Lift with 37s

[Jeepmama71]

Ok Jeepers I am new to Jeep. I want to do a 4 inch lift with teraflex 2 arm kit and 37 tires Toyos. On a new 2024 Sahara 2.0 with 3.45 top gear 8 speed Transmission. I am not concerned about gas mileage. How will this drive and has anyone had problems with driveshaft, transmission axles. Is this setup too much? I will not be rock climbing mainly highway driving and beach rides.

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[Philly_]

TLDR: You can do it, but it’s not an ideal setup. Make sure you can dial in caster and pinion angles with adjustable control arms, and consider less lift if you don’t need the flex to avoid other complications. Also, expect things to wear out fast!

You can probably get away with a 2.5” lift if you’re not going to be flexing out the suspension, just make sure you’re set up properly with bump stops and you have at least 4 adjustable control arms (2 front / 2 rear) so you can properly adjust caster and pinion angles. With less lift and shorter shocks, you’re unlikely to need a new driveshaft or cause vibrations.

You will be under geared. Most with the 2.0T recommend 4.88’s to accommodate 37’s, but many run 4.10’s at sea level in fairly flat terrain without issue. I haven’t seen anyone run 3.45’s yet… The transmission and torque in the 2.0T will help compensate for some of the power loss, but you’re going to notice it for sure when starting from a stop, and with highway fuel economy.

Also, I’m not sure which front/rear axles are on the Sahara, but it would be ideal to have a pair of Dana 44’s when going up to 37’s. If it’s basically a pavement princess with some light beach duty, you should be fine.

Expect things to wear out quickly. Especially the OEM ballpoints. I would budget to upgrade to HD ones of your choice from the beginning. Dynatrac are the forum favorite because they’re rebuildable, but you can go with other options as well.

You’re going to want a new tire carrier to lift your spare high enough to clear your bumper, and support the hinges. Most report the Mopar hinge reinforcement isn’t enough for a 37 after they upgrade to something beefier, but it will do with an adjustable carrier for a while. I like the Teraflex Alpha Hinge / Tire Carrier a lot with my setup.

This is everything I could think of off the top of my head… there’s more, but based on how you plan to use your Jeep, this is a good start.

 

[yokramer]

Yep just like Philly said if you actually want to use it and it be reasonable at all stick with a 2.5" lift, be sure to use adjustable arms, and get proper track bars also re gear to 4.88s on 37s.

If you just want the "look" then fuck it go for it and change the gearing if you feel like you need it.

 

[tomk62]

@Jeepmama71 why 37s and a 4" lift? IMHO that's too much. As others have said, 37s cross the threshold where you need to begin to upgrade other parts, and for your stated use case I don't see the benefit - other than aesthetics if you like that look.

I have a 2024 Sahara on a 2.5"lift with 35s, check out my build thread for details. Mine drives great!

 

[roaniecowpony]

With any significant increase in tire size and lift, it's a cascading effect that has you changing the next thing to regain or fix capabilities you had before the lift/tires. 37s are a big jump and will have cause more negative effects that you'll want to correct. More corrections...more $$$$$.

You may have a little Dana 30 front axle. It's really not designed to handle 37" tires. Some people do it. But it's one of those things that you might get away with for a while....then one day, snap.

I'm on 37s, 4.88s, and I'm having heat issues with the D44 in my rubicon, while on the highway for extended periods (road trips). Consider 35s. Lots of capabitlity. Less concerns and problems, with everything.

Consider that lifting a 37" tire onto a tire carrier takes 3 men and a little boy, or Samson.

 

[Jeepmama71]

TLDR: You can do it, but it’s not an ideal setup. Make sure you can dial in caster and pinion angles with adjustable control arms, and consider less lift if you don’t need the flex to avoid other complications. Also, expect things to wear out fast!

You can probably get away with a 2.5” lift if you’re not going to be flexing out the suspension, just make sure you’re set up properly with bump stops and you have at least 4 adjustable control arms (2 front / 2 rear) so you can properly adjust caster and pinion angles. With less lift and shorter shocks, you’re unlikely to need a new driveshaft or cause vibrations.

You will be under geared. Most with the 2.0T recommend 4.88’s to accommodate 37’s, but many run 4.10’s at sea level in fairly flat terrain without issue. I haven’t seen anyone run 3.45’s yet… The transmission and torque in the 2.0T will help compensate for some of the power loss, but you’re going to notice it for sure when starting from a stop, and with highway fuel economy.

