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stuck on lift

V

vincepru

NAXJA Forum User
Location
cleveland, ohio/ KC, MO
so the time has come where i want to get rid of my junk 2" aal from 4wd. i want to upgrade to either the 4.5" RE of the 5.5" RE. i want to run 33x12.5 tires. i plan on making a trip out to moab this spring with my gf, and i will be moving from ohio to socal in a year. i havent really done any hardcore wheeling but i plan on it. also if somebody could lead me on the right track for the right SYE or driveshaft.

so for those of you who have been stuck on this decision help me out because im about to spend alot of money ( nearly broke college student) and i want to make sure im doing it right. ive read countless threads on here and still cant make up my mind.

also im about to order the jcr one ton steering, winch/prerunner bumper, and stage 2 sliders.
 
well, not broke yet. been saving up for a while haha. i stopped buying beer and mooched, stopped buying stupid junk, and i havent been driving for 6 months (susp license) so ive been saving alot of $. here is a picture of my jeep.
1216071330.jpg
 
vincepru said:
well, not broke yet. been saving up for a while haha. i stopped buying beer and mooched, stopped buying stupid junk, and i havent been driving for 6 months (susp license) so ive been saving alot of $. here is a picture of my jeep.
1216071330.jpg
Click to expand...

sounds like a plan, go re5.5 and 33's you won't regret it, but why take your grandfather to moab?:roflmao:
 
so why do you say 5.5? just because it has more clearance? if i got the 4.5 i would put a 1.5 spacer up front to make up for the bumper and winch. any pictures of a 5.5 with 33's? i looked but all i find is 4.5
 
vincepru said:
so why do you say 5.5? just because it has more clearance? if i got the 4.5 i would put a 1.5 spacer up front to make up for the bumper and winch. any pictures of a 5.5 with 33's? i looked but all i find is 4.5
Click to expand...
then go 4.5, either way you'll still have to go through the bumpstopping routine, and if you want to disconnect, trim and raise the flares or get rid of them completely.
 
the only thing that is pushing me away from the 5.5 is the adjustable brackets that come with the kit, what do i do with them? im new to jeeps sorry for dumb questions hah,

also would lifting it more worsen the center of gravity and increase the risk of rolling over?
 
Last edited:
Here's the RE 5.5 with drop brackets trimmed on 33's.

http://wolfenet.org/gallery2/v/Jeep/bigbear/IMG_3981.JPG.html

FWIW, I wouldn't waste time or money on a rig from back east. I'm from Iowa and the car I initially brought out here I thought was "clean". It was clean for the midwest, but it was a socal rust bucket. These things are cheap and plentiful out here. Oh, get ready for some excellent wheeling.
 
^i looked around for 4 months before i settled on the one i found, its my daily driver so i wanted it to be nice. limited with leather, sunroof, upgraded sound, heated seats. i got it for 4800 out the door, its a 98 with 86K on it. almost no rust, just some corrosion underneath.

so would a 5.5 lift with 33's suffice me for the cali area? because i see that its pretty gnarly out there
 
also, i have shocks for a 2" lift from 4wd, could i roll on these for a little until i save up to buy the ones for the 5.5? i wouldnt be wheeling it, just street driving until everything was set up correctly
 
I say go 5.5" Long Arm, get the stuff out of the way. Otherwise you'll say "oh i'll upgrade to LA later" but it will never come around.

Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with the 4.5 or 5.5 kit, just I wish I got the 5.5" LA kit right away rather than putting it off for 2 years now! I know you are broke, but so am I. I am paying my own way through college and haven't taken a loan out yet.
 
also im about to order the jcr, winch/prerunner bumper, and stage 2 sliders.


You will like these alot.. I have his front and rear bumpers on mine.. Yes a 5.5 lift is fine for ca..
 
Tenny said:
I say go 5.5" Long Arm, get the stuff out of the way. Otherwise you'll say "oh i'll upgrade to LA later" but it will never come around.

Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with the 4.5 or 5.5 kit, just I wish I got the 5.5" LA kit right away rather than putting it off for 2 years now! I know you are broke, but so am I. I am paying my own way through college and haven't taken a loan out yet.
Click to expand...


theres no way i can afford the long arm lol, i would be stuck with a 5.5 long arm on 30's for quite some time until i could save up for tires haha.

do you guys DD your rigs with a 55 and 33's? i take alot of road trips and need to make sure that its streetable and not unstable at higher speeds. also how badly does your gas mileage plummet after a lift that size and tires? (without an immediate re-gear)
 
I just put the RE LA kit on mine with 33 inch Goodyear MT/Rs. Since you are adept at saving money, wait a little longer and get the Long Arms. You won't regret it.
 
I'd probably do the RE 5.5" drop bracket kit over the RE longarm kit. If you want to find something 'better' than that, call up TNT and see if you can get a hybrid RE/TNT kit. I don't like the RE longarm setup at all.

The RE 4.5" kit is good, but the 5.5" kit rides better, flexes better, and has a better trackbar. All good things, and worth the extra expense.

It sounds like you've done a fair bit of research and are on the right track, though.
 
is the TNT kit really that much better? i mean im gonna wheel this thing but idk if im even going to be able to push it to its limits around here so i dont really want to get too crazy. my overall concern is that it rides good on the highway since i travel alot with the jeep and ride quality is a big thing for me. what sye/ driveshaft will i need with the 5.5, that is something i never actually caught on to on how to figure out which parts i need.

thanks for all this info guys really helping me out with my decision. also what are some fairly priced 33's to match with the lift. i was thinking of mickey thompson baja claws
 
vincepru said:
is the TNT kit really that much better? i mean im gonna wheel this thing but idk if im even going to be able to push it to its limits around here so i dont really want to get too crazy. my overall concern is that it rides good on the highway since i travel alot with the jeep and ride quality is a big thing for me. what sye/ driveshaft will i need with the 5.5, that is something i never actually caught on to on how to figure out which parts i need.

thanks for all this info guys really helping me out with my decision. also what are some fairly priced 33's to match with the lift. i was thinking of mickey thompson baja claws
Click to expand...



I don't like the way the RE kit mounts, I don't think it is strong enough. TNT does it right. So do many others, thats just the one I trust the most.

For tires, baja claws arent a great street tire. For a rig that sees a lot of street, look at MT/R's or BFG A/T's. BFG M/T's work well too, but they don't last as long and go flat a little easier imho.
 
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