Lifts

[Headbarcode]

Well, yes, I get it. I am familiar a little with spacer. People have been using them since I was in high school on hot rods they wanted to stuff huge tires under. I have also seen entire wheels fly off when people were doing burnouts because the spacers lugs broke.

I am still researching things. I really don't want spacers. I know some have and are using them with no issues, I just don't like them.

What I am seeing is most kits require different wheels or spacers. Why? From what I have researched so far, a lift kit in at least the 2.5 to 3.0 inch range can be engineered to work with factory wheels and no spacers. It almost like they don't want to make them this way cause then you won't buy wheels. How do I know, cause I have found 2 maybe 3 (can't remember my brain is on overload from looking at all this stuff) that are mfg for direct bolt up using the stock wheels and know aftermarket wheels (unless you want them) and no spacers required. Honestly, it's quite annoying that there aren't more mfg's offering kits ready to bolt up with the OEM wheels. I have spoke to several different mfg's now and every single one said well you can always get wheels. Dam it man, I don't have $1500 to $2000 for new wheels, plus I like my wheels. Plus going with spacers you have to add in at a min. $250 more for spacers on top of the lift price. Why? Just make the dam lift work with the OEM equipment.

Ranting a little, sorry.

I do know I want as good of highway ride as it is now or better because I am in Florida and pretty much all the off-road parks are hundreds of miles away. So a nice ride getting there is a must.

The research continues.

Thanks

A fully beneficial lift is designed with 3 main goals in mind: tire clearance, increased approach/breakover/departure angles, and longer total suspension travel. Stock wheels won't allow for the 3rd goal, because the further one tire droops the more the top of the opposite tire will lean inward. With that in mind, the more backspace a wheel has the sooner the top of that tire will hit the fender liner, suspension components, etc.

Sponsored

 

[Brock9281]

I just installed the Rock Krawler 2.5” Flex No Limits kit. Got it from @Northridge4x4 and it came out to $1611 at the time.

I also added in the Rock Krawler RRD Spec TT shocks and bump stops.

If your budget doesn’t allow for the shocks, you can get the Teraflex shock extensions to hold you over. I initially bought the extensions because my RK shocks were in UPS limbo for a bit. They arrived right after I installed the factory shocks and extensions ?….so I had to go back and redo the shocks.

I got it done in my tiny garage with no major issues. Install is pretty straight forward as long as you have the tools and know @Roky

What was your total height once lift + 37s were added?

 

[Jazzicon]

What was your total height once lift + 37s were added?

On mine, I still have 35s. To be honest, I haven’t measured the overall height.

 

[longfiredragon]

Hey all, have a question concerning re-centering the axles to the body. If you lift your jeep 2.0 inches, you should re-center it. I know you can do this with a adjustable track bar. However I know you can do it with a bracket also. What I am reading is that if you don't go over 2.0 inches you don't have to do anything to the rear of the Jeep? necessarily.

My question concern's the bracket though.

Some are calling it a relocation bracket?
Some are calling it a geometry bracket? (Of course they are for Diff. height lifts)
Some are calling it a front track bar bracket

And the list goes on, there's even more names. So witch is it? What exactly am I looking for to adjust the axles back center?

And because it's just a bracket does it really matter which MFG? RC, MC, RK, Teraflex, Rancho? Are any of them junk and wear prematurely?

Thanks

 

[Roky]

Hey all, have a question concerning re-centering the axles to the body. If you lift your jeep 2.0 inches, you should re-center it. I know you can do this with a adjustable track bar. However I know you can do it with a bracket also. What I am reading is that if you don't go over 2.0 inches you don't have to do anything to the rear of the Jeep? necessarily.

My question concern's the bracket though.

Some are calling it a relocation bracket?
Some are calling it a geometry bracket? (Of course they are for Diff. height lifts)
Some are calling it a front track bar bracket

And the list goes on, there's even more names. So witch is it? What exactly am I looking for to adjust the axles back center?

