jolo

whats up, new guy 04 WJ select trac
Shocks went, so of-course, why not lift? did some research looking at IRO, i was going for the 4" but now im thinking go big or go home 6.5, and i like the idea of replacing more parts with newer more sturdy parts if im lifting, safety for the wife and kids.
so im looking for some 6.5 lift issues ill most likely have to get an idea on the cost, its tuff $1,000 for another 2.5 in" but it seems so worth it.

the plans
IRO: 6.5 crit (or 4), heavy duty and aux SS, 1.5 wheel spacers, req. slip yoke
replacing all tie rod ends, ball joints (probably Moog)
oil cooler or 2

when funds allow;
headers, catback
tires
TB spacer, bore TB 62mm
and when the motor had enough, stroker
when i stop dreaming maybe some Forced induction

Thinking of doing a video (prob wont) because once the semester is done im doing a number of things including the lift and previously mentioned;
general tune up, oil, trans, valve cover gaskets, various "stop bump" cures, and "tick" checking flexplate. differential check and oil change

anyway, sorry to ramble. Main question other than advice, looking for issues with a 6.5" lift.
Thanks

dave1123

JMHO, but if you're going that high, you might need a long arm kit to keep the geometry right, and don't forget the front driveshaft. That CV joint won't like it very much. Also, your wife and kids may need a step ladder to get into it. I assume you're going to 33's? It's going to be about 8" higher. Don't forget that WJ weighs 2 tons. That much mass, that high of the ground will be inherently unstable when cornering.

You may want to think about lower axle gears with the 4.0 and 33's. 195 horses just ain't enough.

GUARDIAN

Everyone has an opinion, here's mine. Guy down the street from me did a 6.5 lift on his 2004 wj. Stock uca and lca, (how he did that i'll never know) he's running 35's, no regearing, no t-case drop. He has problems keeping it aligned and we won't talk about cornering because it dosen't. He obviously dosen't take it off road. Stock wheels, no spacers, center of gravity is terrible. He asked if i wanted to go for a ride and i declined. Personally, i'm installing a 2.5 lift w/ a short arm kit this week. Mine is a daily driver and not going to do any rock crawling. Eventually i'm going to put 32's on it w/new wheels, zero offset, and about 4-3.5 inches backspacing. Not trying to discourage you from your dream but i think you will be much happier with the 4 inch lift.

jolo

Thank you, i could uprage the rear to adj long arms, as long as im not off-roading i should be ok for now without the adj a-arm?, attempting to counter the height with the wheel spacers. 33's are regrettably going to be prop a winter upgrade, hoping to do some bolt on's, and if the motor goes its an excuse to get the stroker! lol, really not wishing for the bill$$ though. Also just remembered i should replace the rear sway bar. Ofcourse my wife found an automatic side step....now im stuck thinking about how i can make one at home lol.

So he just like put on bigger shocks and springs and "lifted" sticker on it..the kit comes with long arms, spacer, brake line relocate, rear shock relocate, i can upgrade the arms to adjustable. I would need to replace at the least the FDS.
Backspacing is a new concept to me, are you getting the measurements with actual rims or adding shims or something?


I was ok with the 4", and then we had to look at the 6.5, so now its like i know i can go higher and ill always want more you know lol. but the 4 would be so much cheaper and daily efficient. At least if i get the min for the 6.5 now, take it easy until i can complete the setup.

Thank you all for your input

Bustedback

You have some mighty big dreams! A 6.5 lift will require long arms, extended brake hoses, dropped pitman arm, loss of the rear sway bar, SYE, adjusting track bars, and a bunch of other stuff that may pop up. I chose the Rough Country 4" long arm kit for my ZJ. The kit was very complete, the only extra things I needed were extended brake hoses and a drop pitman arm. I did have to change the muffler in order to make room for the rear links. I can clear 32's mounted on wheels with 3.75 back spacing without rubbing. If I ever wanted to go higher all I need is different springs and a few adjustments. Right now my steering and handling are better than stock, even without the rear sway bar. Best 1500 bucks I have spent on my ZJ.
So here is a rough estimate of what I spent for four inches of lift.
$1500 for the lift kit
$100 for the brake hoses
$50 for the dropped pitman arm
$60 for the Cherry Bomb and having it installed
$700 for Kenda Klevar 32-11.5-15 M/T tires
$75 for the Rough Country tie rod
$85 for the alignment
$40 for the speedometer gear to correct the speedo

There is also a few costs for Sawzall blades and crap like that, but it took six months of planning and shopping just so I wouldn't have to do something twice, and the rewards have been great.

dave1123

There is one other thing I forgot. Your rear axle has a 3-link set-up. That's going to require a conversion to 4 links with the 6.5 lift.

jolo

why will i use my read sway bar? 04 brake lines just need to be relocated from what i learned.

Bustedback

I'm not real sure if you lose the sway bar with the WJ long arm lift. There are quite a few differences between the ZJ and WJ. Just do a lot of research before laying out any cash.