Appreciate TJ Lift advice

[oddball]

I'm looking at BDS lifts. I was interested in their 3" suspension lift and wondered a few things...

They recommend a transfer case drop (option to include in their kit) and have heard this defeats the whole purpose of a lift. Any truth to that?

Also, if I went with a 3" lift (or even 2") would you recommend adjustable or solid lower control arms? For the record, the BDS arms (adjustable and fixed / solid) have greasable urethane bushings.

Finally, should I stay away from boots (shock & steering) if I don't whether they are air tight? I realize if they're not air tight, they can trap dirt and such.

Thanks in advance.

[Ring611]

With a 3 in lift it is better to go with the transfer case drop kit. People will say that it is not needed but it does not defeat the purpose of the lift. it is just a less expensive way to put on the bigger lift w/out going with a SYE or nothing and worrying about vibration.

With the control arms, I had fixed on my 97 TJ and they were just fine. I only say this beacuse if you are going to go bigger you will eventualy have to buy diffrent control arms and there is no point in putting all the money into adjustables that will only go from stock to 4" of lift.

If you get the Shock boots just make sure to clean them. They do not trap the ammount of dirt you think. and the amount of time it would take for that much grit and grime to build up you will have a new jeep buy then or a rock buggy..

IMHO..
James.

[pixeldzn]

Rubicons do not require an SYE, just a double-cardan driveshaft. They do not have a slip yoke to begin with.

At 3" of lift, you will pobably experience vibrations without either the upgraded driveshaft of the transfer case drop. In either case, at least adjustable uppers are really helpful in dialing in the pinion angles to mitigate any vibrations. I wouldn't waste money on the fixed arms myself.

The transfer case drop is kinda the poor man's way to go about it. If you can afford the extra coin for the upgraded DS, I'd go that way. Your other option is to look into a 2.5" lift with a 1" body lift and Motor mount lift. If you ever plan to ditch that shovel underneath for a tummy tuck, you will need the BL and MML anyhow. The 2.5" lift should allow you to stay away from a TC drop and also run the stock rear shaft until you decide to upgrade it. That setup is perfect for 33s.

[oddball]

Thanks Don.

I just bought a 1.25" BL & 1"MML from JKS. I am now thinking a 2" lift is all I need since I was also thinking 33's would work for me.

Also, I do plan to ditch the shovel underneath and am looking at a Rokmen TT, along with their engine & tranny skids. Matter of fact, I've been told by a couple people I would be better off piecing together a lift rather than buy one out of the box. FWIW, I was also looking at Teraflex lifts.

Anyway, I guess I will call and talk to a couple of recommended 4x4 shops to put a lift together for me. But I'm curious - in your opinion (let's say I go with 2" or 2.5" lift), would you say I'd be better off going with this size in a coil / shock lift rather than a budget spacer lift?

Thanks again.

[pixeldzn]

For sure, if you can afford it, go coils.

On my jk, I ran a budget boost for 6 months or so until I could get some funds together for my AEV Kit, and I could tell I was on a budget boost, especially after owning other properly lifted vehicles.

[Xander]

If you are on a TIGHT budget, I'd go with the Rough Country 2.5" or 3.25" lift. We (Don and I) installed this lift on my rubicon and did not net the full 2.5". It has to do with the spring rate of the rubicon springs. I will soon be adding the .75" spring spacers and doing a BL/MML to comfortably fit 33s. I went this route due to the fact that this was cheaper than a BB with decent shocks (I was looking at RE). It rides comparable to stock and it looks good with the factory sized tires.



Now if you have a little more money to play with, I'd advise you to look into an OME lift. You can find many OME/JKS kits online from such places as 4x4rockshop or DPGoffroad or Rokmen. Don had this lift and really liked it. Many people are now going with the ZJ/LJ combo because the 'heavy' rated springs tend to sag over time. Many people are satisfied with this lift and has very good reviews in terms of the ride it delivers.

[Schwarttzy]

Here's my advice, Don't lift it! and still get the tire size you want.

Instead of wasting money on making your jeep sit higher, which does nothing but make you jeep worse off-road, go to http://www.genright.com/ and buy fender flares front and rear. I can't find it but they used to have a kit that had front and rear fender flares, and sliders for $1700 which meant you could run 35 inch tire on factory lift. Throw in a $300 tummy tuck and your jeep would murder everyone off-road, and top of that be armored head to toe. Also the best thing about my way of going about things is that your jeep will still corner as well as it does right now.

The best part is you won't have any bad drive line angles requiring to buy special drive shaft or dialing them in, your wind resistance doesn't get worse, no bumper steer, no modifications to the exhaust, you don't got to fight adjusting your track bars, you don't have to mess with your steering alignment, and the list goes on.

That may sound like a lot of money trust me when I say "It isn't," even though you probably won't trust me.

[98xj]

all you would have left to do is regear and you would be done. maybe some quick disconnects but thats about it . the in thing now adays is to run the biggest tire with the least amount of lift.. LOWER 40!

[oddball]

all you would have left to do is regear and you would be done. maybe some quick disconnects but thats about it . the in thing now adays is to run the biggest tire with the least amount of lift.. LOWER 40!

I know what the Lower40 is but I was wondering if the so-called "in-thing" is what some have referred to as COG? I'm still not exactly sure what that is, or means?

Meantime, I haven't purchased a suspension lift, or installed the JKS BL & MML (I have sitting in the garage) yet. I have however come to the conclusion if I do go with a small 2.5" or 3.25" lift, it will be the Rough Country (I was actually a step ahead of you Xander). Most of the people I've come across running the RC lifts like them and I've heard good things about their Performance 2.2 shocks. Otherwise, I am pretty much sold on the Currie 4" long arm system if I decided to go bigger.

With that said, Schwarttzy, you under-estimate me. I trust your advice to the point where I've sat up at taken serious notice to this idea. Again, is this what is referred to as COG? Or more importantly, where you suggesting this using a BL & MML, or not? Either way, I have been a step or two ahead of you aswell. The Gen-Right front perforated flat fenders (3.5") along with the size match rear flares have been on my 'wish list' for weeks now. (fwiw, I also want their Rock Sliders & backing plates). Anyway, as Don eluded to earlier, ditching the shovel for a TT is right around the corner. Believe it or not, I found a aluminum T-case skid from Undercover Fab Works which comes in either a BL model, or a "No Body Lift" model which states; This product will increase ground clearance by 1 1/2" over the factory skid plate. The total height of this system is about 3". So I'm wondering if this would be worth it not to do a BL? Aside from this, I also want their aluminum engine & transmission skids. Fwiw, I am going with a aluminum gas skid from Savvy.

Oh and FWIW, I'm not really looking to go 35" (or regearing), I think I would be happy with 33" tires. Also, as for quick disconnects, remaining stock makes the choices for me limited to say the least. If I didn't lift (or even if I went 2" - 3", JKS is about my best option from what I am both reading and hearing from others. The RC quick disconnects won't work and neither will the Currie Anti-Rock (which would be my first choice in a 4" lift. (I realize the Anti-Rock is included in their 4" LA kit.

Thanks again to everyone for their replies and suggestions. I really have appreciated them.

- Jerry

[SunDvl]

COG = Center of Gravity. Basically the lower, the better. Lifted Wranglers get a little top heavy and can give you a bit more pucker in off camber situations. And yes, COG has been more discussed in the last couple of years. As for quick discos, I like my Rubicon Express discos.