Considering Skyjacker 4" lift for TJ. Any advice?

socal_rob

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Hello everyone. I've got a '99 Wrangler TJ and have been thinking about lifting it for quite some time. I've bought a lot of stuff for my Jeep from a store here in Los Angeles called Dirty Parts. They suggested that I look into Skyjacker lifts. What do you all think? Any advice? Experience with Skyjacker kits?

Also, with a 4" lift, I'd like to go up to 33" tires. Shouldn't be a problem, or? I recently saw a lifted Wrangler in a parking lot that had just the look, ground clearance, etc. that I'd like mine to have. Tires were 33x14.5" and it looked like there was about 5-6" between the top of the front tire and fender flair. Any idea what size lift this Jeep might have? Also, I assume that if I want to get tires that wide, I'd need some spacers to move the wheels out a bit?

FYI, I currently have 31x10.5" tires on my Jeep with American Racing Diamond Lock wheels.

Any advice on lift kits, do's and don'ts, etc. would be much appreciated. Thanks everyone...and Happy New Year!

-Rob
 

I sould suggest you first look into a long arm kit. With the long arm kits your ride would retane that stock TJ ride at 4"+. Either a Rock Krawler kit or a Tera-flex long arm kit.
I am running a Tera-flex long arm kit on 35's and love it. It rides and handles like a stock TJ but with 4"'s of lift.
 
The Skyjacker RockReady kits are long-arm.
I have helped friends install Pro-Comp, Trailmaster, RE, Rancho, Superlift, and Skyjacker lifts on various Jeeps in the past. All were good lifts, but none have impressed me as much as the Skyjacker. It's all I have ever run on my own vehicles. Excellent quality, decent prices, and a solid company that stands behind their products.
 
I have no experience with Tera Flex kits, but the Skykacker is arguably the best on the market. Seems like you can get a 3" kit without arms or the 4" and up with long arms. They are pricey but I think they are worth it. Skyjacker tends to have a softer spring rate on their lift kits. Superlift tends to have the highest. The Skyjacker rides smooth and soft. It's like the difference in riding in and F150 vs. F250(maybe not that extreme, but you know what I mean).
 

Really depends on how much money you want to spend. If you've got the money to burn ($1500 for the lift) the long arm kits are by far the way to go for both on and off road. If you dont have that much money go with a short arm kit that includes control arms ($800 for the lift). If you dont have that much money go with a kit that doesn't include the control arms ($500 for the lift). Remember that for the 4" lifts you'll need a SYE and CV shaft also. As for brands I would reccomend Teraflex, Skyjacker, and Rubicon Express. Some things to look for are the inclusion/ deletion of Brake Lines, Trackbar, Swaybar Disconnects, and Shocks in the kits offered, and factor those into the price if you require them. Another option that would be $ saving (though argueably inferior) would be to install a 2.5" suspension lift with 1" body lift, it would give you enough room for your 33's and you would save money on the gear plus would not be required to get the SYE and CV shaft.
 
engine rebuild

What is your gear ratio, engine size, and transmission? You want to make sure your drivetrain has the ability to spin 33's before you invest all that money.
 
Save your money and get RE or Terra. I couldnt wait to lift my tj and went with skyjacker and after about 2 months the springs started to sag (this is why im buying re springs soon)
 

I am running the 4 inch Skyjacker with a 2 inch body lift on my TJ. With this combo I have no problems whatsoever running 35's on my 15 x 10's.

I will say that the ride(in my case) is slightly better than stock. It is all about personal prefrence. Do your homework and try not to stay married to just one company. There are many reputable companies out there that make just as good or better a product for the same price.

Another thing to keep in mind. you may want to look into a kit that you can upgrade(taller springs) If the bug to go higher(like that ever happens to us Jeepers) hits you, it won't cost you as much money.
 
Thank you all for the great info thus far! Much appreciated! The Skyjacker kit I'm looking at is the 4" Double-Flex kit. Does anyone have experience with that particular kit? Thoughts on it either way? My only concern is that it might be a bit overkill for my (current) needs, as I'm relatively new to serious off-roading. That said, I want a good kit and I don't want to be wishing I'd bought something better six months from now.

As for a kit one can upgrade, I thought about that too, FloridaJeeper, but I don't think I'll want to go any higher than 4" for a while. My Jeep is my only ride, so I have to keep everyday driving in mind. :) Hence the idea to go with a 4" lift and 33s. Seems like that will be more than adequate off road without sacrificing way too much highway/daily driving performance. What do you all think?
 
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