lift question...

Allright, here is where I'm at. I have a 3" suspension lift with 31" tires, and I am having a MAJOR case of liftitis... Taking votes on what I should do. Do I add a 2" BB with spacers and shackles which would make it possible to run 33's with mimimal trimming, or save my money and go with a full 6.5" short arm suspension lift? That would make it possible to run 33's with no trimming, and 35's with a little trimming. Of course, I would upgrade my axles before I went to 35's, but I would at least be able to go that big later on if I wanted (like I'm NOT gonna "want" to... ). Either way, I am probably gonna have to go with a sye, so that is gonna be figured in. I can get a porc sye for under 200, so that won't be too bad. Anyhow, any thoughts guys?

I hope you mean short arm + drop brackets. Why not a long arm kit?

Which 3" springs do you have now?

JNickel101 said:

I hope you mean short arm + drop brackets. Why not a long arm kit?

Which 3" springs do you have now?

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Yup, it's with drop brackets. Don't wanna go long arm cause I've heard that it makes the vehicle "feel" like it's gonna flop. Too much flex. Plus, it gets more than it's fair share of on highway driving, on the interstate. I want it to be as stable as possible. And as for my springs now, I've got the Rusty's 3" spring pack lift. I've had it on for a few years now, I'm I am very pleased with the flex and handling of it, I'm just ready to go bigger now.

Just keep in mind the "liftitis" you speak of and make sure if your gonna build it in stages you stay with a kit that gives you the option to do the long arm upgrade later on down the road. Though you say it now there will come a time that you will contemplate going long arm. Everyone will tell you do it right the 1st time. But some of us cant due to funding or other variables. Just make sure you dont stick yourself to having to buy a whole new front setup when you do reach that stage.

And doing the SYE now is smart because your going to need it eventually. Getting that out of the way doesnt corner you later on in the build.

If I could give you any tips from my " doing it 3 times over" I would tell you dont spend alot of money on wheels cause it will keep you from upgrading your axles. I got a nice set of beadlocks in stock bolt pattern and when it came time to go bigger axles I put it off cause I had so much tied up in my lug pattern and didnt wanna switch. So I spent alot of money polishing the stock turds. End result was I got stuck with axles I couldnt sell and parts I couldnt use when the swap finally happened. All of us are on a budget, some greater then others but none the less on one! Now anytime I buy something to better the Jeep I always weigh the re-sell-ability of that part. Cuase I know eventually its coming off for bigger and better things!

flexdout said:

Just keep in mind the "liftitis" you speak of and make sure if your gonna build it in stages you stay with a kit that gives you the option to do the long arm upgrade later on down the road. Though you say it now there will come a time that you will contemplate going long arm. Everyone will tell you do it right the 1st time. But some of us cant due to funding or other variables. Just make sure you dont stick yourself to having to buy a whole new front setup when you do reach that stage.

And doing the SYE now is smart because your going to need it eventually. Getting that out of the way doesnt corner you later on in the build.

If I could give you any tips from my " doing it 3 times over" I would tell you dont spend alot of money on wheels cause it will keep you from upgrading your axles. I got a nice set of beadlocks in stock bolt pattern and when it came time to go bigger axles I put it off cause I had so much tied up in my lug pattern and didnt wanna switch. So I spent alot of money polishing the stock turds. End result was I got stuck with axles I couldnt sell and parts I couldnt use when the swap finally happened. All of us are on a budget, some greater then others but none the less on one! Now anytime I buy something to better the Jeep I always weigh the re-sell-ability of that part. Cuase I know eventually its coming off for bigger and better things!

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If I decide to max out with the 6.5" lift and 35's, honestly, how much larger could I go.... I doubt liftitis would hit after that....or if it did, there is always the BB then....LMAO As for the wheels, I put them on a long time ago. Got some aluminum baja's in the 15x8 variety, and paid around 65 or 75 a piece for them. Not too bad, and I could still use them on 33's, but any bigger, and I will deffinitely go with something in the black steelies family. I believe I could go long arm later on with either the RE 5.5" or the rusty's or RC 6.5 inch, so I'll probably save my pennies and sell some plasma to get one of those. Honestly, what are the benifits to the long arm. The guys telling me to stay away from them are in wranglers, and says it makes it feel tipsy on the trail. I have no dealings with it, so ???

chrisja77 said:

If I decide to max out with the 6.5" lift and 35's, honestly, how much larger could I go.... I doubt liftitis would hit after that....

