[RUBICONVICT]

Ok.....so I recently bought a 2003 Rubicon (everything is factory). What I really want is a Lift and about 33-35 inch tires. This is my only vehicle and I do not go off-road. Since I am now due for new tires, I figured it would be the best time to make a change if I was going to. I do not know much about lifts and tires and everyone on here seems to be really helpful. Can anyone suggest what lift/tires I should get? I would like to keep it as cheap as possible. Any advice given will be much appreciated! Thanks!

 

[mrbigjeep]

if your not going offroad i would just get a 4" suspension lift. you can clear 33's or 35's since you won't be wheeling. you should'nt need a sye+cv since you have a rubi. i'd go with a rubicon express 3.5" or 4.5" or a full traction 4". your axles and gears are already pretty decent so you shouldn't have any trouble with bigger tires. you may need an adjustble track bar the the full traction lift comes with one. some people also like to upgrade steering when going to 35's but if your not wheeling you may not need to.

i run the BFG mud terrains and they do very well on the road. but if your on the road only you may want an all terrain. many people like the bfg all terrain. I would personnaly like to try the nitto terra grappler if i was gonna get an all terrain. if you go as wide as 12.50" you may need spacers or new wheels with less backspacing to prevent rubbing when turning.

 

[bonzo]

4" Kit

Yeah 4"s is plenty for 33's which if it is a daily driver would be the optimal choice for running with your stock gears. Also check out the Mickey Thompson MTZ. It looks as good as a BFJ mud terrain, but last longer and is a little cheaper. I made the switch on my last set of tires and couldn't be happier.

 

[RUBICONVICT]

Ok, so a 4" suspension lift won't hurt the Jeep if I'm not going off road? And if I went from the factory tires (31") to 33" or 35" would I need to get new wheels also, or would my factory wheels work? I am worried about spending this money and regretting it since it is my everyday vehicle. Will gas mileage be way worse? What do you think would look best? 4" lift with 33's, 34's or 35's? Think all of this can be done for under $2,000? Thank you very much for your help, you guys are great.

 

[MR.CLIFFORD]

For 2000 dollars I know exactly what you need. Shop around the boards for opinions on an OME equipped jeep. The ride on road and performance offroad(for when you catch the wheelin bug) is top notch.

I would suggest going with the DPG Ultimate kit. You will have plenty of clearance for your 33s and an absolutely amazing jeep ride. This setup only uses the best products you can buy for your jeep.

http://www.dpgoffroad.com/TJ_LJ_OME_Kits.htm

This type of suspension setup will handle better and steer better due to the lower control arm angles and all the steering angles stay closer to their original setup. You won't lift the suspension as far and you get the rest of the height with a 1.25" body lift.

 

[erickpl]

x2 what Andy said.

I bought the basic kit from DPG for my OME lift, but have since added the JKS Body and motor lift, JKS adjustable trackbars as well, so basically have the ultimate kit (I just did it a bit at a time) and am really only missing the adjustable control arms to have the super ultimate kit.

My onroad ride is EXCELLENT, and was one of my primary goals when doing my lift/upgrade. That it works great offroad is a great bonus! JKS and OME are excellent (OME is brought to this country by ARB, as is IPF lighting) and I've been extremely happy with the results.

That body lift and motor lift also set you up great for a belly up, if you choose to go THAT route down the road/trail.

Andy knows Dirk a LOT better than me, but as a customer, I have been EXTREMELY satisfied with any dealings with them.

I've heard great things about Northridge and their pricing is pretty good, but DPG is closer, so shipping is usually a REALLY good deal, and my wife is from Wichita, where he is based, so I support him.

One thing to keep in mind, if you are going to go to 35's, your Jeep will feel a serious power loss, even on a Rubicon. Regearing becomes an issue at that point and for the 4.0 engine, 4.56 is recommended for 33's and 4.88 for 35's. That can be a pricey upgrade if you can't do the differential regearing yourself. Figure about 1000 for that.

