TRS Suspension lift Reviews

[compleckz]

****Please do not post lift questions here, this post is for lift reviews only. Thank you.****


from the old forums:

I would like to compile a review list of all the lift manufacturers. If you would like to send input then either E-mail me or PM me your experiences. I would ask that it be reviewed IF YOU installed the list not a shop. We want first hand experience here.

I thank Arctic601 for getting the ball rolling with these ones.

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Rough Country (83-97 TTB)

Rough country is a cheap/basic lift; you get what you pay for, including brackets that are sometimes improperly drilled from the factory. Many people consider rough country because they are cheap and come with most big items you need to get rolling (shocks and a pitman arm). Rough country lifts have been known to have problems in two areas. One is the drop brackets sometimes don’t line up and you will need to drill them out yourself and also cut the brackets to get them to fit, sometimes cutting down so much your wondering if its going to hold up. The other controversy is the drop plate; this bracket is sometimes known to puncture a hole in your front diff (other lifts avoid this). On the better side, I have never heard many (if any at all) horror stories of the lift itself breaking while being used, but again, you get what you pay for.

The Good
· Cheap $$
· Comes with shocks and a pitman arm in most cases
· Seems to be durable in mild wheeling situations (if you can get it on)

The Bad
· Cheap (quality)
· Brackets do not “line up” to factory drilled holes, expect to have to drill (doesn’t bolt up like it should)
· Drop plate can puncture a hole in your front differential
· Not a good “hardcore” wheeling lift
· Does not really improve your suspension system

www.roughcountry.com

Tuff Country ('83-'97 TTB)

The Tuff Country kits are a better alternative to some others in the budget lift category. They provide all new replacement axle brackets that won't cause damage to the differential housing.

Good
· Cheap $$$
· Comes with shocks and pitman arm
· Fully replaces the stock axle brackets
· Bolt holes generally line up better than some
· Offers a kit with extended radius arms

Bad
· Not a good kit for hard offroad use (brackets are not the strongest)

www.tuffcountry.com


Skyjacker (83-97 TTB)

Skyjacker could be considered one of the “leading” suspension lift providers. The products they make always receive positive feedback and good recognition from consumers. The lifts tend to cost a bit more (especially once you factor in shocks and a pitman arm) but in the end are well worth the money. The brackets are good quality and bolt up just like there suppose to. There is no middle drop bracket like in most other low budget lifts. The extended drop bracket is completely replaced by a new bracket that could save your front differential in the long run. Skyjacker offers a few options for lift (kits, systems and class 1 and 2 lifts). The class 1 is a basic lift; the class 2 will give you a pitman arm as well as extended radius arms. See the link below to see how to make this one of the best lifts around. Thanks to 4x4 Junkie for preparing this article.

The Good
· Bolts on like it should
· Quality build
· Class 2 will improve your suspension from factory (ext rad arms)
· Will keep you wheeling for years to come (especially the class 2)

The Bad
· Expensive to some, doesn’t seem worth it at first (it will in the long run though)
· Not perfect, but close (Making the Skyjacker a true performance and nearly flawless lift CLICK HERE)

www.skyjacker.com


James Duff

James Duff has been a manufacturer of lifts for many years, but not just any lifts, specifically ranger, bronco II and classic (early) broncos. This dedication to a small amount of vehicles and long time commitment has led to an excellent product. James Duff offers different class setups like Skyjacker does. Starting out with a basic 3” lift you can choose to add things like dual shocks, extended radius arms, and new rear leaf springs. Duff also offers a 5.5" kit as well. Duff is truly the only company to challenge skyjacker with a strong solid lift.

Good
· Strong build
· Competitor of skyjacker
· Will greatly improve your suspension
· A long lasting lift

Bad
· Expensive (you get what you pay for though, especially in this market)

www.jamesduff.com


Super lift (83-97 TTB)

Superlift TTB kits have been known to have problems with weak brackets and their extended radius arms cracking (and breaking) where they attach at the axle. They did revise the kit a few years back to include a full-replacement drop bracket that no longer threatens to damage the differential housing, but the problems with other weaknesses still persist.

