Rock Krawler JK 5.5" X Factor Plus Long Arm System Suspension Review Story and Photos by Gil "usmcdoc" Fortin

So you want to lift your 2007-2010 Jeep JK?

You go out and search the internet and read write-ups by people who you have never met. People who have never driven a Jeep any more off-road than the grass near their driveway telling you about "flex" and "articulation". People telling you how pimptacular that lift kit is because (and only because) the manufacturer is a "sponsoring vendor". You could have a random internet person tossing anti-squat or everything else numbers at you. Maybe some web wheelers telling you the detailed material failure point of everything in the lift kit. Giving every detail as to why this is the ultimate kit for off-road but never driving it every day because, "It's not my daily driver". You watch a suspension get installed not by the writer/owner, but by a professional shop while the owner/writer opens their wallet.

And then you find this write-up, and that is where things get a little different.

I am a "normal" guy, my JK is my daily driver every day. It's also the same vehicle I take camping and off-roading. It gets driven to and from the trail so it has to ride well AND be durable. I work up to 7 days a week so when I want to do a major upgrade it has to be planned out. And a major brakeage is not an option.

I own "normal" tools, that's right, no 4 post lift, no CNC plasma table, no welding machine that costs more than the jeep I am lifting. Hand tools, affordable MIG welder, hand held grinders and saws are what I've learned to work with. This had to be done in my garage or driveway as there is no way I am paying someone to do a project that I can do myself.

My 07 Unlimited was lifted within the first week of me owning it. It needed to get some meat under its wheel wells but I knew I would have to upgrade sooner or later. I hoped later. That and with cash kind of tight I got one of the basic 4" full spring lifts on the market.

It rode decent on smooth roads, but the bumps were bone jarring to the point my lower back hurt. Body roll was noticeable over stock as were some other annoying handing quirks. So I turd polished and got better shocks and this improved it a lot but it was still lacking all around. Off-road it had limited flex due to the binding in the stock control arms. The rear squatted badly under load, and the front would uncontrollably rise. This bolt on kit had reached the end of its usefulness and performance abilities. Yes it fit bigger tires but that is not the only reason you buy a lift kit.

I guess you do pay for what you get and it was time for it to go. It was time to ditch the "lift kit" and get a "suspension system".

So I did the same thing you are doing and searched the internet for my next suspension system. My requirements were very simple:

• Fit 37" tires
• Ride quality on road equal or better than stock
• Adjustability
• Bomb proof components
• Impressive off-road performance with controlled articulation
• Well designed for no surprises while installing.
• The ability to install it myself.

After a ton of research, I chose the JK 5.5" X Factor Plus Long Arm System from Rock Krawler. (http://www.rockkrawler.com)

It is a long arm kit that uses a 3 link with panhard (track) bar. This is a proven design when you do not have the space or desire to run a triangulated 4 link, like in the rear of the JK. Every online review I have read about the company was stellar. I went and looked at a similar kit installed on Kenny's JK from River Raider Off-road and was impressed with the fit, finish and materials. So I had to get one for myself.

The Rock Krawler kit is designed to work well off-road as a 3 link can flex like you would not believe if setup correctly. The factory JK is a 4 link with panhard bar. The 4 links provide good on road handling but once the suspension is articulated it tends to bind. Even with a new 4 link/panhard kit that uses a joint instead of bushing on the end of the link, it will still eventually bind. Long arms offer a better suspension geometry over short arms with a lift and a better ride quality as the angles are now working for you instead of against. We will cover more of the benefits and high points of the Rock Krawler throughout the rest of this article.

Now if you are still with me I will give you a warning: This is not a "beginner" lift kit. This is not a bolt on/gunna look cool at the mall tomorrow install. This is changing the factory geometry, welding on your frame and cutting off parts that once are gone can never be re-attached. Your JK will never be able to be returned to "stock".

Stock is boring. If you want stock go buy a Prius.

BIG IMPORTANT NOTES:

Welding is required. This is not a "bolt on" lift kit. So either you weld it yourself, or bribe someone with beer and pizza who you trust to do the welding. I trust my welding so I bought myself beer and pizza as a reward.

Exhaust modifications are required. Once again with cutting and welding. You can have this done in advance by bringing your new drivers side upper control mount to a muffler shop and having them work around it. There are a few ways to skin this cat. Rock Krawler shows the way they did and recommend. I went and ran the passenger side pipe behind the cross member and under the transfer case as there is LOTS of room there. It also made for a very easy join. Just make sure to put a heat shield on the fuel lines above it and where it runs near the fuel tank. Its overkill but a safe overkill. Another option that I wish I thought of when I did the install is find someone doing a HEMI swap and get the entire passenger side pipe with the 2 cats and O2 bung. It looks like if used to replace the drivers side would eliminate all the cutting/welding you would have to do there.

Plan your time. It took me 4 days to do the suspension and a day by itself to do the exhaust modifications. A decent off-road shop or if you can recruit a bunch buddies to help you should be able to get it done in a long weekend.

