With your budget and desire to run 35" tires I'd take a previous poster's advice and go with a 2.5" system that includes front lowers. The 2.5" Flex System from Rock Krawler is an excellent system that covers the important bases at 2.5" of lift. It'll have front and rear coils, an adjustable front track bar, adjustable front lower control arms, front brake lines, and a rear track bar relocation bracket. If you wanted to add anything to it I'd recommend a set of rear brake lines since you're going to be bleeding the brakes anyhow. Those are the big points you need to touch on for a 2.5" lift on your Jeep whether its a two door or four door.

When you get higher than that, even an inch, things get a little more interesting and more components should be added to keep the axles centered and your driveability where you would expect it to be.

Good luck! Don't get overwhelmed...just listen to the good advice folks have given you here.

Marcus

 

.5 inches makes all the difference? You are looking for definitive answers, when it is all just a bunch of big gray areas. Start by actually opening the thread that was mentioned. Do a little research on what changes/problems are caused as you lift higher, what the specific components actually do, and which versions of those components are the right 'fix' for each issue. If you choose to correct it.

Read enough, and you will find things like: some people have had driveshaft issues with 2.5" lifts, while others are still on stock shafts with 4-5". Some have shattered the front housing on stock tires while driving onroad, while others are beating the piss out of it offroad on 37's without a problem. Pretty definitive, huh.

As you go taller and/or to bigger tires, the likelihood of an issue increases, but there is absolutely nothing saying that a height X you will not have a problem, but at height Y you will. Do the research so you can make some semi-educated guesses...

 

Thanks ya I guess that's where I was getting confused.. I was reading people having problems and some being fine all between the 2.5 to 3.5 range. But they might have been all pavement use.. So some conflicting info everywhere I looked.

But with everyone pushing the 2.5 so much that was exactly my thought "does 0.5 an inch make that much of a difference? " but I guess it does. I was reading a TF 3" thread and eventually they said everyone replaced their driveshaft with some wheeling.

So is that no longer a concern at 2.5? Even with articulation? Nothing super crazy but I still wanna get the most for the dollar. Will a good shock with trackbar and arms on a 2.5 still get some good flex without the side effects of the drive train issues hopefully? If I need to loose the fenders I will.

Thanks

 

Running the 2.5" RK Stock Mod for about 5 years and still on stock drive shafts. The expansion joint boot on the front one was toast the first time I flexed it up, but it's been just fine. Eventually I'll replace it, but it's never caused any issues. Could be a 4dr thing.

These were taken earlier this year behind my house. Don't know if you can see it or not, but where the driver front is articulated down....the spring is only being retained in place by the bumpstop. Because I'm not currently running retainer clips, they regularly come off when I articulate too much, such as in the picture in my avatar.

 

what should i do with arms and track bar?

i just spoke to local jeep shop and they suggested not even getting into arms or track bar and keeping stock with either a high steer kit or the cam bolts and seeing how it drives... the thing is i wanna do it right the first time and not have to keep adding parts

They said the RE track bar requires drilling but i don't think thats true.. can anyone back me up on that with experience? i want to put a new track bar and front lower arms in while I'm getting the lift installed so i figure theres nothing more i have to add..

 

As part of high steers / draglink flips, one end of both the trackbar and draglink are raised or lowered. When they are raised from the axle, the steering knuckle gets drilled out so you can move the draglink up top (while raising the trackbar with a bracket). Since that RE lift comes with a high steer, maybe that is what the shop was talking about? And you confused draglink with trackbar?

If that trackbar bracket is installed, it should center the front axle, so you won't need the adj trackbar. (may not be perfectly centered, but somewhere close)

You should be able to find a link to the install docs on RE's website. Look and see. Or call the shop again and have them explain it.

Again, if you choose adjustable control arms, do not install the cams. If you decide on the cams, don't spend money on the arms.

Really wouldn't be a bad idea to click that link in Planmans sig and get a better understanding of what problems are caused by lifting, and what each of the components actually does...

 

I had the Teraflex budget boost lift on my 09, I had to replace my springs due to sagging. I went with the rubicon express 3.5" coil lift on my 15 Rubi.. Still loving it!

 

lol iv read that believe me but still being a newb i think its fair to have questions when it comes to my first lift, want make sure everything is right, and I'm not caught off guard by needing something more after already spending all my money. Just asking for input is all.

I was not talking about the high steer kit though, I'm not going to go with that for now. just referring to putting an adjustable track bar in the jeep with the lift as it sits... With the coils, shocks and adjustable arms, is it worth putting a new track bar, and if so will it just replace the stock one, or will i need new brackets/drill holes/ext...

thanks

 

An adj trackbar is a simple two bolt remove/replace. (though actually adjusting it and centering the axle can be a pain.) Haven't heard of any that need holes drilled? Not sure what they were referring to there. (but I'll keep my guess that they were talking about the flip )

As far as I know, front trackbar brackets are only used in conjunction with a flip/high steer. Not saying there aren't any, just don't recall seeing any.

Rear trackbar brackets are common, and should come with the lift? Most people like having them raised from the axle, not dropped from the frame.

Is it worth it to buy a front adj trackbar? Depends on how high you end up, which will dictate how far offset that axle is. Some people with 2.5" coils don't bother with it. My 3.5" coils me gave close to 5", so I definitely like being able to center that axle.

 

Thanks for all the info. ya it comes with a bracket for the rear but for the front I'm going to buy a new track bar.

So every things all set to order I have the 2.5" teraflex coil kit with shocks ordered up, I just need to pick out arms and what track bar to grab. Im stuck on the track bar because theres quite a few to choose from all in the same price range and it looks like they all copy two basic designs. Iv got it in my budget for one of:
-RubiExpress HD Superflex adjustable
-Rock Krawler Bomb Proof double adjustable
-JKS HD Adjustable
-Rugged Ridge Adjustable

I know asking what brand can be biased but there might be one that is a given for/against. Unfortunately the Teraflex is out of my budget, but the RE looks very similar. any help would be great.