Good
· Inexpensive
· Offers multiple rear lift options (blocks/add-a-leafs/new springs)

Bad
· Stiff coil springs
· Weak


Super lift (98+ IFS)

Super lift is one of the few manufacturers to offer a lift for 98+ rangers. The suspension on the 98+ rangers changed to IFS and therefore the lifts are not as “durable”. Super lift has both a good and bad reputation, more so bad than good though. If you really want to lift your truck (for off-road use, or even a lot of general driving), think about going to the RCD lift or an 83-97 ranger.

Good
· One of the few lifts for 98+ rangers
· Less expensive than some others

Bad
· Does not improve your suspension performance
· Lowers the torsion bar crossmember (steals some ground clearance)

www.superlift.com


ProComp (83-97 TIB)
Fairly simple to install and overall a very straight forward set-up. The instructions at times were a little vague however. The quality seems to be very good although during the install there were a few bolt holes that didnt quite line up and had to be "convinced." I have really given mine a beating and it has held up well. It came with everything I needed and it was definitely a one stop shop. Downside, it doesnt come with extended radius arms but it also is offered as a 2WD lift so most arent going to be used by hardcore offroaders as it is. Mine also came with blocks but I think you might be able to get lifted spring packs for added price.

The Good
-Comes with everything you need- including shocks, drop pitman arm, and extended brakelines
-Seems to be reasonable strong (enough for the average offroader at least)
-Fairly Cheap

The Bad
-Not all holes line up
-Instructions can be vague
-No extended radius arms
-Comes with rear blocks

www.explorerprocomp.com


Fabritech SAS (solid axle swap) (83-97 TTB)

This kit fully replaces the stock TTB suspension with a solid axle from an early Ford Bronco. Don't expect it to come cheap, or easy for that matter. The idea is to gain more articulation, strength, and a simpler suspension setup amongst a few other things.
Many have reported the Fabritech kit is not very well engineered. If you have some fabrication skill (and a welder), you may do better making/acquiring the brackets and other items needed to install the axle on your own. Additionally, the early Bronco D44 axle does not offer a strength advantage over the stock Dana 35 TTB axle (smaller u-joints, and uses a low-pinion gear design), however it IS considerably stronger than the Dana 28 TTB axle.
http://www.setstr8.com/straightaxle.htm


RCD (Race Car Dynamics) (98+ SLA)
The Good
-Replaces front torsion bars with coil-over shocks for better clearance and travel
-Taller than Superlift, 5.5"

The Bad
-Very pricey
-Still not as much travel as a TTB or SAS
-More work to install
-Big tires and/or locker will grenade the halfshafts and CV's

www.racecardynamics.com

Dixon Brothers Racing (98+ SLA)
The Good
-The mac daddy late-model setup
-Used on desert racers
-Replaces front torsion bars with coil-over shocks for better clearance and travel
-Taller than Superlift, 5.5"
-Stronger and longer control arms, halfshafts, CV's, and steering
-Better travel

The Bad
-Incredibly expensive
-Requires flares or fiberglass front fenders to cover tires
-Very involved installation
-Rear shock cage, if used, renders bed mostly useless
-Still not as much travel as SAS

Dixon Brothers Racing

Bottom Line

If you want a lift with some quirks, don’t mind having to drill and cut the brackets and risk putting a hole in your front diff, I highly recommend going with Rough Country or Trail master, and if you want a low quality lift that seems to bolt on fine, consider super lift. Now, for those of you who are really interested in wheeling and want a well built lift that will withstand abuse, bolt on like it should, and perform well, go with Skyjacker or James Duff. I know, it’s expensive and you’re probably on a budget (how many people aren’t?). Well if you’re on such a tight budget that you cant wait to collect another 200-300 dollars, don’t bother lifting your truck quite yet. Buying a lift is the cheap MAIN component. You will still need to buy wheels, tires, gears (if you went big enough at least, and if you haven’t yet, you will) and before you know it, you’ve spent 5 grand on your lift. So whats 200-300 dollars?

[badblue]

james duff

now has a 5.5 lift you can by

[Joe_Roofer]

Nice post, good info,
I'm saving for (I think) a Duff, just got the body lift right now.
No rush, my truck is my DD right now but I hope to change that soon

[Loanranger]

If you're considering just a leveling kit, the Skyjacker 132x springs are only a few bucks more than the coilspacers, just as easy to install, and seem to me to have not only a better ride than the stock springs, but a bit more flex. Don't forget the longer shocks, and alignment bushings, which you'd need for the spacers anyways, and you've got an inexpensive way to get some bigger tires under your rig.

