Rough Country2.5" Series II Lift Kit for 2007-2018 Jeep Wrangler JK - 635

I think it really should be closer to a four star rating, but for the cost and time it took I’ll give it a five. One irritating thing is the kit is all with standard threads, while the Jeep is all metric. I hate metric, but I hate even more is going back and forth between the two constantly. The job goes much quicker with an impact driver and wrench (love my Milwaukee tools for this). Also I discovered my jack stands weren’t tall enough to use on the frame, so I scarily used my rv’s leveling jacks to suspend the Jeep. Instructions were adequate.For installation pearls, here’s a few. Although the instructions start on the front, go with the rear first, as you’ll need the rear sway bar links to repurpose for the front. Slide the crush sleeves onto the bolts first before trying to mount them on the new sway bar links. I didn’t do this first and the small amount of banging with a brass hammer screwed them up badly to the point that the bolts wouldn’t go through without some coaxing. Which then damaged the threads and I had to chase the threads. Also on the driver side the bottom sway bar nut won’t be able to get past the new traction bar mount without grinding a little off the built in washer. I ended up using the old sway bar nut and bolt for this (and why did Jeep use two different threads for the sway bar link?). Mounting the new rear spacers is difficult. If you have short fat fingers....get help. You will find a way to hold down the top washer nut with a finger, and the spacer also has a vertical gap which allows you to see where the bolt is to line them up. Use a six inch extension and stuff something in the bottom of a 3/4” socket to get the bolt up high enough to hand screw in initially. It also helps to have a thin offset 3/4 wrench to hold the top nut while tightening it. The front brake brackets were too long, so I drilled another hole for them. Rears were fine. A coil spring compressor (use a macpherson strut one) isn’t a must, but it certainly helped a bit one the rear ones. The front coil springs were much easier to re-install and didn’t need the coil spring compressor. I stepped down on the driver side brake caliber, which was enough to get the coil in, then used a jack at the driver side spindle to raise it, which lowered the passenger side enough to mount the coil spring. The lower front shock brackets don’t fit well, and some minor bending will be needed to coax them into place. Had to bend them out a little to get them to fit over the old mount, then screw in the vertical bolt, then had to bend them out a little more to get them to let the shock eye to fit. Once it’s tightened, the mild flaring is fixed.Overall it wasn’t too bad of an install. I’ve been a shade tree mechanic for 35 years, restoring old cars and repairing new ones, and this probably took a little longer because 1).my tools are all in a back shed about 400 ft from my driveway (wife got the front garage), and I probably made several trips since I had no clue what I really needed. 2). Had to figure out how to minimize going under a vehicle not supported that well since I didn’t have tall enough jack stands. And 3). Wife and kids were home, so foul language wasn’t available to quickly vent frustrations and had to stay quiet.

Great Product, quick shipping.You need more tools than it shows on it's tools required list.You will want to install the rear first.When you are doing the brake line extension brackets, you will need a 7/16 socket, and wrench to install the brake line bracket to the extension bracket. You will prefer a 10mm socket for removal in re-installation of the bolt that goes into the frame.When you hit the point where it tells you to remove the lower bolts for the rear sway bar end links, you will need to remove the whole thing, to install the new ones. At this point, if you do not have an impact wrench, take the top off first (19mm wrench on ball end, and 18mm socket on nut end), otherwise you'll be fighting it flopping around while trying to remove the torque nut. if you have impact wrench, remove the bottom first so you can get access to the tops with the impact wrench.Installation of the spacer is not easy, it's very tight quarters above the frame. hold that bolt and spacer up there and try to spin that nut onto it from the top. Here, an impact wrench will help you keep your sanity. trying to hold a wrench up there above the frame, in the pocket on a torque nut that's welded to a disc, while simultaneously trying to tighten a long wobbly assembly of the weighty spacer and a bolt just doesn't go smoothly.When you hit the point that you will be reinstalling the springs, I had to use a bottle jack between the axle and frame on the passenger side to push the axle down far enough to get the spring in.It doesn't tell you in the tools required list, that you will need a 13/32 drill bit to drill a hole into the horizontal surface of the bracket for the rear track bar. I used a 7/16, worked fine. you'll also be needing 9/16 wrenches and sockets at this point.When doing the front, I got to the shock brackets last. the new bolts I had left over didn't fit the crush sleeves, and they wouldn't even thread into their nuts. You will have left over bolts from the sway bar end link swaps, I used those, it worked out much better. The driver's side brake line bracket mounted at the axle by one 10mm headed screw was necessary to remove to gain enough droop on the axle to get the spring in. It re-installed fine. The driver's side brake line bracket at the frame, for the extension bracket, yeah, that was a bear.... I separated the axle breather hose and the other line from it and bent the hard brake line down, to gain the necessary stretch to bolt the extension in. The instruction called for the vehicle to be on the ground to do the sway bar end link connections. My driveway isn't flat, I do it in the air. that way I can raise or lower the axle as needed to line up the last bolt connection.Tool list should include the 13/32 drill bit, 19mm (also known as 3/4) wrench and socket(regular and deep), 18mm wrench and socket (regular and deep), 21mm wrench and socket, 16mm wrench and socket, 14mm (also known as 9/16) wrench and socket,13mm (aka 1/2) wrench and socket, 7/16 wrench and socket, 10mm socket, and a compothane hammer helps move things around without damage.

This lift kit was the exact touch I was needed for my jeep wrangler. I wanted to gain some additional clearance and be able to install larger tires.Install went very smoothly with no problems at all. It was easily completed with some technical know-how and a garage space to perform the work.Once install was complete the kit came out to be a 2'' lift in the rear and 2.5'' lift in the front. While the kit is advertised as a 2.5'' kit all around, I personally like the larger spacer in the front because the kit can double as a leveling kit. My jeep no longer has that nose down appearance from the factor.With the added height I can easily clear a 35'' tire on my stock 17'' wheels. There has been no problem with rubbing or bumping of the wheels. The only time you get some slight rubbing is at full turn over at the wheel, but in normal everyday driving you rarely encounter this anyways.As for off road use, the kit seems to be holding up well and with a replacement of the OEM fenders or by shaving them down, you will have plenty of room for articulation.This kit is a great buy for the money and ease of installation. There is no need to buy fancy full lift kits for such a minor lift of only 2.5''. If you want to go larger then spend big money but if you want to improve your off road ability and turn a larger tire, without breaking the bank then this is the kit for you.