Need Advice on 2'' suspension lift

[Shadowtrekker]

Hi everyone. I'm 100% new to all of this. I have a 98 tj 4.0 manual and have 31's on stock. I want to give myself a bit more room. I have a 1.25 BL that i haven't put on yet and am considering a 2" suspension lift. That's as far as I want to go. If I upgrade to say OME 2" front and back is it as simple as adding the springs and shocks or will i need to do other mods to compensate for the 2" lift?

I'll be adding a winch up front and will have a cargo carrier on the back (not on the trail but only in transit to ranch) and will also frequently have gear & or 2 people in the back seat. No serious off-roading but will be driving ranch roads and 4x4 trails generally used with side x sides. Does that warrant a heavy load OME or is the medium good?

Thanks guys!

 

[MountaineerTom]

I got a 2 inch OME lift from DPG Offroad. If you buy from them, they have several different levels of kits. Call and talk to Dirk. He will ask you a bunch of questions about you jeep, your uses, plans, etc and set you up. He’s very knowledgeable with the OME kits. Many on this site are as well and may help you.

I’d get the HD springs up front for sure if you’re adding weight. I have the HD springs front and rear on my LJ. The front still sit a little lower than I wanted so I added another factory spring isolator on top of the one already there. Dirk recommended I get it in case I needed it, and send it with my kit. If I recall it’s about 3/4 of an inch thick and leveled it out well. I ended up with 2-1/2 inches of lift total with the HD springs when done.

The OME nitro sport shocks that come with the kit ended up being kinda rough in certain road conditions for me. I ended up replaced g them recently with Rancho RS5000x shocks for 2-3 inches of lift. Softer/smoother ride. And, Rancho has a $50 rebate going right now when you spend over $200. My shocks were about $213 from summit racing.

 

[Shadowtrekker]

I got a 2 inch OME lift from DPG Offroad. If you buy from them, they have several different levels of kits. Call and talk to Dirk. He will ask you a bunch of questions about you jeep, your uses, plans, etc and set you up. He’s very knowledgeable with the OME kits. Many on this site are as well and may help you.

I’d get the HD springs up front for sure if you’re adding weight. I have the HD springs front and rear on my LJ. The front still sit a little lower than I wanted so I added another factory spring isolator on top of the one already there. Dirk recommended I get it in case I needed it, and send it with my kit. If I recall it’s about 3/4 of an inch thick and leveled it out well. I ended up with 2-1/2 inches of lift total with the HD springs when done.

The OME nitro sport shocks that come with the kit ended up being kinda rough in certain road conditions for me. I ended up replaced g them recently with Rancho RS5000x shocks for 2-3 inches of lift. Softer/smoother ride. And, Rancho has a $50 rebate going right now when you spend over $200. My shocks were about $213 from summit racing.

Thanks @MountaineerTom, I'll give Dirk a call - everything else i can get away with stock after the lift? Thanks again.

 

[MountaineerTom]

Thanks @MountaineerTom, I'll give Dirk a call - everything else i can get away with stock after the lift? Thanks again.

You can get by with Just shocks and springs. Your axles may stick out a little further on one side than the other after the lift. That's where the front and rear track bars come in. An adjustable one will allow you to center the axles. Some don't install them and stay stock with no problems that I know of. For me, it would bug me having one side sticking out more than the other, even it just slightly, so I got the ultimate kit that included JKS track bars. It also comes with JKS quick disconnect front sway bars links and rear adjustable JKS sway bar links. The ultimate kit has a body lift and motor mount lift, but you can eliminate it from the kit and save some money.

If you want minimal stuff, I'd Dirk, or other folks here, which shocks you should get and just get those and then get the Rancho RS5000x shocks. They right a lot smoother than the OME nitro sports.

 

[glwood]

You can get by with Just shocks and springs. Your axles may stick out a little further on one side than the other after the lift. That's where the front and rear track bars come in. An adjustable one will allow you to center the axles. Some don't install them and stay stock with no problems that I know of. For me, it would bug me having one side sticking out more than the other, even it just slightly, so I got the ultimate kit that included JKS track bars. It also comes with JKS quick disconnect front sway bars links and rear adjustable JKS sway bar links. The ultimate kit has a body lift and motor mount lift, but you can eliminate it from the kit and save some money.

If you want minimal stuff, I'd Dirk, or other folks here, which shocks you should get and just get those and then get the Rancho RS5000x shocks. They right a lot smoother than the OME nitro sports.

Anyone know when OME changed to the nitro sport shocks?

 

[MountaineerTom]

I'm not sure. I didn't realize they were different until after I had bought and installed mine.

 

[Goatman]

X2 on all above. The Rancho shocks made my 06 ride as good as the minivan sitting in the garage. Big difference from the OME shocks I had on.

 

[Shadowtrekker]

tc drop or sye needed? @MountaineerTom

 

[Shadowtrekker]

I have new rancho 5000s on now however i believe they are 0-2". I just put them on and hoping that 2" is actually true and i can get away with it. My springs are original. I wish a +1 or +1.5 coil spring was made. It seems it be a great option and would eliminate the need for all the extras due to mods starting at 2+.

 

[MountaineerTom]

tc drop or sye needed? @MountaineerTom

I'm not sure on that. I didn't need either with my LJ, but it has a longer wheelbase.

 

[MountaineerTom]

I have new rancho 5000s on now however i believe they are 0-2". I just put them on and hoping that 2" is actually true and i can get away with it. My springs are original. I wish a +1 or +1.5 coil spring was made. It seems it be a great option and would eliminate the need for all the extras due to mods starting at 2+.

I would think you'd need the longer shocks. If you call and talk to Dirk, he might have a solution for you I think I seen some front socks on their site that were 1.5 inch front for light load and 1.75 for heavy load, but I don't remember seeing any like that by OME for the rear.

Maybe just a 3/4 to 1" budget boost may work for you. I have no experience with those though.

 

[Shadowtrekker]

@MountaineerTom i just found another thread on here with kinda my same question about 1-1.5" coils. Found some great recommendations for H&R springs which are essentially a +1, but with my 21 yr old springs I'm guessing it'll be a perfect change for what i need (and a noticeable difference in current stance). So that's what i just ordered! Thanks a ton for your responses.

 

[MountaineerTom]

No problem.

 

[Grcartright]

I just mixed and matched a 2” lift out of OME and JKS parts. Here’s my setup:

1” Daystar body lift
2” heavy duty OME coils
JPEC Custom Valved Gas Shocks
JKS MFG Front/Rear Adjustable Trackbar
JKS MFG Front Sway Bar Quicker Disconnects
Front Brake Line Relocation
Rear Track Bar Bracket
Rear Bump Stop Extensions
OME steering stabilizer

I figure this will be pretty decent once it’s on and since it’s both an off road/daily toy, hoping to get a best of both worlds out of it.

 

[Mrgreg66]

@MountaineerTom i just found another thread on here with kinda my same question about 1-1.5" coils. Found some great recommendations for H&R springs which are essentially a +1, but with my 21 yr old springs I'm guessing it'll be a perfect change for what i need (and a noticeable difference in current stance). So that's what i just ordered! Thanks a ton for your responses.

I'm planning to use the H&Rs to give my 31s a bit more breathing room.

 

[Shadowtrekker]

I'm planning to use the H&Rs to give my 31s a bit more breathing room.

Im buying .75 bb just in case it works out better to add to h&r springs. That mixed with rancho 5000s should be just great & i probably wont do my BL.

 

[MountaineerTom]

I run 31’s also. I don’t know if I’ll ever install my body lift and motor mount lift. I went ahead and got them just in case the itch sets in to go to 33’s. LOL