Well my birthday is comeing up and i am hopeing to get a 2.5" lift for the FJ-40. I have been considering 2 diffrent lifts: BDS and Pinacle Enginearing (JT Outfitters Lift). I have heard they are both a little on the stiff side but which do yall consider the better brand? I Realy like the lifetime warrantee on the BDS lift BUT i also like that the Pinacle Eng. is cheaper and I could go pick it up at JT Outfitters and save on shipping. So is it worth it for the lifetime garrantee? I will also consider other brands of lift as long as they have a fair price. Thanks Guys!! :)

P.S. I did a search already and came up with nuthing. :(

just my opion but i just did a lift on a yj and it was bds and it was simple and complet very nice ride i like them:)

Aren't all the generic 2.5 and 4" kits (JTO's Pinnacle, TPI, MAF, BDS, Skyjacker etc) all made by McCoy Bros in Canada, eh? So basically, no matter what you buy, you get the same spring.

Edit: Did a search. Seems like they are all made by McCoy Bros (http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/search.php?s=&action=showresults&searchid=278601&sortby=&sortorder=). So your best bet is to find the cheapest of any of the 5 various McCoy springs and run them.

RustyCruiser: Yes they are all basicle the same but is the lifetime warrantee on the BDS worth the extra $$$??

my brother bought the tpi smokey moutian system in a 4 in kit and loves it . it is super flexey he can make his 33s rub on his back cut fenders (needs to install bumpstop)

Where did ur brother get the TPI Smoky mountain kit?

Originally posted by 74_Chevota
is the lifetime warrantee on the BDS worth the extra $$$??

I'd say supporting the only cruiser shop on the east coast with your business is worth it! The Turpins are good people...

If your staying spring under go with Old Man Emu, good springs.

The fact the Turpin is the only Cruiser shop on the East Coast is really too bad, I feel sorry for you guys. I'd rather buy my parts from someone with some real experience.

does the warranty cover bent springs?
if so that would be my play.

and jts rep for ripping off ideas and undercutting prices is really
getting bad down here. I have heard this from two big cruiser shops now, totally unrelated people with the same story, so he will never get ANY of my money.

On top of all that JTs were the ones that made that but ugly lowered Cruiser:barf: :barf:

ditto ! :barf:

now that was a real flexy, rock crawlin beast, eh ? :rolleyes:

BTW, half my springs are bent, I should change those turkeys :D

I know you didn't ask about 60 series springs but it seems that a lot of folks have bent and then cracked their Pinnacles. I know a lot of them have been warrantied, but one of my friends told me that Joe said he wouldn't warranty his replacement set. For that reason alone I'd go with the BDS over the others.

Originally posted by Mustard Dog
On top of all that JTs were the ones that made that but ugly lowered Cruiser:barf: :barf:

JTO didn't make that lowered THING.. It was really done as a joke, by the guys that are tryign to sell it... It's nothing more than a FJ body on a S-10 frame.. and I saw the before pics.. you CA guys send better looking tubs to the crusher. So it wasn't "wasting" a "perfectly good cruiser"..

That said, it's still hideous, and I wouldn't touch it with a 10-foot pole.

Ripping off ideas I hadn't heard of (feel free to tell the story), but what's wrong with selling things at a lower price? isn't that a just a free-market economy in action? I'm glad they don't charge Spectre prices! I wouldn't be able to afford a cruiser if they did.

This is strictly my opinion and everyone has a right to an opinion but I'm sorry to say that your friend JT is not only a ripoff , but he's also a liar and after several communications with him I'm convinced he's a prick as well.
Just my .02

And that's all I'm gonna say about that :rolleyes:

another big name cruiser guy you all know has said the same thing about being ripped off in a very unethical manner as well.

Everyone borrows each others ideas, that is why most of us are here on this board. but when you lie to vendors, buy their parts for templates in order to reproduce them and then cut into their own market at a cut rate ispretty low. at least do your own legwork.

If others want to give this guy their money that is their right, but as a business manager, I think he is a prick, and what goes around comes around.

I value the little guys around here for the contributions they make to the cruiser community, and seeing them ripped off and shutting down really does us all a disservice in the long run.

so consider that they next time you buy a t-case saver, rear disc brake bracket, or power steering pump bracket from these clowns.

it amazes me that JTO has never tried to rectify any of the problems they created within the TLC community, word travels fast when you rip off somebody and then thumb your nose at them.

Some of the rip-offs are blatant and I just recently found out about. Normally I would try and defend a vendor that had helped me in the past but after some of the latest stunts, I'll be buying my parts elsewhere.

