Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

I took the plunge... Lift discussion.

13K views 74 replies 21 participants last post by  Pressurized 
#1 · (Edited)
I'm a JK and JL builder... Literally 100+ through the hobby shop in the last 4 years. When a TJ came in, I steered clear as my experience didn't contribute to the build.

I stumbled upon a completely stock LJ Rubicon and bought it... Pics after the rear main seal is replaced.

If I like it, I will go in pretty deep in the end, long arm on 37's or 38's... But for the next 8-10 years, I want a quality driver on 33's. So poking around, I see a lot of Zone 4.25 combo recommendations... I'm not against that, just can't stand their JK stuff, so I'm hesitant. Shop owner says RE... Again, not my favorite.

I have a line on a set of the Core 4x4 tier 4 control arms with double Johnny Joints so I know those will be good.

My request is for you guys to give me what your top 2 setups to run 33's would be.

Example:

Zone 4.25 combo
Full set Currie control arms
MC front track bar
Etc.

Thanks in advance.
 

Attachments

See less See more
1
#2 ·
If daily driver on 33s means either no wheeling or light wheeling then 2 Inch spacers and a 1.25" body lift will get you there...

You won't find many long arm fans here... myself included...
 
#3 · (Edited)
Nope, it will be wheeled and weekend warrior. Relatively challenging trails here in AZ. I know the LA perspective here, and I'm cool with that... But there simply isn't any big builds here running short arms. But that's way down the road.... Today, tell me how you would build a short arm crawler on 33's. 🙂
 
  • Like
Reactions: SubmarineAZ
#4 ·
Fraid I can't help ya much there... I have zero interest in crawlers and I do most of my wheeling on leaf springs.... plenty of others will chime in soon tho...
 
#5 ·
Just do a curry 4 inch lift. It will clear the 33s just fine. Comes with the antirock.
It does work well as a package.
I would recommend gearing, I have a 2004 LJ and went 5.13. Wish I could have gone lower, but I don't have a rubicon. You should be able to go 5.38, do it.
35s need a body lift and the things associated.

Bigger than 35s? Probably cheaper to buy a newer jeep...

I wheel by LJ whenever and wherever I can. Isn't that what the winch is for?
 
#6 ·
Zone combo lift, MC adjustable track bar and Rancho rs5000X shocks. There's no need for long arms or going larger than 35s. Jerry B in bottom pics.
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: Pressurized
#7 ·
I have a 2003 TJ on 33s.

She sports a three inch Savvy lift with a one inch body inch. The one inch body lift works in conjunction with a one inch engine lift and a Savvy tummy tuck. The tummy tuck gives a couple three inches more break over while keeping the CG down. Heavy duty Currie tie rod and drag link. She also has a matching Savvy Gas Tank Skid. This saves weight, looks good and gives another inch of clearance in the back.

The savvy dual adjustable control arms also allow for pinion adjustment for the SYE kit and Tom Woods dual Carden drift shaft.

My 42RLE likes 5.13 gear sets in the front HP30 and rear D44. The axles have Fox 2.0 shocks. I live in a no snow or ice climate and my elderly parents are in Tucson. So, Detroit Lockers in the front and back along with a Terra Two low kit in the transfer case.

To improve braking the HP30 has a Vanco Big brake kit(knuckles modified to use Ford Explorer dual piston calipers).

For 35s this same build is often used except with a four inch savvy lift.

With Centerline aluminum wheels she will go straight down the freeway at 70 like she's on rails. The wheels have 4.5 inch BS to keep pretty much under the flairs but the tires don't rub.

There is more I suppose but that hits the hi lights of my suspension.
 

Attachments

#8 ·
I have a 2005 on 33's with 4.88 gears. DPG has a good Old Man Emu set up that will clear 33's just fine and will ride really well (for a Jeep TJ/LJ). It's a 2.5ish lift with a 1.25 body lift. I know a lot of folks don't care for a body lift. But a 1.25 doesn't look bad and gives you just a little extra.
 

