I just purchased a 2016 JK Unlimited Rubicon with the Hard Rock package and am considering lifting it. I've been reading quite a bit and trying to learn as much as I can, but hoping I could get some newbie advice. This will be my daily driver, but I would like to be able to put 35" tires on for occasional off-roading and camping trips. I don't need anything really high end, just the basics to get it lifted enough for rims/tires and still have a rice ride on the highway. I'm trying to figure out how much I'll likely need to spend to do this, and recommendations on which components I should get. Here's a few additional thoughts/questions:
I've read a 2.5" lift is high enough to accommodate 35's with stock fenders, but have also read that I could have rubbing issues off-road with a 2.5 in lift. Thoughts on which would best suit my needs?
I've heard teraflex is the way to go, but noticed its more expensive. Is it worth buying it vs other brands?
If I were to go with a 3" lift, I noticed teraflex has both a 4, and 8 arm suspension lift. What benefits does the 8 arm package offer, and what would you all recommend it for my needs?
On the teraflex 3" suspension lifts I've noticed there is a disclaimer that says "Driveshaft modifications are recommended with this suspension system". What does that mean, and how much will it cost?
Any general thoughts on how much I should be paying to have someone install a suspension lift?
Any additional items/costs I need to consider while doing my lift?
I was going to make this exact same post. I have same vehicle. I was looking at EVO lift as well and prefer to stay with factory wheels but add 35s to them.
I went with the following plan for my daily driver:
Can't fit 35" tires with stock wheels (without spacers). You need smaller backspace wheels so there is more room on the inside of the wheel well. So first thing I did was a wheel upgrade. I went with
17x8.5 wheels with -10mm offset (4.36 backspace) and 5-127 bolt pattern
American Outlaw Hollywood $135
17 X8.5 5-127.00 -10 BKMTXX
So then I had new wheels with my stock tires.
Next I installed the Daystar 3" Comfort ride with scorpion shocks. Since it's a puck lift, it's a true 3" (not over not under).
Last I swapped the stock tires with BFG KM2 35 x 12.5 x R17
Only thing I had to do is trim the front plastic air dam to eliminate rub at full turn.
Approx Cost was $1500 tires and $900 for wheels $300 for lift $170 for Procal.
After running my 35's for about 6 months I decided to do the following. I have a 2012 so the pinch seam wasn't factory trimmed. Late 2013 and above come trimmed. So I trimmed mine and trimmed the Rubi rails. Before trimming I only had about half an inch clearance from rear tire to rock rail. The tires would stuff OK but I wanted more room to breathe. I also installed the Mopar Big Brake Kit for better braking power since the 35's were harder to brake. Not a requirement but it was nice to do.
You've got nice springs and shocks with the Hard Rock - you could do the Teraflex 2.5" Budget Boost. The bump stop extensions will keep you from hitting your tires on the fenders, and the stock travel shocks will keep you from flexing enough to require a new drive shaft or to need to worry about exhaust spacers.
Easy, cheap, done, and you avoid opening cans of worms.
It's really not that much work for a shop with a lift to install - you mainly want to be sure they re-torque the suspension bushings with the jeep on the ground to avoid putting stress on them.
Recommend something like AEV procal to set shift points and speedometer for bigger tires, and something like Teraflex hinged adjustable tire carrier to keep stress of the heavier spare tire off tailgate.
I have a '15 JKUHR a and went with a Teraflex Budget Boost. It worked prefectly with my Toyo AT2 285x75x18s, which are a "true" 35" tire, i.e., 34" on the ground. I run Fuel Trophy 18x9 rims with 5" backspace. No rubs at all. Note that these tire are taller, but about 1" narrower, than the popular 12.50 35s.
At the moment, my JK's in the shop, where I'm installing a Teraflex 3" kit with a Monster track bar and lower front/upper rear adjustable Alpine control arms. If you ever decide to upgrade your Budget Boost to a spring kit, please see my post at http://www.wranglerforum.com/f202/beginners-guide-to-lifting-your-jk-298665-248.html. Save your old parts! For a good deal on Teraflex, check 4WD.com.
The "driveshaft modification" means that you simply need an exhaust spacer, about $40, so the rubber boot on the original shaft does not hit a hot exhaust pipe. You do not need a new shaft. You do not need to be concerned about any joint on the front shaft or replace it for any reason. Front lower arms will handle the caster setting and the rears will deal with pinion angle.
I also bought a Procal to adjust the tire diameter for the speedometer. It does nothing to adjust shift points. It'll correct the speedo and can help slightly with the TPMS. It's much more a convenience than a necessity.
This isn't correct, IMHO, except perhaps the comment on using a third party, long travel shock, about which I have no knowledge. The Teraflex springs will be as good as any others. Everyone has an opinion and favorite. See http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_Qp7L_eTqU, concerning springs. It's by Teraflex, but it's honest. If you get a TF kit, you should be fine, though a lot of guys much smarter than I do use stuff from different vendors to build their outfits. I'm a little too much of a novice o attempt a "frankenlift."