Let's hear some details;)

I am not sure if they are the same as the ones listed above like MAF, Pinnacle and BDS, but I know that I have a set from BTB and they ride great on and off road. My friends have pinnacle, and they are very unhappy with their set up. the link is www.btbprod.com . Try them and see what you or the others think of them.

Dude you should be banned for mentioning BTB around here:flipoff2:

I think BTB stands for "break the bank" They will never get my money...

-Brett

THIS HIJACKED THREAD HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY...........................COOL CRUISERS OF TEXAS


just kidding, I would go with the TPI lift, I have heard good things about them and there was a install on a project FJ40 in one of the 4x4 mags a few months ago. While Old Man Emu probably are the best, their price is about double any other suspension lift.

let the lynching continue;)

Originally posted by Mustard Dog
Dude you should be banned for mentioning BTB around here:flipoff2:

Gawd, just when ya think you're starting to get the hang of things around here... That's several people slamming JTO, and this BTB company...

I'm surprised nobody has mentitiond Alcan springs yet. Heard many good things about them;)

Opinions are like ass holes. Everyone's got one and though you can keep it closed for a little while, eventually its gotta come out.

:p

I ran Skyjacker Softrides for a couple years, their 4" kit, with no complaints. I was able to run 33" tires on the rear fenders at full flex.

OME will get rave reviews for their springs, but their price is nuts. Also, their advertised lift of 2.5" is conservative...something about that being the max allowed lift in Australia or something.

Alcan is an excellent spring, but again not cheap. Nolen liked his, until he darksided the entire truck....

No experience with JTO or BTB personally.

I know folks have liked the new Downey springs. I installed a set on a friends truck once, they seemed well made. He liked the ride, even before they were broke in.

If you want the best for YOUR truck, then Alcan is your best bet. They custom make to your vehicle weight and setup and expectations.

Also, 2.5" springs will likely flex more than 4" springs since their static arch is less....greater opportunity for compression and rebound. This is why flat SOA springs flex so nice. Disadvantage is your ride height is lower, but with 33's you outta be ok regardless.

Finally, unless you plan to keep your wheeling casual for life, keep your lift spring purchase affordable. As Nolen found out, even running the high-dollar Alcans still left him with clearance issues and the desire for greater flex, leading him to the SOA project. Unless your willpower is greater than most of us, you'll end up SOA someday....and the springs you buy now will either end up on the shelf or sold at a stupid-low price to someone else.

BEST bet?? Find a used set.

Well guys i guess i will first try and find a used set of 2.5" springs and if that doesnt work out then i will probably go with ether the Alcans or BDS. Does anyone have any 2.5" springs for sale??? Or mabey know someone who does? I would try and get the OME lift but i dont have the major $$$ to do it :(

Woody: Yea, ur right about me wanting to go SOA. But most likely that wont be for about 3 or 4 years, seeing as my dad is a little conserned about the height. But this will be my chance to show my brother up in his Cherokee with 6" of lift and 32's :D I already get on him about the FJ being able to run 32's with a 2" lift :p

thw tpi smokey moutian springs come fron were elce but tpi i think there in tenn

FYI
Sillyneck was selling a set of FJ40 OMEs a month or two ago. He didn't want to ship, but maybe you could convince him to. Worth looking into. Search the "For Sale" section for his ad.

This from a jaded, cynical Cruiserhead... I've heard good and bad things about EVERY SINGLE LC-related shop in the US. The shop that someone considers the be-all, end-all of Land Cruisers may be someone else's worst enemy. Furthermore, I regret to say that I've been personally FUCKED by several well-known Land Cruiser shops; I used to happily endorse those people/places that treated me right, but nowadays it's a fine line I prefer not to walk. There are guys that I would give money to without even thinking about it, and shops that will not get a RED CENT out of my hard-earned money.

Finally, if you're wondering why I don't use specific names, it's because there have been so many lawsuits filed by so-called "injured parties" against what they consider slander in a public forum lately, and I'll be damned before I have to bring an attorney to defend my right to openly criticize a crooked business...

In the end, proceed at your own risk. I tend to prefer the smaller operators out there who are TRUE Cruiserheads like me, even if they're more expensive. In the end, I at least get the satisfaction of knowing it's a mutually beneficial transaction. A great example is the spring-over conversion that Gary Kardum of Mudrak Custom Cruisers did on my FJ62. After three years, lots of wheeling and driving, all I've done is check the u-bolts periodically, that's how good the conversion was. I paid Gary GOOD money, and he delivered a GOOD product. Everyone's happy, and I feel I can endorse his work. That doesn't mean everyone is satisfied with Mudrak's work, but I am, take it with a grain of salt...

Sorry for the rant, it was a long, hard day at work and I needed to vent...thanks for the Cruiser content and making this day a little better...