Also, I’m not sure which front/rear axles are on the Sahara, but it would be ideal to have a pair of Dana 44’s when going up to 37’s. If it’s basically a pavement princess with some light beach duty, you should be fine.

Expect things to wear out quickly. Especially the OEM ballpoints. I would budget to upgrade to HD ones of your choice from the beginning. Dynatrac are the forum favorite because they’re rebuildable, but you can go with other options as well.

You’re going to want a new tire carrier to lift your spare high enough to clear your bumper, and support the hinges. Most report the Mopar hinge reinforcement isn’t enough for a 37 after they upgrade to something beefier, but it will do with an adjustable carrier for a while. I like the Teraflex Alpha Hinge / Tire Carrier a lot with my setup.

This is everything I could think of off the top of my head… there’s more, but based on how you plan to use your Jeep, this is a good start.

So do you think I should drop my tire size to 35s?

 

[Philly_]

So do you think I should drop my tire size to 35s?

I think your Jeep will be happier and you will enjoy the drivability more with 35’s. It can be done with far fewer upgrades, but any increase in tire size over stock will cause components (especially ball joints) to wear faster.

Ultimately, if you know you want 37’s and love the look, it’s better to buy once and cry once, just be prepared for the added cost that eventually comes with it.

 

[yokramer]

So do you think I should drop my tire size to 35s?

Whats your use case for the Jeep, also what do you want it to look like? Both are important at the end of the day. The current Wrangler on 35s and 2.5" lift is an extremely capable vehicle that will drive through almost anything in Florida, while still looking classically Jeep but still aggressive.

 

[Grayhound]

So do you think I should drop my tire size to 35s?

Do you have a picture of the look you’re after and we can help you work backwards from there?

 

[tomk62]

Whats your use case for the Jeep

I will not be rock climbing mainly highway driving and beach rides.

 

[roaniecowpony]

So do you think I should drop my tire size to 35s?

And your lift to a 2 or 2 1/2". High lifts change raise the center of gravity and make your jeep more prone to roll over in evasive maneuvers and cause all kinds of geometry problems in your steering and suspension. Those big tall lifts aren't all glamour and glory. They make daily driving worse in most cases. Especially, if you don't spend the money to do them where all the issues are addressed. (doing a lift has exponentially more consequences the higher you go).

 

[jeepingib]

For a highway/beach cruiser I don't recommend 37s and 3.45 gears. Stick with a 2.5" lift and 35s. It will still give you an aggressive look that I'm guessing is what you are looking for, without being so over the top that you have to make a lot of other changes and corrections.

 

[Philly_]

If it helps, here’s my two door on a Metalcloak 2.5” Gamechanger Suspension and 315/70r17 BFG KO2’s.

BFG is notorious for their tires running small, so basically any other tire will look larger than this. And with the Sahara fenders, you will lose about 1” of the gap I have between my fenders and tops of my tires. I could easily fit 37’s with my setup, and many others on the forum do.

Also, the gap can be deceiving in photos without a true side shot. Maybe go to a Jeep club event and check out some rigs with setups you like and ask the owners what they’ve got. Everyone loves to talk about their setup, and you’ll likely get some honest feedback on what they like/don’t like and how they would do it if they were to start from the beginning again.

I learned the best I could through research on my JKU, but some of it comes down to trial and error. Now that I had a clean slate with the JL, I’ve built my Jeep a bit different, and put far more focus on the suspension and drivability.

 

[2005LJR]

I run 37's with factory 1.5" lift and factory 455 gearing (XR package) drives fantastic with zero issues. Not all 37's are created equal infact some can have as much as a 20lbs difference in weight.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

You will always want 37s no matter what you get next so go with 37s. A 4'' lift you will likely need new wheels or spacers. I really wouldn't dive into this, without the proper budget, if you want it to drive properly on and off road. Wheels, tires, lift with adjustable control arms, gears, shocks and labor you are looking at 10-14k and you still won't have the proper axles.

It all really depends on what your goals are with this Jeep and what you budget is. As an example, I really wanted a long arm kit but it wasn't in my budget. I ended up going with the Teraflex 3.5 RT3 short arm /Falcon 3.3 kit and absolutely love it.

Only you can ultimately decide what works for you. You can usually piece a kit together and save money but I wanted mine turn key out the door. I would seriously look into a 2" kit.

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