[kolbenju]

Hi everyone. I could use some help deciding how to go about lifting my 2000 wrangler. I have been told that the key to deciding what type of lift to go with is to start by deciding what tire size I want and go from there. My problem is that I am not sure what tire size I want. I am looking to improve the look of my jeep and make it off road capable but my need to keep it effective on-road. I have a few thousand to put into it. Can anyone help me figure out where to start?

Thanks!

 

[mrbigjeep]

well 31's-33's sounds good for you...what rear axle do you have? i would maybe do a BB or 2" spring lift with 1" BL and 32's.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Usually money is the deciding factor. Bigger tires, like 35-37 require some expensive modifications like axles and gears in addition to 4-6 inches of lift. That build up could easily add up to 10,000 in parts. Smaller tires 31"-33" can also make for a capable rig too. You can run 33's with 3"-4" of lift and a much cheeper suspension. New axles aren't usually needed unless you have a Dana 35 in the rear and plan on beating on it. You can get away without changing gears also, but will feel some power loss.

If your just running trails a 3" -4" kit can be had for $600- $1000 and 5 tires and wheel for about $1000 more. Good luck with your build up.

 

[Triple88a]

Joe said exactly the same thing before my browser crashed while trying to upload my post.. if you wanna go big than +35 but if you want just some lift but not crazy lift than 33s are good.. i was planning on 35s but after reading up what i need and stuff i am now planning on 33s

 

[kolbenju]

Thank you so much for your prompt replies. Sounds good, I was leaning towards 33's. One concern that I have is that I dont really like the look that comes from a lift that is too high for the tires. Maybe I willl go with a 3" lift with 33's. Any advice on suspension (long arm, short arm, etc). Sorry for the dumb questions, I am a new jeep owner and not really an expert mechanic. I am not sure what type of real axle I have--what comes stock on a 2000 6 cyl?

 

[jherrin215]

You will have to look at the differential cover on the rear axle. If it has a metal drain plug, it's a Dana 44 if it has a plastic Drain plug, it's a 35. Also you can go to Jeep.com and request a build sheet for your Jeep and it will give you the specifics on every option of your vehicle, provided nothing has been changed from stock.

 

[Triple88a]

Preatty much a 2.5 Budged boost and a 1.25 body lift should be enough to clear them but you will need to extend your bumpstops an inch or so to keep the tires out of your fenders at full flex

Stock suspension is short arms.. id recomend long arms but thats quite pricey so unless you are going to go above 4 in suspension lift only (does not include body lift) i wouldnt buy it.. Jherrin i thought it was a rubber plug. :flipoff:

 

[kolbenju]

Does a body lift result in poor center of gravity/handling?

 

[kolbenju]

I just checked, and it is a plastic drain plug.

 

[GoodLife]

Deciding on a lift and tire size to run and get a bit over whelming. 31 – 33 is good size to combine on-road and off-road performance. 2” of lift can fit 32s; 3’ of lift can fit 33s. Depending on your gear ratio you may feel a loss of power. I just recently learn that on this forum and am now re-evaluating my budget incase I need to re-gear.

 

[Triple88a]

Yes it does.. any lift will result in poor center of gravity actually but its a cheaper way to make room for bigger tires. Quadratec sells higher fenders + hood to run 34s on stock lift which will help with center of gravity compared to a lift kit..

Welcome.. now remember this.. you have the dreaded dana 35.. Even with 33s you wil have to be preatty carefull with it since its soft and easy to brake

 

[kolbenju]

Sure can be overwhelming. I have been reading/looking through magazines for months and havent gotten anywhere. That is why I decided to turn to fellow Jeep owners for help. Thanks everyone for the help.

 

[kolbenju]

How about tires? How rugged can I go while maintaining on-road effectiveness/efficiency?

 

[GoodLife]

It will depend on your terrain. Mud terrains are good for mud and rocks, but can be noisier on the road then A/Ts. A friend of mine is running BF Goodrich A/Ts and loves them. I am getting a set in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Triple88a]

GoodLife,
What tires 33s would you recomend for long thread life on road with some mud here and there?

 

[GoodLife]

My friend has 33s and drives mainly on-road. I think I'm getting 32s. We have a lot of sand here and not much thick mud, so the A/Ts work best. I've heard Goodyear's MTs have good tread life.

 

[kolbenju]

I feel like I am starting to make some progress, thank you guys so much.

I will probably go with all terrain, since I do a lot of onroad driving and probably will only be doing light duty off roading (for now).

so now I am looking at 33" BF Goodrich all terrain tires with a 3" lift. I did see, however, Procomp Xtreme A/T tires (advertised as long tread life and equally at home on or off road---they look a little tougher than the BF Goodrchs).

Any recommendations for the brand of lift to go with?

How about rim size? I read somewhere that 15's are the best to go with. I would think that 16's would look better, and if I am not going to have to spend the $2500 that I thought I was on a suspension lift, I can probably afford the bigger rims.

I also want to get new bumpers and some nice fender flares.

 

[Triple88a]

tires and rims are cheeper as 15s than they would be with 16s.. id save my money on the 16s and instead get wider 15 tires since they look meaner than the pizza cutters as many call them.. take a look at that website to start off with http://www.4wd.com/packagebuilder.aspx?step=1&tire=33.00&sid=262

I personally like the baja claws with some shiny "Mickey Thompson Classic IIs" 15s

 

[mrbigjeep]

AT sounds good for your setup. i'm thinking of going to skinnier tires on my next set of tires so that i can go bigger without gaining much or any weight.

 

[activelydying]

so you are thinking about it