Attachments

#10 ·
I have two jeeps and the one on the zone 4.25 kit can go pretty much anywhere my much more upgraded one can. the way I see it you have three budget points.

budget build: zone 4.25" combo, MC or currie adj front track bar, and 33" tires. that will set you back ~$700 plus tires

not so budget build: 1.25" BL, 1" MML, currie 4" coils, outboarded fox 11-12" travel remote resi shocks, anti rock, savvy control arms, adams drive shaft, tummy tuck, raised GTS, and a bunch of other little things for around $3500 plus 35" tires.

best build for stock axles, the above build with the Savvy mid arm kit, add ~$3000
 
#11 ·
if your willing to do the work to install an LA........... maybe take a peek at Savvy mid arm. i recently moved into the "mid" range and like it way better than the SA sys.

way better movement than the SA sys and not as greedy into that belly space as the LA's.
 
#16 ·
I've had many Zone lifts, including my newest Rubicon with 35s. Since they discontinued their nice riding hydro shocks, I would opt for Rancho rs5000x. I'm going to try some on my XJ with 5.5" lift soon. I hope Jerry B is right about the ride quality. It's so subjective.
 

Attachments

#18 ·
OME used to be good when they had the nice riding yellow shocks. Those days are gone and the newer black shocks ride too stiff for most TJ folks.
That's beauty you have there!

Really good info on both... My next question was going to be "are the zone shocks any good"...

I was an early adopter on the 5000X shocks on my JK. Had them right after they were released. Damn good shock for the price. I now ride on Falcons on the JK and FOX for the JL. Have also ran 9000XL's on the JK, I like the Rancho's, just have to do a little work on the finish before install.

Can you buy the Zone lift without shocks?
 
#23 ·
True... Really comes down to how far I go at that point.

If stage 1 is enough, maybe I don't even go big... Which is why this thread is important to me. If I can do most everything I want on the 33's, I could see stopping there. But it has to be done right or I know I'll come up short.

Stage 2 on 35's:



Or Stage 3 big and 38's...

 
  • Like
Reactions: Ironhead Jed
#27 ·
I wont touch zone, i ran it once on an xj, the springs were rock hard and the control arm bushings wore out fast. I run a Re 4.5 superflex, love it no issues. Its on 33's with bilstein shocks, articulates very well in fact before the limiting traps i pulled out the front extended brake lines. I rock crawl pretty hard and it still has great road manners.
 
#29 ·
I would have to second the 4 1/2 inch Rubicon express super flex short arm kit I’ve had it for the past 15 years on 33’ and recently within the last two years on 35’s as a daily driver and wheeled the Rubicon and Fordyce creeks every summer multiple times. Never had to replace my control arm bushings once. And the only death wobble I ever had was related to tires. Keeping the control arms greased is Key to longevity. It always tracks relatively straight as a jeep can be. It’s not a perfect system but it is dependable. I run monotube shocks cause I like it stiff. And use 10 inch wide wheels to keep it wide low and as flexible as possible. Tracks well And aligned almost perfectly a year ago at the shop when I put New 35’s on.
 

Attachments

#31 ·
Never had to replace my control arm bushings once. Keeping the control arms greased is Key to longevity. And use 10 inch wide wheels to keep it wide low and as flexible as possible.
one of the perks to the Johnny Joints (not the knock off JJ's that many companies promote) is the lack of maintenance. last time i went to add grease to the joints they were still full. that was after 3 years of use. I wonder how the quality over at RE is now that its owned by 4wp after RE declared bankruptcy.

10" wide rim to keep it wide low and as flexible as possible? what does that even mean? are you stating that a wider rim is beneficial somehow? generally a 8" rim holds a bead better at lower psi vs a 10" rim while keeping the rim farther away from the rocks.
 
#36 ·
I have Rancho 9000's on my 04 and I'm not thrilled with them. On the softest setting they are a little too firm for me.
 
#37 ·
In my opinion a good lift is going to cost some hard earned money. If you’re looking to keep the LJ for any real length of time its worth it to buy the best system you can afford. Lifts from cheaper brands such as Zone, Rough Country, Skyjacker, etc. aren’t worth it in the long run. Take a serious look at the higher end stuff available from companies like Metal Cloak, Currie, Savvy, etc.

Also note that even with 33” tires, long arm or mid arm systems do ride and handle better than short arm kits. Especially when lifting more than 3”. You get better roll centers with the angles afforded by the longer levers. You’ll also end up with more available articulation, better traction when climbing, less rear steer effect, etc.

With a Rubicon you’ve already got some decent gearing with 4:10’s, especially if you have a 5 speed. The lower gears 241 transfer case also helps off road a lot. Depending on how hard you wanna wheel it gearing may not be something you’ll need right away. Going to something lower than 4:56’s on a DD isn’t always a great idea. With an auto-trans maybe 4:88 with the 33’s but I personally wouldn’t recommend any lower than that.