33's would be bearable at the stock 4.10's on your Rubicon, but you'd still feel a power hit. 33's, to me, are a great all around size. Big enough to look nice and aggressive and capable offroad, but not so big as to be a PITA to get in and out of the Jeep. If this is a daily driven Jeep, that is something to consider.

Here's my rig built with a LOT of DPG purchases.

In suspension lifts, you will get what you pay for. JKS/OME is not a cheap solution, but it is probably one of, if not the best solution out there.

 

[RUBICONVICT]

Yeah, I really like the looks of yours ericpl. Those are 33's that you are running? Looks nice! Thank you for your advice!

 

[erickpl]

Yeah, I really like the looks of yours ericpl. Those are 33's that you are running? Looks nice! Thank you for your advice!

Yep, 33x12.5x15" TrXuS MT's. VERY surefooted offroad and onroad in the rain and snow.

 

[binaryking]

Ok, so a 4" suspension lift won't hurt the Jeep if I'm not going off road? And if I went from the factory tires (31") to 33" or 35" would I need to get new wheels also, or would my factory wheels work? I am worried about spending this money and regretting it since it is my everyday vehicle. Will gas mileage be way worse? What do you think would look best? 4" lift with 33's, 34's or 35's? Think all of this can be done for under $2,000? Thank you very much for your help, you guys are great.

Gas mileage will be worse, you are going to lose some of that engine's pep when you install the bigger tires. Not to mention all the little things that are going to pop up here and there. I just don't want you to think that you are going to be able to put that lift on and then never have to do anything to your Jeep again.

Lifted vehicles require a lot more maintenance and love than stock vehicles.

IMO if you're just doing it for the look, don't bother.

 

[RUBICONVICT]

Thank you for all of the advice. I stopped by Quadtratec this afternoon since it's right around the corner from my house. The guy there said to stay away from the 35's due to the gas mileage factor and that it would be too sluggish. He said that the 3.5" Rubicon Express Lift with 33's would look great and wouldn't be as impractical. What do you guys think about that? Do you think 3.5" is too much??

Would I be able to install that lift kit myself with basic tools??

 

[erickpl]

My lift gave me about 3.25" of lift, before I put on the BL. I'd pick OME over RE though, but that is just me.

RE is a great offroad suspension lift, but I honestly have not heard much one way or the other how good it is on the road.

BTW, you WILL overpay at Quadratec.

 

[binaryking]

You must live near me then if you're close to quadratec. I live in Elverson, which is about 10 mins down the road from Downingtown.

Quadratec can be over priced on some items, but not having to pay shipping and being able to pick up your merchandise the same day, usually, does make up for it. If I didn't live so close, I would probably never use them.

 

[RUBICONVICT]

OK, so has anyone installed one of these (OME or RE lift)themselves? Do you need special tools or anything? It would save me hundreds if I could do it on my own.

 

[1BLKJP]

OK, so has anyone installed one of these (OME or RE lift)themselves? Do you need special tools or anything? It would save me hundreds if I could do it on my own.

Installing a lift where you are not changing the control arms is a snap. All you need is some jack stands a couple floor jacks and basic hand tools. Air tools would be much nicer of course.

I agree with Quadratec. If you are just trying lift your jeep for on road appeal then you really can do it pretty cheaply. In fact I would say to clear 33's. You could do a 2" coil spacer lift and a 1 or 1.25" body lift and you'd only be out about 400 - 500 bucks.

Boys stop trying to sell the guy stuff he doesn't need already. You know he doesn't need that Ultimate kit Andy. He only needs 3 quick inches of lift to get him enough to clear 33's for show not for wheelin.

Stock Rubicon wheels are already 8" wide so you can run the metric version of 33's on there without having to replace them. I'm thinking it's the 305 version, but someone can tell me if I'm wrong on that.

 

[MR.CLIFFORD]

Installing a lift where you are not changing the control arms is a snap. All you need is some jack stands a couple floor jacks and basic hand tools. Air tools would be much nicer of course.

I agree with Quadratec. If you are just trying lift your jeep for on road appeal then you really can do it pretty cheaply. In fact I would say to clear 33's. You could do a 2" coil spacer lift and a 1 or 1.25" body lift and you'd only be out about 400 - 500 bucks.

