Mopar 2 inch lift Reviews

[CorvZ061]

Strider,

I can't refute the awesome capabilities of a Rubicon, but we have very different experiences. I have yet to witness a Rubi, outside of Moab, use less torque to accomplish a difficult obstacle.

Living and off-roading in my home state of Colorado there should be ample opportunities to witness your observations. I have yet to witness a Rubicon jock stay off the accelerator when they get in trouble. Sorry, but we must wheel around an entirely different group of skill levels. You should expect it would be more random. Unfortunately, I must wheel around some of the more difficult trails alongside Rubicon tenderfoots.

Furthermore, I have yet to do what you suggest. My low gear, even on the 3.45 gears has yet to let me down. I have never yet found myself in serious trouble due to poor torque management. Sure I make my fair share of mistakes but I won't take chances and not drive beyond my skill level or what I believe to be safe situations. I've turned back on some occasions. Still I get complimented all the time for getting my Sport up to high altitude peaks and mountain passes where only Rubi's tend to venture.

Granted, you probably won't ever see me driving my Sport to Holy Cross and other really extreme trails. Truthfully my goal is to experience the Colorado wilderness not necessarily grind my way through it. Yet I don't shy away from the more difficult to moderately severe stuff either (depending on who I'm with). However, I'll always admire and respect those Jeepers who do the most extreme crap. The skill and size of gonads on some of these drivers are certainly huge.

Jay

Just keep doing what you're doing. amazing photos. That other guy is convinced his is better than anyone else because it works for the kind of wheeling he does. I've noticed a lot of the Rubicon guys, such as the other fellow, are Jeep snobs which is unfortunate because we're all just trying to enjoy the same things.


Keep wheeling dude.

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[jeepoch]

Just keep doing what you're doing. amazing photos. That other guy is convinced his is better than anyone else because it works for the kind of wheeling he does. I've noticed a lot of the Rubicon guys, such as the other fellow, are Jeep snobs which is unfortunate because we're all just trying to enjoy the same things.


Keep wheeling dude.

Travis,

Thanks and you bet, I'll keep enjoying where ever I care to point my JL. But I'll remain humbled and learn from other Jeepers. They generally are the very best people you'll ever run across. Either on or off-road and yes especially on this forum no matter our equipment, skill or experience. As you say, we're all in this together.

Happy Jeeping,
Jay

 

[DanW]

I upgraded my JL Rubicon to 35 inch tires over the summer, and am now considering installing a Mopar 2 inch lift. I'm looking at Mopar in order to keep the extended warranty in tact. I'm interested in reviews from anyone with this same setup, and how it has affected your Jeep's on road manners and off road performance.
Thank you in advance.

I have one of the first Mopar lifts for the JL and am closing in on 4 years with it (February?) and am also closing in on 54k miles with it. I absolutely love it. The shocks are outstanding, the ride is excellent and it drives fine on the highway. I did add a Fox 2.0 steering stabilizer, which has been great, but pulls a little to the right. Most people who drive it don't notice it, but I sometimes do, so I have a Fox ATS through shaft adjustable stabilizer coming this week.

I added Rock Krawler spring pads for the front to lessen the spring bow, which never hit the bump stop, but I wanted more safety margin (I have heard these aren't necessary now) I also added adjustable track bars front and rear to center the axles, but they were not far off and would have been livable.

So how is the lift off-road? Even better than on-road. Again, the ride is outstanding. And it flexes well. Some have said other lifts flex more but if this one flexed even barely more, I'd have tires rubbing the inner fender wells. The off-road resume of my Jeep with this lift includes Moab twice, Colorado, and many, many other places in the midwest. We just did a horror-show of a rocky trail in Jericho Mountain State Park in New Hampshire and the Jeep performed beautifully, as always. (Got the Badge of Honor, btw!) So from the highway to rock crawling to mud holes to hill climbs to tight woods, I'm 100% thrilled with this lift.

I ran mostly BFG KO2's (315/70/17) with it and it was a great match. (C-rated tires). I recentliy swapped to 35x12.5x17 General Grabber X3 mud tires (also C-rated) and I think the ride went from very smooth to even slightly smoother. I've loved it with both tires, although the mud tire noise does get old after while.

