6" Skyjacker going in, but radius arm dilemma

[USCGC130]

Hey guys, i finally started building up my lift, i decided to piece together my Skyjacker 6" lift, my plan is SJ drop brackets, 6" SJ coils with about 1" of washer under since i am a 1997 supercab with the 4.0. When i sell my deavers i am getting goign with the skyjacker 6: leafs. i have everything here exept i didnt even think about the radius arms until now, so now i am truly torn on do i just pull the trigger and buy the extended SJ ones or for a 600$ saving just get the drop brackets? i do feel like while i am so far into pulling all this apart i might as well just do the extended ones, but that 600$ difference is a hard pill to swallow. for those that have either set up is the extra travel worth the money and do they really make aligning that much easier?

Also if i just did the coils and no spacers, which would get my about 4.5" of lift from what i read could i forgo the RA drop brackets all together? This will be an off road truck for moderate trails with a roof top tent and camping gear, and will either be going with 33's or my current 31's since i have 3.73 gears. This is my first build of an off road truck and my first TTB so any insight would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Curious Hound]

I used the full Skyjacker kit with the extended radius arms and I'm very happy with it. If you need to save the money, go ahead and use the RA drop brackets instead. For the type of use you describe, they should probably be fine. But make sure you use one of those options. Any other combination would change the caster angle and screw up your alignment past what the adjustment collars can correct, unless you start cutting and welding on the radius arms.

 

[bobbywalter]

tough call. short radius arms with tall lift is a shit handling setup...with top heavy overlanding setup not sure what i would do.


i would likely adapt e150 arms and 150 radius arm brackets with 2 over 150 coils with 3-4 inch drop pivots. 2-3 inch body lift and that setup with a bastard rear pack and air bags front and rear to tune load.

 

[USCGC130]

Thanks for the replys guys, after thinking about what you both said and getting this far into installing the drop brackets, i just bit the bullet and bought the full arms, i didnt realize how much work it would be to get all this stuff out and off, but while im in it this far it is really the time to do it, i would hate to be unhappy in a couple months and then pull all this stuff off again to add extended arms, so the arms should be here by tuesday, and until then i have a fair bit of stuff to get back on the truck. Thanks! and bobby you seem to know what your talking about and hearing you say it would handle like shit really is what made me say screw, buy once, cry once!

 

[Curious Hound]

Wise choice. I hate pushing someone to spend a lot of money. But aside from building something from scratch as in Bobby's last entry, this was your best choice. You won't be sorry.

 

[bobbywalter]

quality product in general. the trans k member will need tweaking here and there if you beat the beans out of it.


i had duff arms with ttb and i was always tweaking those poor bastards with q35's or 38 swampers...

ol dana 35's dont like 38 in swampers and 300 hp. but i was an idiot with the stupid pedal for quite some time.



bigger issue is overlanding and to what degree. i love the size of the ranger for all around use...but they are small for overlanding adventure. so pushing the limits seems the likely course there.


with heavier loads ...running the smaller duff lift and arms and a 2 or 3 inch body lift is likely the easy button when combined with front and rear air bags to tune load. but for the dollar...skyjacker has a great product. i would wager you will be satisfied with this setup.