Boys stop trying to sell the guy stuff he doesn't need already. You know he doesn't need that Ultimate kit Andy. He only needs 3 quick inches of lift to get him enough to clear 33's for show not for wheelin.

Stock Rubicon wheels are already 8" wide so you can run the metric version of 33's on there without having to replace them. I'm thinking it's the 305 version, but someone can tell me if I'm wrong on that.

your version of what you "need" might be different from others. In my book, there is no quick 3" lift.

 

[erickpl]

Since his jeep is for the street mainly, why not recommend something that rides great on the street?

I installed my OME, body lift, motor lift... all of it by myself. The only tool I used that might be 'specialty' is a spring compressor I rented for $40.00 from Autozone (and got the $$ back after returning it). Not always required, but it sure made it easier to get them in there. I did the suspension lift in about 4 or 5 hours, with a break for lunch, and taking my time (it was a hot summer day - even in the garage!)

 

[RUBICONVICT]

Thats great news.....thanks a lot. So if I get 5 new 33" tires and around a 3" lift that I can install myself I can keep it around $1500. Thanks for the help. Should be a while but I'll get some pics up as soon as its done.

 

[Rockodile]

Ok, so a 4" suspension lift won't hurt the Jeep if I'm not going off road? And if I went from the factory tires (31") to 33" or 35" would I need to get new wheels also, or would my factory wheels work? I am worried about spending this money and regretting it since it is my everyday vehicle. Will gas mileage be way worse?

If you have the stock wheels on they are a 16" wheel. I have same year and model as you. I had a set of 285 75 r16 = 33 x 10.5" with no rub issue. I then had a set of 305 70 r16 = 33 x 12.5" and they rubbed but by putting 3 washers behind each steering stop I was able to keep it from rubbing at the expense of a larger turning radius. Only an issue on the trail. Both of them were on the stock Moab wheels that come on Rubi's. There is also a 315 75 r16 which is a 35 x 12.5" that fits the stock wheels. All the above have been Goodyear MTR's which I like. In fact I liked em so much that I am running a set 37 x 12.5 15" MTR's now.

Yes your gas mileage will get worse, but if you stay with the 285 75 r 16 you are not going any wider then what you are currently running. I am assuming you have the stock 245 75 r 16's on now? Anyway as you go wider and taller you will see reduced mileage. My thinking is that if you don't do both you might have a slim advantage over a 12.5" wide tire. I averaged between 10-12 on all forms of 33's I had. Now on the 37's I regeared to 513's and I got my overdrive back as well as improved mileage!!!! I am getting a wopping 14MPG's now!!!! ROFLMAO

Good luck with your lift and such!

 

[RUBICONVICT]

Thanks Rockodile.....What kind of lift did you have when you were running the 33 x 10.5"? Do you have any pictures? I'd really like to see what it looks like with the different size tires/lifts since you have the same year and model.

 

[Rockodile]

Here goes, we are going from stock to 37's and I will eexplain every step. Note: I could not find any pics with the 285's so all you get is 245's(33 x 10.5 r16, 305's (33 x 12.5 r16), 33x 12.5" r15 and 37 x 12.5" r15.

Bone stock

First jump was to a BBL with an Nth TT, Nth HD stock replacement LCA's and a set of their adjustable UCA's. In addition I got a Tom Woods CV driveshaft. This put the jeep at about 2" above stock. This set up was on 285's no photos as that lasted about a month, I had an option on a used set of 305's on moabs and a set of OME 3" springs so I grabbed em and sold my rims with the 285's. Then promptly headed for the Rubicon Trail.

The set up worked OK but was missing the handling I wanted so I decided to save up and get the RE LA kit and a set of steelie 15" rims with some 33 x 12.5 15's on em.

Then I was mulling over 35 or 37....and finaly I came to terms with 37's and saved a step IMHO. anyway that is where I am at. Hope this helps a bit and feel free to ask any questions you want to me as I can probaly give you the straight scoop. I am a mechanic and I might ad a damned good one!!

Have a great one!!