I only had 700 miles on the Jeep when I installed the lift, so I don't even remember what stock was like.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[Austin23]

Definitely love how Jeepers have each other's backs, no matter which model or trim level they're driving. Jeeps are one of the few vehicles where the older they are the more respect and deference I have for them.

 

[Austin23]

I have one of the first Mopar lifts for the JL and am closing in on 4 years with it (February?) and am also closing in on 54k miles with it. I absolutely love it. The shocks are outstanding, the ride is excellent and it drives fine on the highway. I did add a Fox 2.0 steering stabilizer, which has been great, but pulls a little to the right. Most people who drive it don't notice it, but I sometimes do, so I have a Fox ATS through shaft adjustable stabilizer coming this week.

I added Rock Krawler spring pads for the front (I have heard these aren't necessary now) and adjustable track bars front and rear to center the axles, but they were not far off and would have been livable.

So how is the lift off-road? Even better than on-road. Again, the ride is outstanding. And it flexes well. Some have said other lifts flex more but if this one flexed even barely more, I'd have tires rubbing the inner fender wells. The off-road resume of my Jeep with this lift includes Moab twice, Colorado, and many, many other places in the midwest. We just did a horror-show of a rocky trail in Jericho Mountain State Park in New Hampshire and the Jeep performed beautifully, as always. (Got the Badge of Honor, btw!) So from the highway to rock crawling to mud holes to hill climbs to tight woods, I'm 100% thrilled with this lift.

I ran mostly BFG KO2's (315/70/17) with it and it was a great match. (C-rated tires). I recentliy swapped to 35x12.5x17 General Grabber X3 mud tires (also C-rated) and I think the ride went from very smooth to even slightly smoother. I've loved it with both tires, although the mud tire noise does get old after while.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Really appreciate hearing your perspective with so many miles under the hood.

 

[OllieChristopher]

Jay that is a really nice rig. With the right pilot I bet it's every bit as capable as a Rubicon. those are some awesome pics of where you have been to enjoy a memory.

My best friend in the whole world let me drive his 2 door Jeep with a 4 cylinder, open diffs and street tires. This was like 20 years or more ago. I was blown away at what it could do. I'm sure you already know how to do the brake dance to get traction to the wheels on the ground when one is up in the air.

I personally would get the Rubicon 2 door. I doubt I would beat on it in some of the crazy trails with huge rock piles. For myself it would be all about skid plates and protection over a lift. Knowing the rigs capability is well past my own gives me a piece of mind.

 

[DanW]

We had 4 lifted Jeeps, including my JLUR, my brother's JTR, and a friend's 08 JK on 35's and my 08 JKUR on 33's at Jericho Mountain, but also had a bone stock JK Sahara with no lift and 33" Wildpeak AT's. That stock Jeep shocked us all as to how well it did. Yes, we had to winch it at several points, but he wasn't the only one needing a winching. My brother got his Gladiator stuck as hell on a stump, requiring a winch and Hi-Lift Jack to get him off. Then I got my Rubi so stuck that it took us an hour, Geometry, a winch going from an angle via snatch block, and Hi-Lift Jack to get me out! I've never been so badly hung up in my nearly 30 years of Jeeping! And the driver of the Sahara had never been off-road. In the hands of an experienced driver, it would have been even more impressive.

So yes, the lift, tires, lockers, gearing, and sway bar disconnect are advantages. But sometimes they give you overconfidence that can get you in a pickle, too. But never underestimate what a stock Jeep can do. And that was a JK. I feel the JL is superior. Btw, that JK did tear the hell out of his nice new side steps. But it still made it through that bit** of a trail!

And I had more fun in my little 2.5 4 cylinder YJ with 28" or so tires than any Jeep since.

That JTUR, 2nd from the right, has the Gladiator version of the Mopar lift. He loves it, too. Jeep did a good job with this lift and Fox knocked it out of the park with their shocks.

