04 TJ lift kit advice

[Squbbles]

Hi yall… so I’m about to attempt to put a 4 inch lift kit on my 04 wrangler TJ (4.0 in line 6 with 5 sp manual trans.) its stock other than some cosmetic upgrades.

I would appreciate some advice on things I need to get and/or do…. I’m gonna put a list of things I know I’m gonna need… but I’m sure there may be more tho lol I’m new to this lift kit stuff. Also I’d like to thank every body for any advice y’all can send my way!!

List of things I know I got to get: (I’ll post pics if
-lift kit
-drop pitman arm (do I need to use a puller?)
-extended brake lines (2 for front) not sure if it’s 1 or 2 for the rear tho
-steering stabilizer

*I know I probly need wheel spacers.. but do I need 2 inch spacers? Idk if it’s advisable to put 3 inch spacers or not…

*do I need any thing as far as drive shafts go…?
I don’t do any hardcore off roading/hill climbing. But I do go off road to get to some of my fishin holes lol

*do I need to get my jeep aligned after I get all the lift kit stuff done…?

 

[MattTJRubicon82]

Not familiar with this kit tbh, but I would prioritize looking for lifts with adjustable control arms, especially if your looking to lift it in that 4" range opens up some other issues that can become problematic if not set up right. need Slip yoke eliminator kit for the rear drive shaft amongst other variables to consider.

 

[Duck Doctor]

What size tires do you plan to install? Drop pitman arm should not be installed on a TJ.

That suspension "kit" is materially incomplete. We can help with better options once you provide information on tire size.

 

[tnjeepguy]

I don’t do any hardcore off roading/hill climbing. But I do go off road to get to some of my fishin holes

Why do you need a lift etc ??
(And there ain't a fishin hole that it hasn't got me to or from since I've had it!)

TJ very capable in stock form. Try aggressive tires or limited slip/locker or a winch first.
Save lots of money and headaches. You have 31's, a 1 inch body lift is enough if you want a little more clearance. D

(My 99 in the picture is nearly stock on 31's and has been all around CO and some Moab and in the East.)

 

[Tronner]

Are you sure you want a 4inch lift? The higher you go the more money you will spend to get the jeep to drive the way it did stock. ask me how I know. If all your doing is off-roading to get to fishing holes you could save money by doing a 2.5 inch lift and some 32's and get everywhere. I wouldn't get that kit from the jungle website, people here will advocate for piecing together your own lift through various reputable manufacturers that have a good standing in this crowd. This is a benefit of the oldest TJ being 29 years old, you are not the first to want to do this. Below is the list of things I have done to make my 2.5" lift work.

Control arms (double adjustable are best but singles are fine, I use core 4x4.Many others will recommend Savvy or Rockjock)
Adjustable trac bars F+R, rockjock is the go to. Avoid metalcloaks, it sucks nuf said.
SYE, or a transfer case drop, though be warned the drop will eat into your ground clearance. if you do a 2.5, and have adjustable control arms you may be fine in not doing either. if you do the SYE, you will need a new driveshaft for the rear.
Springs, I use rough country cause they were cheap, Springs do not do much other that work with the shocks, shocks do most of the work.
Good set of shocks, the recommendations here are Rancho rsx5000s and Skyjacker blackmaxx, I've run both and prefer blackmaxx for off road and rancho's for on road.

Things I would avoid

DROP PITMAN ARM: These are all junk and will only mess up your steering geometry. The forum is full of DPA experience and subsequent dislike.
Spacers, only would get these if you upgrade your wheels and do not have enough backspacing.
Brake lines, You wont need these if you get your bump stops correctly configured, I have not run them on any of my jeeps and have not had any issues.

Maybe's
Steering stabilizer, is yours bad? Then replace, if not run what you got.
Driveshafts, if you feel you need them, get them, if not the stock front will be fine, again if you do an SYE you will need a new rear.
Swaybars, These are there for on-road applications mostly, I got an amazon cheapo set and but some good bushings in them running the stock sway bar. The currie sway bar system is good but not needed if all your doing is service road riding.


In short, a 4inch lift done correctly will cost about $3000, and most of that will come from the control arms. You can do it cheaper, but the jeep will never handle or ride the way it did when stock. FB marketplace is full of jeeps that have lifts of all sizes for sale, but not many jeeps that are stock. there is a reason for this.

