Rough Country Lift kits. In a nutshell shell Rough Country doesn’t make a bad lift. It’s a few parts of the lift that suck. I have been running the 4” Long Arm Lift from Rough Country now for nearly 8yrs. The first time I took the Jeep out and flexed it out it tore the rubber bushings where the Rear Upper A-arm attaches to the Subframe. Rough Country was very easy to deal with. Sent me a new set of bushings to my door step FREE OF CHARGE and DID NOT request the old ones to be sent back. About a full year later the Heim Joint on the track bar where it attached to the subframe had play in it. Rough Country replaced the whole track bar without question and sent it to my door step Free of Charge. It was bad enough it was clunking loudly while driving through town on the highway. Note: I was using this as my daily as well as off roading it almost weekly. I ended up going with a Rusty’s Long Reach A-arm which has heim joints instead of rubber bushings at the subframe. Other than those two things I haven’t had an issue with the Rough Country Long Arm kit. I’ve beat the crap out of it over the last 8 years and haven’t taken care of it at all. It’s still going strong. So there are three different types of Joints for the drive shaft. Two of them are common on the WJ’s the third came on some but not many. You have standard U-joints like what’s on the front axle yoke and rear drive shaft. You have the Rezepa joint which is what is in the video on your blue WJ at the transfer case. Then you have a DOUBLE CARDON joint. Which is what anyone going over 3” of lift should change to. They can get the yoke and drive shaft off of a donor WJ or ZJ or even an XJ that has a Double Cardon Drive shaft as long as the spline count and shaft diameter is the same on the transfer case. It’s good to measure the drive shaft mounting points because some of the XJ’s and ZJ’s have different transmission’s and engines in them and this causes the drive shaft to be longer. A general rule for the WJ’s is you want at least 2” of the splines on the slip joint to still be engaging on the furthest point that the axle comes from the transfer case. If you have less than that it will wear the splines prematurely and cause a drive line vibration then in extreme cases will cause a clunking sound while driving slowly as the slip joint wears due to the drive shaft flexing/flopping while it rotates at the slip joint.
It’s a matter of beauty in the eye of the beholder. Maybe it’s not for you and let’s be str8 regarding lifts etc…. You have to go where the metal leads you. As you point out the superiority of the 1 ton axle to a Dana 30. You take what’s available or make huge changes. Thank you for your really in-depth knowledge and the amount of challenges you’ve overcome is amazing
I got the same rear bumper on a spontaneous sale for like $200 but never installed it with the wings. Still rocking it but already in the works with d.till for the new rear he’s got coming out.
Add to the list of ill-advised WJ "upgrades" those aftermarket rear anti-roll bars that are beefed up in diameter and torsional strength so they wind up ripping chunks out of the vehicle frame at their points of attachment. Some suspension items are wisest left bone stock.
@@nicholascampbell8025 what you wanting to no .I have them on my 01 wj and just orderd a set for my 02 wj overland. Thay are the best I have delet with .thay lay right on the body like post to
@@kevinclevenger8741 I'm mostly worried about how well they fit, but I've now heard a couple say they fit better than this DBM armor, I'm gonna order some today. Thanks for the response!
There are other videos of people having issues with the DBM Side panels. They're supposed to protect the jeep from damage, but they end up causing damage. Yes a bad mod!
@@justinburney8319 Good to know. I was wondering if other companies made them. I've never seen ones that looked so bad as his did after they were mounted.
I've been going through a lot to find the front drive shaft differential yoke. I bought a brand new drive shaft and have a Spencer front yoke but nobody can find the differential yoke. I even called so called experts and they can't figure it out. I'm about to go back to my old bosses machine shop and build my own.
Why is there always a customary RC bash thrown in for good measure. Their short arm kits are as good and complete if not better than IRO, Zone etc. I know because I have the IRO and have replaced the shocks, track bar and front links with RC (and rear links with Zone. Only the IRO springs and arm spacer remain). No it's not just to look good and throw on bigger tires. RC short arm does EVERYTHING all the other short arms do. We know the IRO long arm is the go to for good reason (price, function, ease of install) but people are ridiculous still holding RC to decade+ old production. They've got better.
I said in the video rough country isn’t awful just not ideal and there are many better options out there. Rough country works If the jeep it’s on isn’t pushed to hard and wheels less often but if you push it then the bushings wear out quick and it’s just lower quality than the rest
@@ROCKY_TV the short arm kit has literally the exact same parts and quality as IROs and Zone (1rst hand experience). I'm not saying it's great for hardcore off-road, I'm saying apples to apples there is no reason for RC to keep being singled out (not you, in general). I have a Titan and it's the same thing. And just like the Jeep I have had the other "quality" brands and apple to apple parts I'm not finding these "better" brands to be any better other than their reputations.