For the 3" lift, you're bending the stock Rezeppa joint on the front drive shaft really tight where it connects to the transfer case. That's just sitting at ride height, and the 3" will include longer travel shocks that will let your axle droop down even further than stock shocks. Basically you'll need to replace the front drive shaft with a double cardan one ($450 ish on up), and you'd want to use one that has a flat flange on the pinion side (where the drive shaft meets your front axle) because you probably don't want to be messing with the pinion flange on a new vehicle.
Something like Dana Spicer® Front Drive Shaft Kit for 07-15 Jeep® Wrangler & Wrangler Unlimited JK with 2-4" Lift | Quadratec
Notice the grease zerks/nipples that you now have to worry about keeping greased.
Or you can upgrade to something like this https://teraflex.com/shop_items/56310d9c05a25c5bb18f88ec with high-angle Rezeppa joints on both ends.
You could consider front drop brackets instead of arms on a 3" lift.
I would recommend the 2.5" JKS lift.. The kit is complete and will give you a very nice ride on and off the roads... Especially because of the fox shocks
So it sounds like if I go with a 2.5" lift I can avoid additional drivetrain mods and still get 35's on my jeep. I'll have to look a little more at the difference between the jks and teraflex 2.5 kits. Anything else that's really a must do to go along with the lift?
The key is a 2.5" Without long-travel shocks. And if you're not getting long travel shocks, why replace them at all?
Long travel shocks will let the axle droop down farther, leading to really tight angle on the front driveshaft (you could pinch and tear the rubber boot on the Rezeppa joint at the transfer case, leading to failure). More droop also means the possibility that the front driveshaft contacts the exhaust crossover pipe (which could melt the rubber accordion boot on the slip joint in the middle of the driveshaft).
I personally am running a Metalcloak 2.5" spring lift with long-travel shocks. To account for that i'm running the stock front drive shaft modified with a replacement high-angle Rezeppa joint at the transfer case side, and exhaust spacers. That's basically the cheapest, and most labor-intensive way to solve the problems caused by the long-travel shocks.
I can't recommend exhaust spacers because they're a pain to install if bolts have seen a winter, they can leak/rattle, and because they shift your exhaust down to where you'll have clearance issues with some popular aftermarket skids. I was more frustrated installing the exhaust spacers than I was installing the entire lift. AFE makes a y-pipe that works for the 4 door that's probably a better option than exhaust spacers (apparently won't work for 2-door because of different position of gas tank in 2-door).
The replacement high-angle Rezeppa joint was a bit tedious to install - if you're paying for labor it may well be cheaper to just replace the front drive shaft.
I ran the same bumpstops you get in that kit with 35s and stock fenders and there is no rubbing.
If you want to get a "real" lift kit I would not get teraflex. The springs are too short and will unseat with a long travel shock.
Nobody makes a complete lift kit that I'm totally happy with. Synergy makes good progressive coils that are nice and long and will accommodate more functional droop. Rancho makes good shocks that are cheap and have the perfect compressed length for the bump stops you will need to run to clear 35s with stock fenders, or 37s with flat fenders. I like the teraflex rear track bar bracket, the rear brake line brackets, and the rear bump stops. I don't like their front bump stops, they flex too much. You can use hockey pucks on the coil perch instead, drill&tap or JB weld. And then for geometry correction, if you feel the need (I don't, but it's subjective), I would go with any adjustable control arm that uses currie johnny joints.
Ok, so I think I’m leaning toward a 2.5" lift to keep things economical, accommodate 35's, and minimize drivetrain strain. I've been doing some research, and here are the kits I've been looking at which some initial thoughts. I'd love to hear your thoughts comparing the different kits.
Mopar® Stage I 2" Lift Kit with Fox Shocks for 12-15 Jeep® Wrangler Unlimited JK 4 Door | Quadratec - $1495
I was reading a long thread on this one last night. There were a few things about this option I found interesting. First, it comes with a replacement driveshaft. The description states that this increases the articulation range to be similar to a 4" lift. Also I've read that this kit is very warranty friendly. Lastly it comes with Fox shocks which I hear are nice.
I am running the 2.5" metalcloak with Rocksport shocks - similar kit, but mine has the rear trackbar bracket, front trackbar, rear drop-brackets, and a second set of the brake lines in the rear (they use same lenght lines front and back)
I like the kit, but not the brake lines for the front - they are shorter than the stock ones on 2012+ jeeps, and there is no bracket to route them. Crown makes brake lines wiht brackets in longer lengths, i'd run those instead if i was re-installing it again.
Metalcloak also uses very long front sway bar links - rationale as I understand it is they build long-travel lifts, and they don't want to run the risk of you flipping your sway bar around if the axle droops too far. Mine were so long they knocked against the round tubes that stick out of the frame, so I used that as an excuse to get the (3" shorter) JKS Flexconnect quick disconnects rather than doing a minor trim on the frame.