[Todd]

If you want a lift with some quirks, don’t mind having to drill and cut the brackets and risk putting a hole in your front diff, I highly recommend going with Rough Country or Trail master, and if you want a low quality lift that seems to bolt on fine, consider super lift. Now, for those of you who are really interested in wheeling and want a well built lift that will withstand abuse, bolt on like it should, and perform well, go with Skyjacker or James Duff.

If you come along the cheaper Trial master or Rough Country brackets they can be modified to perform better under hard wheelin.

I got a set of Rough Country brackets used for free as they really are junk in stock formation. If you find a deal as this you can do the same as what I did.

Driver side pivot drop, gusseted and reinforced with 1/2" steel plate.





The Pass side bracket I took the RC plate and used that as a template to make my own using 3/8" plate while the RC plate was only 1/4". I also used part of the RC plate as a load spreading washer. The stock bracket that is bolted to the drop plate is clearanced as to not hit the diff under compression.

[ZSK]

Purchased mine about 3 weeks ago and the install went rather quickly. Contrary to the stories I've heard about RC's brackets, all of my holes lined up with the exception of one and a drill bit made quick work of it. I used an angle grinder to cut an "X" in the head of the rivets then an air chisel to knock the heads off and finally an air hammer to get the rivets out. At least for me, all of my brake lines are long enough for the 4" lift. Any addition in the front will need longer lines. The springs aren't extremely stiff but are quite firm. They are a great match to a stock leaf pack with an AAL. My truck rides better than it did before the install and seems to have less body roll even though I took the front sway bar off while installing the lift. I've put about 900 miles on it and even got the front end off the ground and have no complaints.

31" Trail Climbers
Front--4" Rough Country lift
Rear--3" Block with Long AAL

[88mudder]

BS on the RC brackets not lining up, they lined up perfectly on 2 of my trucks.

[du510]

Originally Posted by 88mudder

BS on the RC brackets not lining up, they lined up perfectly on 2 of my trucks.

RC was my original lift kit ... lined up perfectly.

[f.o.r.d.]

hey guys just wanted to stop in and say hey, my name is adam, and i work for rough country, this review has to be an old one, because about a year and a half ago we started getting a different design bracket system made, we have had no complaints about our new brackets, i would be more than happy to provide a discounted kit for someone willing to new a new review of our product, thanks

[4x4junkie]

Hey thanks for dropping in here with that info Adam.
Yeah these reviews were started probably some 3-4 years ago.

I'm sure most will be glad to hear about the redesigned brackets, although most recent reports I've heard from people purchasing the RC kits still had it containing the drop extension plate. Have the new kits made it into distribution yet?
I'm certain someone here would be more than willing to test out the new design if they can get one.

Also, you might suggest to whoever is in charge that they update the photo for it on the website, too (it still shows the old kit).

[RangerAx]

Couple of q's:
1st..the Rough Country kit..as I understand it had problems with housing clearance...but they redesigned it?
(personally if I ever can do it, I think I want the skyjacker or duff kits)
2nd..JI had read James Duff was researching a 5.5" lift, then at one point they took ranger stuff off they're web site, then it came back on they're web site, now I read in this thread ( as of august last year) that Duff sells the 5.5" lift, and yet I look at the site now and while they obviously have Ranger stuff on there, they no longer list suspension systems for 2wd, and they definitely don't show a 5.5" lift..and while I don't check them every day, I do look back once in a while and I can't say I've ever seen the 5.5" listed on the site ..but I will grant I have not requested a new catalog from them for quite some time either..maybe it's different?

Basically...my questions boil down to this...I think we could all (we meaning all us rookies) could use a once and for all locked down permanent clarification that leaves no doubt as to what's what because there's six other threads and articles on the tech pages that say different things?

Thanks and ...sowwy for the rant..

[rickcdewitt]

my only problems with the duff stage 3 are-
1) the very soft and flexible deaver leafs are great for the trail but i'll need to install air helper springs to carry anything
2)the eibach progressive rate springs they use for the front ride good but they don't travel as much as i'de like.
not too bad overall.it actually almost handles as good as stock with the double shocks,10" wheels(wider stance) and LA's,and rides much better.for the cost they should emulate old man emu and have several levels of spring rates and heights so you can get a kit for your specific RBV.