 

[macleanflood]

Thread 'A Beginners Guide to Lifting Your Jeep Wrangler TJ'

Jan 10, 2016

One of the questions I see so commonly asked in the Jeep Wrangler TJ community relates to people who are new to the Wrangler TJ and have questions about what kind of lift they need, what the best lift is, what tires they can run with each lift, etc.

I'm going to try and sum it all up in one thread so that any of the new owners have a resource to help guide them in their path to building their Wrangler the way they want it.

First and foremost, in order to determine what kind of lift you want, you need to ask yourself a few questions:



First start by answering these questions:...

• Chris
• Replies: 390
• Forum: TJ Resources

• 

-Mac

 

[Squbbles]

What size tires do you plan to install? Drop pitman arm should not be installed on a TJ.

That suspension "kit" is materially incomplete. We can help with better options once you provide information on tire size.

Right now I have 31 10.50 15inch wheels… I’d like to have 33 or 35…. I’m on a tight budget tho as a single mom… trying to do this lift thing thr right way while avoiding any kind of damage to my jeep…. Thank you so much for your help and advice!

 

[Squbbles]

Why do you need a lift etc ??
(And there ain't a fishin hole that it hasn't got me to or from since I've had it!)

TJ very capable in stock form. Try aggressive tires or limited slip/locker or a winch first.
Save lots of money and headaches. You have 31's, a 1 inch body lift is enough if you want a little more clearance. D

(My 99 in the picture is nearly stock on 31's and has been all around CO and some Moab and in the East.)

I have always wanted a big 4 x 4…. I may do some off roading in the future… I’ve always wanted a jeep and finally got one lol just want to lift her up in case I do get to get in to off roading…

 

[macleanflood]

Thread 'So you want to run 35" tires on your TJ?'

Oct 19, 2016

I felt this thread was necessary at this point. We see a lot of people on the forum who insist on running 35" tires, but probably don't know how to do it properly, or what's required (other than just the tires and lift).

For anyone considering adding 35" tires to their TJ, first take into consideration that this is no small feat. You're going to need at minimum several thousand dollars set aside. Sure, there's ways to do it on the cheap, but if you plan on off-roading your TJ at all, you'll want to do it right.

I'm going to give you a run down of what you'll need to properly run 35"...

• Chris
• Replies: 177
• Forum: TJ Resources

• 

 

[DaveC]

Lots of good advice here. Make sure to check out the threads Mac linked. A stock TJ is far more capable than most realize. I ran 31s with a 2" lift for the first 4 years I had my TJ and it took me places I never thought it could go (see below). One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that as you go up in tire size, you'll lose power, and unless you regear the axles, it's going to make the driving experience less awesome, give you worse mileage, and put more wear and tear not only on the axles but the transmission. Depends on your market, but regearing will probably run $2,500 - $3,000. Add that to the ~$3k for a proper 4" lift w/control arms, etc., and doing it right gets spendy quickly.

Toss in a 1.25" body lift for now, wheel it a while with the 31s and give it some time to see if your off-roading tastes progress. Even if they don't, gives you time to save up to do the bigger lift and tires right from the start.

 

[DuckNut]

tight budget

To do this properly you are looking towards $10k

Tires 2k
Lift 3k
Body lift 2k
Regear 3k
Wheels if needed another 2k

My two cents is be happy with what you have and then start off roading. If it spawns into a lifestyle then spend the money. If you spend it now you are going to spend more on every day maintenance in addition to the original cash outlay.

 

[John Cooper]

Why do you need a lift etc ??
(And there ain't a fishin hole that it hasn't got me to or from since I've had it!)

TJ very capable in stock form. Try aggressive tires or limited slip/locker or a winch first.
Save lots of money and headaches. You have 31's, a 1 inch body lift is enough if you want a little more clearance. D

(My 99 in the picture is nearly stock on 31's and has been all around CO and some Moab and in the East.)

Right now I have 31 10.50 15inch wheels… I’d like to have 33 or 35…. I’m on a tight budget tho as a single mom… trying to do this lift thing thr right way while avoiding any kind of damage to my jeep…. Thank you so much for your help and advice!

@tnjeepguy on the trail. His Jeep and his driving skills let him follow Jeeps with more lift and taller tires with no problem.