jbcrane
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Greetings folks,
Yesterday marked 2 years ago I took my Wrangler in to have the Mopar 2" lift installed. Today marks the day I drove it home. The following is a summary of that process and review 2 years after the fact.
In case you don’t want to read, here is the Executive summary:
Knowing what I know now, would I do it again? From a practical and financial perspective, probably not.
Am I glad I did it? Absolutely.
Why the Mopar Lift:
At the time the decision was made largely to keep the Jeep within warranty. Despite a lot of research (first Jeep) I still wasn’t confident in my level of knowledge. I'd purchased an extended warranty (11 year/150k miles), so decided to stack the deck as much as possible in case he developed problems down the road. When purchasing the extended warranty there was an option to cover a lift kit too. At the time I didn't have a lift kit so didn't check the box. Before having it installed I added the coverage.
I have since learned a lot more about the subject, and don't have a solid answer to the hypothetical question: would I choose the same kit again - but I think so. It has been very good to me so far. Being a total newb the initial $1,300 price tag seemed like a great deal to turn my stock Sport S into the Wrangler I really wanted.
Little did I know what lay ahead…
Installation:
After talking to various installers I made the 30 mile drive to a dealership down the road for the install. They seemed most knowledgeable and inspired confidence - and could get me in sooner. For reference purposes I paid $1,355 for the lift and about $600 labor (dealer) to have it, steering stabilizer, wheels & tires installed which included the 500 mile follow up re-torque.
Picking it up and first impressions:
I'll never forget the day I picked him up after the install. They'd washed him and drove him around, and there he sat in evening light, lights on, purring, looking stout. I couldn't believe the difference. It was my Jeep only better. I remember intentionally taking back roads home where I could drive 30mph to get a feel for acceleration, steering, stopping, etc. Radical transformation no.1 in looks and handling.
But that first drive home was a bit of a shock. He felt sluggish (they loaded old wheels/tires and Jeep crate filled with old parts in back so he was carrying quite a bit of weight). I thought oh no, what have I done? But I knew he looked better and like a silly teenager that’s what I focused on.
Handling:
After a couple days the new ride settled in and I stopped comparing it to stock. Tire pressure played a big part in dialing him in and I came to appreciate a more gentle, forgiving ride than before. Once you understand the change of COG and adjust driving habits it’s awesome. But pretending like it’s still stock is foolish. It takes a little time to get used to it. 2 years after that first drive home I can't remember anything else. He steers fine and feels like a lifted Jeep the rare occasion he's on the highway @75-80mph. Brakes are holding up well. Mileage isn't bad either. Long trips see between 20/22mpg, but I'm light on the gas. Around town I'm around 17/19mpg. I don't care so much about that, but do care about range.
Adjustable Track Bar(s) and Options:
At time of install I didn't upgrade track bar(s). I was told the Mopar kit had everything necessary, and technically speaking suppose that’s correct. But last year I swapped in the Yeti XD's track bars (front and rear, both in black) and did notice a (positive) difference in handling. Another $700 or so. The Fox steering stabilizer (another $120 or so) replaced the stocker when installing the lift, so far so good. Aside from that I haven't had to do anything structurally to the kit/suspension itself. Upper & lower control arms are what came with the kit and so far everything feels proper.
Wheels, Tires & Re-Gearing:
While lifting I moved from stock 245/75's to 315's and new wheels (another several $ thousand more). This of course severely over-burdened the already inadequate 3.45 gearing. After 3 months I took the plunge to 4.88’s but didn’t know what to expect. Heck, before all this I didn’t even know what a pinion was. The biggest motivator was relieving stress on the clutch. But the total driving experience of moving from 3.45 -> 4.88 is nothing short of another radical transformation, no. 2. He went from struggling to get going and holding 4th on an incline (forget about 5th or 6th) - to feeling like a jack rabbit; nimble with power - at Colorado elevation - in 5th and 6th gear. The Jeep felt more powerful and spry than ever before. For reference purposes I paid about $2,400 for the Dana Spicer R&P/Master Rebuild Kit and installation (in for a penny, in for a pound, right?) - also coming up on 2 years ago, thus far no problems.
etc...
