bookdoug

HI, I'm the newbie to this forum. I have a 2000 GC Limited and would like to raise it about an inch. Just enough to miss the rocks I thought I could and it turns out I didn't! Limited budget. I was thinking to simply put a taller tire on the 16 in rims I currently have?

Any suggestions or comments?

GUARDIAN

If you aren't going to lift it, you're probably looking at a 245/75/16. What do you have on it now?

dave1123

I have a 2000 WJ with 245/70R16s on it and they are 29.5" in diameter and just about fill the wheelwell. I tried a pair of my buddy's 245/75R16s on the front (in 2wd) just to see if they'd clear and they rubbed on tight turns on the street. They are 30.5" tall.

In order to raise your jeep 1", you'll need tires 2" taller. You'd be better off raising the suspension with taller springs and keeping the tires you've got, although that doesn't raise the differentials.

If you're doing rocks, I'd skidplate the t/case and diffs just in "case" LOL!

If you're going to 32s or 33s, it's going to get expensive.

bookdoug

Thank you guys for the input. My budget doesn't have money for larger rims and tires. But I'll need tires by next summer I'm sure. The skidplate idea is a good one. I just had a front suspension put in and we noticed someone had tried to move a pretty good size boulder with the transmission cross member. He/she moved the crossmember at the point of attachment at the frame and pulled the frame apart about 1 1/2". The bolts at the trans mount is still intact as is the bolts for the crossmember. We did replace the 2 motor mounts and 2 of the 3 trans mounts. We were afraid if we got the twisted bolts and worn tran mount out of the crooked trans holder we'd never get the new one back in! Lucky it looked the best of the 3. A repair shop told me if I need any transmission work done I'll need to have the repairs done at a frame shop first. With new crossmember and straightened and reinforced frame. But by then the GC wouldn't be worth the effort.

dave1123

Oh, IDK. It depends on how much you want to keep it. My 2000 just turned 228K miles and over the years, I've put lots of cash into replacing worn out parts. It originally came from PA where they don't use salt on the roads so it's basically rust free, even after spending 5 years in Syracuse. My biggest rust problem was brake pipes. They've been replaced with copper-nickel.

I personally wouldn't spend a lot of money on a 4.7 though. I don't trust them to last, but that's me. You should put rock sliders and skid plates on it of you're going to play in the rough stuff. I bought mine for snow and it's great for that in stock trim.

bookdoug

thanks for your suggestions and input. I bought mine for getting back into forest service roads to take pictures, sunsets, rises, animal life, etc. And we happen to live on a mountainside subdivision that does get some snow. ABout 6 inches a year at various times. Yet when it does snow we couldn't get to the house with the cars/suv we had. I'm not looking to get too off the beaten path. I'm thinking about adding plates but not sure what sliders are. Something you hope will cause the jeep to slide over something too big to drive over. However, do they run under the jeep door to door over transfer case? it's my daily driver and can't afford to bang it up too much. Plus I details cars and use it to show off my work.

dave1123

Rock sliders reinforce the rocker panels and frame rails under the doors from the front wheels to the rear wheels. The idea is to add strength to these areas so you don't crunch the metal. Nothing is going to protect the entire undercarriage short of a full bellypan, but sliders and skid plates will help. From the damage you describe that was done to the crossmember, there is nothing to prevent that happening again because that was a well guided rock to miss the t/case and transmission. A lift might have prevented it though.

Just pay attention and steer around the rocks! LOL! Watch those sunsets! Coming back down in the dark can be scary.