Help me decide on a lift?

[stebachmeyer]

We are looking to lift our 20012 Rubicon 2-door Wrangler, but need some advice about how to get the most out of the lift product we buy. I appreciate Terry Mason's article about the 2005 upgrade with the Rubicon 2" product, and perhaps my choice would be the same, but here is my situation:

1. We have 33" AT tires with 1 1/2 inch spacers on an otherwise stock vehicle.
2. We would like a little more articulation, and a beefier look, but not so much as it will affect steering and maneuverability on the road. My son of course wants a three inch lift or more, but my wife and I are thinking 2 inches would be enough. We are debating the 3 inch Mopar kit.
3. We do enjoy going off road and the occasional Jamboree, but we are not heavy off road people... yet. This is a daily driver.
4. I am not looking for the cheapest product, but rather the best to fit our needs. (If it's the cheapest, then fantastic!)

Can you give me any advice regarding body lift vs suspension lifts, new coils vs using the old ones, and any adjustments that need to be made to the steering? There are alot of considerations that I am ignorant on with this model. My last project Jeep was a 1985 CJ-7, and I loved it to death. Literally. Caught fire while I was headed back from the convenience store with some beer I bought to assist me in the next project I was going to do on it... but that's another story.
Thanks!

 

[TerryMason]

Welcome to Jeepz.com.

1. Are you looking to run larger tires, and if so, what size were you thinking?
2. When you say that you have spacers, are you referring to spacers sitting on top of your springs (a budget boost, like in my writeup), or are you referring to a body lift (spacers between the body and the frame).

 

[superj]

i always say old man emu. i have had them on two different jeeps and the ride was nice on both

 

[stebachmeyer]

Thank you so much for responding! No the lift we have is the standard Rubicon package. I bought the Jeep in 2012 with 33 inch tires (17" rims) and we had a ball with it. They were BF Goodrich and there was no rub. Then we replaced the tires this year with a set of Cooper 33" STT Pro (Oh. My. God. What an awesomely quiet tire) but they top out at a little over 33" and there was a rub with the sway bar. We fixed this with a set if wheel spacers. Our suspension is the same old same old and my wife has this curled lip finger curved over the chin look that says, "Steve needs to lift my Jeep a little more". So far we have not taken the new tires off road this year as I am working alot, but we plan to, soon. I am actually concerned about having full articulation, and also the road drivability, and also the bigger look that a lift would give. I am interested in a 2 inch lift, but not opposed to a 3 inch lift if it means a better product. However, if I am going to risk steering issues or safety (center of gravity) then I would like to stick with as little of a lift as needed. I guess I want the best quality, really. Mopar has a good reputation, and maybe I should go with their 3" lift.
Quality vs. Safety and Comfort: I am walking a razor's edge in my mind, but I don't know enough about the products available to say that I need to worry about it. Perhaps the razor is really really dull, and it is no big deal... I am hoping to get some thoughts from people who know.

 

[Knuckles]

Do not lift. No. Don't do it.

 

[superj]

old man emu are generally 2.5 lifts. both jeeps i had this companies lifts on rode better than stock. one was a liberty and the other is my current yj. both are 2.5" lifts

 

[wfwright2]

I would look at the folks at kevinsoffroad.com. they have an assortment of lift kits and death wobble cures.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

 

[TerryMason]

I am actually concerned about having full articulation, and also the road drivability, and also the bigger look that a lift would give. I am interested in a 2 inch lift, but not opposed to a 3 inch lift if it means a better product.

Your Rubicon JK came from the factory with 32 inch tires. The 33s you're running only require 1/2" more room between it an the fender. If you want to test this, unhook your swaybars, and using a normal floor jack, lift one tire all the way up until it hits the bumpstops, keeping an eye on the fender to make sure that the tire doesn't make contact.

Now if you just want alittle more lift for the heck of it, you have a couple of options:
1. Get a 1" body lift. This is easy to install, and will not change the way your Jeep handles. You just insert one inch spacers between the frame of your Jeep and the body. You will get an extra inch of room between your tires and the fenders. The downside is that this does nothing to raise your axles and suspension, so it won't help you go over larger rocks.
2. Get a budge boost. Essentially putting 2" spacers on top your springs. This will change some geometry with your Jeep, and you'll need an alignment after. This is easy to undo if you don't like it - just pull out the spacers and get another alignment.
3. Get a full on lift kit that replaces your springs, etc.


Since you mentioned the Mopar 3" lift, they also make a 2" lift lift:
https://www.jeepwranglerparts.com/wrangler-jk/jeep-wrangler-jk-lift-kits/mopar-stage-1-2-lift/

For my 2 cents, I think 3 inches of lift is too much for what you are trying to accomplish.

 

[stebachmeyer]

Thank you guys. Since there is a lifetime warranty on my Jeep... and my wife is weighing in heavily on this point, I think I am leaning toward the Mopar 2 inch product. The site you directed me to, Terry, gives the product numbers and everything, which is a help. The price is like $1200, but the labor is "free", right? I spoke with the Jeep dealer and he advised this, although he wanted to sell me the product from their supplier of course. And their service department. I am looking at Amazon Prime as my source.
Next, I have a CJ-7 project in mind... for me and my son the mechanic. I really appreciate all the info offered on this site.

 

[TerryMason]

The price is like $1200, but the labor is "free", right? I spoke with the Jeep dealer and he advised this, although he wanted to sell me the product from their supplier of course.

I don't believe this is true. You're just buying the lift kit shipped to your door for that price. It's up to you to install it (or pay someone else).

If you do go with the Mopar kit then take lots of photos. I'm interested to hear your opinion of it.

 

[JPNinPA]

Thank you guys. Since there is a lifetime warranty on my Jeep... and my wife is weighing in heavily on this point, I think I am leaning toward the Mopar 2 inch product.

Your kidding about the lifetime warranty, right? Some parts are limited lifetime that is nominally 10 yrs from the date of purchase.

Secondly replacing parts with aftermarket parts does not void the vehicles warranty. If you read many threads about lifts, almost all are aftermarket. The brands that users are pleased with is mainly OME (Old man emu).

Keep in mind when you purchase a lift, not all the parts needed are in the kit. Like offset rims to keep from rubbing or bumpstops. And in some cases, some parts in the kit, are not needed unless you are installing a lift over 4 inches. The pitman arm is a good example of this.

Many start with a 1.5 inch budget boost lift. In most cases you are just placing a spacer above the stock springs. Nothing else is needed except an alignment. Or as mentioned above a body lift with some shift adjustments or extended linkages for 4WD shifters.

What are your plans with the vehicle? If off-roading way type of terrain?