JK Forum Member Wants Lift Look With On-Road Performance
A lot of the appeal of the Wrangler is the Jeep’s aggressive look, which often includes that extra lift needed for off-roading. However, what do you do if you want that “lift look,” but you primarily use your Wrangler for driving on-road? Well, you might find some helpful tips in a thread started by new JK Forum member, O||||||O, titled “Lift Kits for Looks Only”.
After buying a 2014 Rubicon Unlimited with only 12,000 miles and a Spacer lift with 35″ trail grapplers, the new forum member seems to be having problems with his Jeep wandering at speeds of 60 mph or more. The goal? Find a new lift setup that gives his Jeep that off-road look without sacrificing how the Jeep drives on the road.
“I am looking for a new lift. Not just a spacer lift. And my goal for this lift is for looks; road driving ONLY,” writes O||||||O. “I do very little to zero off-roading in my Jeep. I’m actually not for sure what size spacer lift I have but I would like to stay about the same height. The reason I’m wanting to get a new lift is to hopefully correct the ‘wandering’ and for it to overall ride better on the highway.”
The suggestions made by other forum members range from using AEV lifts to taking the Jeep in to have the alignment checked. However, forum member The Dirtman might have offered the most comprehensive advice:
“The height is causing you the issues not the type of lift. Without knowing what you have currently the things to look at are caster like many have said, tire pressure like you said, and I would look at your track bars. Your axles are likely not tracking in the same plane and may cause the wandering you are describing. A front adjustable track bar will allow you to center the front and raising the rear axle track bar bracket by the same amount as the budget boost will re center the rear axle and increase roll center making it more stable on the road and in cornering. Several companies make drop brackets for the front control arms and will be the best solution for ride. Just buying another lift that does not address these issues will not give you the ride you are looking for.”
Good advice, indeed. But what would you do if you were O||||||O?