Howdy all. I'm new to this forum and relatively new to the realm of Jeeps, or Wranglers at least (my first vehicle was an 86 Cherokee..still love those things). Since aquiring my '01 TJ last fall I've been plotting on a lift of some kind, but I seem to have hit a dilemma in trying to balance my macho urges with my more practical instincts.
To better explain, several of my friends own Jeeps, all of them with some variation of a lift etc. Now normally I'm not one to get caught up in a pissing contest, but for as much hell as I've taken from them in the past months about "how's life down there" or "hey 'stock' boy" etc, part of me feels that I HAVE to go bigger and badder than any of them. My best friend (the one with the biggest mouth) has an '01 TJ with a 4" lift and 33" Xterrain's, and while it's a remotely bad puppy, it's basically a street Jeep that he won't even put on dirt.
As for my personal situation, there are a number of factors to consider. First off, my Jeep is my daily vehicle, and I won't likely turn it into my "toy" until I get it fully paid off within the next couple of years. I do lots of highway driving and I've heard negative things about the wear and tear that bigger tires and large lifts can have on stock components. Another concern of mine would be rollover stability. I live in Texas where the weather is wild, the highways are fast, and you find roads in all kinds of conditions. My big mouth friend has already spun his TJ into a guardrail in wet weather, and another friend of mine rolled his TJ (a bad mother, rest in peace..the Jeep that is) in some fog on a rural highway. Both of these could likely be chalked up to driver error/inebriation, but I still can't help but think the tires/lift may have contributed.
Those concerns aside, I do aspire to do some recreational off-roading. I'm not looking to do competitive stuff or join a club just yet, but my friends and I do the occassional trail romp/mudding/camping trip etc. I'd like to be well equipped for all types of terrain without being too hardcore (I won't be getting lockers or a winch any time soon if you feel me).
So, given that I'm an amateur and all the other factors mentioned, what I've been considering is a 6" long arm lift kit (4WheelDrive mag has been pushing these hard of late) likely with 35"s or bigger. The long arm kits are purported to have better highway stability at freeway speeds, and in general I'd feel better having a wider stance if I'm gonna be up that high in such a narrow vehicle.
My questions would be:
1. What would something like that (a 6" long arm kit and 35"+ tires) do as far as wear and tear to the rest of the vehicle?
2. How would that effect my every day driving/handling/stability? Is my steering box gonna go out the day after I get it installed?
3. Would I be better served abandoning my macho one-upmanship and just getting a more traditional 4" lift and some 33"s until I make my Jeep a secondary vehicle?
4. Would I have to have my gears done upon installing the kit, or would it still be driveable without any adjustment (my Jeep's a manual)?
5. Gas mileage would..increase or decrease?
Part of me says that the long arm kit would be a better fit for the larger tires because the greater width would mean less linear wheel travel for the same types of turns etc. The hype blurbs for these long arm kits in the catalogs swear that they ride and steer better than stock and are more stable on highways.
So I don't know what I should do. The worst case scenario for me would be to spend craploads of cash being a macho "my Jeep's bigger than yours" a-hole only to have my rear end go out or my transmission trashed 2 months down the road. Middle scenario would be to save a little cash, not be so childish and get a respectable 4" lift, have mild wear and tear, and go big and bad when my baby is paid for and I have alternative transportation. Best case scenario would be to still be a macho chump, spend a big wad on the 6" long arm kit, and have normal wear and tear and a fantastic looking and riding 4 wheel machine.
Which of these scenarios is the most realistic? Help a chump like me out! Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, and God bless Jeep and their products.
To better explain, several of my friends own Jeeps, all of them with some variation of a lift etc. Now normally I'm not one to get caught up in a pissing contest, but for as much hell as I've taken from them in the past months about "how's life down there" or "hey 'stock' boy" etc, part of me feels that I HAVE to go bigger and badder than any of them. My best friend (the one with the biggest mouth) has an '01 TJ with a 4" lift and 33" Xterrain's, and while it's a remotely bad puppy, it's basically a street Jeep that he won't even put on dirt.
As for my personal situation, there are a number of factors to consider. First off, my Jeep is my daily vehicle, and I won't likely turn it into my "toy" until I get it fully paid off within the next couple of years. I do lots of highway driving and I've heard negative things about the wear and tear that bigger tires and large lifts can have on stock components. Another concern of mine would be rollover stability. I live in Texas where the weather is wild, the highways are fast, and you find roads in all kinds of conditions. My big mouth friend has already spun his TJ into a guardrail in wet weather, and another friend of mine rolled his TJ (a bad mother, rest in peace..the Jeep that is) in some fog on a rural highway. Both of these could likely be chalked up to driver error/inebriation, but I still can't help but think the tires/lift may have contributed.
Those concerns aside, I do aspire to do some recreational off-roading. I'm not looking to do competitive stuff or join a club just yet, but my friends and I do the occassional trail romp/mudding/camping trip etc. I'd like to be well equipped for all types of terrain without being too hardcore (I won't be getting lockers or a winch any time soon if you feel me).
So, given that I'm an amateur and all the other factors mentioned, what I've been considering is a 6" long arm lift kit (4WheelDrive mag has been pushing these hard of late) likely with 35"s or bigger. The long arm kits are purported to have better highway stability at freeway speeds, and in general I'd feel better having a wider stance if I'm gonna be up that high in such a narrow vehicle.
My questions would be:
1. What would something like that (a 6" long arm kit and 35"+ tires) do as far as wear and tear to the rest of the vehicle?
2. How would that effect my every day driving/handling/stability? Is my steering box gonna go out the day after I get it installed?
3. Would I be better served abandoning my macho one-upmanship and just getting a more traditional 4" lift and some 33"s until I make my Jeep a secondary vehicle?
4. Would I have to have my gears done upon installing the kit, or would it still be driveable without any adjustment (my Jeep's a manual)?
5. Gas mileage would..increase or decrease?
Part of me says that the long arm kit would be a better fit for the larger tires because the greater width would mean less linear wheel travel for the same types of turns etc. The hype blurbs for these long arm kits in the catalogs swear that they ride and steer better than stock and are more stable on highways.
So I don't know what I should do. The worst case scenario for me would be to spend craploads of cash being a macho "my Jeep's bigger than yours" a-hole only to have my rear end go out or my transmission trashed 2 months down the road. Middle scenario would be to save a little cash, not be so childish and get a respectable 4" lift, have mild wear and tear, and go big and bad when my baby is paid for and I have alternative transportation. Best case scenario would be to still be a macho chump, spend a big wad on the 6" long arm kit, and have normal wear and tear and a fantastic looking and riding 4 wheel machine.
Which of these scenarios is the most realistic? Help a chump like me out! Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance, and God bless Jeep and their products.
