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JLUR + 37s: Which suits my needs?

AmeriCon1776

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Hello! First post here. New to the forum but not to Wranglers. I previously had a 2dr JK with 3" BDS lift & 35x12.5x17 KM2s, which unfortunately had to be sold when my daughter was born. I've finally convinced the wife to "let" me buy a JLUR for my next vehicle, and have a few questions regarding which suspension would best suit my needs.

I live in Indiana, so there aren't a whole lot of rock crawling opportunities nearby. That being said, I plan to make a trip to Moab/Colorado once a year. I don't plan to do anything crazy, but I do want to flex the suspension a little. This will also be my DD and see a lot of highway miles. I'm planning to run 37x12.5x17 Cooper STT Pros & Fuel Anza 17x8.5 wheels (regardless of whether they are necessary or not, I love the look on the JLUs). I'm hoping to not have any rubbing when it's all said & done.

So for suspensions I am primarily looking at MetalCloak. I'm not sure if I should get the 2.5" or 3.5". Also, I'm not sure if the full on Game-Changer lift will be necessary, or if I would be satisfied with their basic lift without the control arms (they can always be upgraded later). Another concern is driveshaft replacement. Do both lifts require a new front driveshaft?

Ideally, I would like to save money with the standard lift and not replace the driveshaft if that will suit my needs. However if the basic lift has poor road manners and if I need to upgrade my driveshaft I will spend the extra money.

What's everyone's thoughts? Really appreciate any help and suggestions!
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MSUConrad

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I have the 3.5” with all 8 arms and the same 37” tires. No rubbing so far! You’d be fine with the cheaper lift HOWEVER if you’re driving to Moab and back, it may be good insurance to have beefier control arms.

With that said, you could find a pile of used stock control arms on Craigslist at any stop on your way back.
 

Ruiner

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I have 37’s on mine right now with no lift and no rubbing issues as an everyday driver, I haven’t gone Offroad with the 37’s because it will definitely eat the rear fenders alive. I’m installing the 2.5 true dual lift tomorrow I will post pics and let you know what I think. I was also wondering about the driveshaft but I’m gonna wait to see what kind of issues it has, if any, after the lift.
 

D60

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I went MC 2.5" and hope I don't wish I had gone 3.5".

Ultimately my ideal situation would be to add a ~1" to 1.5" body lift and then try to tuck the stupid gas tank up that much.

But the way my time is going I'll be lucky to ever install a bolt-on lift much less do any custom fab.....

Maybe I should get off my keyboard and to the shop, eh? I've got 6 boxes with the MetalCloak logo on 'em just sitting around.....
 
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AmeriCon1776

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I have the 3.5” with all 8 arms and the same 37” tires. No rubbing so far! You’d be fine with the cheaper lift HOWEVER if you’re driving to Moab and back, it may be good insurance to have beefier control arms.

With that said, you could find a pile of used stock control arms on Craigslist at any stop on your way back.
How do you like it so far? Did you upgrade your front driveshaft? Do you have any pics?

I have a feeling I'm going to end up with the 3.5" because I'm may go to 38s one day. I'm just not sure if I should start off with the dual rate kit or the game changer though...Ultimately I'm sure I'll upgrade all 8 CAs eventually, it's just a matter of determining whether I need them immediately or if they can wait a year while my wallet recovers lol.
 

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TSGTBARCLAY

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I just put the first 300 miles on my 2019 MOAB yesterday and after getting through the first thousand miles of break-in on my Jeep, I’m looking at going with the MetalCloak 3.5 inch Game Changer lift. After looking through so many lift kits it looks like the Game Changer kit is pretty well thought out with almost all required parts for the most complete suspension lift. IMO

The only thing that I think the lift will require after install is a steering stabilizer. I’m looking at the Teraflex Falcon Nexus EF 2.2

As far as tires and rubbing issues. I’m looking at running a set of Fuel 20x12’s with Mickey Thompson MTZ 37x13.5x20’s
 

wibornz

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I put the Rancho 2 in sport lift with adjustable shocks on my JLUR. The lift with the shocks is 739 dollars. I run 37X12-17 STT PRO tires. The JLUR flexes great and rides smooth. The tires do not rub. So maybe take a look at Rancho. The lift is even less right now with the rebates.

Some
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pics of my JLUR flexing.
 
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AmeriCon1776

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I have 37’s on mine right now with no lift and no rubbing issues as an everyday driver, I haven’t gone Offroad with the 37’s because it will definitely eat the rear fenders alive. I’m installing the 2.5 true dual lift tomorrow I will post pics and let you know what I think. I was also wondering about the driveshaft but I’m gonna wait to see what kind of issues it has, if any, after the lift.
Did you get your lift on? How do you like it?
 

Ruiner

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Did you get your lift on? How do you like it?
Here she is with the lift, I haven’t had time to take pics of the driveshaft yet but I can tell that it would need to be replaced over time driving off road from what I could see upon initial inspection. Daily driving would probably be fine on the driveshaft though.

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AmeriCon1776

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Looks like it turned out great! Btw, how are the Milestars?
 

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Ruiner

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Looks like it turned out great! Btw, how are the Milestars?
I run them at about 26psi and they aren’t completely quiet as some people claim but for an mt they are on the quieter side, they handle mud great, normal driving is great and slushy snow is actually pretty amazing, tires are what I would consider super sticky so after about 30min of driving on pavement to a trail they grab onto most anything. Like others have said, the mileage seems to be in the 20-30000 mile range and I would say it’s accurate but I haven’t had a chance to wear them out yet so I couldn’t say for certain.
 

stickshifter

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Not pretending to be an expert - just been doing some research by talking to a well-respected Jeep-shop here in Colorado. They say that lift height won't guarantee a lack of rubbing with 37s (or 35s), and that you need wheels with the right backspacing. According to this shop, on a JL Rubicon you can run a 35x11.5 with no lift, on stock wheels, and have zero rubbing (Nitto makes a 35x11.5). But if you run the more common 35x12.5 you will get a little rubbing at full flex (on stock wheels). On the right wheels, a 35x12.5 will not rub at all on a Rubicon at stock height. They also said that you would get a little rubbing with a 2.5 inch lift with 35s, if you stayed with stock wheels (in other words, its the wheel backspacing not the lift that will prevent rubbing). If you are going to 37s I would think the same principle would apply, and that neither the 2.5 nor the 3.5 MC lift will guarantee a lack of rubbing, unless you are pairing the lift with the right wheels. Sorry if this is obvious info - I'm just figuring things out for myself, and thought I'd share.
 

Toycrusher

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Nothing wrong with a little light rubbing. 37s stuff really well with no lift and just a set of 1.75" wheel spacers.

Plus, you can't ignore the benefits of keeping your center of gravity as low as possible. I drag skids and frame often, but I most likely would have rolled on one of my last outings if I had lifted it.

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stickshifter

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Yeah, good-quality spacers (hub-centric, etc.) are the way to go if you don't want to buy new wheels. Four spidertrax spacers (for example) cost $240, which is approx. the price of a single aftermarket wheel. Gotta use a torque wrench set to specs when installing them, and re-check the torque at every tire rotation, which is all pretty easy. I'm with you "Toycrusher" on rockin the low COG ride!
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