10 reasons NOT to put a lift kit in your Jeep
by Garrett · 52 comments
- After a lift, your Jeep will NOT ride like it did when it was stock height (don’t believe the marketing hype or message boards)
- You WILL spend significantly more money on your Jeep after the lift kit is installed
- Lift kits lead to bigger tires. Bigger tires lead to new steering parts, better brakes, gearing upgrades, a stronger tire carrier, refinancing your house, etc.
- Your wife/girlfriend will complain that your Jeep is hard to get into and is scary to drive
- 33-inch tires will start to look tiny. Your brain does strange things in an effort to make you justify that 38’s are the new 33’s
- Fixing driveline vibrations & re-balancing tires will drive you insane
- You may experience the dreaded “death wobble.” If you do, you’ll be investing in new underwear
- You’ll get pissed at Jeep for not adding welders and onboard air as standard equipment from the factory
- You’ll start wondering if your Jeep can climb random things (e.g. the rock in your neighbor’s yard, guard rails, the hood of your boss’ Mercedes)
- There will be times when you hate your Jeep and will want to burn it to the ground
{ 52 comments… read them below or add one }
But fitting 35s under a nearly stock TJ = Fantastic. LOL
Actually, I think those are 46s.
How about top heavy? Some thing about keeping the Greasy side down that appeals to me. I have been giving 4×4 tours in the San Juans of Colo for over 20 years and I often see the High Boys running around Main Street but rarely on Black Bear.
#4
And the issue with this is????
I guess it’s not a huge issue…depends on your woman.
I just added rocker guards w/ a step as well as some grab handles…problem solved.
ha this is all true..but we still do it..
uumm…. Hi my boyfriend wants a lift kit and big tires. guess what? im not scared!
@stefanie He sounds like a lucky guy. Lift that thing and then wheel it like you stole it.
Ok yah all these things maybe true but honestly who dont love lifted trucks and jeeps? I know I LOVE them. So if you want to spend the money on all the new parts I say F*** yah go for it!!!
I LOVE the jeep by the way
#4) Thats the Idea… wife/girlfriend not allowed on my Jeep. If I know for sure my wife wont get in my jeep i”ll go right now and install the highest lift kit I could find! LOL And you have to be crazy to let your wife drive such a amazing vehicle!!!!
there is nothing more cookie cutter or boring than a stock Jeep
Yea,, i totally agree.
because you will turn your jeep to a fabulous WRECK.
don’t keep it stock, but don’t go toOo high
thats funny your jeep is on midway i live down the street i drive a silver tj rubicon on a lift lol
When a guy wants BIG TIRES on his Jeep, he will put BIG TIRES on his Jeep. then he will want BIGGER TIRES on his Jeep…… so there is no end to it until he can’t go BIGGER !!!
I own a 2005 TJ on 35’s w/6″ lift I did myself after buying it stock (boring!), and now… man, I tell you, Its a blast, I can’t get enough….I can hardy wait to spend more meney for upgrades….its a JEEP THING!!! Maybe this speaker should buy a car if they’re lookin for a smoother ride!!!
I have an 01 lifted wrangler sport…35’s 6 inch..its beastlike and I love it..My girl acts like she’s scared but she digs it haha…truth is lifted jeeps are chick magnets!
GET A LIFT,FAT GIRLS CANT JUMP”"”"”"”"
6.5” rough country lift with 35/13.5 will fix that problem.
ya 01 wrangler sport 4 inch with 35’s not quite as high as i want it but i ain’t had no problems that i can think of other than havin to pull other people outta holes ha ha
i have a 97 tj with dana 44s detroit lockers front and rear 4″ rough country springs and custom long arms with 2.0 fox shocks .. it rides way smoother than it did stock. and my girl loves it !!!
@Haden
Sounds like you’ve really got your ride dialed in. Congrats!
o and im running 35″ procomps.. plenty big for wat i use it for
My man got himself a 1971 J-10, lifted it and put on 35’s. I can’t wait to drive that baby through the desert… he’s teaching me to drive in May.
So excited.
