Robz

My wife is wanting to lift her jeep and do 35" tires. From research on this forum I've read that once you go above a 2.5" lift you open up other aspects of the jeep that need to be addressed, steering, driveshafts. So we want to stay at a 2.5" lift, which the 35's will fit with the exception of minor rubbing at full flex (I doubt we will ever see full flex). She drives the jeep daily and wants to keep a good quality ride. We will most likely do some light trail rides and beach driving, but that's it. Before we bought the jeep it spent some time up north and has some rust on the suspension components. I can tell the jeep was undercoated at one point, but a lot of the suspension components the undercoating flakes off b/c of the rust. Knowing that when we do the lift kit I want a kit, or piece together a kit that will replace as much of the stock stuff as possible, within reason. At this time I also plan to take the time to clean up any remainder undercarriage components and hit with a rust stopper then a spray on coating, like a truck bed or under carriage coating.

I've looked at the Metal Cloak Game Changer kit, which seems to include a lot of parts. As far as general suspension components, what is this kit missing?

Another one is the Terra Flex kit JK 2.5" sport ST2 kit and then adding the sport control arm kit

Are there other kits similar to the MC kit I should look at that are just as inclusive?

Typically I'm one to try and get by with the least possible, but with this I'm not trying to do that for the mere fact I don't like all the rusty components.

Thanks for any input and advise.

Sv_dude

The metalcloak lift isn’t missing anything, it’s a plug and play system. If you’re not doing any wheeling, and just want it for looks then you can get by with a cheaper kit. Look on quadratec or Northridge and find a kit that includes shocks, 8 control arms, track bars and brake lines. Find one that has a decent price and go for it. You’re not looking so much for top of the line stuff if it’s just for looks. IF you think you’ll do any wheeling then the metalcloak is a great way to go.

edit: you definitely do want bump stops too. If you ever flex your Jeep and don’t have them, you’re likely to take out your fenders at a minimum.

Robz

Thanks for the input. It's mostly for looks, but I know she does want to take it on a few trails in the future. Nothing major or serious just what some of the local jeep clubs do. We definitely don't want to loose ride quality though. And like I mentioned I'd like to replace upgrade as much as possible due to the rusty components.

Sv_dude

If you’re gonna go with some of the local Jeep clubs then you way want to just get a better kit like the metalcloak. You never know what you’re going to choose to do when you go with a group of people or how you may choose to expand your off-road adventures.

If you get a kit that has everything I listed above you’re likely to be just fine. I have a cheaper teraflex kit and do more stuff than most people with higher end kits. Just stay away from the kits with name like sky jacker, rancho, etc... I’m not a fan of teraflex but their kits will be fine. Rock Krawler has been debated here so I can’t speak to them. I do know however that metalcloak is one of the better kits out there.

nthinuf

Your jeep is stock and relatively light? Remember that 2.5" does not necessarily mean 2.5". The actual 'measured' lift heights will vary by both coil mfg and by build. You might expect 3-3.5" (or more) from MC's 2.5" coils on a jk that does not have the added weight of armor/winch/bumpers/gear/etc. The taller you end, well, you already have a handle on that, but keep a draglink flip in mind if you end up near that 3.5" mark.

Also remember that 3.5" does mean you will in fact need driveshafts, while 2.5" does not mean that you won't need a driveshaft, only that there is less of a chance with 2.5" than with 3.5" coils. If you do end up swapping driveshafts also, be sure to do more research on the types of joints and whether a yoke/flange swap is needed for any particular shaft.

Robz

well it does have an aftermarket front bumper but that’s it, and it’s a 4 door.
Is it typically for the MC kit to be on the taller side?

is there a better kit that is closer to the 2.5” actual lift height? I’d rather not get into drive shafts etc right away.

nthinuf

A better kit? Nope, MC is the best on the market. (but I 'm a bit biased, since I've been running their coils and arms for the last five years...)

Yes, I think they design with the thought that people are going to add weight, so they try to end up close to the stated height after some added gear. For a company building offroad products, I think that is a better design choice than starting at 2.5" --> then fielding constant complaints about sagging and 1.5-2" measured heights because the customer added armor...

Realistically, there are just too many variables to say for sure where you'll end up with ANY mfg's coils, so as a suggestion, don't talk yourself out of metalcloak simply because of the height you 'might' end up at. Put some thought into it, research more posts on their coils, call and talk to them, maybe even look at their 1.5" coils if you think your build is light enough to gain that extra inch.

chiapeteater

I have a 2017 JKU with the Metalcloak 2.5" Game Changer with the Rocksport shocks. I can tell you that it rides and handles way better than stock. Mine is a heavy build. Full skid plates, winch, roof rack.....etc. I have run all kinds of trails in West Virginia and had it out to Colorado and Moab. It flexes, a lot. I have the front and rear Adams 1350 driveshafts at home waiting to be installed whenever I decide to regear. So far the factory driveshaft is doing just fine and I haven't ripped the boots on either one........yet. So far it has been a completely reliable and maintenance free lift. I did the install by myself in my storage unit in about 8-ish hours. If I were to have to do it again I'd go with the same lift in a heartbeat. The cost is definitely worth the investment.

Jay2013jk

Another Lift Kit you should investigate .. AEV 2.5" Dual Sport.. Very complete and you do not change control arms AND much less costly.. Did use Rancho GC Brackets We have on a 13 JKU which will go on 35s next month.. Ride is much better than Stock, handling is excellent. Check out AEV 2.5" Dual Sport.

Robz

Good to hear. I had a local off road shop tell me that they recommend a long arm kit to help with the ride quality, after research of the difference I understand why the long arms make for a better ride, but I thought they were only required for taller lifts. The shop I talked to said they would fabricate their own long arms for us if interested. Do you think they are required with just the MC 2.5 gamechanger kit?