Straighftorward setup - Teraflex coli spacer lift (2.5-3"), with Teraflex front LCAs, Bilstien shocks, 33" BFGs.

Rides better than stock with no caster issues on the street. Just enough clearance to get where I want to go offroad. No detectable impact on mileage. No significant impact on towing capability.

Admittedly a pretty conservative setup, but fits the bill of the thread!

 

Thank you, these are the answers people are looking to hear.

 

The 3.21 gearing is your variable with the most constraint but it's also going to return you the best gas mileage on-road.

I've owned 2 Jeeps and both were dual-purpose vehicles and saw plenty of commuting. The new Jeep is too new to have gone out yet, but I did some pretty tough trails with the old one. Here's a little bit behind each of the builds:

The old Jeep was an '09 Wrangler X, 2-door, 6-speed with 3.21 gears. It was completely stock, no lift, but it had 32 inch BFG A/T KO's (265 series, D load rating, on factory 17" wheels). By far, the single limiting factor was the gearing. The 3.8 could eek out enough power, but the real issue was the crawl speed in 4-low. It simply ran too fast for the finesse needed to overcome obstacles without bouncing or breaking stuff, especially on steep climbs. Bigger tires would have made that a lot worse. It had other factors stacked against it like open diffs, so it's ability to crawl and get traction were issues before considering ground clearance. The BFG's were fantastic for on-road performance and returning decent gas mileage.

I think your build also depends on the region in which you wheel in. 3.21's are fine if you're a desert-wheeler and don't see much elevation gain.

My new Jeep...a 2012 2-door sport, 6-speed, 3.73's is currently under the knife. I'm going with the 2.5" AEV Dualsport XT lift. I decided to go for a suspension lift versus a spacer/puck lift because I wanted the additional ground clearance but also an improved ride. I paid the AEV premium because of their reputation and the kit is also touted as one of the best on-road performers. I opted for the control arm drop brackets as well to eliminate any additional propensity to dart or feel flighty at freeway speeds. The 2-doors are bad enough in that regard with a short wheelbase. The taller/stiffer springs and shocks will eliminate some of the on-road nose dive and body roll, and they'll help control bounce when overcoming obstacles offroad as well as providing additional ground clearance. It's cheaper to do a 2.5" lift in a non-AEV product and maybe the results are just as good. The results are NOT as good if you go with a spacer/puck lift in any brand, AEV be damned. Non-rubi Jeeps are built with suspensions that are better suited for cars than they are Jeeps and you'll be longing for better shocks and springs. You do it to improve the ride, control bounce, mitigate body roll, and not so much for looks.

I went with a 33" tire over a 35" tire, and I went with a 285/70/17 Goodyear Duratrac. The BFG's on my last Jeep were great, and I hope these are as well. Same benefits--good mileage, quiet, one of the better off-road handlers given it's all-terrain design. The biggest goal was to preserve the 3.73 gearing--a 35" tire would reduce that and I'm not ready to re-gear at this point. I also wanted to preserve on-road gas mileage. The 33's will have plenty of room as the axle flexes and the tires push up into the fender wells, with no rub. But a lot of people think 35's look cooler and realistically they do give you an additional inch of axle clearance from the ground over a 33" tire. But....a taller rig means a higher center of gravity and that's not always a good thing on tight trails with a lot of off-camber spots. Remember...you're going for a balanced build. 35's are fine for some folks. Here in the steep PNW region with rocks and mud and steep grades, gearing is really important and tires are a factor in that.

IMO, when you start to get into 35" tires, and upping the gearing to 4.88 or higher, 4" lifts, the spirit of a dual-purpose Jeep is lost. At that point IMO you're leaning heavily towards a purpose-built Jeep for offroad fun and any gas mileage and on-road comfort are no longer considerations for the build. And...let's be realistic, gas mileage concerns went out the window the day you bought your Jeep.

Your big decision factors here are:

1. What kind of suspension? (spacer/puck, or full suspension?)
2. What size tires? (33's, 35's, or ??? --and how are you messing with your gearing)
3. If you plan to do anything with gearing NOW, revisit items 1 and 2 as well before spending money but also keep in mind that you want to keep the jeep for dual purpose.

I get my Jeep back this weekend...I could be really wrong about some of this stuff, but I've had more fun in lesser rigs with less clearance, smaller tires. I'll do a writeup at some point once I get some miles and dirt underneath it, but in theory I feel like I've absolutely nailed the point of a dual-purpose setup. Your results may vary

Edit: Forgot to add my plug about tires. I had a set of "all-terrain" tires on a different vehicle. Dueler A/T's Don't be fooled...they are a highway tire.

I have no idea what kind of Falkens you run, but for a dual-purpose rig you probably want to go with something that's a light truck (LT-)tire versus a passenger car tire (P-). Pay attention to the load rating. The stock Wrangler SR-A's that came on your Jeep (or even Wrangler ST's on the 16" wheel) are passenger car tires. They have a C load-rating. D is what I've gone with in the past. My father-in-law went with an E rated tire (stronger) in the same BFG A/T that I had and his tires rode so stiff on road that they'd rattle your teeth out.

With a C rating, you run a higher risk of puncturing the sidewall, slipping a belt and generally destroying a tire off-road. I did exactly that to those Dueler A/T's and they weren't exactly cheap $. "D" rating is a good middle ground.

And...just a personal rant...if you're going to go with upgraded tires, MAKE SURE you buy ALL 5 of them. People are asking (hoping?) for a bad day with 4 nice 35" mud terrains under the Jeep and the stock SR-A hanging off the rear.