And because it's just a bracket does it really matter which MFG? RC, MC, RK, Teraflex, Rancho? Are any of them junk and wear prematurely?

Thanks

It’s up to you if you want to center the axles at 2”, you won’t be moving them much. At 2.5” height your axle will shift approximately 1/2”, which means you’ll be moving it a 1/4” to center it. Better to use adjustable track bar in front for 2 reasons… one, the track bar and drag link need to be parallel with each other so not to induce bump steer . And two, to get that POS factory track bar off your rig…..
In the rear you can use a relocation bracket that will raise the rear track bar which will also center the axle ….

 

[longfiredragon]

Thanks Roky. I will look at the track bars again. I also watched a video that showed relocating/raising the rear track bar and they stated the Jeep would steer better and be more stable?

Other reviews also stated that the Jeep steered and handled much nicer, especially at higher speeds with the rear track bar relocated higher up?

Thanks

 

[roaniecowpony]

In the marketplace right now, there's a guy selling some 4 door Rubicon springs and shocks for $150.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Or the full banana 2.5" lift. Colorado - Jeep JL MetalCloak 2.5" Game changer Lift and Teraflex Tie rod and drag link. | Jeep Wrangler Forums (JL / JLU) - Rubicon, Sahara, Sport, 4xe, 392 - JLwranglerforums.com

 

[longfiredragon]

In the marketplace right now, there's a guy selling some 4 door Rubicon springs and shocks for $150.

Thanks, I was going to try the Rubie take off route, but, all I need is the springs. Most all want you to take everything, plus no one in FL. Too far to drive out of state with these stupid fuel prices.

Plus, most won't ship, which I understand. I even looked at the JT take off route. Also with the Rubicon take off people are only getting 3/4 to 1.5 inch's of lift. I want 2.0 even. So I looked at the XR take off, but would actually be 3 to 3 1/2 inch's of lift and that's too much. Plus same boat, no one in FL, or won't ship.

And my biggest hold up was/is that my budget got depleted.

So I have spent months researching. For me, my jeep is my DD and I want to keep the factory ride quality, which I think is pretty nice. There's also the issue of only a couple lifts made that I don't need wheel spacers (which I am against) or new wheels with the correct back spacing, which means new tires and I have funds for none of this. Plus you need longer LCAs.

After lots of research and thought I decided on the Daystar 2.0 inch spacer lift/ leveling kit. Retail $415. I found one for $274 shipped. Reviews are actually really good except one area, the finish. So I am going to spend another $100 and get everything powder coated, and it comes with the longer LCAs and I can use my stock Rubicon wheels. Then I am going to look for some Rubicon take off tires, and I think I will be good for the next 5 years or so and my jeep will do everything I need it to.

 

[word302]

Thanks, I was going to try the Rubie take off route, but, all I need is the springs. Most all want you to take everything, plus no one in FL. Too far to drive out of state with these stupid fuel prices.

Plus, most won't ship, which I understand. I even looked at the JT take off route. Also with the Rubicon take off people are only getting 3/4 to 1.5 inch's of lift. I want 2.0 even. So I looked at the XR take off, but would actually be 3 to 3 1/2 inch's of lift and that's too much. Plus same boat, no one in FL, or won't ship.

And my biggest hold up was/is that my budget got depleted.

So I have spent months researching. For me, my jeep is my DD and I want to keep the factory ride quality, which I think is pretty nice. There's also the issue of only a couple lifts made that I don't need wheel spacers (which I am against) or new wheels with the correct back spacing, which means new tires and I have funds for none of this. Plus you need longer LCAs.

After lots of research and thought I decided on the Daystar 2.0 inch spacer lift/ leveling kit. Retail $415. I found one for $274 shipped. Reviews are actually really good except one area, the finish. So I am going to spend another $100 and get everything powder coated, and it comes with the longer LCAs and I can use my stock Rubicon wheels. Then I am going to look for some Rubicon take off tires, and I think I will be good for the next 5 years or so and my jeep will do everything I need it to.

This sounds like a perfect setup for your needs.

