Hey guys!

Been doing a lot of reading here and it seems like there is no gold standard when it comes to picking out how many inches of lift people put on the XJ. Could someone explain why someone would pick 3'' over 6" or any other size? I can understand it when someone wants to match up tire size to the lift required but what I don't understand is why they choose one over the other?

I'm just trying to wrap my hands around suspension basics, thanks for the help.

Mike

 

Always wanting more lift is part of the Jeep bug, I think its mostly a what-fits-your-budget deal

 

i have a 3" on my 95 right know and i wish i would have gone bigger i fell back to being little now

 

The bigger the lift the more ground clearance. Of course that is obvious. But also the bigger you go the more mods that have to be done keep all systems functioning properly.

A 3 inch lift is basically just the suspension parts, longer shocks, and possibly new extended brake hoses.

A 6 inch lift gets into the need for a SYE, steering upgrades due to the extreme angles, control arm drop brackets or a long arm kit, adjustable track bar, and other various parts.

It's all a amatter of how much money you want to spend to complete the package and what will you being doing with your vehicle while offroad.

 

I see, so once you get past 3" it opens up another can of worms.

Mike

 

First and foremost...its a budget thing. The cost to lift a Jeep is more than just the lift kit....there is a bit more such as brake lines, TC drops or SYE and so on. They higher you go the more extras you have to do. And don't forget the cost of tires increases with size...and the cost of re-gearing for said tires.

Then there is also the drivability aspect. For most these are still going to be daily drivers and as you increase hight and tire size your MPG starts to take a dive.

In the end its a mix of factors that comes out to meet the needs of the individual. Sit down and figure out what you are going to use your Jeep for, how often you will use it and to what extremes.

That said....the moment you have your lift installed....no matter the lift or the reasons you chose the lift....you start thinking about going bigger....that my friend is a small part of the Jeep thing...understand?

 

yup and same goes for tire sizes, over about 31s is opening a whole nother can of worms as well

 

Even at 3 inches you will possibly need longer brake lines, TC drop and, at the least, to remount your trac bar

 

i wish i could have gone bigger like i said but for where i live 3 and 31's is all i need so i guess throw in the factor of wat do you want to do with your rig. would you guys not agree

 

I'll throw my .02 out there...
Budget does not dictate lift height.
Budget dictates what all a lift includes and as a result how well the lift will work.

There are plenty of tall lifts that do not perform as well as shorter setups... and vice-versa, it's not the height that makes it work well; it's all the peripherals that make it work well.

There are rigs running around with large lifts/tires with minimal essential components that look the part but do not work as well off road as significantly smaller lifted rigs with the essential components.

Depending on the terrain you run/plan to run, you may or may not want a tall/short rig.

A short rig that’s well built may not receive a second glance at the trail head, but will walk all over a tall rig that was built with the bare minimum.

Again, it’s not height that dictates $$$ spent or a rig’s ability.

Also, lift height does not dictate what size tires you can run, rather wheelwell opening and bumpstopping.

Do a search on "Low center of gravity" or "LCG" to learn some more about what makes a suspension work, vs how high you need to lift a rig.

 

Mike H. is right. The learning curve has a lot to do with it as well. Also the laws that the Badgeflashers like to push. In my hometown my son ran an XJ on 3 inches of lift with 31s for 2 years. The cops never hassled him a bit. Now when he wanted to move up to 33s, we could have done a fender trim and fold and extended his bumpstops and shocks and been done with it. We both knew the cops would have pulled him over every 2 miles for no fender flares.....So, he got a new RC 6.5 inch left instead. So, just to prove that wheelers can't win the first time he drove it, he was pulled over and issued a warning for no mud flaps. So, long story short we both chose to lift 6 inches to fit 33s so we could retain our OEM fender flares.

 

Thanks for the great explanation!

I read the links on low COG and that makes a lot of sense. What essential components do people do besides lift? Any key words or brief explanation you could offer that I could look up on the search bar?

Mike

 

again with the questions... what other modifications would be necessary for a two inch lift? Also what are the biggest tires that will fit with a 2 inch lift without trimming? I would like to do a lift to my DD but I am not sure about it.

 

with a 2 inch lift there is not a lot you will have to do. As for tires a set of 30s would be as big as you can go without any trimming. If you plan on wheeling it, a new set of bump stops is a good idea.

Mike, other essentials once you get into 3 - 4.5 inches would be bump stops, longer brake lines, lower control arms, TC drop or SYE, adjustable trac bar.

anything over that and a SYE will be required, upper control arms, dropped pitman arm, LCA drop brackets, along with everything above.

So as Mike H points out...to do it right there are a bunch of other "hidden" expenses which brings you back to the budget issue.

 

Thanks probably wont wheel mainly because I wouldnt have the money to fix anything if it broke so... But its good to know that a 2 inch lift wont really need any serious modifications.