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Anybody happy with rough country shocks?

44K views 86 replies 28 participants last post by  Muddeprived 
#1 ·
I was going to put off any sort of lift until next year but my 14yr old factory TJ shocks are shot. I've spent a ton getting the suspension and drivetrain back up to par so my budget is a little thin. The Jeep has 31's on it that rub only in tight turns. I found rough country's 2.5 lift kit with four new shocks in various places for 299.00. Does anybody have this and like it? Seems to be a lot of rough country bashing on here. Although there aren't many options in that price range. A few no name eBay kits that scare me. Lol. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks guys!

Links to the two I've considered. Thoughts?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/271530485377

http://www.ebay.com/itm/331251180126
 
#5 ·
RC shocks are misleading in their name (number), the 2.0 shocks are the more rugged and higher rated for off road use while the 2.2 shocks are a little softer for more street use, they usually include the 2.2 with the lift kits and you have to call and ask them to substitute 2.0 shocks instead.

The Skyjackers are good, and Rancho's are better, and Blisteen is better than that, as the price climbs with the quality, if your not doing a lot of high articulating wheeling then you can usually get away with stock quality shocks from Monroe or another OEM quality supplier/manufacturer.
 
#7 ·
Rough Country 2.5in lift

I installed this kit on my 02 TJ w/2.0 shocks and springs. Rode rough and a little bouncy for 1500 miles. Then it settled in and has been great since. On and off road. Everyone like to bash Rough Country because of a problem they had a few years ago with their shocks. The problem has been fixed as far as I can tell and you can't beat the price!
 
#8 ·
I installed this kit on my 02 TJ w/2.0 shocks and springs. Rode rough and a little bouncy for 1500 miles. Then it settled in and has been great since. On and off road. Everyone like to bash Rough Country because of a problem they had a few years ago with their shocks. The problem has been fixed as far as I can tell and you can't beat the price!
Did you have to buy any other parts? T case lower etc.
 
#11 ·
I have rough country

I have no complaints. . only time it is bad is on a really bad road..(haven't haf any issues offroad but I also dont go to as extreme as some on here do) the PO put them on.. and he did a good job I think.. so as long as you dont plan to rock climb or your town sucks at redoing roads I think you will be fine..

that said if it was stock and I had the money to put a lift on I would probably go a different rout.. just with how much people hate on them
 
#12 · (Edited)
I wheel fairly hard (lots of rock), and don't have trouble from mine, from RC I run - upper & lower control arms, brake lines, springs, shocks, track bars (front & rear), steering brace, belly up, coil correction plates, bar-pin eliminators, body lift, motor mount lift, wheel spacers, 4.88 R&P & master install kits, maybe something else I'm not remembering, all RC, all trouble free.
 
#13 ·
I understand you get what you pay for. It's just not in the budget to spend a grand on a lift kit. My Jeep is my daily driver. In the winter it's my snowmobile threw 25 country miles of small two lane country roads to work one way. We plan to take it on camping trips and do some trail rides, nothing crazy. So to me I'm just looking for a decent shock and a small lift to eliminate tire rub. Is there any other brand in the lower price range I should consider?
 
#14 ·
The best 2 options are the RC 3.25" lift kit with a 1.25" body lift and 1" motor mount lift
and the 4.25" Zone combo lift with a 1" motor mount lift

I recently got a good look at and some time with a Rubicon Express 3.5" lift, also a good
lift to consider.
 
#15 ·
I have the rough country x series 4" lift and have no complaints at all! I just went with the standard shocks and it is great. I bought it expecting to replace the shocks with something better just from what i was reading on here, but once i installed everything i was completly 100% happy with them! only thing i had to buy extra for the whole kit was a JKS rear CV style track bar bracket to accommodate with my CV driveshaft. but thats not RCs fault at all, that was my own for not knowing about them. I would buy RC again in a heart beat
 
#17 ·
I do have the RC 2.5" lift with the 2.0 shocks. Put it on about 6 years ago. I feel every bump on the road and off road I can't wait to air down. It's a great lift if you're young and toe dipping into off roading for the first time, but at 50 I'm looking for a smoother ride. Thinking of some 3 inch BDS springs and Rancho9000's
 
#20 ·
I'm running the RC 2.5 inch lift with the 2.0 shocks and I love it, I think it rides awesome, I honestly could not be happier with it, I have no drive shaft vibrations and I didn't drop my T-case or do any MM lifts. It is perfect for me
 
#34 ·
Zone makes a great starter lift, or, a great DD lift, but get the Zone 4.25" combo lift, not an ebay 3". I say this for 2 reasons, one; your going to want to lift it again, once you get the building bug, so give yourself a head start with the Zone 4.25", it doesn't need a lot of peripherals (SYE, Adjustable CAs, etc). And second; don't buy a lift kit, a precise alteration to your mechanical investment, from some random person on ebay who has no benefit in standing behind the product long term.

Here's Extreme Terrain, same price, better lift, excellent website run by guys who build and wheel.

Here it is for $20 less, but I have no personal experience with RockRidge

This is also $20 cheaper, and Adam's Driveshaft is a quality reputable site
 
#35 ·
Zone makes a great starter lift, or, a great DD lift, but get the Zone 4.25" combo lift, not an ebay 3". I say this for 2 reasons, one; your going to want to lift it again, once you get the building bug, so give yourself a head start with the Zone 4.25", it doesn't need a lot of peripherals (SYE, Adjustable CAs, etc). And second; don't buy a lift kit, a precise alteration to your mechanical investment, from some random person on ebay who has no benefit in standing behind the product long term. Here's Extreme Terrain, same price, better lift, excellent website run by guys who build and wheel. Here it is for $20 less, but I have no personal experience with RockRidge This is also $20 cheaper, and Adam's Driveshaft is a quality reputable site
Thanks for the info. 500 is over budget plus I really have no desire for a body lift. 2.5 to 3 inch is fine for me. I've just never heard of zone. Makes me a little scared. Although I've never heard much bad talk of rough country until I got on here. So, yea. Lol
 
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