SFBayArea

I've read lots of posts on the lift kits, but cant figure out few questions, and hope some one can pitch in:
1 I still can't figure out why it is recommended to keep suspension lift at the max of 2.5"? What are the major things that has to be added to the lift if I go over 2.5" of suspension lift?
2. I am looking to get TF 2.5" lift, but I see that everyone comment the actual hight lift gives is 3", so how does that affect the no more than 2.5" lift?
3. Is sagging an issue with TF kit? Does anyone have sagging issues with TF lift kit if you are running heavy front bumper and winch? I used to have a tacoma with heavy after-market bumper and winch and OME kit was sagging pretty bad in front due to the added weight of the bumper and winch. I ended up putting Tundra springs to counterweight additional weight.

interceptor_1972

1. When you go over 2.5" - 3", the cost of the lift goes up quite a bit because of all the extra parts needed for correction - control arms, drive shafts, track bars, etc. If price is not an object, you can go with a 3" - 4" kit, or higher.

Yes, you'll probably get more than 2.5" to compensate for any aftermarket accessories you might add later.

Not really. It might settle a little bit depending on how heavy a bumper and winch you use, but not near as much as some other kits I've seen. My RC 4" kit netted me 4" before I added accessories, and by the time I added a tire carrier, 35" spare, bumper, stinger, winch, I was down to less than 3" of lift. My new TF 4" actually got me closer to 5.5" and I'm sure it'll settle a little over time, but I'm now sitting at about 2" - 2.5" taller than my RC kit.

EDIT:
Also, keep in mind how big a tire size you plan on running, and what your plan for the JK is. If you go too high a lift and run smaller tires, it'll make it look rather funny.

nthinuf

1. Driveshafts
2. Driveshafts and Caster
3. All coils sag to some extent. Add a small spacer to the front to level.

captjay

low center of gravity and still clear 35" tires

SFBayArea

Thank you!

snopro269

I have Automatic 2 door and 2.5 Tera Flex kit and my rear driveshaft is angled. I just bought the basic 2.5 coil kit. If you want to do it right get all the control arms and track bars ect. If you do your angles will be better and if you plan on running 35's your pinch seam won't have to be cut. Lots of people on here Forget to tell others if you just get the basic kit and even with Flatties there is a close area between tire and pinch seam..

yomondo

I have the TF 2.5" coil lift with an aftermarket front bumper and winch and an aftermarket rear bumper tire carrier. Like nthinuf said, all coils will sag a bit, but my front didn't sag much after adding the bumper and winch. The rear was a different story though. After adding my rear bumper tire carrier, I had to add a 1" spacer in the rear to level it out again and to keep from hitting my bump stops.

Also, in regards to the pinch seam, I didn't have to trim mine after getting my 35's.

TeraFlex

Welcome to the forum! Generally you see sagging issues when someone has a BB kit and stock coils with some aftermarket bumpers installed. Factory coils tend to sag more when additional weight is added. Feel free to give me a call if you have any questions.

Joe @ TeraFlex

Nickit1981

I wanted a lift on my jeep but I didnt want to have to mess with the drive train at all because I simple dont have the cash to do it right now. I wanted mine to look/feel/ and perform offroad better than stock but had to work around a tight budget. One thing i learned about modding a jeep is that when you mod one major aspect of your jeep, more than likely youre going to have to mod something else for everything to work right and avoid issues (right about here is where you are going to want to start reading up on Death Wobble). Heres a list of what i added and a picture of my jeep as it stands now so you will get an idea.

1. First i bought a bikini top because mine came with a hard top and I wanted a means to go topeless easier when I didnt have anyone around to help take the rear top off. This was more expensive thanI anticipated because I didnt realize al the parts I needed. I ended up having to buy the bikini top, the wind jammer, the duster cover, the tailgate bar, the windshield channel, a top prop, and the door surrounds with bolts. what i thought was going to cost me around 400 bucks ended up costing me around 700 to 800 bucks.

2. I installed a 2.5 rough country Budget lift and an alarm. i got the rugged ridge shockswith the lift and kind of regret it. i wish I would have got a higher quality shock instead. The ride from these is really stiff and i suspect they contributed to my death wobble experience (see death wobble threads). Anything over 2.5 to 3 inches means more mods to keep you from messing up other parts on your jeep.

3. Mirror relocation brackets. These are optional for most people. i wasnt sure of illinois side mirror laws so I figured better safe than sorry and put em on. They put the passenger side mirror basically out of view when put the doors back on, but you get used to it.

4. Next I put a dual steering stabilizer on the jeep in preperation for larger/heavier wheels and tires. A lot of people dont even run stabilizers to prove a point saying you dont need them, but I wouldnt recommend that. I personally like them because they stiffen up the steering on the JK. You have to be careful though because this can mask a Death Wobble issue and could end up costing you more money (go back and re-read all the death wobble threads).

5. Wheels and tires. You will drive yourself nuts trying to settle on which wheels and tires to purchase. If you decide to go over 33inch tires plan on spending more money on regearing (which is expensive) because they will cause you to lose some power. Take into consideration what you will be driving on most of the time pavement, dirt, sand, snow etc.. etc.. and base your decision off of that. When buying wheels make sure you get some that have the correct backspacing to fit over your brake calipers so you dont have to grind them down. 16 or 17 inch wheels with 4.5" of back spacing is safe and should get you where you need to be.

6. Bumpers and rockers. I went with tubular for 3 reasons. 1) it seems like most people are going with modular now a days and I wanted mine to be a little different. 2) they are typically cheaper. 3) they weigh less so they dont negate the lift I put on. I am still waiting on my rear bumper.


whats newxt for me... the rear bumper and front winch is next. Should have those in a couple weeks. then I am putting a 1.25" body lif ton to give me a litte more additional height and wheel clearance. Then I will start adding more to the engine. Remeber, everyone goes about their jeep a different way. This is just the guidelin i follwed for myself.

This is what my jeep loosk like thus far..
it actually sits a lot higher and looks a lot bigger than what these pics show.

Outdoors

This size lift will still allow you to do 95% of the trails out there, and will keep your spending money on other things such as gears, bumpers or lights, whatever..