Rock Jock Pro 3.5 Lift?

[pcrawfordpt]

I’ve been searching and searching the inter web posts for opinions on the Rock Jock Pro 3.5 lift, but am coming up empty. Does anyone here run this lift? Pros and Cons? I was planning to go MC (cost benefit) Game Changer 3.5, but have a lead on a Rock Jock Pro 3.5. The Pro kit has both front and rear AntiRocks, so no bent rear sway bar links or frame attachments. I have the Rubicon already and would have to remove the electronic disco with the Pro, but would keep and utilize with the MC. Any advice on either, but hopefully some on the RJ Pro, is greatly appreciated.

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[sass JT]

Sorry not much on the rock jock pro… I have the rear anti rock and it’s been solid for the past 6ish months. But can’t tell you much else on them.
The mc gc 3.5” lift is amazing though. I have it and had it in on over two years… and I’ve done no maintenance to the joints… yes you read that right… two year no maintenance, no issues. One thing I did look for is how much time I have to spend in the garage… that’s why I chose the Mc kit… plus they always have the best service people ready to help if you have an issue.
Good luck on your choice….
Ps metalcloak is having a 10% off sale and free shipping this weekend… such a great deal.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I don’t have the RJ kit, but I would love to have it. Currie makes nice stuff. Johnny Joints and AntiRocks are well proven parts.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

(I'm sorry this is so long)

I've been disappointed by the lack of information regarding this lift and the JL/JT market. Seems they've just kind of disappeared...

RockJock is a fairly new branding. All their lifts historically were branded as Currie lift kits, or if you went through their cohorts down the street, Savvy Off Road.

If you remember that Gladiator getting the everloving piss beat out of it at the King of the Hammers in 2019... that was Savvy:

Back in the TJ generation the Currie 4" kit was considered top dog. I installed the 4" Savvy Off Road variant on my TJ, which was the Currie kit but with aluminum arms.

Nothing beats the Currie Johnny Joints they use at the ends of the arms. They're rebuild-able cartridge joints. People sometimes caution to stay away because they can transmit vibration into the frame but I think that's mostly hogwash. What they do thanks to their smooth unrestricted movement is allow the forces to go directly into the suspension where they belong. There's none of that reverberating feeling you get with rubber bushings when you hit a bump. I put over 50k miles across probably 8 years of all season driving on mine before they started to squeak a bit, and a quick pump of grease took care of that.

Here's a pic I took of the stock front lower arm on the Gladiator beside the arms on my well traveled TJ. Just to show the difference in length between short arms on a TJ and modern geometry. And the angle it sits at...

And the articulation that I was able to achieve with the stubby arms in the Currie kit, thanks to those Johnny Joints. This is with an Antirock front sway bar and stock rear sway bar connected:

^ note those little t-rex arms doing work. The point I'm trying to drive home here, is extrapolate those arms out to twice the length. Your control arms will far and away be the last thing limiting your travel on the Gladiator with the JJs. If you want the most precise feeling arms, and the most free articulating arms on the market without changing suspension mounting points, those are what you want.

As for the Antirock... with the electronic front disco on the Rubi and how nice they ride stock, I don't really see the point, personally. I'd leave the sway bars alone to keep it stiffer for truck use, hauling, daily driving, etc. Then just disco off road. The Antirock is a brilliant little piece of kit on it's own though. If you're building the Jeep for off road primarily, then an antirock on each end will play really well together. And you won't have to worry about it breaking, or even have to reach for a switch when it's play time.

I just got my Glad a couple months ago and went with a spacer lift for now, while I figure out what I think it needs. I'm currently running RockJock bump stop spacers front and rear with their carrier bearing spacer. When/if I decide to lift further and go for a full out lift, I'll more than likely be purchasing a full set of RockJock arms and piecing the rest together.

::edit::
and to add to that, when I did the lift on my TJ it made the ride so much smoother and got rid of all that reverb I was talking about, but there was still a tiny bit there. It was the stock upper bushings on the front axle. It looks like it's still the same way today, those bushings are pressed into the axle for the upper arms and the kit doesn't come with them. Once I finally got around to swapping out those two upper bushings to JJs, it got rid of the last bit of fluttery feeling.