 

[longfiredragon]

Part of what prompted me to just go with the spacer lift ( besides a limited budget) was a ride in my friends jeep the other day. I love his jeep, and I love the look, one day I will get there. But the ride quality sucks. My jeep rides way, way better. I am not sure what the issue is.

He has the Mopar lift and mickey Thompson 315 35s. It may just be that he has too much air pressure in the tires, but he was hitting speed bumps pretty hard and it sucked. Anyway, love the jeep but mine rides way better.

 

[longfiredragon]

Hello all
Almost lift time. I called Daystar and was talking to them about their parts. Seems all their parts come with a clear zinc coating already on them, except the LCAs.

So I decided to blast the LCAs and paint everything. This is a aircraft grade 2 part epoxy polimide primer with a 2 part polyurethane paint. It's very durable when applied correctly.

I know this isn't a really nice expensive full lift or anything, but I still want it to be nice and not have crappy, rusty stuff under my jeep. It should last a good while. Everything has gone up my powder coater wanted between $175 and $200 to do everything which I don't think is terrible, but hey, this way I saved the $.

I also don't have a vice big enough to install all the urethane and steel bushings at home so I got a 8" C clamp from harbor freight, used a lot of the supplied lube and everything went together perfect. Didn't damage anything.

So maybe this weekend I might be able to do the install.

 

[longfiredragon]

Well another $37. I have a metric socket set, but it doesn't have the larger sizes. I have been working on my metric bike for years and I have only had to buy about 3 different sizes I didn't already have.

But looking at the sizes for the jeep I was like crap. I didn't have the 18,21, or a 24mm.

Not complaining though, a new set was overdue. So I got this of Amazon. Cheap but should work.

 

[word302]

Well another $37. I have a metric socket set, but it doesn't have the larger sizes. I have been working on my metric bike for years and I have only had to buy about 3 different sizes I didn't already have.

But looking at the sizes for the jeep I was like crap. I didn't have the 18,21, or a 24mm.

Not complaining though, a new set was overdue. So I got this of Amazon. Cheap but should work.

If you need anything else look at Tekton tools. Great company, great prices, awesome customer service.

 

[longfiredragon]

Well I got the lift installed. Started at 7 this morning and had everything cleaned up and picked up at 5. It wasn't really that hard except the torquing of everything. The torque isn't that much except the LCA's but I am a pretty small guy and trying to torque stuff inside the fender was the only sucky part. Plus the Florida heat is just killer and wipes you out after about 6 or 7 hours, much less 10hrs.

Anyway, couple issues, the drivers side shock extension bracket would not fit. Once the bottom bolt was tight so that it was flush, the other bolt holes for the bolt with the crush Spacer weren't even close. I tried everything, flipping it, the other bracket, same thing. The shock was the last thing torqued so everything else was in and torqued. Crap. So I set the bracket up correctly, then drilled my own hole. I couldn't come with any other solution.

When I got the passenger side ready to drill another hole, expecting to, it fit perfectly, what the! I will shoot a pic. Tomorrow. I believe it is fine and shouldn't have any issues.

The next issue is that the 4 bolts that go threw the bottom of the shock extensions are too short. There is lock nuts that go on and there like 2 threads short from even making it to the end of the nut. This I don't like. I was always taught 2 threads protruding out of the nut on lock nuts in order for the locking feature of the nut to work. So, tomorrow I will get 4 new longer bolts and replace them. I was to whooped to center the steering wheel, do that tomorrow also. As soon as I figure out exactly what part it is I have to adjust lol.

All this done I do like the look, it looks much better lifted the 2 inches even with the skinny 32" M/T tires I still like it better than it was.

I drove it up to highway speeds and it seems that nothing has changed ride wise, so this is good, and no death wobble or anything.

I do have a question though. Besides, and actual full lift and or wider tires is there a way to reduce the roll a little? I knew it was going to do this because I changed the center of gravity higher. Would a better track bar help? It's not horrible, but it is noticable.

Sponsored