RichW

I've been researching till I'm blue in the face about a lift for my 99 WJ and I'm as dumb now as I was before I started searching. I noticing the whole buy this, don't buy this thing. Man this is driving me nuts. I REALLLLLLY need someone who can say This is an itemized list of what you need. It's a 1999 GC Limited. I have a set of 33s that I want to get stuffed under it. I currently have no lift. I am cutting the fenders. I don't want to spend a grand on a lift. I want to just get the WJ up to enough to get clearence and give it a great look. I can see maybe $400-$500 max if I knew what in detail I need. I've read up on stuff that people stated they bought a kit and wish they hadn't because then they need this or that. I don't want to deal with that. Someone that has a few minutes please help me??!! PS I have seen where others have asked for assistance and got the famous quote, "Research it". I have for sure and it hasn't helped me at all. So really looking for a Cherokee Friend that I could borrow a few minutes of their time. PLEEEEEEASE! Thank You!!

mithuth

Simple list:
Front and rear coils, I would suggest 4" + fender trimming to keep low COG.
front and rear adjustable lower control arms to set pinion angle and caster
adjustable track bar to recenter front axle
sway bar disconnect for the front, remove sway bar in the rear
slip yoke eliminator + rear drive shaft
alignment after lift install to get axles squared and tires tracking properly

As for brands. To be honest, there's so many I love it/I hate it posts on here, I recommend buying whatever brand you want. So many people hate on a company based on he said/she said and have no experience.

My personal experience,I can't knock other companies, but I can give props to Rock Krawler is a little more expensive but well worth it for the quality product. I have a 3.5" kit on my TJ with 36s and beat hte **** out of it and it loves every moment of it with no complaints.

Edit to add:
I forgot to mention shocks.
Do not go cheap with the shocks. I would recommend Bilstein 5100 series or if you want to go a bit cheaper, look into Deutchtech(sp?) I have them on my TJ and they did good on and off road before retiring it to woods only.

bryweb

Here lies the problem, getting a good lift kit for a WJ in the price range just is not going to happen.

I am in the same boat - tight budget and big dreams.

Mithuth gave you the list, but just the (4) Bilstien 5100 shocks will cost you $300+ bucks, SYE $100-$200 plus $300 for a driveshaft, Adjustable Control Arms $150 each - you get the idea.

YOU JUST WON'T GET A $500 lift for a WJ that won't make many grumble - and most likely you will regret buying - Personally I was looking at the 4" Extreme by Rough Country for $750 - yes it has some durability issues - but they stand behind their stuff and keep making their products better - Then I was looking at a IRO Long Arm 6" for $1500 which I might still get - but now I THINK I have settled on building my OWN custom long arm and running Treadwright Tires to save a few bucks - but hey I am always ready to tackle something I am totally clueless about and take pride in "Mission Accomplish" - as when I installed my own gears in my old TJ.

Eventually I plan on swapping out my whole drivetrain - engine, trans, transfer-case, F & R axles - hopefully from one donor vehicle.

Personally if I were you I would look at doing a "Budget Boost" and get some used mud tires - have fun and wheel it while you save your money to lift your vehicle right.

Good Luck,

Bryan

RichW

Very Helpful info. I really appreciate this. I will be doing some checking on this stuff. Awesome Advise! Thank you soooo much!

RichW

I completely understand this. I thought about the budget boost to get started but didn't know if it would clear with the used 33s I have. Maybe I'll do this and start buying piece by piece in the process. Thank you for the support.

RichW

If you get a chance you can check out my thread as to what I am doing. The Title of the Thread is Chop That Top in the Fabrication section. May help people get an idea of my goal. Thank you!

bryweb

A budget boost won't fit 33" tires, my suggestion was to go with smaller tires, even 4" will not fit smaller tires without a LOT of fender cutting.

1slo_camaro

ok ill stir the pot up, i have 3 in lift coils in the front (50 bucks) and put my front coils in the rear and extended Lower Control arms i got for 30 bucks. with 31s.... that made a 800 mile trip loaded completely with house stuff and trailering my 92 camaro back from MI to MD. i need some shocks so thatll prolly run a couple hundo for a good new set. but i put my old mans 33x1250 procomps on it and rode down the road fine, other then bottoming out which made me realize my shocks were done for. and would need a good bit of trimming.


so what im saying is if you want a cheap way to lift your jeep

3/3.5/4 in lift coils for the front
extended/adjustable lower control arms for a 3-5 in lift
shocks for 3-5 in lift
and a shop to do an alignment
and a saw zaw for triming you WILL FIT 33s

you dont NEED an adjustable track bar, youll have to re-drill your bracket now for the track bar to be inline. but i would recommend an adjustable..


like i said if your looking for a cheap lift there ya go. easily under your 500 dollar range. i have less then 500 with the lift, rims, tires, new track bar, and a shop to align it WAYYYY less then 500

RichW

Dude that's not stirring the pot. That's some good advise so I can get it on the road and then start saving. Are the front coils longer than the back evidently?

