87baseomatic
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- North Jersey
bds makes some nice stuff too. I would take their stuff over a few other companies. Ive had stuff from rusty's, jks and RE and the parts Ive had were good quality and did the job well.
What is better than RE???
- Thread starter EvanH
- Start date
- Location
- Coshocton, OH
I don't have any personal experence with BDS, but every one I have talked to that has a BDS lift says they're great. I am planning on going BDS 4.5" when I start my next lift. I have to say though they use a 3" spring in the rear with a block, or shackle to get the 4.5". It might be both I'm not sure.87baseomatic said:
Starscream
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Columbia, SC
I have a BDS kit and I love it, but it was almost $800 and included nothing but shocks and springs - buy something else.scoobyxj said:
- Location
- Coshocton, OH
Wow that sounds a little high for just the springs. I got quoted $1200 for a whole 4.5 kit including shocks.Starscream said:
Kinda long, but here's what worked, and didn't work for me:
RE 1345 coils (5.5"XJ/4.5"ZJ)
bought these in 1999, wheeled them for 5-6 solid years, in 2 different MJ's.
MIGHT have sagged 3/8" over max original ht (hard to say, since vehicles & weights have changed alot).
Spring rate (for me) = great balance between firm, while still very flexable.
I really can't believe the abuse these things have taken, while still being completely straight, with no kinks/bends, and they're still both exactly the same length.
Gave me 5.75"-6.25" depending on vehicle
RE 1310 coils (4.5" XJ)
bought these in 2002, wheeled them for 3-4 years, no noticable sag, or bends, still perfectly straight.
Noticably softer than the 5.5" 1345's.
Actually a little softer than I like (I like ft coil & rear leaf rates a little more closely balanced), but still very good, and very flexable.
Gave me ~5"
I've since trimmed them down a little to drop the height. They should be slightly stiffer now (hard to say tho), and are @ 4.25"
RE 1341 coils (3.5" ZJ)
bought these in 2003.
Awesome coils, slightly taller, and thicker than the above 1310's (4.5" XJ).
Gave me ~5.25", with a much better, more balanced spring rate.
IMHO, these are the coils to run in a 5" XJ.
I wheeled them for about a year, then put them in my trail truck (driveway ornament at the moment), since I wanted to drop that down a little.
Not much abuse to report, but they're also still perfectly straight, and measure the same free length.
Rusty's 3.00 (3" XJ)
I don't know if I got a bad set, or not, but I have really bad things to say about these coils.
I bought them in 2001.
I ran them with soft shocks, and the combo of soft shocks/soft springs was really too loose for me in day to day driving,
I thought I'd get used to it, but I didn't.
I got 2.75" when first installed (loaded 2dr XJ), and they sagged noticably after just 1 month, and 2 trail runs.
I put some ancient Tomken 2" spacers above them, and ended up a little under 4".
One more month, and 2 more trails, and they were (IMHO) unusable.
I pulled them out (to put the RE 4.5's in), and they were noticably bent (warped so they don't roll straight).
FWIW, later, when I was trimming the MJ trail truck for clearance (with the coils out), I put them in, and they gave it exactly 1.5" over the stock 2wd MJ coils.
Rancho 6423's (3" XJ)
Might as well add these in, since they were the first coils I bought, and I'm still using them today (in a ZJ).
I bought them in 1995, they gave 3", but were really stiff (esp with the stiff RS 5000's I was running).
I ran them, for 4 years, in a DD XJ, then later in my first trail MJ, Tomken 2" spacers.
With the spacers, they gave a full 5", and took tons of abuse, with the only complaint being they were still pretty stiff.
I pulled them out for the RE 5.5" XJ coils, and put them in 'her' ZJ ~2001.
They gave slightly more than 2" in her ZJ, and aren't overly firm with the stock shocks (cut down ft >> rear coils are a good match for their firmness outback).
RE 1345 coils (5.5"XJ/4.5"ZJ)
bought these in 1999, wheeled them for 5-6 solid years, in 2 different MJ's.
MIGHT have sagged 3/8" over max original ht (hard to say, since vehicles & weights have changed alot).
