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I wrote a review of my Poly Performance Synergy Stage III lift that was just published on Off-Road.com. This isn't a step-by-step installation article as that's not what the editors wanted, its more of an overview of the lift, its standout component features, and the decision process I went though in deciding what to get. Some of the content was axed by my editors, but hey, what can you do. :laughing:
Here it is, reprinted from the Off-Road.com original:
Here it is, reprinted from the Off-Road.com original:
Poly Performance's Jeep JK Synergy Suspension System
Publish date: Jun 26, 2008
By: Robert Sutter
Some readers may recall that the last time I wrote for Off-Road.com I was driving a white Hummer H3. It was a great truck and I loved wheeling it but it had to go.
You see, it committed a cardinal sin. It broke. “Ok, so what?” you may think. We wheel our trucks and breaking things is just a part of it. We all recognize it and accept it for what it is. As it was, the H3’s sin wasn’t really that it broke. It was more of what did break, where it happened, and who was on board. Both tie rods (fourth pair that season) and then the steering rack (split clean in half!) broke in the middle of a bog with my wife (who unfortunately isn’t all that keen on wheeling) and my four year old son on board. To make this long story short the next day when we finally got home my wife said to me, “Rob, I don’t care what you do, I don’t care what you get, but if you want us to wheel with you, you need to get a different truck.” Well, I know a good thing when I hear it and you don’t need to tell me twice!
Whenever I was out wheeling, Jeepers would joke with me saying "come to the Dark Side, we have cookies!” It’s funny the things that stick in your head. “Come to the Dark Side, we have cookies!” was just that thing.
After wheeling with a friend in a Jeep JK Rubicon Unlimited I knew I could make the switch. With all the aftermarket parts available, which I guess are all those yummy cookies (cookies are few and far between on the Hummer side of the fence), I knew whatever Jeep I got, I could make it mine. I ended up getting a 2008 Rubicon Unlimited and soon started thinking about what I wanted to do to make this Jeep the best for me and my family. I started my plan with what sort of suspension I wanted.
My Jeep still had to function as a daily driver so whatever I decided to do had to meet some basic criteria. It had to be safe, dependable, offer great, uncompromising performance.... and high enough so that my mother-in-law couldn’t get in.
I started doing some research checking out the various well known manufacturers. Safety was number one on my list and was one thing I would not compromise on. Ultimately I decided that I just didn’t have enough experience in the Jeep world so I went and spoke with a friend of mine.
Phil Day is the owner of Trail Duty and someone whose opinion I value very much. He has a lot more experience wheeling than I do and when he likes or dislikes something he’ll let you know, and he’ll let you know why. When we started talking about lifts he asked me what I was looking for. I told him I was looking for a three inch suspension system with adjustable upper and lower control arms, was safe, well engineered and worked equally well on both the trail and the street.
Phil thought about it a moment and then said I had a bunch of options if I was willing to compromise, but if I wanted the best, no compromise lift available then I should take a good long look at Poly Performance; specifically at the 3” Synergy Stage III lift.
I asked around on a variety of internet forums and the response was overwhelming. The response was unanimous: there wasn’t a negative comment in the bunch. With that, my mind was made up and knowing what direction I was going in, I started saving my pennies. It proved to be a whole lot of pennies but as far as I was concerned, my family is worth it so there really wasn’t any question.
I’m not going to bore you with the specific installation steps. Sorry, no step 1: put Jeep on jack stands; no step 73: Tighten bolt to 80ft/lbs of torque. I think that sort of article has its place, but unless you are installing that exact product many of the details are lost on the reader. Instead I’m going to tell you about some key points that I think make a real difference in the Poly Performance Synergy lifts and why I chose to go this route instead of something else.
The Poly Performance Synergy suspension system is available in three different configurations: Stage I, Stage II, and Stage III. Each version is currently available in a 3” and 4.5” height for 4-door JKs or 4” for 2-door JKs.
Each package contains these items:
Adjustable Lower Control Arms (Front & Rear)
Springs (Front & Rear)
Sway Bar Links (Front & Rear)
Bump Stop Spacers (Front & Rear)
Rear Track Bar Bracket
Stainless Steel Brake Lines (Front & Rear)
Rear Lower Shock Mount Kit
Stage I kit adds:
Sway Bar Relocation Kit
Front Track Bar
Stage II kit adds:
Front Track Bar Bracket
High Steer Drag Link Kit
Stage III kit adds:
Adjustable Upper Control Arms (Front & Rear)
Front Track Bar Bracket
High Steer Drag Link Kit
All the kits have the option of:
Poly Performance Synergy Monotube Shocks
Fox Remote Reservoir Shocks
Fox Remote Reservoir with CD Adjuster Shocks
Adjustable Track Bars
Front Sway Bar Disconnect Kit (for non-Rubicon Models)
Publish date: Jun 26, 2008
By: Robert Sutter

Some readers may recall that the last time I wrote for Off-Road.com I was driving a white Hummer H3. It was a great truck and I loved wheeling it but it had to go.
