I have a couple questions for those Rubicon owners out there. I just bought a 2004 Rubicon and I have a few questions. 1st one is the previous owner put a lift on it but I bought it from a dealership and I'm not sure how much of a lift is on it. There are 285's on it and there is 6" between the tire and the stock flares above the tire. Is there an easy way to tell how much of a lift there is on it? I didn't see any body lift so they must of just put on different springs.

My second question is do other Rubicons or Jeeps for that matter shift kind of rough. Second gear doesn't go in super smooth and I had a hard time putting it into reverse this morning. Its still under factory warranty so I was thinking of taking it in but just curious to see if others have experienced this.

Any feedback is appreciated thanks guys.

I can't help you with your lift question but regarding the shift roughness, I sometimes experience the same thing in my 05 Rubi. I sometimes feel a rough spot getting into 2nd and 5th. I suspect it is just the nature of the beast. It will be interesting to see what the guys with all the experience have to say. Take good care of that Rubi, it is a great machine.

I don't have a rubi, but as for your shift question, my 05 SE doesn't go into 2nd smoothly sometimes and actually makes clicking noises rowing through the other gears sometimes even after warmed up and driving for an hour. I got a different tranny from the one you have, but I know a guy that has a Sahara from a couple years ago and same problems. Its a Jeep thing? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

Thats what I thought but figured I would check. I have owned numerous Toyota trucks so I'm kind of anal. I am really looking forward to the solid axles and the simplicity of the jeep though.

did you have problems with the ifs in your toyota? i just put a remanufactured transmission in my yj and it shifts slow and notchy too. i figured it was old and beat, but it's a jeep thing.

Or just a NY Jeep thing <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> dunno where cruizin is. I'm not too picky over it though. It doesn't bother me enough to bring it back to the dealer and ask what's up, but then again, the only other manny trannys I was used to was a big 'ol dumptruck and my 68 chevy with the SM465 (Sloppy Muncie 465) the sloppy shifting but reliable to get you home tranny <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

So to determine the lift that is on it I should be able to measure the distance between the top of the axle and the bottom of the frame and compare that to a stock rubicon.

This would tell me right? Anybody know what that measurement is on the stock Rubicons?

Just to be sure I would get the fluid flushed you never know how deep it has been in the water. My trans has never been great but after really deep water it is bad. But remeber the fluid from Jeep is 18.80 a quart you need 3 of them.

Is the cheaper stuff like Lucas 90W that you use for the axle housings and old chevy trannies ok to use instead of the Jeep stuff? I probably would just stick with the Jeep stuff instead of the cheap stuff, but does it make a big dif?

They say if you take the top shifter boot off, then cut a slit in the second lower boot, the shifter gets better. I dont have the shifting problem, but then again I dont have the 2nd boot anymore. The only bad thing about not having the boot at all is that when you drive with the windows down your console gets hot. Not melting hot, just hot enough to make you mad cause your Soft Drink is watered down from the melting ice <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/shiner.gif" alt="" />