When I was pricing springs for my 60, MAF, JT's and others were all within the same price line. BTB was the only 4" suspension for a 60 that I could find. MAF had discontinued their "safari springs", and I got a deal on the BTB springs at 515.00 for all four springs including shipping. So I couldn't pass up the set.
I am not sure, but that isn't pricey compared to MAF or others.It also depends on what you want for your rig. I wanted 4" springs and they were the only ones that had them. And as for being banned.......I was turned on to them doing a spring search on this board this time last year, so go figure.

Just buy the cheapest set of 4' springs you can buy. I had Rough Countries on my Cruiser for 4 years....sold them to FJ40Tom, he had them on his truck for 2 years, now some other dude is running them.

Hell, all SUA springs are going to do relatively the same thing. To pay $1000 for OME and Smokey Mountain versus $500 for RC, Skyjacker and the like is crazy....

Hell, you will flip all that shit off soon enough and spring it over anyway :D

Originally posted by wngrog
Hell, you will flip that shit soon enough

Nope, just you man... :flipoff2:

Originally posted by wngrog

Hell, you will flip all that shit off soon enough and spring it over anyway :D

All of you SU guys will convert to the dark side in time, and when you do you will be kicking yourselves in the ass for waiting so long :D :D

Just be sure you hold on to your stock springs when you do your SU lift;)

One thing I noticed when I was in Tennessee in '96 was I was the only SOA there. (or one of the very few) I am not sure these days what the trend is there but if I lived near there and not in Cali I am sure I would be trying to keep it low. SOA was pretty high for the stuff they got out there and it was relatively dry then. Steep off camber and slippery is not good for a tall rig. I have gotten in trouble at Hollister Hills in the dry hardpack slippery summer. SOA "IS" the way to go for any kind of rock crawling.

Scott

Originally posted by Mustard Dog


All of you SU guys will convert to the dark side in time, and when you do you will be kicking yourselves in the ass for waiting so long :D :D

Just be sure you hold on to your stock springs when you do your SU lift;)

Nope. Some of us won't. ever. Cuz it would surely mean years in jail and $x000,000 charged if unluckily we had an accident with body injuries to the other party, even if that one caused the accident, even if that one drove with no licence or insurance yadda yadda... :eek:

Otherwise, it'll have to be a trailer queenie :flipoff2:

Oh well, Got a new idea !!! building a big SO BJ42 with the spare frame I'll have soon, and try to register it with the all the big mods done so that it's road legal... Might be worth a try, even if I really doubt it'd pass :( Anyway...

Yea i will definatly be going SOA sonner or later. But right now i think a small block 350 and 33"s is all the dad can take :D With a 1" BL and a little trimming in the rear i can already clear 33" A/T easy. So i am now going for more articulation than anything. The next thing i am gettin is some 33" M/T's and Black Rockcrawler Rims. :)

The guys over at JTOutfitters have always been great to me. They're very knowledgable and helpful for what they do, and they have a mechanic that knows everything there is to know about 4 wheel drive vehicles... I go over there and hang out often, and I always have a ball.

I don't think they screw anybody over at all. Low prices is just the smart way to own a business... Look at KMart. Their web site is very accessable and easy to use, and they always treat me with the utmost courtesy. If I ever have a problem with a part, they make it right every time, and keep a very good in-store stock, and most things are readily available.

They get a BIG thumbs up from me.. I encourage you all to go visit with them sometime.

HEY lowered streetrod dude, you work at JTO or something? Do they have compromising pics of you with a farm animal? :flipoff2:

Henry said a bad word............

Originally posted by climbermike
HEY lowered streetrod dude, you work at JTO or something? Do they have compromising pics of you with a farm animal? :flipoff2: Not in the least, just know what good friendship is.

Don't be too mature about it.

Back to the subject at hand, my friend has the exact same shackles and shocks as I do. The only difference is he has BDS and I have Superlift, and I have 6 to 8 inches more flex than he does. Both work well but I would highly recommend Superlift.

Originally posted by 74_Chevota
Yea i will definatly be going SOA sonner or later. But right now i think a small block 350 and 33"s is all the dad can take :D With a 1" BL and a little trimming in the rear i can already clear 33" A/T easy. So i am now going for more articulation than anything. The next thing i am gettin is some 33" M/T's and Black Rockcrawler Rims. :)

If you allready clear the 33's try messing with stuff like shakle angles, bushing lubrication and spring clamps for more articulation. If money is an issue save what you have for springs and get a locker instead. Do a search for cantaliever shackles in this forum. Remember the sawzall is your friend:D . Lots of trimming is more fun than a little triming. my .02

Im sure you get better treament in person than when you are across the country.
and isnt kmart going bankrupt.....
:rolleyes: