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Who's using what shops for install?

3K views 40 replies 19 participants last post by  grumpy-engineer 
#1 ·
South Cal. What is your favorite shop for lift, wheels, tires, etc and install in 2016?

I typically like to install things myself but I think I'd rather let a pro install my lift since it's a full kit. Unless there are any regular wrenching parties?
Thanks y'all.
 
#6 ·
I have my TJ at Jeep Care Center in Huntington Beach right now for some repairs. My first time using them, but had recommendations from others in this forum.
Hoping for the best.
 
#8 ·
Rebel Offroad in Laguna Hills, about 20min from my house.
 
#9 ·
I've been to a couple of shops in OC, and so far Rebel seems to do the nicest work, almost as if it is their Jeep. Other places just "do the job," sometimes at bare minimum leaving me to do finishing touches myself or take it back and whine to get them to finish.
 
#17 ·
And in the rare event that they dont (nobody is perfect 100% of the time), or that there is something wrong with the hardware, JPI will stand behind their work and take care of you. THAT is just as important, and many shops try to weasel out of any issue and not take ownership of it.
 
#19 ·
I'm not naming names here, but I've been to two shops here, and don't know if I'd go back to either. I don't feel like a needy customer, but if I'm doing something myself, I'm pretty meticulous about it. I don't get the same feeling at most places.

Maybe I should go check out JPI when doing a lift. Assuming I don't do it myself.
 
#20 ·
I'm not naming names here, but I've been to two shops here, and don't know if I'd go back to either. I don't feel like a needy customer, but if I'm doing something myself, I'm pretty meticulous about it. I don't get the same feeling at most places. Maybe I should go check out JPI when doing a lift. Assuming I don't do it myself.
I'm the same way. I'd much rather do it myself, but on the off chance that I decide to let a "professional" do it, it better be done correctly to the point where I am not coming in behind them and fixing it. I don't consider that needy.
 
#22 ·
Ok so I contacted JPI. Great response time and Stan seems very friendly.
However....lol
He quoted me $1500 to install an RK xfactor kit and that's with buying the kit from him at retail price. That's more than 15 hours of labor.
Also $250 to install Ace rails. It's 6 bolts, maybe a 30 min job. He quoted 2.5 hours for it.

Yikes! What's the deal?
 
#24 ·
Ok so I contacted JPI. Great response time and Stan seems very friendly. However....lol He quoted me $1500 to install an RK xfactor kit and that's with buying the kit from him at retail price. That's more than 15 hours of labor. Also $250 to install Ace rails. It's 6 bolts, maybe a 30 min job. He quoted 2.5 hours for it. Yikes! What's the deal?
You can easily find places to get it done cheaper but you cannot easily find places to do it right and stand behind their work. Just remember you get what you pay for.. Let us know who you end up choosing and how it goes.

...I paid about the same for my RK lift +shocks.
 
#23 ·
Did you discuss the fiddly bits? Drive shaft, brake lines, etc?

Yes I had to maintain composure on the phone when I heard the quote. Nary a wimper. I swear. After talking with local shops and some not so local, I was sold on it being done right.

Local shop (to me) was laughable by comparison with respect to knowledge, guidance, quality of work. And the wife has had work done there before on her truck.

Keep in mind, I'm a software engineer, not a mechanic; let that guide your opinion of my opinion.
 
#25 ·
Didn't get into too many details. He did mention $130 to replace the driveshaft. I feel like he knows his stuff for sure. I think the lift install price may even be decent but it's the rails labor that threw me off and made me question everything.
How much did you guys pay to have your lifts done?
 
#30 ·
IIRC the Mopar is re-branded Tereflex kit.. Not bad but it's no Rock Krawler... Also, if I recall, if you ever bang your Jeep on something hard enough to break any of the Rock Krawler components, they will replace it. If you bang your Jeep and break any of the Mopar bits, they will sell you new pieces...
 
#39 ·
I have had a couple of occasions to talk with RK customer service regarding some minor issues and questions regarding my X-Factor setup. I can vouch for their CS being top shelf. Easy to get ahold of, they listen, they don't try to blame shit on somebody else, and send out parts right away. Did I mention my RK setup is awesome.
 
#34 ·
I will also chime in for JPi. They never claim to be the cheapest shop around, but when it comes to quality of workmanship, customer service and customer retention, they cannot be beat. They have customers drive over 2 hours to his shop for work to be preformed. That says a lot.

Jeff
 
#35 ·
Spoke to Stan at JPI at length today and I am convinced he possesses a wealth of jeep knowledge. Really nice guy. No doubt in my mind that his labor costs are appropriate for the work and he clarified that the Ace sliders labor quote was also a mistake.

I'm still weighing the pros and cons of having the dealership install a Mopar kit with full warranty or having JPI install an RK. Or possibly starting with a stock mod kit and installing myself and continuing to learn, grow, break and replace as I go.

Has anybody installed a kit with no prior experience with lift kits?
 
#36 ·
My thought process on this was:

0. Stock rubicon is very capable off road. Wavered on doing any work to it. A few runs with the kids, limited articulation, softness of the suspension, scraping the factory skid plates convinced me.

1. This thread looked like good advice, planned on doing this. Even odds I could do it myself. I have all tools I need, and a few friends who are mechanics that might help out.
http://www.wranglerforum.com/f202/most-popular-lift-shock-setup-on-wf-1136938.html

2. The more I looked at it, the more I figured i'd get something wrong.

3. The more I looked at it, I only wanted to do suspension once

4. Given #3, I ruled out the mopar kit. Did not include all 8 control arms. Same for spacers, etc, etc.

5. Sold on the beefyness of the RK setup. Too pricey for my liking.

6. Eventually decided to do suspension once, have it done right, and tinker with smaller projects myself.

7. Paid for it. Have not looked back. Extremely happy with it.

8. ONly work left is when I remove the factory fendors, I may ask JPI to tinker with bump stops since he calibrated it specifically to not touch the factory fenders with 35" tires.

I now have more jeep than I can handle. Trying to join as may runs as feasible to rectify that.
 
#41 ·
Yeah, "way to pricy", then "did it anyways after mulling over it."

Yes, very happy with lift. it is much better than stock on road. Drives more like a half-ton truck on the highway, and I commute 140 miles round trip 1-2x per week. Used to get 18mpg on this trip with factory mud terrain tires and 4.10 gears. Now, I get 18mpg on the same trip, still 4.10, just driving a taller brick down the highway.

Only thing I had to do was pick up an AEV ProCal to fix the speedometer. My 140 mile trip was only 128 first time out after the lift. According to the wife who was folloing me, I was going over 80 on the way home from JPI. Didn't think that was possible.

I personally hate KO2s: had them on a heavy duty truck, got 5-6k out of them towing a 14k# 5th wheel before they wore down to 30% tread. Turns out KO2s and the 1-ton pickups are a bad combo based on what I've read. Live and learn.

I still put them on the jeep. Figured one last chance on a different class of vehicle. No complaints yet. Way quieter on highway than on the truck, Good traction thus far off road. Only ~1k miles on them so I'm not the best to answer this.
 
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