@@k1assic the parts are different however correct other low end lifts are comparable but Rough Country is definitely on the lower end of that scale. If you use your Jeep the components wear out quicker than other lifts on the same tier. The arms aren’t awful if you replace the joints with upgraded ones the rest will just need replacing after a shorter amount of time than other lifts. Like I said not a terrible first lift or anything or it will work if your Jeep isn’t wheeled often and you just want to be able to fit bigger tires but for actually offroading frequently it’s just not the best route to go
Laredo does not come with any skid plates. Mopar makes one for the transfer case, but it’s pretty flimsy (made out of the same gauge metal as the fenders). IRO makes a good transfer case/exhaust cat (belly) skid plate. It’s about flush with the center crossmember, so it doesn’t hurt your ground clearance. Rusty’s also makes a similar skid, but it doesn’t extend all the way across to cover the cat. The WJ transfer case hangs out there waiting to get smacked by rocks and logs. IRO also has a good radiator skid plate, but it must be used with their winch bumper. HK Off-road also makes several different radiator skids that can be used with or without their bumpers. If you can bend and weld, trail forged has some DIY bumpers and radiator skid kits. The stock radiator bracket is crap and you will bend it at some point if you do any off-roading. It sucks to punch your radiator into the mechanical fan. Ask me how I know… The other vulnerable looking bit would be the stock, stamped diff cover on the front axle. I’m looking into an aftermarket forged cover to replace the stock one if I ever get around to dropping a locker in the front. But, what do I know? I’m satisfied with the Rough Country lift on my WJ.
Rough Country Lift kits. In a nutshell shell Rough Country doesn’t make a bad lift. It’s a few parts of the lift that suck. I have been running the 4” Long Arm Lift from Rough Country now for nearly 8yrs. The first time I took the Jeep out and flexed it out it tore the rubber bushings where the Rear Upper A-arm attaches to the Subframe. Rough Country was very easy to deal with. Sent me a new set of bushings to my door step FREE OF CHARGE and DID NOT request the old ones to be sent back. About a full year later the Heim Joint on the track bar where it attached to the subframe had play in it. Rough Country replaced the whole track bar without question and sent it to my door step Free of Charge. It was bad enough it was clunking loudly while driving through town on the highway. Note: I was using this as my daily as well as off roading it almost weekly. I ended up going with a Rusty’s Long Reach A-arm which has heim joints instead of rubber bushings at the subframe. Other than those two things I haven’t had an issue with the Rough Country Long Arm kit. I’ve beat the crap out of it over the last 8 years and haven’t taken care of it at all. It’s still going strong.
So there are three different types of Joints for the drive shaft. Two of them are common on the WJ’s the third came on some but not many. You have standard U-joints like what’s on the front axle yoke and rear drive shaft. You have the Rezepa joint which is what is in the video on your blue WJ at the transfer case. Then you have a DOUBLE CARDON joint. Which is what anyone going over 3” of lift should change to. They can get the yoke and drive shaft off of a donor WJ or ZJ or even an XJ that has a Double Cardon Drive shaft as long as the spline count and shaft diameter is the same on the transfer case. It’s good to measure the drive shaft mounting points because some of the XJ’s and ZJ’s have different transmission’s and engines in them and this causes the drive shaft to be longer. A general rule for the WJ’s is you want at least 2” of the splines on the slip joint to still be engaging on the furthest point that the axle comes from the transfer case. If you have less than that it will wear the splines prematurely and cause a drive line vibration then in extreme cases will cause a clunking sound while driving slowly as the slip joint wears due to the drive shaft flexing/flopping while it rotates at the slip joint.
It’s a matter of beauty in the eye of the beholder. Maybe it’s not for you and let’s be str8 regarding lifts etc…. You have to go where the metal leads you. As you point out the superiority of the 1 ton axle to a Dana 30. You take what’s available or make huge changes. Thank you for your really in-depth knowledge and the amount of challenges you’ve overcome is amazing
I got the same rear bumper on a spontaneous sale for like $200 but never installed it with the wings. Still rocking it but already in the works with d.till for the new rear he’s got coming out.
@Shitbox Overland do you still have it laying around? Is it for sale?
Add to the list of ill-advised WJ "upgrades" those aftermarket rear anti-roll bars that are beefed up in diameter and torsional strength so they wind up ripping chunks out of the vehicle frame at their points of attachment. Some suspension items are wisest left bone stock.
I’ve never ran those so I didn’t know they did that but yeah I agree haha. I usually just ditch the rear sway bar on my Jeeps when I lift them.
Good information. thanks.
Still waiting for trailforged to start selling their rear bumper again
I really like their bumpers
Need to get valhalla body armor. I just put them on my jeep.
Might be going that route on the blue jeep. I’ve heard good things
Update on the Valhalla armor?