If you were to do this kit, I'd recommend doing those as well. Why quit 95% there
https://www.rockjock4x4.com/RJ-301000-103

Also one more thing... their control arm bolts I think come with everything, but I find them to be a bit gimmicky. And expensive. I could never get them to take grease, and the locking nuts usually deform the thread if you ever taken them back out. I ended up reusing a lot of the factory control arm bolts or getting some grade 8s in the same size to keep on hand as spares.

 

[hjdca]

I’ve been searching and searching the inter web posts for opinions on the Rock Jock Pro 3.5 lift, but am coming up empty. Does anyone here run this lift? Pros and Cons? I was planning to go MC Game Changer 3.5, but have a lead on a Rock Jock Pro 3.5 for a reasonable price. The Pro kit has both front and rear AntiRocks, so no bent rear sway bar links or frame attachments. I have the Rubicon already and would have to remove the electronic disco with the Pro, but would keep and utilize with the MC. Any advice on either, but hopefully some on the RJ Pro, is greatly appreciated.

My only advice is to make sure you engineer it to get massive droop in the rear. The JT is really setup for that and can really help off-road. I have the 32.3 inch length Falcon shocks in the rear and the normal dual rate 3.5 inch springs are just not long enough to get the full 32.3 inches. Looks like you need a true triple rate spring which gives you that added 2 inches or so of droop. I had to go with coil clamps for my dual rate spring -- with my 32 inch rear shocks and Rock Jock anti-rock rear sway bar.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

My only advice is to make sure you engineer it to get massive droop in the rear. The JT is really setup for that and can really help off-road. I have the 32.3 inch length Falcon shocks in the rear and the normal dual rate 3.5 inch springs are just not long enough to get the full 32.3 inches. Looks like you need a true triple rate spring which gives you that added 2 inches or so of droop. I had to go with coil clamps for my dual rate spring -- with my 32 inch rear shocks and Rock Jock anti-rock rear sway bar.

This brings up an interesting point in regards to the sway bars. I could see the arms on the stock rear sway maybe not being long enough for mostly droop travel. I assume the Antirock rear bar has longer arms? Maybe off base here, but something I need to look at that I hadn't considered up until now.

Back to the OP, having Antitrocks on front and back will help in off camber stuff, vs being disconnected in the front. It really just depends on what you want out of the setup as a whole. It looks like they're just fixed length and not adjustable anymore, which is a bit of a bummer though. Would be nice to have that front/back tunability if you for instance ran a lot of rear cargo and up high especially, like a rack and RTT.

 

[hjdca]

This brings up an interesting point in regards to the sway bars. I could see the arms on the stock rear sway maybe not being long enough for mostly droop travel. I assume the Antirock rear bar has longer arms? Maybe off base here, but something I need to look at that I hadn't considered up until now.

Back to the OP, having Antitrocks on front and back will help in off camber stuff, vs being disconnected in the front. It really just depends on what you want out of the setup as a whole. It looks like they're just fixed length and not adjustable anymore, which is a bit of a bummer though. Would be nice to have that front/back tunability if you for instance ran a lot of rear cargo and up high especially, like a rack and RTT.

Yes, the lift kits come with extra long rear sway bar end links to address the new lift...., but, I kept bending my rear sway bar end links on boulders, so, I went with the rock jock anti-rock rear sway bar. It is a game changer for the rear, worth every penny. Here are some pics:

Bend end link

New Rock Jock anti-rock rear sway bar puts everything out of the way.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

Yes, the lift kits come with extra long end links to address the new lift...., but, I kept bending my end links on boulders, so, I went with the rock jock anti-rock rear sway bar. It is a game changer for the rear, worth every penny. Here are some pics:

Bend end link

New Rock Jock anti-rock rear sway bar puts everything out of the way.

Oh hell yeah that's nice.

