Skyjacker kit or custom make one, need advice?

[B-itchy Tiger]

Being somewhat new to the 4 wheel thing, here is my question:

I want to give my 89 wag a new suspension with some lift and I would like the street ride quality to be very smooth with off road capability. I am not a seriouse rock crawler, however I would like to stray from the pavement from time to time.

From all that I can gather in the fsj archives, The sky jacker soft ride kit seems to be the best comfort ride and great quality.

I spoke to a guy today who runs a 4x4 specialty shop, he mentioned that the skyjacker 4" lift kit seems too high, especialy since with 31" tires which is what I want.

He also recomended that I just have him cusom order/make a set of springs dialed in to my liking and then put on a set of rancho 5000's or 9000's. Will cost a few hundred more out the door but says the ride quality will be better suited to my needs and the lift can be set to 2.5" or 3".

Being that I want to keep this rig, I am willing to invest in a great suspension, however I have just one shot here.

Is the sky jacker too high especialy with 31"s and my driving needs, will I sacrifice ride quality and control, being more top heavy?

Does anyone have a pic of their wagoneer with the skyjackers, I am curiouse to see what the 4" lift actually looks like.

So should I go with sky jacker or ranchos and custom made springs lifted to 2.5 " or 3"

Any imput would be greatly appreciated

[Jeep Craze]

espo springs can make custom springs and you can tell them what spring rate you want them to be(ie:what ride quality) last time I checked they were comparable in prices to skyjacker(maybe alil cheaper not sure though)
ESPO SPRINGS (http://www.espo.com)

[brielly]

Try bj's offroad for a 4" lift kit. They have a pic with the 4 in. lift and 32 in. tires on a wag and it looks real nice. They also have a 2 in. kit as well but its the same price as the 4. Go with the 4 in. lift and the pro comp shocks and you should have a nice ride.

[Bobbo]

Another option is a body lift. That will have the least affect on your ride. It will also be cheaper. But if you do serious off roading, the spring lift is the way to go. The way you described what you want I would say body lift is your best option as far as the tires and comfort range you want to have. You will be better served off road with lockers than with big tires. I see it all the time big tires+open diffs=stuck. Get the lockers first then see if you need more ground clearance. Unless you have a plan for your rig and you want the bigger tires first for the looks. Lockers are the best way to improve off-road performance. If it's a street driven vehicle use selectable lockers so you still have your on-road manners. Use full lockers on a trail only rig.

[ffej]

When it comes down to it..the espos with all the hardware come to about 620 (just got off the phone) BJ's kit is around 595 with the shocks and brake lines! I have the same problem but I need the springs NOW..my rear tires are rubbing over little bumps. BJ's 2 inch kit wont be out for 1 1/2 - 2 more months and 4 inches is a bit too high for my liking.

[B-itchy Tiger]

I think I am leaning towards the skyjacker soft ride system with 31x10.5x15's. I have looked at all the readers rigs and a few had the set-up. Does not seem too high when on street, although hard to tell from a picture.

It seems since so many love the skyjacker system, why take a chance with an unknown custom spring set

My springs are shot so I need to do this asap

BTW - 4wheel parts is having a monster sale this weekend with 50% off installation and like 30% off parts, so could be a great time to get some goodies...

[billyrb]

Gregory, Skyjacker is definitely the Cream of the Crop. Their prices, unfortunately, reflect that. For your application, I would go with a pre-made kit for ease and exact specs.

Of course, I am a bit biased, as I prefer the BJ's Off-Road suspension, but then again, I'm part-owner of the company. Call me partial. Skyjacker is what RiverBeast ran, and he LOVED it. The only hump to get over is the cost.....but if you have it, and that offers everything you want, then go for it.

With regards to our 2" kit, the prototypes are going to arrive later this week. Once they are installed, measured and we make sure everything is how we want it, we will place our order to have several put into production. FFEJ is close on the timeframe. We are looking at 4-8 weeks to delivery to customers.

[billyrb]

Oh yeah, I just checked the 4wheelparts website....

4" Jeep J-Series Kit (Shocks and Rear Leaf Springs Extra). Cost is $478.99 just for the front springs and u-bolts. OUCH! Heck, for that price, you could almost have our entire system..... ;)

[ffej]

Hey Ryan...I think I'm going to hold out for your kit...I'm Anxiously awaiting....... :D :D

[billyrb]

FFEJ, all I can say is that it will be well worth the wait.

In the meantime, do you have a website? If not, can you send me a few larger pictures of your rig? Your avatar pic is SWEET! My email addy is ryan@bjsoffroad.com

[youngjeeper]

the skyjacker 4" lift aactually comes to about 6" so 31's would look real real small, if you go with skyjacker go with 33's or 32's

[427CometGuy]

Speaking from CJ experience, I can tell you Skyjackers kit for the CJ is great! I had to choose between Skyjack'r and Rancho and from asking guys (and gals) on the trail I found a couple of things:

-Skyjacker uses thinner leaves and has a softer ride i.e. more flex
-Rancho utilized double-wrapped spring eyes, eliminating the weak point in their packs, but at the cost of some flex

I am not sure how the FSJ options differ between companies (IF Rancho even offers one) but I definately like my lift. (I have noted some settling on the drivers side leaves, though. Probably normal for a 275 lb guy driving it all the time!!! LOL)

Dave

[B-itchy Tiger]

Thanks for the imput,

Ryan, the 2" kit sounds very interesting as well, tough choice.

Sounds like I will be very happy either way, it is great to have bj's focused on the fsj's.

It bothers me when I go into a 4x4 shop and when I mention I am looking for stuff for my 89 wagoneer and they look at me and say ah we do not deal with the old cars.

Since when is 89 old, Anyway I never see any of the new 4x4's even on the dirt.

[Bobbo]

I am going with the BJ's 4 inch when the money comes in. (2 months)

[Ralph]

Just for the record, I've had my 2" ESPO springs installed for a few weeks now, and even went up Imogene Pass with them a few days ago. I'm riding on BFG 31x10.50x15's, Edelbrock IAS shocks, and my sway bar bushings are all polyurethane from Energy Suspension.

I'm pretty dang happy with these springs so far. To be honest, I should get some quick-release sway bar endlinks to get a bit more travel on the trails.

But then again, if I had my druthers I'd buy anything from BJ's over another brand name, simply because I've met and have done business with the guys involved (both Ryan in Georgia and Brent in Washington) and appreciate their devotion to FSJ's.

[billyrb]

Hey Ralph, email me about those disconnects. ryan@bjsoffroad.com