Tools and equipment needed:

• Full SAE and metric socket and wrench set (you should already own this)
• Full allen wrench set.
• Jack stands rated for and capable of holding your Jeep at a working height.
• Floor jack or other lifting item capable of lifting your jeep to working height.
• Welder capable handing ¼ plate and all other welding accessories including blankets.
• A set of big ass open ended wrenches, the end links have a huge jam nut, buy big.
• Cutting tools such as a torch, plasma, cut-off wheels or reciprocating saw.
• 4.5" or larger hand held angle grinder with flap wheels and cut-off wheels.
• Tape measure
• Large C clamp or a sucke… I mean "helper" to hold your item while you weld.
• Large ratchet strap for moving the axle into position for the links.
• Personal safety equipment including but not limited to gloves, face mask, face shield and hearing protection.
• Assorted vehicle related liquids you should already own such as thread locker, grease, brake fluid.
• Beer (for use as bribery for helpers to lift/hold/retrieve stuff.)
• Electrical wire in 2 colors (16ga worked fine) heat shrink tubing, dielectric grease and other items needed for making a WATERPROOF extension for the wheel sensor wires.

I am doing this lift by myself, in my garage with no other assistance besides the attractive legs of my wife walking by the jeep and handing me a cold beverage while I am laying underneath it. I highly recommend getting a set of attractive female legs to walk by and hand you food/drink while you are on your back on the concrete. It makes the day go by much better.

So let us start.

(I am not going to cover step by step on the install but just a broad coverage of what is involved, this way you can see that YES you can do it yourself by yourself)

The kit comes in a LOT of boxes, so lay everything out and count everything in case the shipping company lost something.

Everything is coated in a nice heavy black powder coating which is great because it's durable and black - that means easy touch up with the spray can when you scratch it up. I had a little more fun with paint than the average person.

I color matched mine to my body color with a nice zombie skull fade!

First things first is set all of your links to the measurements provided in the nicely detailed instructions. This will lower the level of suck later on should you choose to ignore it.

I started work on the front first. I chose to keep the axles under the vehicle as I worked and do the brake lines/ABS lines last so I could turn the Jeep around for the rear. If you have a big enough garage then this you can ignore. My garage is a tight fit so I had to work this way. Chock you wheels SECURELY and lift the front end up. I used my engine hoist to lift the entire front in one shot and set it on jack stands.

You can see the difference in both length and girth in the upper control arm !

Hack off the old frame mounts, prep the new ones and weld them on. The front control arm brackets are located by the existing bolts on the cross member so there is no guessing where or how they go. The thought going into the design is well laid out.

Clean welds make happy welds. Get some flap wheels for that grinder and make sure your welding area is clean.

Removing the old upper control arm bushing on top of the housing will piss you off. I hammered, hacked, pried and then finally just used a ball joint press on the SOB. I recommend just starting with the press, it popped right out.

You have got to love hacking off old worthless steel.

This image is a safety reminder. While I was cutting off a mount it fell off, bounced off the frame and then hit me in the face. Of course I was wearing safety glasses (you can see the obvious clean area from them) so my eyes were safe, my nose on the other hand took full brunt of it. A full face shield would have been better but at the least WEAR SAFETY GLASSES !!! Nothing sucks worse than having a metal chip ground out of your eye by a Dr, take it from someone who has had that fun.
(And yes, that is a Hello Kitty Band-aid)

The new lowers make the old ones look like a joke. 2 inches of solid steel will handle whatever you plan to throw at it. They are bent for clearance, have a huge poly bushing at one end, high misalignment joint in the other. The different ends allow you to have a high articulating suspension without the harshness of solid joints at both ends on the street.

Prep work saves you in the end. This is not the time and place to skimp and try to weld through paint or rust. These welds will have significant load on them and well, to put it bluntly: They keep your axles from becoming a decoration on the side of the highway. The rear control arm mounts are located by existing holes so once again, no guessing.

You will be welding CLOSE to the fuel tank. I kept a fire extinguisher nearby and had the lovely legs of my wife watch for ANY fire of ANY KIND. I tucked a welding blanket against the fuel tank and sprayed the entire top of the tank with water in case any sparks slip by it.

The new upper control arm mount is beefy and heavy so clamp it in place securely as you will be right under it. You do not want to eat this piece of steel.

Seeing as I left the axles under it I had to get a little contortion in my welding positions. You would have more room with the driveshaft out of the way.

They even include a little metal index tool to set the angle for the rear truss, they did not skimp on any detail and is very "installer friendly". When welding on the axle take your time and do an inch or 2 and switch sides. Allow it to cool if it feels too hot and you will prevent warping. If you weld too much in one location you risk warping your axle housing, so USE CAUTION!

The passenger side factory control arm bracket was too close to the fuel tank for me to feel comfortable cutting it off so I left it. Its not going to hurt anything.

More cutting old crap off, it makes you feel good, go cut something not needed off your jeep and you will see.