I also did the Mopar tailgate reinforcement and brake light relocation, the mud flaps to at least try to protect some of the paint/hinges from the extra tire poke, and let's not forget JSCAN, MLinker and the Tazer JL to help keep track of all the new changes, adding about another $1,300 to the bill. Then there's all the junk bought on amazon - you know, stuff you think you need but really don't... but after spending so much money on the big stuff the smaller expenses seem insignificant - until you add it all up. That's probably another couple thousand. Last but not least there's the on-board air (Preece/PowerTank), LED head/fog lights, WARN power interrupt kit, a few tats from @pixeldecals & others... you get the idea.
For those of you keeping score at home, that’s a crap-ton of money I never intended to spend while driving off the lot in April of ’21. But, once you begin the process, following through with everything contributing to a successful total package only makes sense. Not knowing all it meant when beginning is what makes me say I’d probably not do it again - and why I’m writing this post: so other newbies have a clear picture of the slippery slope ahead.
Summary:
For 2 years and just over 20K miles the Mopar lift has been flawless. I've done several Badge Trails here in Colorado/Utah, some local trails rated easy, and the Rim Rocker Trail, (160 miles from Colorado to Utah) rated moderate. In all honesty, I’m sure I could have done the same trails in my stock Sport S, without the lift. So I didn't need the lift, but I sure wanted it. I’ve done several long (2,000+ mile) road trips and the Jeep handles great at highway speeds, too.
Pertaining to the additional capabilities the Mopar lift provides, never have I felt it or the Jeep holding me back. In fact, the opposite. I'm confident that my off-roading skills/nerves will be catching up to his abilities for many years to come. The initial goal was to explore any road - and return safely. So far he's not let me down. I have found the Mopar lift far more than satisfactory; a perfect match for my driving style and Jeep use.
The hope is anyone else starting to look for input on the topic finds this information helpful. I know there are lots of options, and even more opinions. That's mine. I’m still humbly learning as I go. Hope it helps someone.
In for surgery January 17th, 2022
Driving home January 18th, 2022
How he sits today...
Horsetooth Mountain Park, Spring 2024
Edit/Update:
Canyonlands N.P. after completing Elephant Hill - March, 2025
Peace, JBC
Yesterday marked 2 years ago I took my Wrangler in to have the Mopar 2" lift installed. Today marks the day I drove it home. The following is a summary of that process and review 2 years after the fact.
In case you don’t want to read, here is the Executive summary:
Knowing what I know now, would I do it again? From a practical and financial perspective, probably not.
Am I glad I did it? Absolutely.
Why the Mopar Lift:
At the time the decision was made largely to keep the Jeep within warranty. Despite a lot of research (first Jeep) I still wasn’t confident in my level of knowledge. I'd purchased an extended warranty (11 year/150k miles), so decided to stack the deck as much as possible in case he developed problems down the road. When purchasing the extended warranty there was an option to cover a lift kit too. At the time I didn't have a lift kit so didn't check the box. Before having it installed I added the coverage.
I have since learned a lot more about the subject, and don't have a solid answer to the hypothetical question: would I choose the same kit again - but I think so. It has been very good to me so far. Being a total newb the initial $1,300 price tag seemed like a great deal to turn my stock Sport S into the Wrangler I really wanted.
Little did I know what lay ahead…
Installation:
After talking to various installers I made the 30 mile drive to a dealership down the road for the install. They seemed most knowledgeable and inspired confidence - and could get me in sooner. For reference purposes I paid $1,355 for the lift and about $600 labor (dealer) to have it, steering stabilizer, wheels & tires installed which included the 500 mile follow up re-torque.
Picking it up and first impressions:
I'll never forget the day I picked him up after the install. They'd washed him and drove him around, and there he sat in evening light, lights on, purring, looking stout. I couldn't believe the difference. It was my Jeep only better. I remember intentionally taking back roads home where I could drive 30mph to get a feel for acceleration, steering, stopping, etc. Radical transformation no.1 in looks and handling.
But that first drive home was a bit of a shock. He felt sluggish (they loaded old wheels/tires and Jeep crate filled with old parts in back so he was carrying quite a bit of weight). I thought oh no, what have I done? But I knew he looked better and like a silly teenager that’s what I focused on.