Great, another part to add to the shopping list.

?

 

[pcrawfordpt]

(I'm sorry this is so long)

I've been disappointed by the lack of information regarding this lift and the JL/JT market. Seems they've just kind of disappeared...

RockJock is a fairly new branding. All their lifts historically were branded as Currie lift kits, or if you went through their cohorts down the street, Savvy Off Road.

If you remember that Gladiator getting the everloving piss beat out of it at the King of the Hammers in 2019... that was Savvy:

Back in the TJ generation the Currie 4" kit was considered top dog. I installed the 4" Savvy Off Road variant on my TJ, which was the Currie kit but with aluminum arms.

Nothing beats the Currie Johnny Joints they use at the ends of the arms. They're rebuild-able cartridge joints. People sometimes caution to stay away because they can transmit vibration into the frame but I think that's mostly hogwash. What they do thanks to their smooth unrestricted movement is allow the forces to go directly into the suspension where they belong. There's none of that reverberating feeling you get with rubber bushings when you hit a bump. I put over 50k miles across probably 8 years of all season driving on mine before they started to squeak a bit, and a quick pump of grease took care of that.

Here's a pic I took of the stock front lower arm on the Gladiator beside the arms on my well traveled TJ. Just to show the difference in length between short arms on a TJ and modern geometry. And the angle it sits at...

And the articulation that I was able to achieve with the stubby arms in the Currie kit, thanks to those Johnny Joints. This is with an Antirock front sway bar and stock rear sway bar connected:

^ note those little t-rex arms doing work. The point I'm trying to drive home here, is extrapolate those arms out to twice the length. Your control arms will far and away be the last thing limiting your travel on the Gladiator with the JJs. If you want the most precise feeling arms, and the most free articulating arms on the market without changing suspension mounting points, those are what you want.

As for the Antirock... with the electronic front disco on the Rubi and how nice they ride stock, I don't really see the point, personally. I'd leave the sway bars alone to keep it stiffer for truck use, hauling, daily driving, etc. Then just disco off road. The Antirock is a brilliant little piece of kit on it's own though. If you're building the Jeep for off road primarily, then an antirock on each end will play really well together. And you won't have to worry about it breaking, or even have to reach for a switch when it's play time.

I just got my Glad a couple months ago and went with a spacer lift for now, while I figure out what I think it needs. I'm currently running RockJock bump stop spacers front and rear with their carrier bearing spacer. When/if I decide to lift further and go for a full out lift, I'll more than likely be purchasing a full set of RockJock arms and piecing the rest together.

::edit::
and to add to that, when I did the lift on my TJ it made the ride so much smoother and got rid of all that reverb I was talking about, but there was still a tiny bit there. It was the stock upper bushings on the front axle. It looks like it's still the same way today, those bushings are pressed into the axle for the upper arms and the kit doesn't come with them. Once I finally got around to swapping out those two upper bushings to JJs, it got rid of the last bit of fluttery feeling.

If you were to do this kit, I'd recommend doing those as well. Why quit 95% there
https://www.rockjock4x4.com/RJ-301000-103

Also one more thing... their control arm bolts I think come with everything, but I find them to be a bit gimmicky. And expensive. I could never get them to take grease, and the locking nuts usually deform the thread if you ever taken them back out. I ended up reusing a lot of the factory control arm bolts or getting some grade 8s in the same size to keep on hand as spares.

I have decided to go with the RJ Pro kit. I didn’t want to sound biased, so I didn’t mention that I too still have a TJ fully outfitted with Currie/Savvy for over 15 years. It wheels fantastic, has held up really well, and have been very pleased with it. I’ve only had to rebuild one JJ in all these years. I just wanted to get some Gladiator feedback. Your thorough response helped solidify my thinking, so thank you.

 

[BlueScapegoat]

I have decided to go with the RJ Pro kit. I didn’t want to sound biased, so I didn’t mention that I too still have a TJ fully outfitted with Currie/Savvy for over 15 years. It wheels fantastic, has held up really well, and have been very pleased with it. I’ve only had to rebuild one JJ in all these years. I just wanted to get some Gladiator feedback. Your thorough response helped solidify my thinking, so thank you.

