Torrin

One last question, since I have a manual, do I need to do anything with the drive shafts with the 3" Flex Arm?

toymaster

Rear yes since you have the 2 door. With the front you can wait but, eventually you will need one.

zippyd8

I got the Teraflex 3" lift on my 2-door, and it gave me about 4-5" of lift. But keep in mind I have stock bumpers, etc. So I think they assume you will get about 3" of lift if your jeep is fully decked out with aftermarket bumpers and other parts. I have 35" tires and it is plenty of clearance. All I got besides the basic 3" lift kit was front lower control arms and a front driveshaft, and it's been going strong for about 8000 miles now... probably going to need to get a new rear driveshaft eventually since it will wear a lot quicker with the new angles from the lift...

Work in Progress - JK

I have a 3" lift on a 2dr also, the clearence is fine and balance is good running 35's (not top heavy feel), I did not replace my driveshafts because I was told anything under 4" lift would be ok with stock. so far so good.

Torrin

So if the difference between the full flex arm + adjustable track bar compared to the 3" Long Arm is only $600, should I go long arm for the price? Either way the drive shafts are ~$1100 (full custom, installed)

Howie

This is exactly why I love this JK Forum. I had the itch to put the 4" on. BUT, after reading this thread I feel better about making the right choice.

zippyd8

Keep in mind, just because 4" lift kits are more money doesn't mean they are better. If you just want to run 35" tires, the 3" should be plenty, especially on a 2-door. Raising it to a 4" lift gives you unnecessary amount of lift for the tires you want, and a raised center of gravity.

And trust me, the 3" will give you the "look" you want when you see a lifted Jeep. The 3" lift plus 35's is a sweet combo.

As for the flex arms, I bought the basic Teraflex 3" lift without flex arms, then I bought the front lower flex arms separately so I could adjust caster, and I like the ride. It is not required to get all 8 flex arms, but I think it would improve the ride, and you may need them depending on what else you do. For example, a new rear driveshaft will require rear upper arms, etc.

I was originally planning on a 4" lift kit too, but I am really glad I went with the 3". The 4" kit would leave too big of a gap between the Jeep and your tires and it wouldn't look good unless you got bigger tires like 37's. ESPECIALLY with the Teraflex lift kits since they always end up giving you more lift than it advertises. I got between 4" and 5" of lift, even though I bought the 3" lift lol

zippyd8

I heard it is the opposite...On a 2-door manual you need a front driveshaft right away, and eventually a rear since it will wear prematurely due to the lifted angles. I only replaced the front and it has been 8000 miles, and the rear hasn't failed yet.

zippyd8

That may be because you actually got a true 3" of lift. But since the 3" Teraflex gave me more like 4 or 5"..................you get the picture

Torrin

After reading a lot and listening even more, I have decided to do a 3" Long Arm. I really want the ride performance and offroad ability of a long arm, and I really think that WOL is right about a 4" being too high for 35's.

Thanks for all of the input.