You see, it committed a cardinal sin. It broke. “Ok, so what?” you may think. We wheel our trucks and breaking things is just a part of it. We all recognize it and accept it for what it is. As it was, the H3’s sin wasn’t really that it broke. It was more of what did break, where it happened, and who was on board. Both tie rods (fourth pair that season) and then the steering rack (split clean in half!) broke in the middle of a bog with my wife (who unfortunately isn’t all that keen on wheeling) and my four year old son on board. To make this long story short the next day when we finally got home my wife said to me, “Rob, I don’t care what you do, I don’t care what you get, but if you want us to wheel with you, you need to get a different truck.” Well, I know a good thing when I hear it and you don’t need to tell me twice!
Whenever I was out wheeling, Jeepers would joke with me saying "come to the Dark Side, we have cookies!” It’s funny the things that stick in your head. “Come to the Dark Side, we have cookies!” was just that thing.
After wheeling with a friend in a Jeep JK Rubicon Unlimited I knew I could make the switch. With all the aftermarket parts available, which I guess are all those yummy cookies (cookies are few and far between on the Hummer side of the fence), I knew whatever Jeep I got, I could make it mine. I ended up getting a 2008 Rubicon Unlimited and soon started thinking about what I wanted to do to make this Jeep the best for me and my family. I started my plan with what sort of suspension I wanted.
My Jeep still had to function as a daily driver so whatever I decided to do had to meet some basic criteria. It had to be safe, dependable, offer great, uncompromising performance.... and high enough so that my mother-in-law couldn’t get in.
I started doing some research checking out the various well known manufacturers. Safety was number one on my list and was one thing I would not compromise on. Ultimately I decided that I just didn’t have enough experience in the Jeep world so I went and spoke with a friend of mine.
Phil Day is the owner of Trail Duty and someone whose opinion I value very much. He has a lot more experience wheeling than I do and when he likes or dislikes something he’ll let you know, and he’ll let you know why. When we started talking about lifts he asked me what I was looking for. I told him I was looking for a three inch suspension system with adjustable upper and lower control arms, was safe, well engineered and worked equally well on both the trail and the street.
Phil thought about it a moment and then said I had a bunch of options if I was willing to compromise, but if I wanted the best, no compromise lift available then I should take a good long look at Poly Performance; specifically at the 3” Synergy Stage III lift.
I asked around on a variety of internet forums and the response was overwhelming. The response was unanimous: there wasn’t a negative comment in the bunch. With that, my mind was made up and knowing what direction I was going in, I started saving my pennies. It proved to be a whole lot of pennies but as far as I was concerned, my family is worth it so there really wasn’t any question.
I’m not going to bore you with the specific installation steps. Sorry, no step 1: put Jeep on jack stands; no step 73: Tighten bolt to 80ft/lbs of torque. I think that sort of article has its place, but unless you are installing that exact product many of the details are lost on the reader. Instead I’m going to tell you about some key points that I think make a real difference in the Poly Performance Synergy lifts and why I chose to go this route instead of something else.
The Poly Performance Synergy suspension system is available in three different configurations: Stage I, Stage II, and Stage III. Each version is currently available in a 3” and 4.5” height for 4-door JKs or 4” for 2-door JKs.
Each package contains these items:
Adjustable Lower Control Arms (Front & Rear)
Springs (Front & Rear)
Sway Bar Links (Front & Rear)
Bump Stop Spacers (Front & Rear)
Rear Track Bar Bracket
Stainless Steel Brake Lines (Front & Rear)
Rear Lower Shock Mount Kit
Stage I kit adds:
Sway Bar Relocation Kit
Front Track Bar
Stage II kit adds:
Front Track Bar Bracket
High Steer Drag Link Kit
Stage III kit adds:
Adjustable Upper Control Arms (Front & Rear)
Front Track Bar Bracket
High Steer Drag Link Kit
All the kits have the option of:
Poly Performance Synergy Monotube Shocks
Fox Remote Reservoir Shocks
Fox Remote Reservoir with CD Adjuster Shocks
Adjustable Track Bars
Front Sway Bar Disconnect Kit (for non-Rubicon Models)