 

[Austin23]

We had 4 lifted Jeeps, including my JLUR, my brother's JTR, and a friend's 08 JK on 35's and my 08 JKUR on 33's at Jericho Mountain, but also had a bone stock JK Sahara with no lift and 33" Wildpeak AT's. That stock Jeep shocked us all as to how well it did. Yes, we had to winch it at several points, but he wasn't the only one needing a winching. My brother got his Gladiator stuck as hell on a stump, requiring a winch and Hi-Lift Jack to get him off. Then I got my Rubi so stuck that it took us an hour, Geometry, a winch going from an angle via snatch block, and Hi-Lift Jack to get me out! I've never been so badly hung up in my nearly 30 years of Jeeping! And the driver of the Sahara had never been off-road. In the hands of an experienced driver, it would have been even more impressive.

So yes, the lift, tires, lockers, gearing, and sway bar disconnect are advantages. But sometimes they give you overconfidence that can get you in a pickle, too. But never underestimate what a stock Jeep can do. And that was a JK. I feel the JL is superior. Btw, that JK did tear the hell out of his nice new side steps. But it still made it through that bit** of a trail!

And I had more fun in my little 2.5 4 cylinder YJ with 28" or so tires than any Jeep since.

That JTUR, 2nd from the right, has the Gladiator version of the Mopar lift. He loves it, too. Jeep did a good job with this lift and Fox knocked it out of the park with their shocks.

Appreciate the input. Sounds like you all had a heck of a run. Great shot!

 

[RubiGrey]

Overall, I feel it’s a quality lift. I don’t like to give people (in this case a dealership) opportunities to screw me around. I purchased the lift and got it installed at a dealer, so if they ever come to me with some BS about warranty or issues .. it’s their problem.

the lift itself doesn’t require a new track bar, I haven’t had any alignment issues. If you are OCD about having the spacing match, then get a track bar.

The only noticeable issue I’ve had is when I brake at low speeds, I get this chirping noise. It doesn’t sound like break squeaking .. Not sure if it’s brakes or suspension.

 

[aldo98229]

Overall, I feel it’s a quality lift. I don’t like to give people (in this case a dealership) opportunities to screw me around. I purchased the lift and got it installed at a dealer, so if they ever come to me with some BS about warranty or issues .. it’s their problem.

the lift itself doesn’t require a new track bar, I haven’t had any alignment issues. If you are OCD about having the spacing match, then get a track bar.

The only noticeable issue I’ve had is when I brake at low speeds, I get this chirping noise. It doesn’t sound like break squeaking .. Not sure if it’s brakes or suspension.

You haven’t had to replace the OE steering stabilizer?

I found the OE stabilizer too weak for keeping the big 35s under control; I was getting bump-steer under hard braking; the steering became more vague and developed a pull to the right.

I replaced the weak OE stabilizer with a Fox 2.0. That solved the bump-steer issue and reduced some of the vagueness.

Then, in my case, the steering box TSB added more weight to the steering and eliminated the right pull almost completely.

 

[Jamrock]

My only gripe is that the 35-inch tires totally killed my MPG. Other than that, it is all great.

My female friends tell me that they love high heel shoes. They look good but they are a bitch to walk around in.

 

[Cjanak21]

Overall, I feel it’s a quality lift. I don’t like to give people (in this case a dealership) opportunities to screw me around. I purchased the lift and got it installed at a dealer, so if they ever come to me with some BS about warranty or issues .. it’s their problem.

the lift itself doesn’t require a new track bar, I haven’t had any alignment issues. If you are OCD about having the spacing match, then get a track bar.

The only noticeable issue I’ve had is when I brake at low speeds, I get this chirping noise. It doesn’t sound like break squeaking .. Not sure if it’s brakes or suspension.

Are those 35 or 37 KO2s? Set up looks sweet, do you like that LOD Destroyer slider/step? Debating on buying it but wearry to spend $1k on them.

 

[Austin23]

Overall, I feel it’s a quality lift. I don’t like to give people (in this case a dealership) opportunities to screw me around. I purchased the lift and got it installed at a dealer, so if they ever come to me with some BS about warranty or issues .. it’s their problem.

the lift itself doesn’t require a new track bar, I haven’t had any alignment issues. If you are OCD about having the spacing match, then get a track bar.