@Natalie
That’s great! J10s are cool rigs…I love when people keep the “antiques” going (and aren’t afraid to take them offroad as well). My wife and I do some “team” driving as well sometimes. I get to run the lockers when she takes the wheel.
i got a 2007 jk unlimited 4″ lift with 33″ i love it and couldnt be anymore happy
Zack too bad you cant tuck 35’s under a Stock tj you can barely tuck 33’s. you Need atleast a 2” lift and thats ***** inless you cut the fenders out and put fender flairs.
Hello all,
I had my 09 JK/4idr unlim lifted a month ago. After 6m scouring the net, ended up with the AEV 4.5″ full suspension lift, running on BFG-KM2/35s. It’s a kick pulling up next to H2 mall-Hummers and towering over them. Even more pulling one out of a mud pit in NJ’s Pine Barrens… AEV kits are expensive, but well worth it. Especially if you value what’s in your seat
On the highway, 80-85 no problem – until it gets a little windy… Then its time to slow down or risk soiling your boxers
Anywho – life is short… Yesterday’s gone, tomorrow might never come… All you have is the now. Enjoy.
Why would you drive a jeep and not lift it
i have a 94 yj with 2.5 lift with 33” and its my baby and it can go threw any thing i want it to go threw (witch isnt much but it fun as hell)
my dads got a 99 tj with 6” lift with 35” and he loves it
my brother has a 98 tj with 2.5 lift with 31” and he loves it
its a jeep thing you wouldnt understand
agreed i love my 99 tj lifted 4 inch’s and 35″ Irok swampers.. i love pulling up to the stock jeeps and asking the well know question… Why so small? and pull away
I have a 94 cherekee with 5 1/2 inch lift and 35 inch tire
i absolutely love my cherokee
i get everything from rustys off road
and smp fabworks
if i got the money i might as well spend it
ona jeep, lol
its got it all
i put just under 16k into it
and i drive it everyday
i just lifed my truck another $3000
angled tips, straight pipes, glass packs,
had it for years never get rid of a good
CHEVY!!!
Does it have a sticker of Calvin peeing on the Ford logo? LOL, to each his own! Glad you enjoy your rig.
Hey Guys!
Since you guys are talking about Jeeps and my first car I got is a 1989 Jeep YJ 4.2L carburetor engine. I am actually looking for some help from you guys. I am thinking of putting on either a 2.5″ full lift kit or a 4″ full lift kit along with 15″-17″ deep dish rims and when I mean deep I mean really fat rims (when looking at them from the front or the back), and I am planning on putting 37″ tires or bigger. Any suggestions of where I can get these from for a good price along with them being shipped to Canada? I would appreciate it.
No doubt about it that 4wheelparts.com has great prices and deals. If you go to ask.com you can also look up redeem coupon codes to get certain percentage off you total cart purchase. I bought a 1991 Yj 4.0 about 4 years ago that came with 33″ and a 4″ lift. Since then I have installed a dana 44 frontend, dana 60 rearend, 2″ body lift, custom lift shackles, rocker guards, a spring over axle lift, rhino liner, all new interior, a brand new sail cloth best top, 42″ super swamper TSL’s, chrome mod wheels, all new custom built cv drive shaft, over the top steering, chrome tub front and rear bumpers, chrome grill, and I still plan on doing tons more. A true Jeeper dosnt bitch about their ride, They hold their head up and say damn straight thats mine. Sure they cost alot of money to invest in but if you dont like it then dont buy one. And as of lift, go to whatever you want and if you end up scared to drive it then your just a big p*ssy.
Thanks 1991 Jeep YJ. I want a beast when driving down the road especially with those lowered card I would just love to pull up either behind them or beside them and start down. But yea as you were saying it will require a good amount of money but I am willing to spend and good amount. I also wanted to get clarified about the u-joints I heard if I raise it more the 2.5″ with the suspension lift kit I will be looking at changing the u-joint for the drive shafts? I just wanted to get it clarified.
Once you get up towards 4″ of lift you certainly increase your chances of needing a longer driveshaft to help eliminate vibrations from steep driveline angles.