@@nicholascampbell8025 what you wanting to no .I have them on my 01 wj and just orderd a set for my 02 wj overland. Thay are the best I have delet with .thay lay right on the body like post to
@@kevinclevenger8741 I'm mostly worried about how well they fit, but I've now heard a couple say they fit better than this DBM armor, I'm gonna order some today. Thanks for the response!
@@nicholascampbell8025 the fit is great on both sets I have orderd so fare .iam getting ready to order another set.
There are other videos of people having issues with the DBM Side panels. They're supposed to protect the jeep from damage, but they end up causing damage. Yes a bad mod!
Definitely not a good mod to do
I got mine from Valhalla fab and they fit way better then the ones I saw on your video
@@justinburney8319 Good to know. I was wondering if other companies made them. I've never seen ones that looked so bad as his did after they were mounted.
@@justinburney8319 Are they still making those, i thought they stopped years ago.
@@Steveindajeep I ordered mine last year so unless they stopped them since then
Sucks the armor doesn’t fit correctly
Yeah. Such a good idea but just terrible design lol
Either of you looking into fabbing your own armor?
I made my own heavy duty Steel front bumper. I took it off a 72 mustang fastback and modified it to fit the wj.
@@stevenschulte8074 I have bumpers in the works no fender armor that will be for sale
I've been going through a lot to find the front drive shaft differential yoke. I bought a brand new drive shaft and have a Spencer front yoke but nobody can find the differential yoke. I even called so called experts and they can't figure it out. I'm about to go back to my old bosses machine shop and build my own.
I’d just stop by a junkyard that’s where I get mine
Grab one from a salvage yard and grind away the splines that keep it from going in.
Why is there always a customary RC bash thrown in for good measure. Their short arm kits are as good and complete if not better than IRO, Zone etc. I know because I have the IRO and have replaced the shocks, track bar and front links with RC (and rear links with Zone. Only the IRO springs and arm spacer remain). No it's not just to look good and throw on bigger tires. RC short arm does EVERYTHING all the other short arms do. We know the IRO long arm is the go to for good reason (price, function, ease of install) but people are ridiculous still holding RC to decade+ old production. They've got better.
I said in the video rough country isn’t awful just not ideal and there are many better options out there. Rough country works If the jeep it’s on isn’t pushed to hard and wheels less often but if you push it then the bushings wear out quick and it’s just lower quality than the rest
@@ROCKY_TV the short arm kit has literally the exact same parts and quality as IROs and Zone (1rst hand experience). I'm not saying it's great for hardcore off-road, I'm saying apples to apples there is no reason for RC to keep being singled out (not you, in general). I have a Titan and it's the same thing. And just like the Jeep I have had the other "quality" brands and apple to apple parts I'm not finding these "better" brands to be any better other than their reputations.
@@k1assic the parts are different however correct other low end lifts are comparable but Rough Country is definitely on the lower end of that scale. If you use your Jeep the components wear out quicker than other lifts on the same tier. The arms aren’t awful if you replace the joints with upgraded ones the rest will just need replacing after a shorter amount of time than other lifts. Like I said not a terrible first lift or anything or it will work if your Jeep isn’t wheeled often and you just want to be able to fit bigger tires but for actually offroading frequently it’s just not the best route to go
I can’t imagine trading IRO for RC, that just seems like a big step down.
Are you selling your front driveshaft and yokes my Jeep need em
Nah I’m keeping them for the black WJ for now
Ohh okay 👌 I’ll keep looking lmao
Any diesel swap suggestion for WJ?
Volkswagen TDI swap
Is WJ Laredo comes with skidplates? what are the most recommended ones?
Laredo does not come with any skid plates. Mopar makes one for the transfer case, but it’s pretty flimsy (made out of the same gauge metal as the fenders). IRO makes a good transfer case/exhaust cat (belly) skid plate. It’s about flush with the center crossmember, so it doesn’t hurt your ground clearance. Rusty’s also makes a similar skid, but it doesn’t extend all the way across to cover the cat. The WJ transfer case hangs out there waiting to get smacked by rocks and logs. IRO also has a good radiator skid plate, but it must be used with their winch bumper. HK Off-road also makes several different radiator skids that can be used with or without their bumpers. If you can bend and weld, trail forged has some DIY bumpers and radiator skid kits. The stock radiator bracket is crap and you will bend it at some point if you do any off-roading. It sucks to punch your radiator into the mechanical fan. Ask me how I know… The other vulnerable looking bit would be the stock, stamped diff cover on the front axle. I’m looking into an aftermarket forged cover to replace the stock one if I ever get around to dropping a locker in the front.
But, what do I know? I’m satisfied with the Rough Country lift on my WJ.
@@kingwiththeax6880 champ's answer. Thank you!
What about the iro lifts?
One of the best kits you can buy not sure why it would be on this list
Are you going to make bumpers to sale ????
That’s our plan
@@ROCKY_TV that be cool .I need a back bumper. I have Dtill front bumper .and the valhalla body armor
Bent mean’s gay in England.