SkyJacker?

[89grand]

Now I know that lift kit questions don't ever seem to stop but here is another one. I have been searching for roughly a 4" lift kit for my 89GW for quite a while, when I found Rusty's site I thought my search was finally over, a 4" all spring kit including hardware and shocks for $499.00 that seemed almost too good to be true. Now getting on this message board I'm starting to second guess the Rusty's decision. It appears as though SkyJacker is the best kit and well worth the extra money. Now here are my concerns, I talked to guy at the grocery store several months ago with a GW that had the SkyJacker lift and 32" tires and that thing dwarfed mine. I don't think I need quite that much lift for 31"s. Now from what I've heard and seen the SkyJacker lift looks like about 5 or 51/2", with that much lift I think 31"s will look too small but I don't know. Now I'm wondering if the SkyJacker kit, because how much lift it is, requires even more modifications than just a pitman arm and brake lines like 4" kits need, will I need drive shaft mods or anything? The GW is street driven most of the time with a couple of off-road trips a month so the ride on the street is important to me, so from what I've heard this rules out Superlift. Also I've gotten mixed reports on whether I need to retain the track bars, If I don't need them that's fine it's just going to cost me more to have the track bar brackets modified. By the way whatever lift I get is going to be installed by a shop so I'd like to know what I'm in for as far as mods and fabrication, I don't want a quote of say $1500 then half way through get told $2000. The shop I talked to like most are probably not FSJ gurus so I want to avoid surprises. Any sugestion would be appreciated.

[The Anti-Chrysler]

I'm pretty happy with the Rusty's kit, especially for the price. You can get it for $489 from BJ's, I think. I got mine back in Jan. for 15% off (about $415), so I couldn't say no.

Things about Rusty's:

Springs look good and heavy duty.

Bushings for shackles are too wide at the sides.

Don't like the shocks. Too bouncy.

Rear brake line bracket was iffy at best.

Shims for rear axle at spring perches made the shocks impossible to mount right side up (or down).

No drop P/A included.

Really should get S.S. brake lines and drop pitman arm for the install.

Still not bad for 1/3 the price of the Skyjacker; although people like RB swear by it - and I'm sure it is better quality - but for me it came down to cost.

[Millerluck]

I realy like my Skyjacker. I think the 31's look just fine. Check it out.

http://www.cass.net/~lsjl/fsj.html

But....if Rusty's lift was out for our SJ's back then I probly would have gone that way. With the money saved, spend it towards somthing else.

First thing you should have them do at the shop no mater what lift you go with is....Check and see if they can remove that evil left rear springs front bolt. If that comes out with out needing to drop the tank you will be way ahead.

Or get the price in wrighting and cross your fingers they don't try to rip you off for needing to drop the tank.

Dropping the tank is not so bad. And it gives you a chance to clean all the years of gunk that builds up in there. Probly the #1 cause for frame rot on GW's.

We had to make some changes to the bushings for the Rusty's lift we just put on my brother's (Bob13) 89 GW.

Good luck

Larry Miller