Oh shit didn't know I was preaching to the choir here.

I'd also like to hear from somebody who has first hand experience with the kit on the Gladiator... but I also did some searching previously and turned up nothing. Hopefully somebody will pop in. Otherwise maybe it'll just be up to you and me ?‍

You have a build thread?

 

[pcrawfordpt]

Oh shit didn't know I was preaching to the choir here.

I'd also like to hear from somebody who has first hand experience with the kit on the Gladiator... but I also did some searching previously and turned up nothing. Hopefully somebody will pop in. Otherwise maybe it'll just be up to you and me ?‍

You have a build thread?

Looks like it will be up to you and me. I will post up how the install goes and results. Going to get their correct link HD steering as well. Not sure on shocks? Either Falcon or Bilstein. Have heard that then RJ Pro kit on the JL feels a little boaty? it was paired with Fox shocks and felt they were too soft. The Bilstein 5600 are supposed to be a little stiff, so may help compensate? Also would work well on washboarded trails. I have the 5100 on my TJ Now. I know Falcons are adjustable, but twice the price and this is getting expensive real fast.
Thanks again!

 

[BlueScapegoat]

Looks like it will be up to you and me. I will post up how the install goes and results. Going to get their correct link HD steering as well. Not sure on shocks? Either Falcon or Bilstein. Have heard that then RJ Pro kit on the JL feels a little boaty? it was paired with Fox shocks and felt they were too soft. The Bilstein 5600 are supposed to be a little stiff, so may help compensate? Also would work well on washboarded trails. I have the 5100 on my TJ Now. I know Falcons are adjustable, but twice the price and this is getting expensive real fast.
Thanks again!

I like the "boaty feel", honestly. I prefer a softer ride. People complain about the stock Fox shocks being too soft and wallowy, especially with the heavier diesel (I have) and I disagree. People say the same about the larger bore Fox shocks included with the Mopar lift. I'll be helping a coworker install a 3.5" Clayton lift with Fox shocks in a couple weeks, I'm interested in how that rides.

I have Rancho RS9000XLs on the TJ with them adjusted full soft and that suits me well.

Of course a nice set of bypass Kings would be my ideal setup.

 

[kgc]

I have the lift you're discussing. They hadn't released the rear sway bar or the newer springs when I bought it (mine came with Eibach springs). Since then, I've added the rear sway bar, rear springs, and their rear geometry correction brackets. I run Fox 2.5 shocks designed for 4.5-6 front lift and 3.5-4 rear lift. I chopped an inch off the RJ front bump stop and made my own rear 1" tall rear bump stops. It was important to get all the up-travel I could and so I made sure the bump stops maximized this but also were 'safe'.

I would buy the RJ kit in a heartbeat if I were to do it again. I installed it September 2020 and have put 30,000 miles on the truck since then. I have zero complaints.

 

[pcrawfordpt]

I have the lift you're discussing. They hadn't released the rear sway bar or the newer springs when I bought it (mine came with Eibach springs). Since then, I've added the rear sway bar, rear springs, and their rear geometry correction brackets. I run Fox 2.5 shocks designed for 4.5-6 front lift and 3.5-4 rear lift. I chopped an inch off the RJ front bump stop and made my own rear 1" tall rear bump stops. It was important to get all the up-travel I could and so I made sure the bump stops maximized this but also were 'safe'.

I would buy the RJ kit in a heartbeat if I were to do it again. I installed it September 2020 and have put 30,000 miles on the truck since then. I have zero complaints.

Awesome input...thanks!

 

[Rusty PW]

I've been looking at the Rock Jock arms and trackbars to put together a lift with Clayton springs for my JTRD. I like the Johnny Joints on both ends. I was also looking at the Core arms too. They look a lot like the RJ arms. And on the Core website, they sell alot of the RC parts. Wondering if it's one and the same parts.

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