The only noticeable issue I’ve had is when I brake at low speeds, I get this chirping noise. It doesn’t sound like break squeaking .. Not sure if it’s brakes or suspension.

Thanks for the pic.. Sweet looking ride.

 

[Yogi]

I have a 2019 JLUR. Picked her up end of December '18, and had the dealership put the Mopar 2" lift and 35" KO2's on in April '19.
The vehicle drove exactly as I expected it would from new. I fully expected no difference when the factory designed, and dealership installed, Mopar 2" lift was installed.
Dropped the vehicle off on the morning of the installation, a Friday, and picked it up at 5:00 PM. Headed for home.
As soon as I hit 30 kph I got an uneasy feeling. Felt like I was trying to push a shopping cart with the front wheels pointing forward instead of dragging like they normally do. The ride itself was a bit awkward. After about 6 kilometres on some rougher road the suspension seemed to settle down somewhat and became considerably better behaved, but not perfect, not factory. It had bump steer, but it was not pronounced.
Took it back to the dealer Monday morning. Had a conference with the service manager, the mechanic that did the job, and the parts manager. Between the 4 of us it was decided that that the longer track bar, made by (for?) Mopar, but not included in the 2" lift kit, needed to be installed. I've no idea how they did it but it got installed under warranty, and I'm not going to argue about it
The part was ordered and installed a few days later. Her road manners improved dramatically, but there was still something a bit "off" that I couldn't quite put my finger on until one night I hit a whoop bump on an otherwise smooth road at exactly 30 kph, under acceleration. Now I knew what the problem was ... death wobble, and it was exciting to say the least.
Back to the dealer we go. Another conference with the service manager, the mechanic, and the parts manager.
First order of business was to check the alignment, especially the caster. The result was 5.25 degrees, well within the 4 to 6 degree tolerance. Caster wasn't the issue.
At this point I bring up the steering dampener. There are two stickers on the factory steering dampener with arrows on them, and a third one that says "Cup End". To my way of thinking that dampener was in upside down. The mechanic said he wasn't sure. I suggested we look at other Jeeps on the lot to confirm. Sure enough it was in upside down.
To be fair this was not a factory build mistake, but a dealership one. Right before I picked my Jeep up in December '18 there was a recall on the dampener and the dealership put the new one on before delivering it to me. That mechanic had put it in upside down, which again in fairness is easy enough to do.
Steering dampener now reinstalled correctly, we go for a test drive. No effect whatsoever. Back to the drawing board and another conference. As we are standing around trying to decipher what the problem could be the mechanic brings up the steering dampener, at which point the parts manager asks "You did bleed the steering dampener before reinstalling, right?"
I look at the mechanic. He looks at me, and we're both like WTF ... who ever heard of that?
The parts manager says "Yea, a service bulletin came out about the factory steering dampener and how it has to be bleed before installation.". Apparently there is a disc inside the dampener that has a hole in it that has to be oriented up. To bleed the dampener you put a rod through the eye on the cylinder end, stand it on the floor, stand on the rod, and fully cycle the ram end 5 times.
While the mechanic is doing that and reinstalling the OEM dampener, I ordered the Fox 2.0 dampener just to be on the safe side, and having absolutely zero faith in this "bleed the dampener" process.
Once re-installation of the now bled OEM dampener is complete, we go for a test drive. Problem solved. We, steering box aside, are back to factory steering. Bump steer and death wobble are gone.
A couple days later the Fox 2.0 steering dampener comes in and I have it installed anyways. In hindsight it was not necessary and actually detracted from the result we had achieved to this point. On the other hand it did absorb the sloppiness of the aluminium steering box.
Subsequently I had the steering box TSB performed about 6 weeks later after which the Jeep's steering is just like the day I drove it off the lot.

All in all, the Mopar 2" lift is a bargain at twice the price if for no other reason than if you have it dealer installed, your full vehicle warranty remains intact, and if you have a good dealer (I do) they will go above and beyond to make sure your vehicle is 100% correct in every way.

