New jeeper question about lifts

Spacers are just that. Spacers. They keep your stock suspension components. Just a piece that goes in between to raise the stock height. You can get a 2.5" spacer set up for around $200. A complete 2.5" lift can run from $600 to $1,200. Depending on the make and components used.

What's a good lift to use? I'm only starting into riding trails and very little mudding. What do you recommend. I'm not a die hard sell all my stuff for a lift. Just need to know how much to save after this next afghan visit.

I can't recommend a lift as I don't have the experience yet. I hear good things though about teraflex, old man emu, and rock krawler. Decent prices and offered in the 2.5" set up. Good lift due to not having to do drivetrain mods. Once you get into 3" plus you are looking at new drive shafts, etc. there are lots of threads around.

I ran Old Man Emu's 2" kit with 33's and was pleased with it. Think it's right around $600.

Also, from what I've read on many of these forums, you can run 35's with a 2" or 2.5" lift as long as you trim the pinch seams, opt for flat fenders and use wheel spacers. Point is, spend the money for a good, comprehensive kit and it may serve you well for quite a while. One important part of a comprehensive kit, in my opinion, is how they address the brake lines. I've seen some that don't address them, some that simply use relocation brackets and some that provide extended lines. Brackets are good but extended lines are better.

Only reason I got rid of it was that I upsized to 37's.

search and read up is your friend.

Rtone1583 said:

Also, from what I've read on many of these forums, you can run 35's with a 2" or 2.5" lift as long as you trim the pinch seams, opt for flat fenders and use wheel spacers.

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You MIGHT need to trim the pinch seams to run 35s on a 2.5" lift, but you definitely don't need to use flat fenders -- and wheel spacers are completely dependent on the back-spacing for your choice of wheels. Unless you're running stock wheels, most people are smart enough to choose aftermarket wheels that have proper back-spacing (anything 4.5" or less).

As for brake lines, the braided Crown lines that come with the RK 2.5" lift kits are the exact same length as the stock lines. As long as you run the correct shock and bump stop sizes for each kit, the stock brake line lengths should work just fine...

Kind of right. Youll need a minimum of bumpstops to retain your fenders.

Often times, people will assume and recommend a 2.5" lift for 35s due to simplicity. On road is going to be different than off road. Where you will be perfectly ok on road there are certain situations off road where you will not be ok.

I can guarantee with confidence, if you got 2.5" of actual lift and youre running 35" tires, and you have aired down your tires to less than 14 psi with your sway bars disconnected, you will rub your pinch seem and rip off your fenders. (Assuming you got lesss than 3" bumpstop)

pluke the 2 said:

Kind of right. Youll need a minimum of bumpstops to retain your fenders.

Often times, people will assume and recommend a 2.5" lift for 35s due to simplicity. On road is going to be different than off road. Where you will be perfectly ok on road there are certain situations off road where you will not be ok.

I can guarantee with confidence, if you got 2.5" of actual lift and youre running 35" tires, and you have aired down your tires to less than 14 psi with your sway bars disconnected, you will rub your pinch seem and rip off your fenders. (Assuming you got lesss than 3" bumpstop)

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We have quite a few 2.5 lifts out there on 35"s with no pinch seam problems whatsoever. The only pinch seam trims we've done is when running 37"s, and if its a Rubi, the rock rail needs about an inch trimmed off.

pluke the 2 said:

Kind of right. You'll need a minimum of bumpstops to retain your fenders.

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Absolutely. The point was that you do not need flat fenders to run 35's.

3" bumpstops are a much easier (and cheaper) solution that will work just fine on and off-road...

Shit i rubbed my pinch seems with stock x tires. Iguess it makes a difference whether you 2.5" kit comes with adjustable arms or.not. Weve had 4 jks all rubbed pincch seems with 35s.

Granted, 2 were rubis and 2 were sports

pluke the 2 said:

Shit i rubbed my pinch seems with stock x tires. Iguess it makes a difference whether you 2.5" kit comes with adjustable arms or.not. Weve had 4 jks all rubbed pincch seems with 35s.

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We won't install a lift without adjustable CAs, and all 2 door JKs we do are all stretched 1" in the rear.

pluke the 2 said:

Shit i rubbed my pinch seems with stock x tires.

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Pinch seam rubbing seems to be hit or miss for everyone. Even so, I definitely plan to trim mine ASAP just to be sure... even if they don't rub, they're way too close for my comfort! lol

paleh0rse said:

Pinch seam rubbing seems to be hit or miss for everyone. Even so, I definitely plan to trim mine ASAP just to be sure...

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I've ran 35" tires on my 08 JKUR for 44,000 miles, and just trimmed the seams when I put on 37"s. remember, as your suspension cycles upward, the tire moves away from the seam.

paleh0rse said:

You MIGHT need to trim the pinch seams to run 35s on a 2.5" lift, but you definitely don't need to use flat fenders -- and wheel spacers are completely dependent on the back-spacing for your choice of wheels. Unless you're running stock wheels, most people are smart enough to choose aftermarket wheels that have proper back-spacing (anything 4.5" or less).

As for brake lines, the braided Crown lines that come with the RK 2.5" lift kits are the exact same length as the stock lines. As long as you run the correct shock and bump stop sizes for each kit, the stock brake line lengths should work just fine...

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Goddamn I love the Jeeping community!! I posted based on my experience with stock and aftermarket wheels. Even after I swapped to aftermarket wheels with 4.5" back spacing (once I got smart enough) and 2" lift I still had rubbing issues at the extreme end of compression and when the steering was at full lock. Besides, the OP said nothing about going to aftermarket wheels.