That’s true you have a good point. I know I don’t know a lot about Jeeps and I apologize in advance for asking a lot of questions, but I am thinking what a better way of finding than to ask people who already have done a lot of things to their Jeeps and know first hand what not to do. I also want to know since the drive shafts would need to be changed what about the gears within the transmissions and rear differential would you recommend I increase the gears to handle the lifting and big tires?
The need to change gears depends on a few things such as: what gears you currently have, what size tires you’re going to, and what your personal preferences are. Your YJ (stock) has either 3.07s, 3.54s, or 3.73 gears (it varies by model). If you can find the tag on your rear differential (assuming it’s still there) it should have a ratio stamped on it. If there isn’t a tag, you’ll need to pull the diff apart and read the numbers stamped in the ring gear (hopefully you’ve still got a tag on the outside). 3.73 gears is your best case scenario since those are the “lowest” gears of the 3 mentioned. I ran 33″ tires with 3.73 gears in my TJ for several years and it wasn’t that bad…you definitely lose power, but it’s still very driveable. Some people run 33s with 3.07s, but personally, I think that would be a little under-powered for my taste (especially since I take my Jeep on the highway). Regearing is pricey (~$1,000-$1,500 to pay someone to do it), so you want to make sure that you’re confident in your choice of tire size and only have to regear once.
I looked for the tag but since its there is a lot of rust I didn’t have any luck getting the ratio for the gears. I am going to be running either 40″ tires or 44″ on 15″x10″ deep dish rimes and with either a 4″ lift or 2.5″ lift for suspension and another 3″ body lift kit (maybe still debating on that). I will be using it on the highway to go to back to school so I need smooth drive on the highway and an amazing ride for off roading.
40″ or 44″ tires are a whole different ballgame. For starters, you’ll definitely need new gears with tires that large. Additionally, you’re going to need completely new axles as well. Your stock axles aren’t going to handle 40″+ tires (esp. if you go offroad)…you’ll destroy them.
Oh lol ok then…. I thought wrong then haha. So then what are the biggest tires I can get without having to change the axles because I don’t want to change the axles just yet. But the differential is something I will change for sure.
If you’re going to wheel it, 33s are probably the max tire size. If you baby it, you might be able to get away with 35s. The stock rear axle (Dana 35) is your weak link. The stock front axle (Dana 30) should handle 35’s, but the stock rear axles are prone to breakage with larger tires and/or aggressive offroading.
Ok so what axle would you recommend I get when I do get to the bigger tires for off-roading.
There are a few options:
1. Buy “Super 35″ kit to make your existing Dana 35 axle stronger
2. Replace Dana 35 with a Dana 44 axle from an old Commanche (MJ) or Cherokee (XJ)
3. Replace Dana 35 with a Ford 8.8 axle from a 1995 (or newer) Ford Explorer
4. Buy a brand new Dana 44 from an aftermarket manuf like Currie
Replacing with a used 8.8 or Dana 44 are probably the cheapest (and most popular) options.
1981 CJ-5, 6″ springs, 4″ shackles/shackle reversal (front), spring-over (5″ more), stretched drive-train 8″ front and 10″ rear (needed the room), squeezed in 454, full-width axles, OX lock on front and rear, spinning 54″ Interco tires, and a FULL cage!
Must plan turns early!
My wife asked “why?” Because I can!
Only thing taller are the big rigs…and we’re almost eye-to-eye!
Can’t lose it in the parking lot, it’s the tallest thing out there…
Nice! Pics please!!
death wobble sucks
I have a 99′ Jeep, for my 16th i got a measly two inch lift kit, and along with that the death wobble… tried to explain it to my dad and he just ignored me and told me to deal with it… lol he tried driving it to figure out what was the problem, but it would never do it when he was in the car. One of my friends was driving behind me when it happened, he said he thought the car was about to explode. we fixed it with a 50$ steering stabilizer from auto zone.
Death wobble can pretty scary, esp. if you’re cruising at a good pace. I got some severe death wobble when I first lifted my TJ…had to change my boxer shorts when I got home.
“Usually” the trackbar or steering stabilizer is the culprit.
96 xj runnin 31″ on 3.5″lift with folded flairs. About to roll over to 2000,000 on the ODO. in about 700 miles. Ya gotta love Jeep and the I6 4.0 HO