Sales/Tech: (435) 654-1149

4" - 5" Jeep Cherokee Lift Kits
With Old Man Emu Components

Rob from Sault St. Marie, Canada with his cool looking chopped Cherokee runs the Rocky Road Trailblazer system. Here's what he has to say: "Thanks Rocky Road for all your advice and info... works great, just what I was looking for, also drives awesome on the hwy. I'll try to push your great products onto my buddys whenever I can... every time I see them fixing their homemade lifts in their Jeeps." Click the pic for a better view.

Jeep Cherokee 4" and 5" OME lift kits

Let's face it... there are at least a hundred different lift kits out there for your Jeep.

What separates one from another?

Even when we flip thru magazines, they all look the same.

It is the pictures of the springs? Shocks? All the nice brackets and bits? Fancy paint jobs on the Jeep body? Those pictures sure make those kits look nice. So how does one choose?

Underneath it all, underneath all the advertising, the flashy photos, the colorful vehicles, lies the foundation of any lift. The springs. All those lift kits you see all stacked up in the magazines and catalogs, they do have at least one thing in common... stiff riding springs.  

Crummy springs are the bane of the Jeep 4x4 world..... prevalent, horrible, tough to identify. Advertising budgets and flashy colors in pictures make great camoflage for them. They'll take your dream toy and turn it into something no one wants to ride in, and you curse every day you failed to research properly and wound up on those stiff big brand name springs.

Best Cherokee lift springs on the planet, no debate...

Spring manufacture is a fine art which very few companies take the time to engineer properly. The largest names in the business are guilty of it, mass producing cheap springs that ride brutally stiff, but sell well because of the insane markup that most 4x4 shops get on those springs, meaning they really push those big name kits. As a general rule, the less markup on a spring there is, the less likely you are to see it on your local 4x4 shop's shelves, which is why you rarely see Old Man Emu components. They are the best quality parts, but not the most heavily advertised. At Rocky Road, we look beyond hype and really do take a different approach to our customer's Jeeps. A better one...

We'll touch on a couple flawed systems briefly... Starting with the worst first.

RIDE QUALITY MATTERS!!!!

Add A Leaf kits exist for only one reason, they're CHEAP. One single spring has to lift the vehicle, fight gravity, and fight all the other springs in the pack. This is one darn stiff spring. AAL kits never ride well and their lifespan is very short. We get calls regularly from some poor sucker who purchased an AAL kit from another shop, and either can't stand the stiff/rough ride, or he lost his lift height from saggy springs.

Do yourself a favor, save money by avoiding the cheap junk up front. Add A Leaf systems are also so stiff they eliminate all flex from your rear leaf springs. Want your Jeep to have the suspension flex of a mini-van? Well then maybe AAL kits are for you. For what most people want out of their 4x4 though, AAL kits are the worst thing you can do to your Cherokee.

Cheap lift springs are another problem in the marketplace. Spring manufacturers are oftimes only interested in the cheapest fastest spring to produce, and there are many 4x4 manufacturing companies looking to maximize $$$ by selling cheapo springs at a healthy markup. Some of the biggest and most recognizable names in the industry are guilty of this. And while you may not think you're buying 'cheap' springs.... you are. Go with the best spring right off the bat and you'll never regret the purchase. Better still, your friends and family will actually WANT to ride on your Jeep instead of dreading the horrible ride of those stiff-riding springs.

Almost as bad for your handling as poor quality springs nowadays are some of the "long arm" kits. Most of these kits do not allow your front axle to cycle up and down in the manner it was designed, which is why they ride so spooky at highway speeds. Long arm kits are fine for vehicles trailered to the trails. If you want to keep your vehicle and passenger's safe though, stay away from this latest fad as the rotating castor on these systems makes for screwy handling. Some people on the forums enjoy their long-arm kits, but underneath it all is some sketch and spooky highway driving going on. If all you want is to build a trailer queen though... by all means, a long-arm kit may be for you.

Jeep Cherokee OLD MAN EMU lift kit.

Rocky Road soft-ride long travel shocks. We feel we have designed the best riding shock we have found on the market today for moderate weight vehicles like our Jeeps. Other shocks are designed for vehicles thousands of lbs heavier (namely, pickup trucks), our engineered shocks are right on the money for a Jeep. Superbly valved for a great ride on road without being mushy offroad. Shocks are $155 for all four with the purchase of a kit, or $46 each if purchased on their own....

OR, the ever-popular Rancho 9000XL Adjustable shocks are available as an upgrade option, which allow you to adjust and dial in your shocks for your favorite setting, or change it up depending on the driving and terrain you hit for the day.

Each XJ Lift Kit Includes:

Old Man Emu replacement rear leaf springs. A whole new springpack with an excellent matching of spring rate for ride comfort, and load capacity for longevity.

Old Man Emu replacement front coils. Again, the best riding spring on the market available in various spring rates for those carrying winch bumpers and such.

Long Travel shocks. Rocky Road Engineered soft riding shocks designed for the medium weight of the Cherokee. Rides like a dream onroad as opposed to other STIFF shocks.

Polyurethane coil spacers. Our coil spacers fit tight for a rattle free life... which will be longer than you own your vehicle, guaranteed. Our coil spacers do come with a lifetime guarantee.

Heavy Duty rear shackles. In the print media and online, NO ONE tops our rear shackles. Built from 3/8" steel, these are the beefiest on the planet. Lifetime guarantee also!

1/2" Mini-blocks for the rear to level the vehicle out.

Adj Track Bar. Anytime you go over 2" in lift, you must replace the front track bar to keep proper front axle alignment and handling. We have kits for both Left hand and Right hand drive Jeeps.

Transfer case drop. This kit from Old Man Emu helps avoid driveshaft vibrations by easing the angles at your Ujoints. Very simple to install

Bushings. Every new set of springs demands a new set of bushings. Our bushings flex well and will last longer than the body panels on your Jeep. Once again... lifetime warranty.

Rear Brake Line. While the front brake lines can be repositioned to accommodate the taller lift, the rear line should be replaced. Our system provides this necessary component for you in a DOT approved rubber line, not the cheapo stainless lines that come in many kits.

Best ride quality and handling for any Cherokee lift kit

Don't just take our word for it that RRO lifts are the best. Mopar Underground... the Mopar team that builds those awesome concept vehicle you see at SEMA, in the magazines, and at auto shows and events around the country have chosen Rocky Road lift kits 3 times for their project Jeeps. Mopar can choose any lift system, they have come to Rocky Road since there is no better suspension. That's just a fact.

Check out our recommended optional components for your Jeep listed below. They're not mandatory for the installation and some folks like the ability to economize a bit up front and work in stages, but these items can help make your installation go more smoothly in some instances.

Kits are available in 4" and 5" lift heights. These specified lift heights are typical of what most Cherokees will obtain when installed, but can vary slightly depending on the year, model, and even from one vehicle to the next. If you have questions about this lift, other lifts, what size tires might fit on our lifts, please don't hesitate to email us. We're not just a shop that 'sells' Cherokee parts, we own and operate our own Cherokees and so have a great deal of experience on these vehicles. We get calls and emails every day from Jeepers who unfortunately bought other stiff riding lifts and finally come to experts to help fix their problems. Make sure YOU get it right from the start, with Rocky Road.