Installation Time
(approx) 4 Hours
Difficulty Level:
Light to Moderate mechanical skill required.
Installation Guides
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Hey, what's up, guys? I'm Ryan, from Extreme Terrain. And today, I'm here with a Rough Country 2-inch Suspension Lift Kit with Shocks, fitting your 1997 to 2006 Wrangler TJ. This is gonna be for the TJ owner that's on a budget and looking for an affordable option to gain them some additional ground clearance. This is a great option over cool or spring options as it's going to maintain that factory ride quality and it's also more cost-efficient. This kit is going to lift and level your Jeep, getting rid of that factory rake and allow you to fit up to a 31-inch tire. This kit comes with coil springs spacers, allowing you to reuse those stock coils and aftermarket shocks, they're gonna handle all that tough terrain. This lift kit is a little easier to install than your standard lift kit and there's no modification required. There's a very affordable option and reasonably priced on the side, considering what you're getting at just over $200, I think this is a great kit to go with as it's gonna get you some additional ground clearance and it's gonna get you out on those trails.Now, as far as install goes, I'm gonna give this a strong two out of three wrenches on the difficulty meter, expect this to take about a half-day and you can use basic hand tools to install this. Now, with that being said, let's hop into the install. Tools required for this install, 1/2-inch drive impact, 3/8 drive impact, socket extensions, a pry bar, 3/8 drive ratchet, 1/4-inch drive ratchet, T55 Torx, a standard and metric socket set, standard and metric wrench set, screwdriver, flathead, vise grips, adjustable wrench, rust busting lubricant, a dead blow hammer, a ratchet strap if you choose to go that route, safety glasses, safety gloves, and a Sawzall, if you choose to go that route. So to begin this installation, the first thing we're gonna do is put this Jeep up on our lift, that way we can remove the wheels and tires and then we'll be able to access the suspension underneath. So what we're gonna do is take a 19-millimeter socket to remove our factory lug nuts. Now if you don't have these little chrome caps on your lug nuts, you're gonna need to use an 18-millimeter socket. So before you attempt to install this lift on a TJ, since these are older vehicles, I would recommend going around and squirting all of the nuts and bolts with just some lubricant, any kind of thing that's gonna break up that rust. However, we've already done that. So we got our Jeep up in the air. First thing we're gonna do is support our axle with pull jacks. So the first thing we're gonna do is disconnect our track bar. We're gonna disconnect it by removing the bolt where it meets the axle. This is gonna allow the axle to drop down far enough that we can get those coil springs out. I'm gonna use a 15-millimeter socket on this, but your TJ may have a giant Torx bit. So the next thing we're gonna do is disconnect our sway bar links. We're gonna disconnect them where they meet the axle, we're gonna use a T55 Torx and an 18-millimeter wrench. And we're gonna save all this hardware since we're gonna put this all back together. So the next step, we're gonna start removing these front shocks. We're gonna start with the bottom bolts. You're gonna have two bolts. We're gonna use a 1/2-inch socket and wrench to take those out.So we can get the bottom of the shock unbolted and the next thing we're gonna do is unbolt the top so we can completely remove it. You can use a 15-millimeter wrench. So if you're trying to get the nut off the top of this shock and it gets stuck, you can grab the top of it with some vise grips. If the vise grips do not hold enough to get that nut off, then you can resort to a Sawzall. So we're gonna Sawzall the tops off of these because we're not gonna reuse these shocks at any point in time.If you do wanna reuse these shocks, I would recommend just trying to get that nut off. if you are using a Sawzall, I'd recommend wearing safety glasses and protective gloves. So once we get that a little loose, we're gonna lower our axle down some and we can free up the shock. There we go. So we're gonna do the same thing for the other side, starting with those bottom bolts. If your TJ is equipped with ABS, you may need to use a 10-millimeter socket to back this bolt out so you can get to that back nut. So we finally got the front disassembled, which actually wasn't too bad even though we did have to cut those front shocks out.However, before we get the rest of this kit installed and we start with the reassembly of the front, I wanna tell you a little bit about what this new kit consist of. Now, this new kit comes with coil spring spacers. The nice thing about coil springs spacers is that they reduce the cost. You're not gonna pay extra money for new coil springs and then you can reuse those factory ones giving you that factory ride quality, you're gonna maintain that. These are made of heavy-duty steel plating so they are plenty of strong and they have a black powder coating, which is gonna provide some corrosion-resistance. Now, of course, we're adding distance to the axle, we're pushing it away from the vehicle so we're gonna need longer shocks. This kit comes with new shocks and these shocks are Rough Country's N2.0 shocks. They are nitrogen-filled shocks so they're not going to cause cavitation like a hydraulic shock would on very rough terrain. They're gonna ride a little rough on the street, but they're gonna perform very well off-road. These shocks have a large one in three As internal bow and they have a hardened chrome plated piston rod. This piston rod is going to resist any scratching or scoring, it's gonna protect that steel inside of there.So you're not gonna have any leakage problems, especially because they don't have a cover that comes with them. Now, these shocks are finished out with a silver powder coating. And this, once again, it's just gonna protect the body of the shock and it's gonna protect it from all of those corrosion-causing elements and protecting, the most key one, from rusting. Pretty basic kit and is really great for the money, especially if you have a Stock Wrangler and you're just looking for a little more ground clearance. So, with all that being said, we're gonna show you how to get this installed and what it looks like on the Jeep. So, with that being said, let's start on the reassembly, show you how to get it installed and what it looks like on the Jeep. So, at this point in time, we're gonna lower our axle down so we can unload these springs and get them out of the Jeep. While you're doing this, you wanna make sure that you are not pulling on any line. So if you see any lines that are binding up, you wanna free those lines up so that we can drop with the rest of the weight down.If you have an untouched TJ, most likely on the back of your coil spring, you're gonna have a coil spring retainer. You can use a 1/2-inch socket and just pull that bolt out and that will free up that coil spring. So next, we're gonna remove this rubber bolt stop, that way we can take the bolt out of this cup. Once we take the cap off, we're gonna take this stock isolator on and then we'll slide the new spacer on and put everything back together. So you just wanna wiggle this thing back and forth until it comes out. So next, we're gonna use a 15-millimeter socket to remove the bolt out of the inside of this cup. So next, we're gonna get this isolator off. So it's really stuck on there, you can get a screwdriver in there and pry down on this thing, that way we can slide it all the way off. Now, we're gonna take our new spacer. Now, you're gonna have a large hole and you're gonna have a smaller hole. The smaller hole is going to face down. So we're gonna slide that up and over, then we're gonna put our isolator back on with this ridge facing down and then we're gonna reinstall the bump stop cap. It'd be a good idea to put anti-seize on these threads just in case you ever wanna take this thing apart again.So after that, once you get that cup back in and tightened up, we're gonna put this bump stop back in. Now, it's a good idea to apply grease or any kind of lubricant on here, it'll make it slide up in there a little better. We're just gonna wiggle that back into place. So now that all of that is reassembled, next thing we're gonna do is install our coil spring. Now, on the bottom of your axle, you're gonna have a stop for this little pigtail here, we're gonna make sure that seats in there properly. Now, we're gonna do the same thing for the other side. So we couldn't get the axle to drop far enough to get the spring in, what you can do is disconnect the drag link from your Pitman arm and that should allow it to drop a little bit more to get these springs in. So, at this point in time, we're ready to install our front shocks. So you're gonna have these cup washers, we're gonna face this one up. You're gonna place a rubber bushing, I'm gonna have this little edge that's gonna face up. Once we go up through the body, this shock mount up here, this bushing is gonna face down and then we're gonna place our cup facing down as well.After that, we're gonna install this washer they gave us and then we're gonna install the supplied nut, then we're gonna take a 9/16th wrench and we're gonna tighten that nut up so we can compress these bushings. And for the bottom, we're gonna reinstall that factory hardware, then we're gonna use that 1/2-inch socket and wrench to tighten all that back up. Then we'll do the same thing for the other side, prepping those bushings, getting it up to the shock mount, getting the bottom in there, facing those bushing down and our cup washer, and our other little baby washer, and the nut. So the next step in reinstalling the front is going to be to reconnect these sway bar end links. Now, since we did put a spacer in there, we have longer shocks, your axle is gonna drop further than the stock suspension. So this hole may not line up. If you have it up in the air like we do, you wanna compress that axle and push those springs up a little bit so you can line that hole up. If you wanna drop the Jeep on the ground, it's gonna compress all by itself due to the weight of the vehicle and that hole should line up. Ideally, you wanna go with new longer aftermarket sway bar links.However, this kit doesn't come with those. So for this particular video, and for this kit, we're gonna reinstall these. So we had this hole lined up so we're gonna reinstall that factory hardware. Now, we're gonna take our T55 Torx and our 18-millimeter wrench and tighten that back up. So we have one last step as far as reassembly goes for the front, that is to reinstall this front track bar. Since we have this vehicle up in the air, these holes are not going to line up. So what we're gonna do is at the end of this whole process, is we're gonna put the wheels back on and set the Jeep on the ground, that way we can use the weight of the vehicle, turn the steering wheel to shift that axle over, and line that bolt up. So, as of right now, we're gonna move on to the rear and start with the disassembly. So we've moved on to the rear and the first thing we're gonna do is support our axle with pull jacks. So now you have the axle supported with pull jacks, the next thing we're gonna do is disconnect the track bar where it bolts to the frame. We're gonna use a 15-millimeter wrench and an 18-millimeter wrench. This bolt is gonna be a little hard to get out because the axle wants to shift so you're gonna use a pry bar just to get in there to get it out or you can use that 15-millimeter wrench to unscrew it all the way.So you have to get the track bar disconnected. And the next thing we're gonna do is disconnect our sway bar links. Now, we're gonna remove this bolt right here on the bottom of the link, we're gonna use an 18-millimeter socket and a 15-millimeter wrench. Same thing for