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I just installed a 6in lift from Tomken on my XJ and have 33" tires, and if I would have had the extra grand for the 8in lift I would have done it.
I also have a locker in the front, SYE, and have trimed the hell out of my fenders to keep from rubbing during flex.

I have been VERY pleased with the performance of this little jeep on the trails I've taken it on so far... I've got body damage, pulled off the rear stock bumper, built a new one, and bent the hell out of my stock tie rod link last weekend... I've decided I'll leave it at the 6in level and build a buggy for the harder stuff. I know my limits with the jeep and I just don't go on the trails I cant do or have to be winched through the entire trail.

If you are driving a lot on highway then I'd stick with about the 6in range. Mine is fairly stable when the trac-bars are hooked up. I do get blown all over the road with all the high winds we have been having lately... I could only imagine how it would be with the extra 2 inches and long arms

jet_aj said:

If you are driving a lot on highway then I'd stick with about the 6in range. Mine is fairly stable when the trac-bars are hooked up. I do get blown all over the road with all the high winds we have been having lately... I could only imagine how it would be with the extra 2 inches and long arms

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i hope you mean sway bar disconnects(endlinks)

Look at the package listing for a rubicon express 5.5" drop bracket lift.

Everything you don't have that is on that list, you need to buy, if you want to safely and solidly be at 6.5".

RE1141 ~ GEN2 DISCONNECTS 2"-3.5" TJ,
RE1345 ~ COIL SPRINGS XJ-5.5 / ZJ-4.
RE1383 ~ BUMPSTOPS 3" FRONT LOWER
RE1462 ~ LEAF SPRING XJ 4.5" W/BUSHING
RE1515 ~ BRAKE LINE SS REAR 18"
RE1550 ~ BRAKE LINE SET SS FRONT 22"
RE1660 ~ TRACK BAR, XJ/ZJ EXTREME-DUTY
RE1665 ~ TRACK BAR BRACKET, HD XJ/ZJ
RE2120 ~ T-CASE LOWERING KIT XJ/ZJ 3/4"
RE2421 ~ U-BOLT KIT M35 REAR, YJ / XJ 2
RE2700 ~ SHACKLE XJ REAR 5"
RE3700 ~ CONTROL ARM SF2 LOWER FIXED
RE3781 ~ CONTROL ARM SR2 UPPER FRONT FI
RE9900 ~ XJ CONTROL ARM DROP BRACKETS
RE9905 ~ SUPPORT BRACES FOR RE9900
RE9921 ~ SWAY BAR RELOCATION BRACKETS

I think a high COG will make you feel tipsy and floppy more than a LA kit.

There's a dude on here running 7.5" lift w/ a RE longarm kit (Chris@Gatr), maybe he'll chime in and comment on tipsy/floppy feelings....

I sit at about 6.75" with drop brackets and no swaybar.

When I was DDing the jeep, i felt it drove like a civic. I was 80 mph on the highway and as fast as I could move offroad. Nothing scared me.

I have retired the jeep to trail only use, and it scares the shit out of me when I get off camber now. I'm going the same places as before in the same equipment, I'm just not used to it anymore.

yep, I ment sway bar disconnects... thats what I get for not proof reading my comment before posting it...

JNickel101 said:

I think a high COG will make you feel tipsy and floppy more than a LA kit.

There's a dude on here running 7.5" lift w/ a RE longarm kit (Chris@Gatr), maybe he'll chime in and comment on tipsy/floppy feelings....

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Im sitting @ about 9" in the front on 37's and its tipsy on the trails. I ended up modifying an anit-rock sway bar system to help a little. But its just pucker factor and whats wrong with that? No seriously if I could clear my 37's comfortably and have a lower cog I would do it. I tried 37's @ 6.5 and at full stuff I was ripping holes in the tires and pulling fenders off the Jeep. I wanna try and setup an anti-rock system for the rear and see how it does with the body roll. Just to give you an idea here is a flex shot with no sway attachment at all.