RichW

Fenders are gonna be cut to the flat bend and the thick gauge sheet metal fender flares will be made to fit which should offer up quit a bit of room. I know,..... Someone is gonna same they will be beat up quick. Not to worry. We are tubing around the flares a small diameter tube and the whole thing will be exoed as well. Also we are throwing around the idea of even cutting the metal inner fender and reweld it in backwards like they do hotrods to give even more clearence. Custom fabbing on the body is by no means the problem. I just have NOTHING sparking in the brain beyond that. The sheet metal work is as my Brother-N-Law says, if you can think it, we can fab it. We are even making it look like it has ported gun barrels coming out of the front flares like on a fanned set of Bushwackers that we saw in a magazine. Only we are mounting small yellow strobes in the barrels that will strobe out the ports as if it was firing by the flip of a switch. We have all of the material for that kind of stuff and I've done plenty of accent lighting on harleys to know how to make that part happen. Craaaaazy sounding????...... Yes but nothing about me is normal. LOL.

bryweb

Ummmm you have a ZJ those tricks will not work on a WJ !!!!!!

I researched like crazy too find a junk yard lift, swapping springs etc, etc, nothing swaps from other jeeps that I am aware of, plus the WJ require more lift than a ZJ as well to fit the same tires.

This is why everyone says RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH, because you will get a lot of WRONG ANSWERS if you just post up and take advice that is given - no offense I am sure he meant well!!!!.

Back to the drawing board.....

Sorry,

Bryan

1slo_camaro

as far as i know. with my ZJ atleast. you could look around and see if you can do the front to rear swap with a WJ i cant garauntee for sure. but i was just saying what i did with mine. sorry if i lead you in the wrong direction

none taken, but i looked at my buddys 05 GC and it looks EXACTLY same as my 98 GC the springs look at the same as how mine sat stock, ive never done one on a WJ so i cant say i know for sure, i was just passing on what i knew. agreed research research research. and honestly the 4x4 you have to have a pretty nice wallet its not like lowering where you can just cut things. you cant weld coils on.... i mean you can buuuuuut lmao

RichW

It's cool. I knew the research words would come up just as a said in the original thread. This being a WJ is in fact different in a lot of ways. That is much tougher to do when making a WJ A One Off Custom.That is why I am so determined to do it because I just gotta be different. LOL! A WJ Chopped???? What?????? That's what everybody says. LOL! I'm Stoked! I want to roll out of the garage at the finished state and cruize through town and watch people say, What the Hell is That!!! LOL! Seriously, if you get a sec, check out my other thread in the Fabrication section called Chop That Top. Keep an eye on it to see what all is happening. I'll posting pics. Yes sounds like it's back to the drawing board on the suspension issue though. LOL! I do agree with doing research and I have hour after hour and not understanding a lot of it because when they start talking details about certain stuff, it is a foreign language. I understand why people say research but if it doesn't make since then you have to take a different approach. A key resource today in research is being able to speak with others for advise and just may be able to get things put in a bonehead term that even I can understand. LOL! That's why I get a little on edge when someone says reseach when I ask a question (no offense) because these suggestions that I've got so far is helping and don't seem to be negative. You guys are actually helping a lot with this which is what I have needed for the paast two months. Keep the suggestions coming guys. Thanks for the support!

bryweb

I researched it like crazy and could not find anyone successful in swapping WJ springs - but I could be wrong as well.

I also researched WJ spring swaps and could not find any junkyard solutions - but their might be some out there but none I could find with days of searching Google and reading forums.

Rough Country Extreme 4" lift says that 32" tires will fit at best, with some cutting yes RichW. might be able to squeeze 33" tires under his WJ - but I found it strange that a 6" IRO or Clayton lift says they will fit only 33" tires and 35" with fender trimming.

As I said I am either going with a IRO Long Arm at $1500 or building my own based on this article http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f197/...23/index9.html

If you are just looking to get it on the trail you could just budget boost it and weld in some big bump stops so your tires don't eat up your fenders - your flex will suck but you should be able to wheel it.

NOTE: The WJ Transmission Vent is behind the Torque Converter and is just a hole, if you are going to hit deep water I suggest plugging that hole and tapping the top adding a fitting to add a vent tube/rubber hose or you will burn up your transmission the first time you are stuck in deep water. The link was down when I posted this but this is a How To and hopefully the link will work again - http://www.the-jersey-devil.com/bbs/...rev=#Post39527

1slo_camaro

lmao i know exactly what you mean man, ive been into camaros and SBC not a problem i can pull a motor out of any year camaro with a blindfold on and a hand tied behind my back lol. so ive been on both ends. and im the same way with my jeep man. i have about 4-5 people that are my go to people for jeep questions. other then that im a stoooopid noob and being *that* guy asking *that* question lol. so no worries i wish i could help more but i just dont know wj s that much lol. and honestly cause i love being a dick i HATE the chopped look, if jeep wanted them to be trucks they would put a bed in the back damnit! lol but to each is their own, like your sig says. either you hate it or you love it, either way itll still turn your head