Rough Country Lift Kit?... Do or Don't??

[doc-ketamine]

Don't go Rough Country. I put a RC lift on my YJ. I replaced it with a BDS lift in less than 500 miles.

Went Metalcloak on my first Gladiator (loved it) and MOPAR 2" life on my second Gladiator (it was okay, got it because it wouldn't affect warranty claims ... dealer installed).

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[Camaroboi13]

The absolute best advice I can give you is get rid of those wheels and get something more geared towards the Gladiator. Don’t try to build your gladiator around your wheels. A lift that high is going to require driveshaft replacements. The cost of those alone are worth more than your wheels.

Also, if you’re not really off roading, you can fit 37s with just a simple 2” leveling spacer up front. 35s should be no problem at all.

 

[ZeeJay]

The absolute best advice I can give you is get rid of those wheels and get something more geared towards the Gladiator. Don’t try to build your gladiator around your wheels. A lift that high is going to require driveshaft replacements. The cost of those alone are worth more than your wheels.

Also, if you’re not really off roading, you can fit 37s with just a simple 2” leveling spacer up front. 35s should be no problem at all.

^^^All of this served twice with delicious sauce.

As for the RC lift…..I’ve run and beat the piss out of RC kits. I wouldn’t run off to southern Utah and go crazy climbing cliffs with their stuff. But for average jack Saturday wheeling it’s just fine.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Talked to two different local, reputable shops about lifting my 22 JT.
Both said I need the Rough Country 6" (part # 91250).
Both shops sell lifts from other manufacturers so they have no reason to push this one.

Reason I'm hesitant is because I know some local Jeep guys that are about as hardcore off-road as Jeep guys get....
They all unanimously said DO NOT use the Rough Country suspension systems.
These guys have offered different advice on which suspension I should go with but again are unanimous on not using the RC stuff.

I'm kinda torn between listening to shops I trust or listening to the off-road guys I also trust..
Anyone here using or have experience with Rough Country?

there's absolutely no reason to install a 6" lift kit. do not do this. you can run 37"s with a 3" lift

-48 wheels are absolutely horrific for handling, steering and will cause dramatically increased wear on everything turning after your driveshafts. you really need to get wheels suited for a jeep and stay the f away from any shop that recommended you do this

 

[Bjeepz]

Your local guys are giving you good advice, the shops are giving you trash advice. I would find another that knows something about Jeeps, you'll be a frustrated person if you let those dummies touch your Jeep.

 

[Camaroboi13]

I can’t lie… I see that you live in Florida. Seen my fair share of SoFlo Jeeps and I know exactly what you’re doing. That look doesn’t end well, been there before.

 

[DanW]

I don´t know anything about RC lifts. But I have run a Rough Country adjustable rear track bar for years on my JL and a front one on my JK. Those two pieces are forged steel and are rock solid. The bushings are good, too. Far from being junk.

 

[MudderNuker]

Not sure why all the hate on RC. Too many snobs expecting Metal Cloak quality at one third the cost. What do you expect? Lobster for the price of shrimp. There are probably more RC lifts out there than all ofter brands combined and if it were that bad they would have been out of business decades ago. Lifts are not rocket science. Some lifts from other brands are also as bad or as good depending on the eye of the beholder. It depends on what you are looking for, your expectations and a real sense of reality. If you paid $600 for a 3.5" lift that only includes nitro shocks, springs and longer sway bar links and then complain it rides like crap, it's on you and not the lift (what ever brand). That means you either didn't do your homework or decided to cheap out and wing it thinking that changing suspension geometry by quite a bit wouldn't affect the way it drives and handles, you thought wrong. That applies to any brand that sells you incomplete kits and all of them do. Most basic kits only get you so far but you have to research and do it right. That includes proper geometry correction with CAs or geo brackets, adjustable track bars, etc. I've seen people beating the day lights out of RC lifts and they hold up quite well. Again, to be fair in your RC bashing, please compare kits with similar components. 95% sure they will be similar in characteristics and feel. Don't come here saying a basic RC kit rides like crap when compared to a $4k kit from the boutique brands. That is unrealistic and the wrong comparison. Also, if you have zero experience with anything RC, please don't repeat hearsay, from other people that were repeating hearsay from other hearsayers. It gets old. Now if you have first hand experience then by all means comment but be objective in your comparisons and add a dose of reality.

Also, the shops know exactly what they are doing by over recommending the wrong lift and height, so you come back complaining about the ride so they can upsell you the rest of the stuff you needed from the get go. Oh, you should have done this or that. It's this much extra. I would only trust indys with long standing reputations and not the Best Buy of 4x4 stuff.

