JL JOURNAL : BETTER BOOST for Your BUDGET - RANCHO JL WRANGLER Sport Lift Kit

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
It always amazes me that there are people out there who would completely cheap out and buy a set of $180 coil spacers and shock extensions to lift a $30,000 to $50,000 Jeep JL Wrangler. I mean, I get that these people might be on a budget especially after making an expensive purchase like that but to spend that much money on a Jeep and then ruin its ride just to get a bit of lift - it just makes no sense to me.

Also known as a "budget boost", coil spacers will get your JL Wrangler sitting higher off the ground but they'll do so at the cost of your ride. Ultimately, you're still working with a set of really soft factory coils, ones that were never designed to carry the kind of weight you'd get from something like a heavy steel bumper and winch or a ton of gear packed in the back and with all of that weight sitting higher off the ground. Of course, shock extensions will allow you to keep your factory shocks but then, those shocks were designed to manage the weight of stock wheels and tires - NOT the significantly heavier weight of big off road tires and/or beadlock wheels and I would assume, that's the reason why most people are wanting to lift their JL in the first place.

The Rancho 2" Sport Lift is a $640 lift kit... you hear that? Just SIX HUNDRED and FORTY DOLLARS and it comes complete with new progressive rate coils, new RS5000X shocks with DRS and a host of other components that'll not only help you lift your JL Wrangler but do so in a way that will offer a much better ride, both on and off road. Heck, if you're lucky enough to buy it while Rancho is running one of their great rebate programs, you'll even be able to save an additional $100! Sure, this kit costs a bit more but really, it's just a bit and if you ask me, it's a much better way to give your JL Wrangler a bit of a boost and on a budget.

In this episode of the JL JOURNAL, you'll see all that you'll get with the Rancho Sport Lift and just how easy it is to install on a Jeep JL Wrangler. You'll also get to see our initial testing of it and hear our impressions of it. We hope you enjoy it, would be grateful if you could LIKE it and would love to hear what you think about it. :cool:



What You will get with the Rancho Sport Lift
• (1) RS865B Coil Spring - Left Front
• (1) RS866B Coil Spring - Right Front
• (1) RS867B Coil Spring - Left Rear
• (1) RS868B Coil Spring - Right Rear
• (2) RS55065 RS5000X Front Shocks
• (2) RS55066 RS5000X Rear Shocks
• (2) Front Bumpstop Extensions
• (2) Rear Bumpstop Extensions
• (2) Front Sway Bar Link Extension Brackets
• (2) Rear Extended Sway Bar Links
• (1) Emergency Brake Relocation Bracket
• Installation Hardware

What You Will Need
• 10, 13, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 24mm Sockets & Wrenches
• 1/2, 9/16" Sockets & Wrenches
• Crescent Wrench
• Ratchet
• Ratchet Extension
• Ft. Lb. Torque Wrench - 250 lb. Capacity
• (2) Vicegrips
• Floor Jack
• Jack Stands
• Wheel Chocks

NOTE: This video is just a highlight of what will need to be done in order to install the Rancho Sport Lift on a Jeep JL Wrangler. It is important for you to reference the instructions that Rancho provides with this kit to ensure complete and proper installation.

Tools You May Want to BUY
TEKTON 24340 1/2-Inch Drive Click Torque Wrench
Milwaukee 2767-20 M18 FUEL 1/2" High Torque Impact Wrench
TEKTON 1/2-Inch Drive Deep Impact Socket Set - Metric
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Thanks for the write up and video. Good to see more options out there. :thumb:

Glad you liked the video and oh yeah, there are more options coming your way. This particular kit is just the best option for someone on a budget. Or, at least in my opinion.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Another great video. Great to see your impressions on the Rancho set up. Love there products. Ran there 2 inch on my JK, and have there RS5000x shocks on the JL.

Thanks! And yes, this kit really is so much nicer than coil spacers and shock extensions. :yup:

Good to know it’ll only take me 28 minutes to install this lift. That is 7days quicker than the last one I installed.

:cheesy: :crazyeyes: :thumb:
 

JTCO

Meme King
Nice video. Hard to believe the entire kit is only 640 bucks, especially for a USA made quality kit.
 

doubletapdaddy

Caught the Bug
Great video as usual. Just as you are amazed people cheap out and put a spacer lift on a $$$ Jeep, I'm always amazed they put on a Smittybilt Winch. Jet Li is sans skid plate. What's the scoop? Decided to just run the crash bar?
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Great video!

So I’m trying to keep up here.. you took off the evo 2.5” boost kit for the 2” rancho kit?

The 2.5" coil spacers only yielded maybe 1.5" of lift up front after we installed our heavy steel front bumper and winch. Completely unloaded in the back, we only got about 2" of lift in the rear after installing our heavy 37" spare tire mounted on a heavy beadlock wheel. Loaded up, we only had about 1/2" of lift in the rear.

These new Rancho coils are doing better to hold up the front end and while we didn't see a big difference up front, it is more than what we had before and in the rear, completely unloaded, we're actually sitting at just over 3" of lift. Completely loaded, we are still sitting at over 2" of lift and that makes a HUGE DIFFERENCE off road.

Are things starting to become a bit more clear for you now?

Nice video. Hard to believe the entire kit is only 640 bucks, especially for a USA made quality kit.

Thank you and couldn't agree more. For the price and for what all you get, it's definitely what I would consider to be a better budget boost.
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
It looked like it clear your 37’s , I’m sure this kit should clear 38’s as well

Umm, not exactly. Our 37's rub a lot more at a full flex than before but not enough to tear off the fenders. Taller bumpstop extensions would be needed to help things along. There's no way this kit would clear 38's unless you removed the fender liners and more.

Great video as usual. Just as you are amazed people cheap out and put a spacer lift on a $$$ Jeep, I'm always amazed they put on a Smittybilt Winch. Jet Li is sans skid plate. What's the scoop? Decided to just run the crash bar?

Yeah, I'm not gonna lie - we've never been a fan of how the LoD front bumper looks with the skid. It was just too much for us. We like this look a lot better - more utilitarian. :yup:
 

doubletapdaddy

Caught the Bug
Yeah, I'm not gonna lie - we've never been a fan of how the LoD front bumper looks with the skid. It was just too much for us. We like this look a lot better - more utilitarian. :yup:

I've got the same bumper and crash bar installed right now. I too have left off the skid as I'm liking the look the way it sits now.
 

Cozdude

Guy with a Red 2-Door
Great video! Looks like it rides really nice and at a price point that isn’t going to break the bank, even without the rebate! Can’t wait for the next video with the wheeling footage!
 

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I've got the same bumper and crash bar installed right now. I too have left off the skid as I'm liking the look the way it sits now.

LOL!! The skid just makes the front end look... I don't know - BIG and in a way that isn't quite right with a "shorty". Without it, I think it looks just about right :yup:

Great video! Looks like it rides really nice and at a price point that isn’t going to break the bank, even without the rebate! Can’t wait for the next video with the wheeling footage!

Thanks and yes, even without the rebate, it's a hell of a deal especially being that it does it's job a LOT better than coil spacers and shock extensions. :yup:
 

Four Flusher

New member
Awesome! Let me know if you have any questions.

Actually i have two. I've watched both of your excellent lift install videos. In the Rancho video you only used one floor jack under the front diff, is that because you weren't replacing the control arms? Also in the Rancho video, you showed unplugging the same plugs, but was there no need to use a trim tool to pop the cables off?

Ps thanks for mentioning all the required tools, and torque specs
 

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