Increased wheel travel 37” tires

[DezertTitan]

So 37s are the new 33s, right? That’s what I keep hearing. Well I’ve been considering 35s or 37s. I’ve been doing a lot of searching & reading and from what I’ve found the 37s are an excellent size. The JL handles them great & drives great. Only downside is you don’t take advantage of 8th gear in the auto very much. So I’m leaning heavily towards 37. Most likely Nitto Ridge Grapplers.

I’m not a fan of lifting just to “go big”. If I’m spending the $$ I want to see an increase in performance. So that brings me to either a 2.5 metal cloak or 2.5 Evo kit. Evo offers so many options it’s just damn confusing. However nothing but good reviews on their stuff. So I’ll probably go with MetalCloak. What I’ve read about MC, their Kevlar joints are excellent. I’d be getting one of their kits with shocks otherwise the limiting factor would be the travel of the stock rubicon shocks.

So I stopped at a shop yesterday & spent some time talking to one of their techs. He recommended the MC kit & gave it flying colors. However, they recommended a 3.5” lift for a 37” tire. He warned that if I went with a 2.5” I’d have rubbing issues and would require additional spacers for the bump stops. The only difference in the kit is the the springs.

I’d just go with the 3.5 and be done with it, but in regards to that I’ve read that you run into pinion angle issues, drive shaft rubbing against skids & gas tank. Just more things I feel would need to be addressed fairly quickly. However I’ve also seen a lot of people say they fit 37s without an issue on a 2.5” lift.

Anybody have experience with this? How much wheel travel do the bump stops kill? Of course later down the road I can just upgrade. I just don’t want to put myself in a place where I’m damaging things.

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[rustyshakelford]

Hopefully I can answer your questions...

Metalcloak, RK are my personal preference. I’ve never heard anything but great things about Evo, just haven’t installed them.

MC is a great all around kit. It performs well off road and has great road manners. The JL seems to handle 37s great. With our factory Rubi fenders and 3.5 game changer I’m using 3 pucks for the bump stops. We have zero running and it flexes great. As for a 2.5, I’d need to put it on the ramp and watch it but I would bet it’ll rub a bit.

With the 3.5, if you wheel it, I’d recommend upgrading your front drive shaft. At full flex it can rub and tear the boot which will cause premature failure. The new DS is stronger but has a smaller diameter. If you don’t wheel it much I don’t think you’ll need the DS.

Pinion angles are all fine, encourage you to check out steer smart for their drag link and tie rod. This is a great upgrade to do when you build your Jeep up. It’s not the “fun” stuff but ensures a positive driving experience.

Brett

 

[DezertTitan]

Thanks for your response. I live around a lot of great trails here in So Cal. While I don’t plan on hammering it, I do expect to be pushing it. I think the smart move, for now, will be to sea with a little less up travel, going with the 2.5. See how that goes. I hate cheaping out, but I’m not really with this setup. If I find the 2.5 underwhelming I can always upgrade to the 3.5. The bulk of the $$ will have been spent.

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