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Lift kits

1K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  Shark_13 
#1 ·
I just got my first jeep, and im a bit foreign to the mechanic world, what lift/tire size combo is ideal? And what brand/company
 
#3 ·
This is a tough question without more details.
What do you honestly want to do with it? Mostly street/looks? What kind of off roading and how often?
 
#5 ·
My appologies, I'm not looking to do any severe off roading, I do wish to off road but nothing that could put my jeep out of commission for while, cause I do need the vehicle to get me to and from work and school. And all at the same time I want it to look nice and bit bigger/beefier
 
#6 ·
Your jeep is a more capable machine than you are a driver as of right now. Get a decent set of all terrains and you'll be set. 31" tires are very streetable and won't impact gas mileage, braking, acceleration (noticeably, at least). Then you can run a 2" budget boost (coil spacers) and you'll be 2-4" higher than any other stock jeeps on the road.
 
#7 ·
I agree. Until you want to drop a small pile of money into tires and a modest lift kit (modest here means lacking a lot of stuff) running some BF Goodrich All Terrain TA/KO tires in 31x10.5R15 size with an inexpensive spring spacer 2" lift would be the way to go.

33x12.5R15 or 33x10.5R15 tires are expensive. (So are most Jeep tires that are smaller, just not as expensive. The price shoots through the roof as you go up in size.) A 2" "Budget Boost" lift that involves sticking spacer pucks between the jeep and the springs would be a very inexpensive way to look good with a small lift.

A set of 31" tires fits perfectly with no lift at all, especially if you only do moderate trails where you do not disconnect your front antisway bar (or, if you do, that you do not flex to your max) very often. The look is just fine for most Jeep and their owners. The 2" spacer lift will just give you a little more room underneath to work and such and will look more aggressive.

After you have bombed some trails and had some fun for maybe a year, THEN start seriously considering whether you want to go larger and higher. This gets expensive.

The suggested Zone 4.25" lift is CHEAP and pretty well appointed for such a low-cose lift. Tires are still going to cost you, though.

:thumb:
 
#8 ·
Reminds me. In 2 years I was constantly reminded how far I could push it just with stock shocks, budget boost, and my 31 s. Only thing that held me back were the some ledges being too big to bump over. Can't wait to get back to my go to spot and test the 33's with my JK shocks.

I'll see if I have any relevant pictures laying around to give you an idea.
 
#10 ·
I'm running that exact setup at the moment except I believe it was a 4" lift. It's pretty nice for the price. It's a good way to spend a little bit more and get a little bit more as well. You'll hate the T-Case drop though. 2 inches of pure hell. SYE is pretty much required for this lift if you plan to wheel a lot. I scrape on pretty much everything. SYE incoming.
 
#12 ·
Sorry to jump in.. not trying to change the subject but I notice everyone keeps suggesting the Zone 3.25" sl + 1" bl.. trying to put this is decent words (without sounding like an idiot)
I've been told to stay away from bl.. was told to get the lift you need from suspension and if you need that little bit more than do the bl. Any reason you don't like the straight out 4" sl ?

btw my thoughts for a dd would be 3" lift & 31x10.50
again if I've read and been told correctly you'd want to regear on 33 for a dd
 
#13 ·
Sorry to jump in.. not trying to change the subject but I notice everyone keeps suggesting the Zone 3.25" sl + 1" bl.. trying to put this is decent words (without sounding like an idiot) I've been told to stay away from bl.. was told to get the lift you need from suspension and if you need that little bit more than do the bl. Any reason you don't like the straight out 4" sl ? btw my thoughts for a dd would be 3" lift & 31x10.50 again if I've read and been told correctly you'd want to regear on 33 for a dd
Zone is very popular because the coils are the exact same as their more expensive BDS counterparts. Can't speak for the Nitro shocks, but others have had good luck with them. The 1" body lift allows you to raise the gas tank and transfer case skid.
 
#15 · (Edited)
Having 3" of suspension lift is about the max you can go on a TJ without having serious driveline vibration issues that require a lot of expensive (or inexpensive but less desirable) modifications. The proper way (that also costs around $600) is to install a slip yoke eliminator (SYE) kit and then get a custom made double Cardan (DC or, more commonly but incorrectly CV) driveshaft. This fixes driveline angle issues from lifting. The more common, less expensive ways are either the much hated transfer case drop or the less hated body lift with a motor mount lift.

A 1.25" body lift is not going to hurt anything. The argument is against the boneheads who "lift" via only a body lift, like 3" of BL or more, which is very unsafe.

The Zone kit is not the dimensions you listed, but actually a 3" suspension lift with a 1.25" body lift and a 1" motor mount lift. This gets you the 3" of suspension lift and then removes any possibility of driveline vibes with the addition of the BL/MML. It is a poor man's way to get the higher amount of lift with no TC drop and no driveline destroying vibrations.

It is not a great lift by any means, but it is an excellent package for such a low cost. It gets you up and running so that you can roll on 33" tires with all the clearance you need, decent flex, a fair ride quality, and like any kit, if you dislike certain components you can swap them out once all the main work of installing stuff is concluded and you have ridden on it for some miles.

The option of adding a JKS adjustable front track bar is worth the cost, and several other good options are available, like the much hated cam bolts to fix angles in the control arms by allowing you to alter certain lengths without purchasing control arms.

If you go this route, like mentioned above, you can get the basic lift and some tires for about $1500, which is a good price for all that.

A 4" straight up suspension lift will require lots of alterations that the Zone kit does not have, or that the Zone kit sort of rednecks its way through. The compromises are, to many here, more of a negative than those of the Combo kit.

It is apples and oranges, but the Combo kit is much more popular for a reason.

Many here have 4" of lift with zero BL, but that costs a lot of money to do right. My lift cost me about $3500 overall. I am a lot older than many of these guys, so I can afford that. If you are young and do not have a good paying job the Zone is an excellent choice. And for some who are just frugal and do not daily drive their Jeep all that much (meaning that they have another vehicle) it is still "good enough" for off road duty with some highway miles thrown in there.

I will be doing a 1" BL at some point. I will add in a 1" MML. This will allow me to do a tummy tuck and perhaps get my gas tank up a bit higher, too. Further, the upper, rear shock bolts become much more accessible with a 1" BL. Mine were rusted in so badly that I want to have easier access to the tops of them for any future shocks installs I do.
 
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