sully151

So I just got off the phone with Joe at Teraflex, (SUPER NICE GUY! very helpful)It appears that I will be getting my lift this weekend and keeping it in a box until I can afford tires and wheels.

Since I am relatively new to all of this I would like as many opinions as possible so I can make the right choice, this is why I am asking you.

I am trying to decide on either the 2.5" coil lift or the 3" lift

I have an 08 Ulimited X with 3.73s and a manual transmission.

I want 35's but will probably settle with 33's since I can't afford to regear.

I also plan on adding bumpers, rock rails, trail rack, and perhaps a winch in the next year or so.

This is my daily driver and will only see moderate off roading on weekends and to camp.

Which lift would you get and why?

TeraFlex

awww shucks

jasruby

I know this has been over before and I'm not trying to hijack this thread, but....

I went quote shopping for a lift today. I'm kinda curious as to why one would choose one lift over another. Both in brand and in coil or BB. I am also looking for 2.5-3".

Back to your regularly scheduled thread....

somewhereinla

Old Man Emu is probably ,imo, the best all around suspension kit, it come in different flavors (light or heavy loads), they are built like a tank and it will feel amazing on road as well as off road (especially important if it is your daily driver). Off course Teraflex offers a great product as well, as many other company do, but they seem to be designed more toward off-road... and are not so comfortable on road... I hear that AEV is coming out with a new 3" suspension that seems to be pretty sweet as well, like OME, the new AEV suspension seems to have been optimized for both on and off road (AEV bought Nth Degree a while back, which made some of the best suspension ).

sully151

Would Joe at Teraflex like 2 minutes for rebuttal?

joe002

sully151 - I’m in the same boat as you - 33’s or 35’s?

I have the 2.5” Spring lift and it will give you about 3” of lift, and from what I’ve read here the 3” kit will give you something closer to 4” of lift. I think the 2.5” kit is at the edge of the maximum lift you can get without having to make a lot of modifications to your suspension. You can look at the TeraFlex catalog and see the number of different 3” lift kits they offer with various additional suspension components, but with the 2.5” kit the extra components are not necessary. Also, since you have an Unlimited, the 3” lift may not force you to get new drive shafts, but with a 2 door (like I have) you would probably need to replace one or both.

I’ve only had the TeraFlex 2.5” kit installed for about 500 miles, but the feel on the road is at least as good as the stock feel. The biggest thing I’ve noticed so far is that going down the freeway at 85 mph you can feel high crosswinds more, but that’s just because the Jeep is now lifted. Offroad the performance is obviously better than stock, and the feel may be just a touch less harsh. For example, with the tires not aired down and the sway bar not disconnected, washboard dirt roads don’t feel as gut wrenching as they did with the stock setup.

The bumpers and winch will probably affect the rake/lift of your Jeep. If you don’t plan on getting them for a while, you may need to temporarily purchase some spacers to even out your Jeep after your lift. Once you put the bumper(s) and winch on you could remove/adjust the spacers as necessary.

I don’t think you can go wrong with TeraFlex, and I think their 2.5” Spring Lift kit is really great!

defkon

I went with Rough Country 2.5 in lift mainly due to cost. But it has been great, rides well and does what I need it to. I can fit 35's, even though is all I'll go to is 33's b/c I don't want to re-gear.

jeeperjkj

If I were to buy a new or unmodified Jeep, I think I'd be hard pressed to go with any lift other than the Clayton. I like the idea of a product that is believed in enough by the manufacturer to be warranted for life w/ no questions asked.

sully151

I am going with the Teraflex lift mostly because of customer service. There are a lot of good lifts out there, Teraflex, OME, Rough Country, etc, but I met Joe when he drove out from Utah for the Socal Meet and Greet. He was very helpful then and he is always on this forum answering questions and participating.

From what I understand a BB is basically hockey pucks that lift the jeep while a coil lift uses the coils to lift the jeep making it a more capable modification.

TeraFlex

Actually how a JK rides on road is just as important to TeraFlex as to how they handle offroad. What good is a kit if it's only good for one usage? If you buy our coil kit it will ride a little firmer. Spacers kits rely upon the stock coils/shocks, Rubions tend to have a firmer ride. With 6 different 2.5" kits out, TeraFlex customers have a broad range to choose from depending on $/usage and what the wifey will let you do.

Now some have ran into "flighty" steering or ESP issues. With lowered tire pressure and centering the steering wheel these issues can be addressed. Also loosening the control arm/trackbar bolts before install then retightening after can really help.