I have seen this kit from Independent4x for $2350 Looks like its got the best of parts from everyone!
Has anyone bought this kit or know if its worth the money?
Thanks
Haggis
I have seen this kit from Independent4x for $2350 Looks like its got the best of parts from everyone!
Has anyone bought this kit or know if its worth the money?
Thanks
Haggis
Do a search here on lifting the vx. You can save yourself about $2300 bucks. Anything that has 3" lift in the title shouldn't also say "extreme". Matt at independent is a great guy, and his products are good too, but if you have working shocks, a working sway bar, working springs, and working links already, then you can spend about $100-$150 and get about the same results. I can tell you for a fact that that steel braided brake line kit is not necessary if you are only lifting 3". I had it and the plastic deteriorates and one of my lines began to leak. I had it remade here locally and it was not only a little cheaper, but they guaranteed that theirs would not deteriorate or fail-ever! Our sway bars are already extremely stiff, so that's a non-issue, The only thing I would definitely recommend looking into in that kit would be the HD tie rod links(ours are frail) and maybe the quick disconnects for the swaybar(more for convenience only, and still not really necessary). Other than that, all you really need is a couple cranks with a wrench on the torsion bars, and either a set of taller spring or some spring spacers to lift. That's it.
The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable man persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends on me.
Here's the info haggisgood is questioning...
EXTREME DUTY 3" Lift Kit: 92-03 Trooper/VX $2,349.99
NEW for 2008! (introductory pricing) This is the top of the line! The Extreme Duty 3" Trooper Lift is intended for those looking for superior performance when taking their rig out in the toughest terrain. This Kit addresses all the know weak links on the stock 1992-2003 Trooper. FEATURES: OME progressive rate rear lift coils, Indy4x 1" Coil spacers, rear 3 piece Extreme Duty adjustable links, Full 5 piece Braided steel brake line kit, Heavy Duty front torsion Bars, Front Ball joint/ bumpstop kit, Ranch 9000 XL gas charged adjustable shocks, front / rear poly sway bar bushing sets, front / rear Sway bar disconnects, Front HD tie rods... This is the total package for lifting you 2nd gen trooper and hitting those tough trails with confidence! (fits a 285/75 r 16 w/out cutting)
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HAGGISGOOD--- The purpose for lifting a 4x4 is to clear larger tires. What size tires are you looking at putting on the VX that would require a 3" lift???
In addition, do you plan on mounting your new tires on the OEM Stock Wheels??? By using the OEM Stock Wheels will help keep the tires neatly tucked within the wheel wells and the new tires might not even rub.
yea i ordered the SS brake lines from matt at indy 4x... they work fantastic, but the outer plastic red shell is coming off now after 1.5-2 years, but no leaks
If you plan on doing any hard wheeling those links are also very nice. Ours are like toothpicks in comparison. I have bent mine and had to straighten them a time or two!
Billy Oliver
15xIronman
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I would probably be going w/ 33" for the 3" lift.. perhaps 35" w/a 2" body lift on top of the suspension lift. I hear a lot of this cranking on the torsion bar, however I understand that you loose travel by the amount you crank it up! I would be changing out the wheels also .. not sure but I think I heard it was a 6.6 offset? ..
Anyways , I would prefer purpose rather than show!
Dumke is rockin that kit (or something close to it anyway). Here is his thread: http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...eferrerid=1999
Page 4 has the good pics...
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joe.. I was going to hook up w/ u and do the lift, however I have heard that simply cranking torsion bars looses suspension travel downwards and puts more pressure on the shaft.. believe me I do want the lift, but I also want some serious off-road capability.
Perhaps there is a link or someone who can explain the difference between the 2; both the positive and negative effects of each lift.
Thanks
Haggis
Haggis...I guess it depends on what you call "serious off-road capability"
Take a peek at some of last years Moab shots...some trails were 'fairly' serious.....
...and most of the lifted VX's had a simple spring and torsion crank.
OK , we're not talking HUGE boulder climbing , or REAL rock crawling...
...but a VX aint right for that anyway.
Jo
if you want your VX to have some 'serious offroad capabilities' you have 2 options-
1) save the money on all those parts, but the OME springs with a 1" spacer for the rear, crank the front...then lock both front and back axles...and add LOTS of underbody protection
2) SAS swap, lock, exo-skeleton, huge lift, keep going until you have a complete trail rig or are completely broke....
the VX is a GREAT offroad rig for a semi-stock vehicle...if you actually get out there and wheel the VX it will suprise the hell outta you, promise...
ask toddadams if you need a professional rock crawler to tell you about the capabilities of the VX... i believe he told me last year that his would keep up with anything with 33" tires or smaller....
thats pretty good for a vehicle that hasnt had rediculous amounts of money spent on it...
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-Paul Arden
Here's the deal, bottom line...
If you install everything in that kit, you STILL lose the same amount of down travel in the front suspension...end of story.
You don't need the:
HD torsion bars
Shocks
Sway bar disconnects
Ball joint spacers
Rear axle adjustable third link (though it would be nice)
All the other stuff is basically the same as what I'm currently using, with the exception of the adjustable MONDO lower links...:_drool:
Use the money you save to lock the rear with an Aussie locker or an ARB air locker...
And maybe even have some left over to become a site supporter...
Don't be offended, drumming up site support is what I do...
You now have two cents worth of opinion, that used to belong to me...![]()
Last edited by Ldub : 02/25/2009 at 10:11 PM
Being in SD, give Dallas a call over at StinkyFab Racing. Dallas owns two (sort of) isuzus and does some sweet custom fab work. If the links are a must have item Dallas makes Stinky Links that fit the VX.
I lifted using most of the Indy4X products. In the front I used the ball joint spacers (+ did the flip), the low profile snubbers and poly anti sway bar bushings. In the rear I used the OME 912 coil springs, 1-inch coil spring spacers, extreme lower links, extreme upper link and the poly anti sway bar bushings and stainless brake cables all around. I cranked the torsion bars for a slightly nose-down stance.
I lifted because I have larger tires on 16-inch wheels and I just like the look of a lift on the a VX. I did do a light trim on the front cladding too.
With a 3-inch lift, the rear axle was slightly forward of the center of the rear wheel wells so I adjusted the lower links out to center the wheels perfectly then I adjusted the upper link to level the axle, taking the strain off the u-joints.
Although the links are shown painted black on the Indy4X web site they were unpainted when I received them. Same with the ball joint spacers. I had them powder coated in gloss black. Also the holes in the spacers didn't match up with the holes in the new ball joints so I had to match drill them and the opening in the spacers that goes around the top of the ball joint was too small to seat properly so I had to grind the opening larger.
The lower links have grease fittings and can only be mounted with them pointing down because there's not enough room to get to them if they're pointing upward. Pointing down leaves them completely exposed to damage from impact so I replaced them with bolts.
The upper link didn't fit into the mounting bracket on the frame without some cutting and bending of the bracket. The bearing housing of the link was just slightly too big.
These issues were the same when I purchased a second set of all these parts from Indy4X for my other VX...no paint, misaligned holes and too tight a fit for the upper link.
These parts are awesomely beefy and look terrific on the VXs but Indy4X should have taken care of these issues on their end. I also bought a set of the shock absorber extensions but I didn't use them on the stock shocks. 10,000 miles since the installations with no problems.
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