3" body, 2.5" shackle lift vs. 4" suspension

noskils32

New member
Hello all, hows it goin?

I have a 91 YJ and wanted to put 33" tires on it and was comteplating on what type of lift I should put on.

I could either get a 3" body lift and 2.5" shackle lift which would cost $500 including installation or a 4" suspension lift for $1450. Does anyone have any suggestions? Or what would be even better, if they had pictures of the two installs so I could see the difference. That would be awesome.

Thanks
Eric
 

I am sorry that I cant provide pictures but can offer some insights on your thinking of 3" body lift.
A body lift moves the cab portion up and reduces your center of gravity. This will give you less "tilt" angle for every inch you go. For every inch you go you loose 2degrees squared or some thing.
I would suggest you do the suspention lift only and keep your rig tigh over that frame. Less stress on those body mounts in the long run.
And with the taller suspention you will gain that back in suspention travle and a smoother ride.
 
WANTED---33" tires

Thanks for your help. Another thing to keep in mind is that I have $650 in the bank right now and only a PT job that gets about $125 a year. So money is an issue. In your opinion, will the long term side effects (body mounts) be more hurtful than the $900 I would save now?
 
yeah... avoiding the troubles is worth much more than the $900 you'll save... plus... if you go suspension... it is quite easy to do yourself... save yourself some more bucks that way... you can do it...
 

OK, I don't know a lot about this stuff...but don't you need to raise the car up on a lift to install the actual suspension lift?
 
Actually installing a 4-6 inch lift in your own garage is quite easy with a couple of jack stands for the frame and a standard floor lift jack.

We just jack the front up and use floor jacks to hold the frame up while we work,drink and sleep under the front then back...
Read the instructions...and take your time. You will learn more about your ride doing it yourself than paying a shop to do it.
 
a long time ago, i was intimidated by turning wrenches in my own vehicle... but that is just what it is... turning wrenches... if you do decide to do it... get yourself a torque wrench with some of that money you saved.. they help a lot in making sure it all goes back together right
 

i agree with the other fellas. go with the suspension lift. you should check around on pricing too, $1450 sounds steep.
 
WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY CAR?!!!!!!!! $#it!!!!!

Go with the Rustys kit. It is a good kit for a great price. Dont pay the 1450 you spoke of paying earlier, thats a ridiculous price.
 

Not trying to be harsh here, but with that kind of budget, you would have to wait 3 to 4 years to buy tires. Maybe you should consider scaling back your project to a good 31" mud terrain tire and a small lift (1" body, 1" shackle, or a set of add-a-leafs). You might not have the big tough look as the 33's, but you would still be able to afford to put gas into it to go wheelin', and it would still be adequate for playin' offroad.

One other thing - shackle lifts over 1 1/4" will cause serious steering problems. They add too much caster into the steering and driving in a straight line is a near impossibility. Trust me on that one, I had a 2" shackle lift and it was terrible.
 
if you want to go inexpensive... THIS is the option to choose... 1" body lift, 1.5-2" add-a-leaf lift, .5-1" shackle lift, trim your flares 1" or get TJ flares.... this gains you a total of up to about 5" of additional clearance.. that is certainly enough to fit some 33" tires, without the need of severe drivetrain modifications... but... 33" tires are also a bit more expensive than 31" tires...

here is something you have to consider... are you doing it for looks, or are you doing it for performance? if you are going for looks, then i guess we can't talk you into going with smaller tires... but... if you are going for performance... You might be glad to know that with some good treaded 31" tires on a jeep, you can keep up with any 33" tires on any independent suspended vehicle
 

Anyone have the BFG Krawler's or heard anything about them?

twisted, are you calling me poor? haha it's ok, i am. i only work 15 hours a week because I still have to go to school. Oh well.

I'll go with the suspension lift. If any of you live near Sunnyvale, CA. I would love some help. :)
 
im about 15-20min away from sunnyvale,im up here in foster city,where about are you in sunnyvale??
 
noskils32 said:
twisted, are you calling me poor? haha it's ok, i am. i only work 15 hours a week because I still have to go to school. Oh well.

I'll go with the suspension lift. If any of you live near Sunnyvale, CA. I would love some help. :)

Hey man I was a student once, too! No, I'm not trying to wisecrack, it's just I couldn't see affording a set of tires and a lift on that budget that you laid out. If you can swing a suspension, definately do it. Any of the other options will allow a larger tire, but a suspension lift will make your Jeep a much more capable trail rig! Keep us posted on how you make out!

-TC
 
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