Handling:
After a couple days the new ride settled in and I stopped comparing it to stock. Tire pressure played a big part in dialing him in and I came to appreciate a more gentle, forgiving ride than before. Once you understand the change of COG and adjust driving habits it’s awesome. But pretending like it’s still stock is foolish. It takes a little time to get used to it. 2 years after that first drive home I can't remember anything else. He steers fine and feels like a lifted Jeep the rare occasion he's on the highway @75-80mph. Brakes are holding up well. Mileage isn't bad either. Long trips see between 20/22mpg, but I'm light on the gas. Around town I'm around 17/19mpg. I don't care so much about that, but do care about range.
Adjustable Track Bar(s) and Options:
At time of install I didn't upgrade track bar(s). I was told the Mopar kit had everything necessary, and technically speaking suppose that’s correct. But last year I swapped in the Yeti XD's track bars (front and rear, both in black) and did notice a (positive) difference in handling. Another $700 or so. The Fox steering stabilizer (another $120 or so) replaced the stocker when installing the lift, so far so good. Aside from that I haven't had to do anything structurally to the kit/suspension itself. Upper & lower control arms are what came with the kit and so far everything feels proper.
Wheels, Tires & Re-Gearing:
While lifting I moved from stock 245/75's to 315's and new wheels (another several $ thousand more). This of course severely over-burdened the already inadequate 3.45 gearing. After 3 months I took the plunge to 4.88’s but didn’t know what to expect. Heck, before all this I didn’t even know what a pinion was. The biggest motivator was relieving stress on the clutch. But the total driving experience of moving from 3.45 -> 4.88 is nothing short of another radical transformation, no. 2. He went from struggling to get going and holding 4th on an incline (forget about 5th or 6th) - to feeling like a jack rabbit; nimble with power - at Colorado elevation - in 5th and 6th gear. The Jeep felt more powerful and spry than ever before. For reference purposes I paid about $2,400 for the Dana Spicer R&P/Master Rebuild Kit and installation (in for a penny, in for a pound, right?) - also coming up on 2 years ago, thus far no problems.
etc...
I also did the Mopar tailgate reinforcement and brake light relocation, the mud flaps to at least try to protect some of the paint/hinges from the extra tire poke, and let's not forget JSCAN, MLinker and the Tazer JL to help keep track of all the new changes, adding about another $1,300 to the bill. Then there's all the junk bought on amazon - you know, stuff you think you need but really don't... but after spending so much money on the big stuff the smaller expenses seem insignificant - until you add it all up. That's probably another couple thousand. Last but not least there's the on-board air (Preece/PowerTank), LED head/fog lights, WARN power interrupt kit, a few tats from @pixeldecals & others... you get the idea.
For those of you keeping score at home, that’s a crap-ton of money I never intended to spend while driving off the lot in April of ’21. But, once you begin the process, following through with everything contributing to a successful total package only makes sense. Not knowing all it meant when beginning is what makes me say I’d probably not do it again - and why I’m writing this post: so other newbies have a clear picture of the slippery slope ahead.
Summary:
For 2 years and just over 20K miles the Mopar lift has been flawless. I've done several Badge Trails here in Colorado/Utah, some local trails rated easy, and the Rim Rocker Trail, (160 miles from Colorado to Utah) rated moderate. In all honesty, I’m sure I could have done the same trails in my stock Sport S, without the lift. So I didn't need the lift, but I sure wanted it. I’ve done several long (2,000+ mile) road trips and the Jeep handles great at highway speeds, too.
Pertaining to the additional capabilities the Mopar lift provides, never have I felt it or the Jeep holding me back. In fact, the opposite. I'm confident that my off-roading skills/nerves will be catching up to his abilities for many years to come. The initial goal was to explore any road - and return safely. So far he's not let me down. I have found the Mopar lift far more than satisfactory; a perfect match for my driving style and Jeep use.
The hope is anyone else starting to look for input on the topic finds this information helpful. I know there are lots of options, and even more opinions. That's mine. I’m still humbly learning as I go. Hope it helps someone.
In for surgery January 17th, 2022
Driving home January 18th, 2022
How he sits today...
Horsetooth Mountain Park, Spring 2024
Edit/Update:
Canyonlands N.P. after completing Elephant Hill - March, 2025
Peace, JBC
Sponsored
Last edited:
