Average cost of 4" lift?

[Xposure]

So I’m sure most of y’all know by now I’ve been looking for a Jeep. I’ve been mostly looking at Jeeps already lifted. If I was to buy a bone stock Jeep with the intention of lifting it 4” with good quality parts and a set of Roucho 5000X shocks how much would I need to plan on spending? Also, can you mount 33” tires on stock wheels or would I need a different set of wheels? I’m sure there are going to be other expenses aside from a ‘lift kit’ so that is kind of what I’m wondering. I know one of the Jeeps I looked at had a different shift cable. Anyway, just wondering how much I’d need to consider spending to do it right where it’s good for daily driving as well as off-road.

I’d be looking at a Jeep with The I6 and either 3 or 4 speed auto...the 4 speed auto Jeep has stock 3.73 gears.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

If given a choice I'd go for a 2002 or older TJ with the 3-speed automatic which is less troublesome and nearly "bulletproof". For a 4" suspension lift you'll need to install a SYE kit into your transfer case so you can run a longer double-cardan driveshaft to eliminate the vibrations a 4" suspension causes. Alternatively you can install a 3" suspension lift plus a 1" body lift to give you the 4" of tire clearance which eliminates the requirement to install the SYE and rear driveshaft.

You can run the stock wheels if you mount 33x10.50 tires but for 33x12.50 tires you'll either need aftermarket 15x8 wheels which have less backspacing to give the wider tires more clearance or a 1" spacer if you want to continue using your stock wheels.

 

[JDS123]

How much you spend directly correlates to what quality parts you put on your Jeep. In a lot of things, more expensive doesn't mean better. For the most part, I don't find that to be the case when it comes to Jeeps. Price does imply some sort of quality.

It all depends on how well you want your jeep to be set up. You can get away with transfer case drops and stock gears, but I would never call that a job well done. Keep in mind, I know plenty of people that do it and are happy with it, so don't let the cost of an SYE, driveshafts, and gears scare you away from lifting. You can always add those later if you aren't happy with how the Jeep turns out.

Just for reference, in my opinion, my Jeep on 33's is setup with the best parts you can buy. Currie Suspension, 4.56 gears, ARB air lockers, an advanced adapters SYE, Adams driveshafts, Warn winch, the list goes on and on. When I first did the bulk of modifications on my Jeep, the parts total was more than the Jeep was worth.

To me, the things you need to do it right:
Tires and wheels (depending on the tires you pick)
Quality Suspension Lift with adjustable control arms
SYE and driveshafts
Gears
Tire Carrier
Speedo Gear

If you want to take it off-road, that list gets a lot longer with things including bumpers, winch, lockers, CB radio, ETC...

This is the video that convinced me to go with proper suspension:

 

[Chris]

Well, to lift 4", you can do it one of two ways.

You can do it with a 4" suspension lift or you can do it with a 2.5" suspension lift (i.e., OME's 2.5" suspension lift) and a 1.25" body lift, which nets 3.75", but that's enough to run 33" tires.

Of course if you don't have a Rubicon model, you'll need a SYE (see here: The Official SYE (Slip Yoke Eliminator) Thread) or a transfer case drop, the former being preferable.

Depending on the quality of lift you buy and the way you choose to do it, you could spend anywhere between $1200 to $5000 and up.

There's a big difference between a Rough Country 4" lift and a Currie or Savvy 4" lift. You'll compare the prices of those lifts and say to yourself, "Wait, why is the Rough Country lift so much cheaper?". It's cheaper because it's much lower quality, and believe me when I say you get what you pay for when it come to these things.

Now if you only plan on doing on-road driving and you're just after the look of 33s and a lift, then there's no harm in doing a 2.5" suspension lift and a 1.25" body lift. However, if you want to do some real off-roading and want a lift that will last, you'll want to add 4" of suspension lift which will allow for more articulation and flex.

There's a lot of ways to do this, I just wish I had gone the expensive route from the very start, because if you plan on keeping your TJ for a long time, it's inevitable that you will end up ditching cheap quality parts for higher quality ones... trust me on that.

This thread may also be worth reading: A Beginners Guide to Lifting Your Jeep Wrangler TJ

 

[Xposure]

Yeah, your video is what has me thinking. I’m mainly looking at 98-99’s and most all of them within a couple hundred mile radius have lifts and modifications. Some of the Jeeps are nicer than others but it seems like nearly all of them have a Rough Country lift. I am trying to decide if I just want to get a modified one and swap out the shocks and keep the rest of the lift and just replace it piece by piece as things wear out (daily driven). Or if I want to hold out for a bone stock Jeep and just do it myself with a better quality kit. But you know, the difference between one bone stock vs one with a lot done too it real nice is like 2k....well 2k won’t go very far.

Just trying to weight it out and see what I should do.

Thank you guys for your advice, it’s very helpful!

 

[JDS123]

Yeah, your video is what has me thinking. I’m mainly looking at 98-99’s and most all of them within a couple hundred mile radius have lifts and modifications. Some of the Jeeps are nicer than others but it seems like nearly all of them have a Rough Country lift. I am trying to decide if I just want to get a modified one and swap out the shocks and keep the rest of the lift and just replace it piece by piece as things wear out (daily driven). Or if I want to hold out for a bone stock Jeep and just do it myself with a better quality kit. But you know, the difference between one bone stock vs one with a lot done too it real nice is like 2k....well 2k won’t go very far.

Just trying to weight it out and see what I should do.

Thank you guys for your advice, it’s very helpful!

Buying a modified Jeep will always be cheaper than modifying it yourself. Mods simply don't add that much value to a Jeep and can sometimes make the Jeep less valuable. It will be more expensive to modify it yourself in the short term. Buying an already modified Jeep and fixing what is wrong will not only be a hassle, but may be more expensive in the long run. Most of the modified TJ's you will find for sale aren't modified correctly because the people modifying them didn't expect to have them for very long (so they put cheap suspension and bandaid fixes on the Jeep to make it drive down the road until they sell). I put nice stuff on mine because I plan on keeping it forever.

 

[Chris]

For what it's worth, there are Jeeps out there that are for sale and have been done right in terms of mods. For instance, if someone were to buy my TJ from me, they'd be getting a real gem. Rust free, 57k miles, Rubicon, and all top-shelf components.

However, the majority of Jeeps I see for sale online are generally ones that use low quality parts and lift kits, which makes me question the seller even more. If you find a Jeep with nice parts such as Currie, Savvy, Metalcloak, etc., then chances are that Jeep owner isn't a cheapskate, and they've invested some serious money in their Jeep.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Some of the Jeeps are nicer than others but it seems like nearly all of them have a Rough Country lift.

There are several brands of lift kit I would not install and Rough Country is at the top of that list of those I wouldn't even consider. The're only popular because they're cheaper to buy and most people who install suspension lifts barely take their Jeeps offroad. Suspension lifts are commonly just installed for show. And when they discover how rough riding brands like Rough Country are, they're naive enough to believe that's how a lifted Jeep is supposed to ride which couldn't be further from the truth. If you drove my TJ with its 4" Currie suspension, you'd probably be amazed how well it rides and handles.

 

[06lj]

I agree with Jerry (as I've learned I always should). I removed my 4" lift and went with an OME 2.5 and JKS body lift with rancho 9000 adjustable shocks and couldn't be happier. If given the choice I would always buy a stock Jeep.

 

[Xposure]

There are several brands of lift kit I would not install and Rough Country is at the top of that list of those I wouldn't even consider. The're only popular because they're cheaper to buy and most people who install suspension lifts barely take their Jeeps offroad. Suspension lifts are commonly just installed for show. And when they discover how rough riding brands like Rough Country are, they're naive enough to believe that's how a lifted Jeep is supposed to ride which couldn't be further from the truth. If you drove my TJ with its 4" Currie suspension, you'd probably be amazed how well it rides and handles.

Do you attribute the much better ride and handling to mostly the shocks that Currie kit comes with? Do you think any of the other parts are contributing to the ride or is their higher quality mostly just creating longer lifespan (which of course is also valuable)

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Do you attribute the much better ride and handling to mostly the shocks that Currie kit comes with? Do you think any of the other parts are contributing to the ride or is their higher quality mostly just creating longer lifespan (which of course is also valuable)

The shock absorber is what controls the ride quality on any suspension lift height typically installed onto a TJ. Shocks are the key ingredient to a good or bad ride.

 

[Xposure]

The shock absorber is what controls the ride quality on any suspension lift height typically installed onto a TJ. Shocks are the key ingredient to a good or bad ride.

I noticed on the Currie website they look to match up their 4” lift kit with the Ranchero 9000XL set. Do you have an opinion on those versus the 5000X? I’m probably going to get this Jeep this weekend and I’d like to swap the shocks right away and thought it would be good to get a shock that will go well with the the Currie (or similar) setup since I’ll most likely over time switch to that a little at a time. My plan was to go with the 5000x shocks since everyone here loves them so much.

When it comes to off-roading, I’m a ‘pre-beginner’ since I haven’t even started yet haha. But I have aspirations to street drive and take off-road camping trips and maybe visit some off-road parks.

I’m trying to figure out what I would need to be doing need the 9000XL over the 5000X...where is the benefit necessary?

 

[jjvw]

I would start off with the 5000x in order to get a feel for what a known good shock for a TJ feels like. If you think you need something better, you aren't out a terrible amount of money. Also, the 9000x is long for the amount of travel they provide. That is something that has always bothered me about them.

 

[Xposure]

Thanks! So if I stick with getting the 5000X shocks and then decide to start swapping out to Currie components they should live in good harmony with the 5000X shocks, on and off-road?

 

[S.McArthur]

I got a 4.5" rough country lift off craigslist, it was all new in the box for a "super deal", I can't wait to replace it. Nothing went together easy and it rides like crap. Pretty sure my front springs are already sagging and it's only been installed for about 6 months.
Buy once, cry once; now I'm saving for a currie lift to replace it.

 

[S.McArthur]

And forgot to mention, it looks like the rear shocks bottom out on my normal daily drive to work, no big pot holes etc. You can see the clean area where the shock travels and its fitting the rubber bumper on the shaft
I'll take pictures if you need more reasons to avoid RC.
Just like that video shown, it rides like crap and you feel every stupid crack in the road. I wasted a lot of time crawling around my garage installing that POS lift.
If not obvious, I'm not a fan of RC

 

[jjvw]

Thanks! So if I stick with getting the 5000X shocks and then decide to start swapping out to Currie components they should live in good harmony with the 5000X shocks, on and off-road?

You'll be fine.

 

[Xposure]

And forgot to mention, it looks like the rear shocks bottom out on my normal daily drive to work, no big pot holes etc. You can see the clean area where the shock travels and its fitting the rubber bumper on the shaft
I'll take pictures if you need more reasons to avoid RC.
Just like that video shown, it rides like crap and you feel every stupid crack in the road. I wasted a lot of time crawling around my garage installing that POS lift.
If not obvious, I'm not a fan of RC

Sounds like good reason to not be a fan lol....I’m not a fan either but my Jeep came with one. I literally could not find a Jeep in my area that did not have a Rough Country kit on it. Haha