Rusty's or EMU

[Rocketman]

OK, I'm new so cut me some slack. New to the world of 4x4 and Jeep.

I plan on doing a lift to my 93 XJ auto with either the Rusty's 3" with new leaf springs or the Old Man Emu 2" with new leaf springs. (prefer new springs vs. add-a-leaf) I also plan to upgrade all bushings with poly at the same time to tighten things up. I would like to run 31-10.5 tires

OK.. Who has done either of these lifts themselves and can comment? Ease of installation, problems encountered, extra tools needed, extra PARTS needed, etc...

I'm sure the choice has been argued before, and people have their preferences. I just need feedback from those "in the know."

Thanks guys,

Rob

 

[Nay]

Don't install poly. It will make things noisy and if you intend to use your XJ offroad, you don't want to "tighten things up" in the bushing department.

Old Man Emu is a perfection of the factory suspension. OME is the only company out there making a shock specific for their springs for each vehicle. It is a true kit, and it maximizes the travel available in the factory design perfectly. OME will give you both a tighter and more supple road feel, and excellent front to rear offroad balance. Forgetting about lift, and forgetting about offroad, OME is a true suspension upgrade.

The downside?

It is a 40mm lift, so barely more than 1.5". Even with MJ shackles and a half inch spacer, 31" tires will rub the fenders offroad at full stuff. So you'll need to do a little bit of trimming. OME is also expensive. You don't get anything but springs and shocks for $600+.

Rusty's is an affordable kit with full replacement springs. It will fit 31" tires, although MJ shackles are a good idea with this kit, too.

So what do you want to do with your rig? The more you really want 31" tires the more you should lean to a true 3-3.5" kit. The more you want a perfectly optimized factory setup with a small lift and 30" tires, the more you should lean to OME.

Personally, for a moderate lift that works extremely well offroad and is simply excellent onroad, I'd run OME with the MJ shackles and half inch coil spacer. Just don't expect it to look all that much different from stock on 2-2.5" of lift with 30" tires.

Nay

 

[Kudzu]

I have run all of Rusty's lifts formt he 3" to now his 6.5" Long Arm. I had the 3" on my 2001 and yes it fit 31x10.50 BFGs nicely. I went with AAL because it was a new XJ but with an older one I would have went with the whole spring pack..As to those who will post about his spring packs I have had my 6.5" for about a year now and have ridden several times with 4 adults plus gear and they have not sagged one bit....

 

[Weasel]

you can get the OME in a 3" for the rear. It's just a bit stiffer spring but still excellnet ride. My father has them in his XJ.

 

[Big Red]

Don't install poly. It will make things noisy and if you intend to use your XJ offroad, you don't want to "tighten things up" in the bushing department.

Old Man Emu is a perfection of the factory suspension. OME is the only company out there making a shock specific for their springs for each vehicle. It is a true kit, and it maximizes the travel available in the factory design perfectly. OME will give you both a tighter and more supple road feel, and excellent front to rear offroad balance. Forgetting about lift, and forgetting about offroad, OME is a true suspension upgrade.

The downside?


It is a 40mm lift, so barely more than 1.5". Even with MJ shackles and a half inch spacer, 31" tires will rub the fenders offroad at full stuff. So you'll need to do a little bit of trimming. OME is also expensive. You don't get anything but springs and shocks for $600+.

Rusty's is an affordable kit with full replacement springs. It will fit 31" tires, although MJ shackles are a good idea with this kit, too.

So what do you want to do with your rig? The more you really want 31" tires the more you should lean to a true 3-3.5" kit. The more you want a perfectly optimized factory setup with a small lift and 30" tires, the more you should lean to OME.

Personally, for a moderate lift that works extremely well offroad and is simply excellent onroad, I'd run OME with the MJ shackles and half inch coil spacer. Just don't expect it to look all that much different from stock on 2-2.5" of lift with 30" tires.

