Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

TJ Lift Kit questions

1K views 15 replies 6 participants last post by  78072 
#1 ·
I'm sure this has been brought up a ton of times.. and sorry for asking again..
Just bought a 2003 TJ I want to run it on 35's..
First will the stock axles be alright running 35's or will I need to change the gears?

Second How much more difficult is it to go to a 6" lift ? & as always what lift would you recommend..

I've seen 4" that says you can fit 35's but I like the look of 6" & 35's..
Thought, suggestions advice?
I appreciate any feedback..
Thanks

Jim
 
#2 ·
I'm sure this has been brought up a ton of times.. and sorry for asking again..
Just bought a 2003 TJ I want to run it on 35's..
First will the stock axles be alright running 35's or will I need to change the gears?

Second How much more difficult is it to go to a 6" lift ? & as always what lift would you recommend..

I've seen 4" that says you can fit 35's but I like the look of 6" & 35's..
Thought, suggestions advice?
I appreciate any feedback..
Thanks

Jim
Yes you will need to regear if you want it to accelerate/drove the same as before.

The higher you go over 4" the more costly it will be (if you are doing it right)

You could always simply add some high fenders or a 1" body lift along with the 4" lift kit and get the look you want
 
#4 ·
So if I go w/ 4" lift & 33's.. will I be ok.. leaving gears as stock?
Ironhead I'm gonna go double check with rear I have also.. this is a 2nd vehicle but will be used for street/highway driving..
Will I be ok w/ standard 4" lift or do I need to do short arm ?
 
#6 ·
Yeah unless you have $5k maybe more burning a hole in your pocket, forget 35's. You could always mount them up and see what happens though.

Best thing would be 2-3" suspension lift which includes coils, shocks, bumpstops, sway links, maybe rear track bar bracket. Put on 1" body lift along with a 1" motor mount lift, and you will be good to go.

Hopefully you have a good gearing, if not then you will want to regear even for 33's.
 
#9 ·
Ok.. Sum it up.. I really appreciate all the feedback..I'll stick w/ 33's and assume I'll end up re-gearing what should I go to for front & rear ?

Dana 35 rear (Not sure about front)
l6 4.0l
5 speed manual (I believe AX15)
So on to the Lift kit.. I've used Rough Country in the past.. Had good results.. I like their support I know everyone has other thoughts.. I was trying to compare the 2 following kits.. I'm leaning a little more toward the first ..I prefer to spend a few extra $$$ now doing it correctly...
4in X-series Suspension Lift Kit for 97-06 Jeep TJ Wrangler | Rough Country Suspension Systems
this kit runs about $1050
compared to
4in Suspension Lift Kit for 03-06 Jeep TJ Wrangler [907S] | Rough Country Suspension Systems
 
#10 ·
you have a d30 up front. and the d35 is not up for 35" tires, so you are limited to 33's
hopefully you have 3.73 gears, they wont be too bad, just wont use 5th as much until you regear

I'm not a fan of RC's control arms or track bars and would not go with either kit. plus both of those require a TC drop or another $1k for a SYE, new driveshaft, and adj control arms

this is one of the highest rated budget lifts on the market. the best thing about it, it gives you quality parts and allows for upgrades down the road without charging you extra for things you will want to replace

Zone Offroad 4-1/4" Combo System 97-06 Jeep Wrangler TJ J25/J26
 
#13 ·
you have a d30 up front. and the d35 is not up for 35" tires, so you are limited to 33's
hopefully you have 3.73 gears, they wont be too bad, just wont use 5th as much until you regear

I'm not a fan of RC's control arms or track bars and would not go with either kit. plus both of those require a TC drop or another $1k for a SYE, new driveshaft, and adj control arms

this is one of the highest rated budget lifts on the market. the best thing about it, it gives you quality parts and allows for upgrades down the road without charging you extra for things you will want to replace

Zone Offroad 4-1/4" Combo System 97-06 Jeep Wrangler TJ J25/J26
I am x2 on Zone. Just got my 1.75" kit with steering dampener, upgraded sway bar links, and camber kit from Rock Ridge 4x4 at less $ than anybody else out there. And delivery to my door in 2 days. Go to the Vendor section of the Forum and Pm them. I'll stay out of the what to buy part of the conversation, it can turn ugly quick... Lol
 
#11 ·
Your rear Dana 35 is definitely (!) not strong enough for 35" tires. No kidding, no exaggeration. What eventually happens with that combination is a snapped axle shaft, the OE 27 spline carbon steel axle shafts the factory installed are simply not strong enough for 35" tires.

The only way you can successfully run 35's is to either replace the rear Dana 35 axle with something stronger like a Dana 44 or Ford 8.8 (a TJ Dana 44 would be an easy swap), or beef up your existing Dana 35 by converting its axle shafts to stronger alloy 30 spline axle shafts. That also requires the internal differential be changed to a 30 spline locker since there are no replacement conventional 30 spline differential carriers (the part that holds all the gears) for the Dana 35.

The front Dana 30 is up to 35" tires, within reason... though if you install a front locker you'd want to upgrade its axle shafts too.
 
#15 ·
4" SL guarantees a SYE, new CV drive shaft, and adj control arms or a TC drop
the zone combo uses a 3" SL, which on its own, will probably cause driveline vibes. but when used with a 1" MML, it eliminates most, if not all vibes. the 1.25" BL gives some extra clearance and allows for future upgrades, ie. tummy tuck, raising the gas tank, etc. the small BL also makes it easier to access certain areas and makes it easier to clean your under carriage

a straight 4" SL is like getting 35" tires, to do it right takes a lot more than just buying springs or tires
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top