 

[Escape.idiocracy]

Damn, I'm running 40's on only a 3.5" lift and -38 offset wheels. Just had to trim the inner liners. Also the 6" R/C kit is very similar in height to other brands 4.5" lifts.

^^ lots of folks running 37-40” tires with 2.5-3.5” of lift.
6” = bonkers…

If it’s going to be a street queen- low 2.5-3” lift and those insane 14.5” wide tires and - offset wheels will be Juuuust fine.

The direction you are going is not my style… I do hope your other Jeep friends make you drive in the back of the group…. ($1,100 windshield and rock chips :| )

But in all seriousness RC is a decent company, and definitely fills a market for those that do not leave the pavement.
You will catch a lot of crap for RC parts- but will also equally catch the same for this wheel and tire combo. ??‍
You do you. From a handling perspective, I don’t think you will be happy with 6” of lift especially RC…. 1.5-2” spacers and decent shocks…. While you have the springs out- throw a tire on and jack the axle up to leave a 1/2-1/4” from tire to fender and set your bump stop height there. (Again if it’s not leaving the pavement, this should do you fine…)

 

[PuddleJumper]

6in is a lot and considering i fit 37s with no lift with a positive offset, any negative offset wheel paired to a 35 should fit with no issues. especially if you leave the swaybar hooked up. A Mopar 2in lift will serve your needs just fine. Unless you want to the SoFlo look to the extreme and run extra wide 37s or 40s, i'd avoid any lift over 2in. as you'd be in custom driveshaft territory with a long list of other issues. Doesn't matter how sick it looks if you can't drive it.

 

[Heavy D]

Lots of good info here so far.
Thank you all for the input.

 

[ZeeJay]

Not sure why all the hate on RC. Too many snobs expecting Metal Cloak quality at one third the cost. What do you expect? Lobster for the price of shrimp. There are probably more RC lifts out there than all ofter brands combined and if it were that bad they would have been out of business decades ago. Lifts are not rocket science. Some lifts from other brands are also as bad or as good depending on the eye of the beholder. It depends on what you are looking for, your expectations and a real sense of reality. If you paid $600 for a 3.5" lift that only includes nitro shocks, springs and longer sway bar links and then complain it rides like crap, it's on you and not the lift (what ever brand). That means you either didn't do your homework or decided to cheap out and wing it thinking that changing suspension geometry by quite a bit wouldn't affect the way it drives and handles, you thought wrong. That applies to any brand that sells you incomplete kits and all of them do. Most basic kits only get you so far but you have to research and do it right. That includes proper geometry correction with CAs or geo brackets, adjustable track bars, etc. I've seen people beating the day lights out of RC lifts and they hold up quite well. Again, to be fair in your RC bashing, please compare kits with similar components. 95% sure they will be similar in characteristics and feel. Don't come here saying a basic RC kit rides like crap when compared to a $4k kit from the boutique brands. That is unrealistic and the wrong comparison. Also, if you have zero experience with anything RC, please don't repeat hearsay, from other people that were repeating hearsay from other hearsayers. It gets old. Now if you have first hand experience then by all means comment but be objective in your comparidons and add a dose of reality.

Also, the shops know exactly what they are doing by over recommending the wrong lift and height, so you come back complaining about the ride so they can upsell you the rest of the stuff you needed from the get go. Oh, you should have done this or that. It's this much extra. I would only trust indys with long standing reputations and not the Best Buy of 4x4 stuff.

Spot on man, well said.
Literally most of it is 90% vanity, cool kids hate on it so I will too or read it 14,000 times on the internet its bad so me say bad too. Most of those claims go without a cause. I’ve run IRO stuff on my Grands, put together kits from parts everywhere and RC over the years and most isn't any better or any worse than the next. I’m definitely burnt out hearing it though. Never a fitment issue and never had a catastrophic failure with RC lift with few the installed.

 

[ZeeJay]

6in is a lot and considering i fit 37s with no lift with a positive offset, any negative offset wheel paired to a 35 should fit with no issues. especially if you leave the swaybar hooked up. A Mopar 2in lift will serve your needs just fine. Unless you want to the SoFlo look to the extreme and run extra wide 37s or 40s, i'd avoid any lift over 2in. as you'd be in custom driveshaft territory with a long list of other issues. Doesn't matter how sick it looks if you can't drive it.

Not sure I want to know but what’s a SoFlo look?

 

[LouisvEarlleJT]

I ran a Rough Country 3" lift on an XJ for years, they're fine. Even more so since you're just going for the look, I wouldn't spend more than necessary.

 

[PuddleJumper]

Not sure I want to know but what’s a SoFlo look?

1 step up from carolina squat. but exactly what u think. enough lift that you almost need climbing gear to get in, and then the largest deepest black, andonized or machined wheels u can fit wrapped in Mud terrain rubber bands.

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