Of course that’s just my 2 cents and what do I know. Built my 01 TJ three times now & wish I would have thought of all that stuff the 1st time around. Now it’s on a 4 1/2” Nth Degree Long Arm system, 4:56 gears, stroked 4.6L motor, on 35’s, run the Rubicon at least once per year, and don’t plan to get rid of my little TJ ever.
 
#39 ·
2 years back I pulled my 33s off of my XJ and ran them on my LJ for many months with just a R.E. 3 inch lift kit with out a problem just to get more use out of tires. Now that my Daily drive is 103 miles I'm just running 31s on stock rims less wear on brakes, hubs ECT. Thinking about putting them back on for winter though.
 
#41 ·
Pressurized when you saw my Rubicon I had just put the 35" KM3's on. I hit too much stuff when aired down with 33's on my favorite trails and I'm much happier with 35's. I opted for 4:88 gears and it pulls great down low, handles all the hills, and will do 75 nicely on the freeway.

I have a 1" BL, MM lift and tummy tuck, Teraflex lift with 4" Currie springs. The rear springs are getting swapped out for 4.5" RE's and if I like them you are welcome to the Curries though they are not the LJ springs. My Jeep is too heavyassed for them.
 
#44 ·
Ok, I'll let you know. Frankenlift is an option... I would like to go 35's right away, but this initial build is just to get some decent capability out of it while keeping it easily revertible back to stock.

Thank you.
 
  • Like
Reactions: SubmarineAZ
#54 ·
A few of the older Zone 4.25 threads say that guys are putting a 3/4" spacer up front. Is this still a common practice? We do it on the AEV lifts too, just wonder if I should plan for it. Spacers are easy enough to add at any point, so not super concerned about it.
 
#56 ·
Got it, so the Zone kit leaves a little rake in... I like the level look, so I'll plan for a spacer. That will be good for a winch anyway.

Thank you.
 
#57 ·
I haven't noticed any rake in my set-up.
There is room for 35's, but if you want to flex out you might get a rub.
My opinion is that the Zone 4.25 kit is an great kit if you want or need to do a driveway install.
If it were my build for a daily driver on 35's:
3.5" dual rate springs (there are 1 or 2 companies that make these)
Basic bump-stop extensions
1" body and MM lift
Adjustable track bars and control arms
YJ brake lines
Your preference in Shock brand--I'm not thrilled with the shocks that come in the basic 4.25 zone kit, but they are quite adequate.
Better brakes like black magic. You can probably slide by with just rotors and pads.

You may want to consider gears.

So my vote is for a frankenlift
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bud125
#58 ·
Well, as is the norm with Jeeps, I'm sure every Jeep is a little different. Sitting stock it does have a little rake in it now. But most lift kits overcome that.

The Zone 4.25 is still the leading option. I have the Core 4x4 arms on my JK and would put their Tier 4 double johnny joint arms on the LJ. Although I just got a call and have a line on a full set of RK double Pro Joint TJ control arms. If the price is right, I would do those.

Planning 33's, so I hope to be able to fully flex what those springs can handle. It's got the body and MM lift in it, so those are covered. I would add brake lines... Also might add the new Falcon shocks and SS.

So, it would be bordering on a frankenlift for sure. Maybe gears eventually, but only if I am going to a bigger build with 35's or bigger. For now, everything added must be able to be removed and returned to stock if I so choose. Gears can be, but not cost effective...
 
#65 ·
I can absolutely appreciate your perspective. I have done a lot of comparison of backspace on JK's and have found scrub radius to have little to no effect on driving dynamics. Our unsprung weight is so high that it overcomes the less than optimal steering geometry. Keeping steering effort pretty much the same regardless of the increased scrub radius. Does a TJ respond similarly? I don't know, but it seems logical.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Muffin Top
#68 ·
absolutely. here are our jeeps. the silver one is the wife's with the zone 4.25" lift, 33x12.5 MTR's on alloys with 3.75" backspacing with an aussie locker in the front axle. the black one is mine with a frankenlift, 3" front springs, 2" rear, 35x12.5 on alloys with 4" backspacing, tummy tuck, lockers, antirock, PS highline defenders, Savvy arms, etc, etc. she rarely has any trouble keeping up

 
#69 ·
Excellent and very helpful, thank you.
 
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