The front uppers I guessed and adjusted about .25" shorter than stock and I'm within spec for caster angle.
It's a good lift, but one where you're opening Pandora's box in terms of adjustability/configurability, and you may or may not want that. Other lifts like the Teraflex and AEV limit what items are adjustable to make the install easier and more likely to go off without issues - for example they'll assume you're putting 35" tires on stock fenders, so they'll put in long bump stops to protect your fenders even if it means a person with flat fenders or smaller tires won't be able to get maximum flex out of their lift with the included bump stops.
@cpmiller22 the MC... your getting the best coils of the bunch. Their 2.5 is taller than other kits even my RK 2.5 triple rates.
The mopar kit gives you the best bang for the buck since it comes with all the necessary hardware. You can add on with addressing caster up front (control arm/bracket) as well as a front trackbar (but not a necessity).
The teraflex is also a tried and true kit but missing a few items to make it complete.
I don't have much to say of the other brands you listed.
I did talk to custom shop at the dealer where I bought my jeep. They said their standard lift package costs $5500 which includes a Rubicon Express 3" lift, bilstien shocks, 17" Method wheels, 35" tires, alignment, and computer adjustment.
And FWIW I'm not a teraflex hater and I'm not aligned with "that other forum". I have the TF 2.5" linear coils and they are GREAT for running 35s with 1" bump stops and flat fenders with 9.5" shocks (rancho 29/30s).
But if you want to run 35s with stock fenders, you will need 2-3" of bump stop anyway, so you might as well get a shock with a 17" compressed length. And usually these shocks have 11-12" of travel and 28-29" of max droop, no bueno for teraflex coil springs!
And FWIW I'm not a teraflex hater and I'm not aligned with "that other forum". I have the TF 2.5" linear coils and they are GREAT for running 35s with 1" bump stops and flat fenders with 9.5" shocks (rancho 29/30s). But if you want to run 35s with stock fenders, you will need 2-3" of bump stop anyway, so you might as well get a shock with a 17" compressed length. And usually these shocks have 11-12" of travel and 28-29" of max droop, no bueno for teraflex coil springs!
Another vote for Metal Cloak here. I just went through a similar build as what you describe. I went with their 2.5" lift, 35" tires. No rubbing on-road, or when I tested on a ramp. Will take it off-road for the first time this weekend. I also installed their exhaust spacer kit, and after re-installing my Rock Hard skids, I'm running into the common issue of the exhaust rattling. Have a second shim on the way that will hopefully resolve that. Pretty happy overall with everything, and the on-road manners are excellent for a daily driver.
Lessons learned: swap control arms with the Jeep on the ground, not up on a lift like we did mine. Get your pinion/caster dialed in as best you can immediately, and THEN take it for an alignment. I did the opposite and ended up having to go back for a second alignment after I re-adjusted the arms.
Why are exhaust spacers bad? I don't know too much, but from what I've heard for anything over 2.5" lift you either need exhaust spacers or a different drive shaft?
I'm having tracking issues with the steering - going to install the Track Bar and then realign - hopefully that fixes it. It's not a comfortable drive on the highway. I i'm running 28 psi on the Duratracs as well which helped, but still needs some work.
I didn't have as much trouble installing the exhaust spacers as some people. It wasn't the easiest, but I got it done with no major trouble. Hardest part was grinding off the little weld dot, only because I didn't have a grinder. Once that was off, I used a 2x4 and hammer to pound the exhaust backwards, allowing it to slide into the outer tube further back. The actual flanges had nuts welded into them, so all I had to do was break the bolts free and a little PB blaster did the trick. Mine is a 2016, but was still rusted pretty good.
After putting my Rock Hard skids back on, I did get some rubbing on the exhaust, but just installed a second shim that came in the mail today and it seems to have fixed the issue. I'm all good now.
In hind sight, I agree though with Matt - it would have been easier/better to just replace the drive shaft and be done with it. Probably have to do that eventually anyway, so why go through all of the mess with the exhaust spacers?
As it came up in he thread, I'll post a couple pics and initial observations of my new Teraflex 3" kit. I upgraded from a TF Budget Boost, which really was fine and handled whatever came its way. I haven't hit the trails yet with the 3" kit. I included lower front and upper rear TF Alpine arms, which are quite easy to adjust. Shocks are the included TF 9550s. I also used an exhaust spacer. On the road, the ride is better than stock.
The rig sits perhaps 3/4" - 1" taller than with the Budget Boost. Pics are before (left) and after (right). The rig sits pretty level in both setups, with a winch in front and 250# of gear in the back. The pinion angle was spot on with the rear upper arms set at the suggested length, and the rear springs are perfectly straight. The caster needs a tweak, as it came out to L 3.5°, R,3.7°. I plan to get both sides in the range of 4.2° - 4.7°. The front lowers seem a snap to adjust. Camber is -0.7° both sides.
Anyway, the true tests will come after I hit the trails. I just I'd share a few prelims in case others are considering a 2.5" or 3" TF kit.
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