the other side. So next, we're gonna start working on disconnecting our shocks. So we're gonna start down here at the bottom bolt, we're gonna use that same 15-millimeter wrench and that 18-millimeter socket to remove these bolts. So next, what we're gonna do is remove the top of the shock. Now, there's gonna be two bolts up there, we're gonna use a 1/2-inch socket. These bolts usually are pretty stuck. So what we can do is get in there with some sort of spray can with a long stroll in there and you can spray the top of those and let them sit. What I like to do is take a long extension with that 1/2-inch socket, slide it over the bolt, and then just smack the bottom of the socket with a hammer and that's gonna break up some of that rust in there, make them a little easier to get out. So we're gonna take both of those out and then pull the shock out. Then we'll do the same thing on the other side.So with all that stuff disconnected, the next thing we're gonna do is lower this axle down, that way we can free up those springs and pull them out. Once you get the axle down low enough, pull the spring out. Once we get the spring out, we're gonna remove our bump stop. So, once again, you're just gonna wiggle that, pull that out. We're gonna use a 15-millimeter socket to remove the bolt out of the bump stop cup, then we're gonna pull the isolator off. Once you have all that disassembled, the first thing we're gonna reinstall is the spacer. Spacer is gonna go up top, then we're gonna put our factory isolator on that. And we're actually gonna screw this bump stop with a brand new bolt from Rough Country. It's gonna go through the bump stop, through the spacer, and then through that threaded hole up there. It's gonna hold the whole assembly together and then we'll reinstall the bump stop. So for this new bolt, we're gonna use a 17-millimeter socket to tighten that back up. Then we'll reinstall our bump stop. Once you get all of that in and the bump stop's back in, we're gonna put that spring back in. So, at this point in time, you may need to pull down on that axle just to get a little extra room. And then once we get that seated, we'll go ahead and let that bounce back up. And we'll put our pull jack back under and start on the other side. Do the same thing for the other side.So I've fitted both of those springs in, we're gonna raise the axle back up, making sure that the spring seats properly and then we'll get ready to reinstall the new shocks. So now that you have the springs back in, the next thing we're gonna do is install the shocks. Now, we're gonna reuse all that factory hardware. We're actually gonna start with the upper ones. I like to stage one of the bolts, the one closest to the inside of the frame rail because it's a little tough to get to. So we'll get that one bolt in and we'll hook the one side on and get the other bolt in. So once you get both of those bolts in, we're gonna use that 1/2-inch socket and then tighten those up. Now, we're gonna do the same thing on the other side, starting with those top holes. So next, we're gonna install the bottom of the shock, we're using that factory hardware. So you may need to spread these brackets apart a little bit and you may need to use a soft hammer, just to tap this in place and get that bolt to go through the other side. Once you get that in, you're gonna take a 15-millimeter wrench and an 18-millimeter socket to tighten that up. Now, we're gonna do the same thing for the other side. As the next step, we are gonna disconnect those sway bar links, reinstall in that factory bolt that we removed. Once we get that bolt in, we're gonna use an 18-millimeter socket and a 15-millimeter wrench to tighten it up. So the last thing you do for this Jeep is to get the front and rear track bars installed. Now, there's two ways that you can do this. You can use a ratchet strap to shift that axle over closer to the frame to line those holes up or you can put your wheels and tires on, set it on the ground and use the weight of the vehicle to hopefully line those bolts up. For this rear one, I'm gonna use a ratchet strap and show you how to shift that over so we can get that bolt in. And for the front one, I'm gonna show you how to put the Jeep on the ground and use the steering to ship that axle over so we can get those bolts installed. So if you decide to use a ratchet strap and you have a relatively strong one to use, you're gonna hook into one of these holes in the frame. You have a bottom one here that you can use and you have a top one. So we're gonna hook that into that side and then I'm gonna grab on to the shock mount on the other end of the axle. Now, once I tighten the ratchet strap over, it should shift it over enough that we can line those holes up and get that track bar back in. So when we get our bolt all the way through, we're gonna reinstall the nut and use a 15 and an 18 to tighten it back up. Remember, you still have to install those track bars. Whether you wanna do it in the air with ratchet straps or you wanna install all four tires and set them on the ground using that steering to line up those holes. After you have all this installed and tightened down, you wanna go get an alignment and recheck all the torque. However, that's going to wrap up my review and install. For more videos like this, check us out at extremeterrain.com.
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Features, Description, Reviews, Q&A, Specs & Installation
Brand | Rough Country |
Lift Height | 2.00 Inch |
Lift Kit Type | Suspension Lift |
Lift Kit Includes Shocks | Shocks Included |
Freight Notes. Freight items can only be shipped within the continental 48 states, no expedited methods.
Fitment:
Rough Country 65830
CA Residents: WARNING: Cancer and Reproductive Harm - www.P65Warnings.ca.gov
Installation Info
Installation Time
(approx) 4 Hours
Difficulty Level:
Light to Moderate mechanical skill required.
Installation Guides
What's in the Box
Tech Guides:
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