Nay

Nay you're right on with your comments. Where do you live? Are you in NorCal? I installed the Rough Country 3" with add a leafs for $230 with shocks and it did give me room for 31's and they fit decent and didn't rub that bad while wheeling. It does ride rough with the add a leafs and I know it will not last that long before it sags, but I couldn't beat the price. I ordered it directly from Rough Country/Heckelthorn.
Troy

 

[xjhm]

you get what you pay for...
i run the rusty's kit and love the ride. i have upgraded to new upper and lower control arms. rusty's 3" kit sat about 1 1/2-2" higher in the rear. i added a 2"spacer to level it out. i am now going a little bigger by swapping the front out for 4 1/2" i run 31x10.50 on 8 with 4 1/2 bs and i rub a bit on the inner edge of my flares.
before you start, think hard about what you want and be realistic(you don't need lockers to cruise up and down the road). then get the lift and accessories, that will get you where you want to be.
if you plan on wheeling it then you will need to extend bumpstops, get some disconnects,
shim your rear axle or do a sye and shaft, learn to do your own alignments(everybody knows the shops suck at doing lifted vehicles,

i wanted a little lift, then i wanted more, then more,next will be either trimming and 33's or hacking and 35's and this cycle will continue untill i have 44's and a blown v-8.
bottom line is ...i should have waited a few months, bought a 5" kit, bw cutouts, gears and tires.
search on this forum...there is a ton of usful info that will help you decide what you need. and plan ahead

 

[RichP]

The OME is the best riding one, also the most expensive for what you get. They have 3 different 'kits' so you might want to look at that. I'm leaning towards it myself for my 98 as I just did an auburn LSD in the rear, have gears being shipped for both diffs and will be putting them in sometime this month. A lift is next and 31's... Trying to get it done before June but money is tight.

 

[BLUTO]

I have an OME Heavy Duty lift (this is the middle-of-the-road lift for them....Expedition Duty being the "toughest") with OME "firm' shocks. This provided me with 3" of lift in the rear and approx. 3" in front (after adding a poly coil spacer). I got the lift along with an OME steering stabilizer from Rocky Mountain Outfitters (Utah?). I also ordered the leaf spring poly bushings.....DON'T! Just go to the dealer and get a new set of rubber ones. Less noisy and probably a little better ride. I will eventually remove them and install factory bushings....low on priority list right now.
Otherwise, it is a great suspension...probably somewhere around $750 shipped for what I got....maybe less?

BLUTO

 

[bburge]

For me the bottom line is function. I read your post twice and could figure out what you wanted to DO with your jeep.

That will determine a lot. What do you want to DO? Get better footing by fitting larger tires or do some wheelin'? Big rocks? (Probably not around Chi-town...) Mud bogger? What? Not gonna wheel much - maybe Rusty's, need a great replacement for 11 old springs, OME (AVOID poly! I had the OME kit and poly rear spring bushings stole the beauty of the rear springs). You'll get more like 2-2.5 inches and can run 30's just fine.

Gonna wheel? OME 3" or shop elsewhere (like Rubicon Express).

bburge

 

[poppabear]

get OME 934 coils and JC1A springs and some MJ shackles... and the N35L and N36L shocks... you will be better off with a new trackbar but you can get away with the stock if you have to but if you are looking at OME stuff then you probably can afford a new JKS trackbar.... LCA's no issue... you will need brakeline extentions or longer hoses..

3" all around and fit 31's perfectly.

RRO ... "lets market an add on BB to the OME kit and call it our own." :looney:

 

[Nay]

Nay you're right on with your comments. Where do you live? Are you in NorCal? I installed the Rough Country 3" with add a leafs for $230 with shocks and it did give me room for 31's and they fit decent and didn't rub that bad while wheeling. It does ride rough with the add a leafs and I know it will not last that long before it sags, but I couldn't beat the price. I ordered it directly from Rough Country/Heckelthorn.
Troy

Colorado...OME was my first lift, and probably my best lift .

Nay