 

[Murphydog]

I have a 2019 JLUR. Picked her up end of December '18, and had the dealership put the Mopar 2" lift and 35" KO2's on in April '19.
The vehicle drove exactly as I expected it would from new. I fully expected no difference when the factory designed, and dealership installed, Mopar 2" lift was installed.
Dropped the vehicle off on the morning of the installation, a Friday, and picked it up at 5:00 PM. Headed for home.
As soon as I hit 30 kph I got an uneasy feeling. Felt like I was trying to push a shopping cart with the front wheels pointing forward instead of dragging like they normally do. The ride itself was a bit awkward. After about 6 kilometres on some rougher road the suspension seemed to settle down somewhat and became considerably better behaved, but not perfect, not factory. It had bump steer, but it was not pronounced.
Took it back to the dealer Monday morning. Had a conference with the service manager, the mechanic that did the job, and the parts manager. Between the 4 of us it was decided that that the longer track bar, made by (for?) Mopar, but not included in the 2" lift kit, needed to be installed. I've no idea how they did it but it got installed under warranty, and I'm not going to argue about it
The part was ordered and installed a few days later. Her road manners improved dramatically, but there was still something a bit "off" that I couldn't quite put my finger on until one night I hit a whoop bump on an otherwise smooth road at exactly 30 kph, under acceleration. Now I knew what the problem was ... death wobble, and it was exciting to say the least.
Back to the dealer we go. Another conference with the service manager, the mechanic, and the parts manager.
First order of business was to check the alignment, especially the caster. The result was 5.25 degrees, well within the 4 to 6 degree tolerance. Caster wasn't the issue.
At this point I bring up the steering dampener. There are two stickers on the factory steering dampener with arrows on them, and a third one that says "Cup End". To my way of thinking that dampener was in upside down. The mechanic said he wasn't sure. I suggested we look at other Jeeps on the lot to confirm. Sure enough it was in upside down.
To be fair this was not a factory build mistake, but a dealership one. Right before I picked my Jeep up in December '18 there was a recall on the dampener and the dealership put the new one on before delivering it to me. That mechanic had put it in upside down, which again in fairness is easy enough to do.
Steering dampener now reinstalled correctly, we go for a test drive. No effect whatsoever. Back to the drawing board and another conference. As we are standing around trying to decipher what the problem could be the mechanic brings up the steering dampener, at which point the parts manager asks "You did bleed the steering dampener before reinstalling, right?"
I look at the mechanic. He looks at me, and we're both like WTF ... who ever heard of that?
The parts manager says "Yea, a service bulletin came out about the factory steering dampener and how it has to be bleed before installation.". Apparently there is a disc inside the dampener that has a hole in it that has to be oriented up. To bleed the dampener you put a rod through the eye on the cylinder end, stand it on the floor, stand on the rod, and fully cycle the ram end 5 times.
While the mechanic is doing that and reinstalling the OEM dampener, I ordered the Fox 2.0 dampener just to be on the safe side, and having absolutely zero faith in this "bleed the dampener" process.
Once re-installation of the now bled OEM dampener is complete, we go for a test drive. Problem solved. We, steering box aside, are back to factory steering. Bump steer and death wobble are gone.
A couple days later the Fox 2.0 steering dampener comes in and I have it installed anyways. In hindsight it was not necessary and actually detracted from the result we had achieved to this point. On the other hand it did absorb the sloppiness of the aluminium steering box.
Subsequently I had the steering box TSB performed about 6 weeks later after which the Jeep's steering is just like the day I drove it off the lot.

All in all, the Mopar 2" lift is a bargain at twice the price if for no other reason than if you have it dealer installed, your full vehicle warranty remains intact, and if you have a good dealer (I do) they will go above and beyond to make sure your vehicle is 100% correct in every way.

Thank you for your detailed write up - I am seriously thinking of doing this and I knew from reading previous threads there was one part needed that wasn't included that improved the driving experience post lift.

Do you happen to know the part number of the longer track bar? If I recall it is only like 1/2 inch longer than stock

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