your skid like mine you could weld the seam that is on the inboard side of the skid plate. this will prevent it from pulling apart and bending it but may still rub. you could also have a narrower driveshaft made to help. with the driveshaft you can easily replace bad u-joints and a have better driveline angle. did you know if youre u-joint goes out on the KK you have to replace the entire driveshaft anyway? the driveshaft would also allow more flex if you could use less bump stop, depending on tires though.
dont get me wrong, i enjoy my JBA lift. it looks great, rides nice and sees its fair share of abuse. im just giving other people options and ideas.
depends on how high you want. if i had to do it again i would go with 2.5" or less with 245/75 tires to save all the headaches. then i would buy a cheap XJ and mod that. i wheel literally every weekend so i feel it justifies buying a weekend warrior. only reason i havent is because i already have so much into this one.
if you just want a mild lift you could do a few things. buy front KJ OME springs and add upper plate spacers and what not. with stock a-arms and a 2" lift i had contact on bumps and full droop. you could get a frankie for the front of a KJ and the JBA a-arms and you will be fine. although, with the frankie, you will have 1/2 to 3/4" less lift because the KK suspension is a little bit longer. then you could purchase the JBA rear springs because he is currently the only supplier of aftermarket height springs. you could get other rear shocks then he has listed and save money there. this should be good enough for a small lift thats better then any budget boost.
if you want more lift comes the problems, along with cost. not to mention with those 32s youre gonna end up wanting to fill the wheel well youre gonna need to regear. if youre already in there might as well install lockers to save money on future labor.
front-
with more lift you will have more severe uca/spring contact, even with after market uca's. only way to remedy this is adjustable coil overs. JBA sells the front kit for $1500!! you could do it WAY cheaper. you would need to weld some plates for the upper mounts and then for the lower where it connects to the clevis you would need to have someone machine adapters. you could use pics of the JBA coil over for basic ideas and both of which would be easier then most people suspect. then a little research would be needed to order the shocks, Fox are about $400 depending where youre shopping. then you would need 2.5" I.D. coilovers, 12" long and whatever spring rate you see fit, eibach has em for $65 or you can find other brands cheaper. JBA uses 10" long and variable rate springs. reason i say 12" is because there is a large gap where i have my coilover cranked down so much and i believe may be limiting my up travel before even getting to the teraflex stop (which btw JBA says is not necessary with his but depends on tire height and rubbing). i have not tested this theory yet but just looking at it looks like a limiting factor. i plan on doing some experimenting and ordering 425lb Eibach springs and see how my ride is and if it flexes any better.
rear-
the only option im aware of on the KKs for rear springs is JBA, havent done any research for maybe other vehicles springs working. the rear shocks are fairly universal though. just remove the rear sway bar. the adjustable track bar JBA sells for $350 seems too short to me. it is adjustable but should be made longer because the hiem joints on either end are towards the end of the threads, i feel this could be a potential weak point. you could cut your stock track bar and lengthen it to spec once you figure out how long it needs to be to keep your axle centered. JBAs $185 rear brake lines are also not necessarily needed, i simply (and very carefully) bent the hard lines and mounts. 3" bump stops are a MUST! with taller springs comes with the ability of more droop, with matching shocks of course. the KK has enough flex in the rear with the 4" springs that the drive shaft swings left/right entirely too far. without long enough bump stops the drive shaft WILL hit either the gas tank skid and muffler. it might help to have the adjustable track bar because you can move the axle away from the tank skid but then your axle isnt centered. to prevent you from jacking up your skid like mine you could weld the seam that is on the inboard side of the skid plate. this will prevent it from pulling apart and bending it but may still rub. you could also have a narrower driveshaft made to help. with the driveshaft you can easily replace bad u-joints and a have better driveline angle. did you know if youre u-joint goes out on the KK you have to replace the entire driveshaft anyway? the driveshaft would also allow more flex if you could use less bump stop, depending on tires though.
dont get me wrong, i enjoy my JBA lift. it looks great, rides nice and sees its fair share of abuse. im just giving other people options and ideas.
