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Lift help

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Old 06-15-2010, 05:59 PM
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Default Lift help

I have a 98 Jeep Cherokee Sport. I wanna put a 3 or 3.5 in lift on it. Anyone have any recommendations?
Old 06-15-2010, 06:03 PM
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Rubicon Express makes a nice kit. Everyone has a different opinion though so probally your best bet is to search and find one that is right for you.
Old 06-15-2010, 07:15 PM
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Whats your budget? What size tires you going to want? What kind of wheeling will you be doing? These are important questions, to help determine what you need and what you can get. I could recomend a way to lift 3-3.5" for $200 but you may need one that cost's $2000.
Old 06-15-2010, 07:34 PM
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Depends on what kind of wheeling you plan to do. I just do a lot of trail riding and nothing extreme. So I went with a simple inexpensive kit. A 3.5 inch kit from Tough Country for less the $300.00. I recommend that you search the web for the best prices. It's worth the time to shop around.
Old 06-15-2010, 08:26 PM
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Rough Country or Rusty's are both really good lifts if you can't spend a lot. Avoid Add a leaf set ups though. They cost less, but tend to sag early 'cuz you're still using your factory leafs. Rubicon express is more expensive, but a good lift. It really comes down to 3 things:
1. What's your budget? Don't break the bank, but don't go too cheap. If you can find a full lift (front coils, rear leaf packs, shocks, brake line extensions, and all the hardware) for $300 or less, I'd worry about quality IMO. I paid $580 for my Rusty's 3" after shipping, which I don't think is TOO bad. Rough Country would be cheaper, but Rusty's gives a better ride as a DD. I've heard RE gives the best of both worlds, but you pay more for it. It's not always the most expensive lift that's the best though.
2. What kind of wheelin' are you planning on? The more extreme the trail, the tougher your parts need to be to handle the stress. I wouldn't call anything I've done with mine extreme, but I've definitely done stuff I didn't think possible with just 3 inches. Granted, I've added some heavy duty parts from RE (lower and upper control arms, track bar), but it's still just a 3" lift with 31's. A lift certainly makes more things possible, but being a smart driver on the trail will get you farther than any thing else.
3. What do YOU want? Do your homework. This is the most important thing to do. Be patient, take your time, narrow down your options to 2 or 3 lifts. Do your homework on each of them. Go to some meets and talk to people running those lifts. Find out the good/bad. Look at the companies and find out their reputations for quality and customer service. An older company will have a better track record 'cuz they've been around longer (Rubicon Express), but a newer company may be just as good, just not as established (Rusty's). You want to happy with what you get, so do the work to make that happen.

Last edited by no rdplz; 06-15-2010 at 08:28 PM.
Old 06-15-2010, 08:30 PM
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Originally Posted by canoe58
Depends on what kind of wheeling you plan to do. I just do a lot of trail riding and nothing extreme. So I went with a simple inexpensive kit. A 3.5 inch kit from Tough Country for less the $300.00. I recommend that you search the web for the best prices. It's worth the time to shop around.
Not trying to say your lift is bad in the above post, just not something I'd go with IMO.
Old 06-16-2010, 12:37 PM
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I'm looking to lift it but not do anything serious, maybe just trail riding.
Old 06-16-2010, 12:41 PM
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If you have a bit of money to spend.

OME is the best riding lift that you can have.

It is very very capable and rides really nice.

You can always add a budget boost to it later if you want a bit more height.


check out mike H's profile

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/members/mike-h--1339/
Old 06-16-2010, 01:31 PM
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Originally Posted by JDash6120
I'm looking to lift it but not do anything serious, maybe just trail riding.
I'd look at either Rough Country or Rusty's then. Either way, do NOT get an add-a-leaf lift. 96_xj is right about OME. They ride really well, but they do cost quite a bit more.
Old 06-16-2010, 01:34 PM
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I think rc would be your best bet for you.
Old 06-16-2010, 01:39 PM
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I have a 3 inch Rough Country lift along with Rusty's 3/4 spacers and shackles. I don't get much time to do any offroading really and when I do it isn't anything to serious. It is also my DD. I'm happy with the lift and its been on there for 4-5 years now and I haven't had any issues with it. It comes down to what you want and what you want to do with it like everyone else has said.
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