Rock Krawler also addresses the steering geometry by moving the tie rod to above the knuckle. Not only does this correct the steering for bumps steer and other issues but upgrades the tie rod to a beefy unit as well. And you can carry only one spare tie rod end as it uses the same one as what connects to the pitman arm. Just remember to order a tie rod end in advance. When you drill out the hole you may want to step up the drill size as you go so you do not wallow it out or break your wrist when the 7/8" bit grabs and spins that drill around.

Included are new sway bar connects with heim joints to keep your body roll in check. Simple and easy disconnects for the front when you are off road.

Not shown is me installing the extended brake lines and other small details, I am sure you do not need to see that as I have bored you enough with the installation pictures. I know what you want to see but you will have to wait a minute as I cover some important things. You will have to extend the ABS lines. It is simple wiring but make sure you do it right and use heat shrink tube/water proof connections. Do not half ass it and use crimp connectors. I made mine as long as the new brake lines and then put them in a spiral loom zip tied to the brake lines. This way I know the maximum down travel is one constant.

Do a back yard alignment before you go anywhere. By this you take a tape measure and measure from a frame pint to an axle point on the same side, then measure the same on the opposite side to make sure the axles are located square to the frame. Next measure diagonally from a frame point to an axle point then match it to the opposite. Adjust the panhard (track) bar as needed. Now set the front by setting the wheels strait and then squaring up the steering wheel by moving the tie rod adjuster sleeve.

Make sure all bolts and lock nuts are TIGHT and use a thread locker where needed. I go and start from the front with a paint marker and put a paint dot on each bolt I know is tight and/or locked. Once you're sure everything is tight and square, go get a 4 wheel alignment at a competent shop. A visit to a dealership or competent shop might be needed to clear all the codes that will pop up if anything is out of spec.

FINALLY you get the pictures you were waiting for! These photos are with 35" tires so you can see that it will easily clear 37s with full fenders. My 37s were being mounted at the time of this picture.

Here you can see the improved roll center with the new panhard (track) bar and the well built truss/UCA mount with adjustable anti-squat. Take note that if you have relocated your evap canister above the rear axle you will have to find a new home for it as that truss will hit it.

With the new panhard (track) bar mount and the tie rod above the knuckle you can see how they line up and are almost flat. This will improve your handling and control bump steer. This is much better than a drop pitman arm that can cause issues down the road.

I took it out for some testing to check for bind and how well the system performed. Rock Krawler gives a recommendation for shock sizes and I would follow this unless you plan on greater modifications. There is MORE potential to this kit then what the factory shock locations will allow. The new lower shock mount keeps it well protected from being a rock target.

Setting your bump stops will take trial and error. You can see I can still get more travel with the 35s but I plan on running 37s so I will leave everything alone for now. You can see how controlled the articulation is and the body stays level.

I took it for a couple high speed turns in the dirt parking lot to see how much body sway happened without the front sway bar connected. As you can see it is still predicable and controllable. I would have no problem running from trail head to trail head with the front sway bar disconnected.

You can see how the bent control arms keep everything tucked up out of the way. Sorry but this does not show the "look how cool I am with my long arm suspension arms all showing off to everyone". If you want that get a kit with strait arms and paint them red or something. If you want to keep your clearance, then get the Rock Krawler kit.

This shows why limit straps are important. I am pretty much at the end of my down travel with my rear shocks. It is not a good idea to allow all the weight of your tires/rims/axle to hang on your very pricey reservoir shocks . Limit straps are cheap so run them.

On road characteristics are impressive, to say the least. It handles better than stock and I am able to take turns faster without the JK computer having a fit. I did not notice any bump steer or handling quirks no matter what I hit for potholes. The jeep is controllable at any speed and is VERY stable. I am dead serious when I say this handles better than the factory. The correct roll center makes for very predictable reactions in the turns. High speed stops produced no nose dive or other weird crap to deal with. Like I said in the beginning, this vehicle is my daily driver. I could run the latest "Flex-o-matic 3000" lift kit but dealing with horrible on-road manners is not something I can live with. The Rock Krawler X Factor Long Arm kit gives the best of both worlds with no compromise to either side.

The last image is me doing a turn at 45mph with the sway bar connected. I had access to a large private open parking lot for me to bob, weave, break hard or whatever I felt like. The handling was perfect and you can see the lack of body roll.

CONCLUSION
This system sets the bar.

Incredible, controlled off-road abilities combined with better than stock on-road handling all while sitting on 35" or larger tires.

And this is not the end of your options. Rock Krawler offers upgrades for this kit as hardcore as you want to go. Coilovers, adjustable bump stops, steering upgrades and more. They also offer a stretch kit for the 2 door JK to get more wheelbase. The icing on the cake is they stand behind their products for its lifetime against any defect.

So when you are done playing with mall cruiser lift kits primarily made to get bigger tires under your jeep give Rock Krawler a call. Your JK and your lower back will thank you.

And no attractive legs were harmed in the making of this article.

Contact:
Rock Krawler Suspension
518-270-9822
www.rockkrawler.com