Still looking for a Jeep Cherokee, so i'm also looking at future mods. So first I thought was lift kit, rough country, suspension lift kit. I think 4.5" in a good lift because you can fit 33's on your jeep. But there is like 3 different kinds of 4.5" lift, starting at like $400 to $1200. Which one is the best 4.5 lift? Sorry if this is a stupid thread any answers would be great.

 

gotta start reading through the other threads this is probably the most beat to death subject on the site. 4.5" is right on the cusp of needing some fairly serious work. i.e. pitman arm drop/ TC Drop/ SYE/ rear diff pinion angle/ Discos/ extended brake lines/shocks/springs.Not to mention the hardware that will inevitably break, and some of the special tools you will need. you probably want to look for a complete kit which should be towards the higher end of the budget. but most importantly go to the modified cherokee thread and start reading every page that mentions a lift. then go tot he build page and start reading through all those. some people have documented their lifts in extreme detail.

 

Yup. above the 3" range of lifts you need far more components that make the over all cost more than the lift kit itself. Figure that after you pay for the Lift alone you need to add like another 500.00 for the rest of the things that need to be done. Putting 33's you will need to brace the Steering Box as well, so add that cost as well. You'd want to go with an SYE or you can do the Yoke Mod where you tap and drill into the output shaft etc. You need to research all this first.

This is the exact reason I'm going with just the 3" lift route and 31's I don't really wheel much anyway.

 

My first Cherokee had 2.5" OME heavy duty springs F & R which lifted the jeep about 3 1/2" inches. with 30 inch tires. I ran this setup with all other stock components. Eventually swapped the rear brake hose with a Dakota line and removed the rear sway bar. I was happy with the way it looked but it rode rough. Obviously the heavy duty springs on a stock weight Cherokee are overkill but a lot of the problem came from the stock length shocks that I used. I had already replaced the shocks a year before the lift and didn't feel like spending more money, I figured 2.5" would push the limits of the shocks but I didn't count on the extra lift and the shocks were constantly at the bottom of their stretch. I'm approaching my current Cherokee a little differently this time.

 

I've went with the HD OME springs all around too. I like them. Check out my build for details.

 

Like already stated you will need so much more than just the lift at that height. It starts getting real expensive real quick at that height. Also, avoid rough country and get a lift that is more quality.

 

LOL

 

Avoid the Rough Country a very good entry level 3" lift is the Rustys 3" full leaf/coil, shock, hardware pkg all made in NA and quality leafs, coils cost under $500. You will also need a TC drop kit some apps do not, adj. track bar. sway bar disco's or extensions and the proper wheels for clearance. Steel wheels in a 15x8" with 3.75-4" of BS only cost about $40 each.


I ran this exact lift for just over a year (ONLY except for parts noted) and still using the leafs and coils today for my 4 1/2" lift.

 

The end result. A two inch lift was the ticket. Seems like the perfect balance between stance and not pushing the drive train.

Thanks to all for the info.

Cheers