Goin to US - is it worth a lift kit..?

[jk-wranga]

Originally Posted by JK07

Agree DBOR has great service and very good price. Unlike other vendors you dont have to wait for months.
But while you are away there is always fun shopping especilally for ur hobby.

I was always set on PP through DBOR after reading reviews on this forum, but i guess the idea of being in the US with the strong dollar is an opportunity i dont want to miss out on -- but i still have to take all options in consideration.

The thing with the AEV 3.5" kit, is it has a few extras for the $1600 price tag, that the DBOR Crawler kit doesnt - such as a high steer kit, jack base, heavy duty steering damper, ProCal system and alignment cam bolts.

I guess if you can get away without the alignment cam bolts, the heavy duty steering damper, and the high steer kit - the DBOR kit will end up at the same price by the time you ship the AEV kit.

[Yom]

You're looking at old specs of the AEV 3.5" kit. They no longer have cam bolts but rather provides control arm drop brackets. They also provide an option which does not include front trackbar bracket and drag link flip (high steer) to lower the cost a bit. Look on Quadratec (quadratec also sell both LHD and RHD kits). DBOR's pricing is excellent when you compare to Quadratec and then add freight.

[emdee]

Hi,
I too am looking at a lift kit and deciding whether to buy over seas (quadratic) or here in Oz like double black off road.I'm new to 4x4ing and this is the first JK Unlimited Rubicon 4x4 I have owned.
Can anyone tell me if the lift kits overseas will fit on our Jeeps here in Oz??
And if I do buy overseas what parts need to be changed to make it fit?
I know that lift kits overseas are heaps cheaper and I know that the warranty will be a pain in the arse but its just so much cheaper..

So what do you all think??

[jeep112]

Just remember that certain aussie stockist leave you stranded with warranty issues if they want nothing to do with it back in the states anyway.....
Then your out of pocket even more, then if you just bought certain parts from the states to begin with!

[SeaComms]

Any parts bought overseas will have no local support.

Parts that wont fit unless specifically designed for RHD:

Track bars front and rear - some rear may fit
track bar brackets front and rear
pitman arm (there is no RHD drop pitman arm)
steering damper relocation brackets
AEV front sway bar link reloctation brackets

Theres probably more, but thats all I can think of off the top of my head.

[Blue Fin]

If you are new to the offroad scene and need to ask whether a US kit will fit or not, then these are big reasons to speak to & support locals.

[Paul-JK]

Originally Posted by emdee

Hi,
I too am looking at a lift kit and deciding whether to buy over seas (quadratic) or here in Oz like double black off road.I'm new to 4x4ing and this is the first JK Unlimited Rubicon 4x4 I have owned.
Can anyone tell me if the lift kits overseas will fit on our Jeeps here in Oz??
And if I do buy overseas what parts need to be changed to make it fit?
I know that lift kits overseas are heaps cheaper and I know that the warranty will be a pain in the arse but its just so much cheaper..

So what do you all think??

There's nothing wrong with buying from the states if you know what you want and are capable of fitting it yourself, or know someone you trust who is happy to fit whatever parts you bring. As you have a Rubi and therefore the petrol engine it's even better for you as that's the engine they have in the states so all of their lift kits are made to suit that (rather than the heavier diesel engine). Generally most of the parts such as springs, shocks, control arms etc will fit fine. You've just got to be careful with things like track bars where they get reversed between LHD and RHD vehicles.

A lot of folks say that your better off buying a full kit from a local supplier and I can really see the benefit of that. You can go back to them if anything isn't right and I'm all for supporting the local guys. For me though, there wasn't anyone out there that made a kit that I felt suited what I wanted so I had to shop around. I decided on Suspension Stuff coils made up in Brisbane (and who's parts, service and warranty really are superb) and then shopped around for the shocks I wanted. I wanted the Rancho adjustables and they are literally half the price overseas (I got them through Quadratec). Even after shipping they were a load cheaper than they would have been here. Some people may bag me for not supporting whoever imports them here but the other side of the coin is that the money I saved on these allowed me to buy other things that I otherwise couldn't afford and I did buy these from local guys so the local guys still got more business. I got other bits and pieces from SBR Offroad and DBOR.

I think the key, especially for someone who's new to 4WD'ing and modifying as I am, is to manage the risk. You've got to find someone you can trust to tell you the truth and not just what you want to here so you can find out what parts will suit your requirements. Asking questions on here is also invaluable as there bound to be someone who's done something similar. Buying a seemingly great kit from the states may be cheaper but if you need to change everything later as you're not happy with the ride or height you end up with then it very quickly becomes a lot more expensive. After that it's just a case of sourcing the parts and my theory is that if I have to pay a little more to support local suppliers (and probably get a better level of service and warranty) then I'm happy to do that but if the local prices seem unjustifiably high then I'll buy from the states.

Good luck with it all.