Spring rate (for me) = great balance between firm, while still very flexable.
I really can't believe the abuse these things have taken, while still being completely straight, with no kinks/bends, and they're still both exactly the same length.
Gave me 5.75"-6.25" depending on vehicle
RE 1310 coils (4.5" XJ)
bought these in 2002, wheeled them for 3-4 years, no noticable sag, or bends, still perfectly straight.
Noticably softer than the 5.5" 1345's.
Actually a little softer than I like (I like ft coil & rear leaf rates a little more closely balanced), but still very good, and very flexable.
Gave me ~5"
I've since trimmed them down a little to drop the height. They should be slightly stiffer now (hard to say tho), and are @ 4.25"
RE 1341 coils (3.5" ZJ)
bought these in 2003.
Awesome coils, slightly taller, and thicker than the above 1310's (4.5" XJ).
Gave me ~5.25", with a much better, more balanced spring rate.
IMHO, these are the coils to run in a 5" XJ.
I wheeled them for about a year, then put them in my trail truck (driveway ornament at the moment), since I wanted to drop that down a little.
Not much abuse to report, but they're also still perfectly straight, and measure the same free length.
Rusty's 3.00 (3" XJ)
I don't know if I got a bad set, or not, but I have really bad things to say about these coils.
I bought them in 2001.
I ran them with soft shocks, and the combo of soft shocks/soft springs was really too loose for me in day to day driving,
I thought I'd get used to it, but I didn't.
I got 2.75" when first installed (loaded 2dr XJ), and they sagged noticably after just 1 month, and 2 trail runs.
I put some ancient Tomken 2" spacers above them, and ended up a little under 4".
One more month, and 2 more trails, and they were (IMHO) unusable.
I pulled them out (to put the RE 4.5's in), and they were noticably bent (warped so they don't roll straight).
FWIW, later, when I was trimming the MJ trail truck for clearance (with the coils out), I put them in, and they gave it exactly 1.5" over the stock 2wd MJ coils.
Rancho 6423's (3" XJ)
Might as well add these in, since they were the first coils I bought, and I'm still using them today (in a ZJ).
I bought them in 1995, they gave 3", but were really stiff (esp with the stiff RS 5000's I was running).
I ran them, for 4 years, in a DD XJ, then later in my first trail MJ, Tomken 2" spacers.
With the spacers, they gave a full 5", and took tons of abuse, with the only complaint being they were still pretty stiff.
I pulled them out for the RE 5.5" XJ coils, and put them in 'her' ZJ ~2001.
They gave slightly more than 2" in her ZJ, and aren't overly firm with the stock shocks (cut down ft >> rear coils are a good match for their firmness outback).
Starscream
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Columbia, SC
I do blame myself - I was newbie and wanted the no questions asked warranty in case I ever broke a spring (ya right). Plus, I went to a place called Tarheel 4x4 which is overpriced like mad.scoobyxj said:
play_in_the_mud
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- delaware
uncc civilengineer said:
green50gt
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Goshen, IN
Opinions are like buttholes, everyone has them, and they all stink. My stinky butthole says I am a RE customer for life. First ever lift springs on my XJ where skyjacker, which were stiff as a board, then on to 4.5 RE;s, LOVED them, super flexy, rode nice, then went with more lift and up to 5.5 RE's and I love them just as much. I went with a Rock Krawler long arm upgrade ONLY because it was $400 bucks. I got about 6.5 inches out of them when I put them on, and after about 8 months and serious serious abuse(no bumpstops) they are still sitting at around 6 inches over stock.
I will say this though. I have an HD RE Tie rod. And while its pretty, its about as big around as a pretzel.(though Ive never bent it) My buddy has a Rustys tie rod, and that thing is probably twice as big around...its super beefy!
I will say this though. I have an HD RE Tie rod. And while its pretty, its about as big around as a pretzel.(though Ive never bent it) My buddy has a Rustys tie rod, and that thing is probably twice as big around...its super beefy!
Starscream
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- Columbia, SC
play_in_the_mud said:
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