By Jon Maib
Photos Jena Maib
Back in the early 70's, aftermarket support for lifted vehicles was not a big thing. As the off-road sport began to grow, there weren't a lot of companies doing anything to help figure out lifts, geometries, or parts. A man named Lonnie McCurry saw a need and began doing work out of a garage in his backyard trying to figure these things out for himself and friends. He began working on Ford Broncos and Trucks at the time, helping people lift them and ensure all the parts work, even if he had to call Ford themselves and talk with an engineer to figure it out (back when you could do something like that). This work turned into a passion for Lonnie and his wife Nell and they started Skyjacker in 1974. With the initial work being done on Fords, Skyjacker has merged into other off-road markets and the brand has grown to cover most off-road capable vehicles.

Skyjacker has been a supporter of C4x4 now for over 20 years helping us with articles, product reviews and support. We've had opportunities to hang out with Lonnie and Nell and the Skyjacker staff back in the days of the Women's 2002 Rock Crawling Championship and even had a chance to wheel together in Moab.


I finally had an opportunity to head out and visit Skyjacker and their over 80,000 square foot facility in West Monroe, Louisiana. It was about a 5 hour drive from my place in Texas and since my daughter was home from college for the summer, I took her with me and we made a fun road trip out of it.

Upon arrival, we met up with Lonnie McCurry Jr., whom we have worked with for many years on our projects. He began our tour starting with their newly added R&D building and while this building was in its finishing stages of construction, it was already being used for product testing. The new R&D building also included offices as well as additional storage for products and take off parts. When Skyjacker is testing new lifts or parts for vehicles, they meticulously remove the stock parts and put them in storage so at any point in a build, they can revert back to stock form in order to help customers that may run into installation issues. A lot of thought has gone into this new R&D building to ensure Skyjacker sends out only the best product. While we were there, they were currently working on a couple of new Ford truck products.



With the new building nearing completion, they were still in the process of moving stuff around between building, however, walking into one of their older shops, we did get a sneak peek at their upcoming SEMA booth for their 50th Anniversary celebration as well as a temporary photo site allowing them to have pictures of every product they make, ensuring their customers know exactly what they are getting. Next year Skyjacker will be celebrating its 50th anniversary, so they are beginning to gear up for a special year, so be sure to follow them on Social Media!

As we moved on in our tour, it was kind of like stepping back in time as each warehouse we walked into was a bit older than the last, it was fun to see the expansion of Skyjacker through the years based on the age of the buildings. We got to see their newest laser cutting machine, product storage, all the bolts and spare parts you could ever need, tons of product being shipped out, and so much more. One of my favorite things was walking into one of the oldest buildings on the property and seeing years and years of different jigs that they use and have used in the past! We concluded our tour with staff areas such as their break room and conference room.



It was great to get out and see the facility and the company/people that have continued to support our magazine for so long. We had a great time learning about the history of Skyjacker and seeing all they do for the off-road industry. Skyjacker is a great company that provides amazing products that we have personally been using for over 20 years now. If you are looking for a lift for your vehicle, new shocks, steering components or even skid plates, be sure to check out Skyjacker at www.Skyjacker.com

My daughter and I concluded our trip to Skyjacker with some real Lousiana Cajun food. The staff pointed us to Trapps, which sat on the river and has some good authentic Cajun food, so if you're ever in the area and want some good Cajun, check them out!