Feedback on 99 TJ lift / wheel / tire upgrades

Squatch22

Squatch22

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Oct 29, 2019
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Bay Area
Picked up a Stock '99 Sport. I'm not doing any crawling, just some fire roads and mild off road driving out to fishing/hunting spots in the Sierras.

Looking at doing:

-2.25 OME lift kit (Coils/springs, Shocks, etc)

-15" Pro Comp 69 series Vintage Wheels (all black)

-32x11.5 KO2 tires

Anyone running this set up...if so could you please share photos, or let me know what I should be looking at to get a smooth ride and functional lift/wheel/tire set up.

Thanks.
 
If you plan to use it as you describe, you may as well just use 31's. Maybe even just do a budget boost. With 31's not re-gearing the axles will be less of an issue than 32's.

TJ's can look pretty good with a 1.5" or so budget boost and 31's, cheaper too.
 
Looks good to me! Great tire, great tire size, and great lift. Though I think 31" would actually be a bit better for that lift (y)
 
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89grand said:
If you plan to use it as you describe, you may as well just use 31's. Maybe even just do a budget boost. With 31's not re-gearing the axles will be less of an issue than 32's.

TJ's can look pretty good with a 1.5" or so budget boost and 31's, cheaper too.
Click to expand...

would I have to regear for 32s?
 
Squatch22 said:
would I have to regear for 32s?
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Ideally yes. I don't know what you have now, but many Jeeps have 3.07 gears from the factory, and they are even kind of slugs with 31's, and just get worse the larger the tire. I ran 33's with 3.07 for many years, and it sucked. My sister has a 2001 Sahara with 31's and 3.07's, and while not as bad as mine was, it isn't particularly good on the highway either.
 
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89grand said:
Ideally yes. I don't know what you have now, but many Jeeps have 3.07 gears from the factory, and they are even kind of slugs with 31's, and just get worse the larger the tire. I ran 33's with 3.07 for many years, and it sucked. My sister has a 2001 Sahara with 31's and 3.07's, and while not as bad as mine was, it isn't particularly good on the highway either.
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Mine is 3.73 right now
 
Yup..... with 4.56s, gets around pretty good

47552324001_70ec5b0f26_o.jpg
 
I have 32's on a 2" bb, 4.0 with auto, 1999 Sahara, 3.73 gears and 1.25" wheel spacers . The 32's work fine with this setup but any larger I would want to re-gear. I have no intentions of going any bigger, and may consider going down to 31's next round just to get rid of the wheel spacers, but I'm satisfied with this.
IMG_20191012_145936.jpg
 
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I know I have said I didn't want to do a lift on my Jeep, and I am still on the fence about the whole thing. But after going 4 wheeling with some other girls this last weekend, I am starting to have some questions on the subject. On the budget boost that raises it 1.5 inches. I don't plan on changing the size of tire (currently running 31's), so is a 1.5 inch lift going to do any good or even possibly a 2inch boost?

My thinking may be wrong because I am a total newbie at all this, but if I don't change the tires size, then that isn't going to raise the differentials up any. Isn't the point of raising the suspension is to be able to run taller tires and get the axles up in turn getting the diff's up higher too?

Would I benefit doing a BB of 1.5 or 2 inches, keeping my 31's? Also, to do a BB, does one have to change any other parts, like driveline, brake lines, etc...?

My main concern and main reason I don't care to lift my Jeep is because I don't want to lose it's drivability it has now on the freeway and city roads. I drive it there, more then Offroad, but I do want to be able to go on some of the trails, lets say, where a stock 2019 Jeep can go. (One of the girls had one and it was stock but still taller then mine. LOL)
 
I think a 1.5-2" budget boost is a good idea for those wanting to maintain a pretty stock feeling ride. Also, TJ's look pretty good with a small lift and 31's. Getting a small lift gets the body, skid plate and other things higher, and that's important too. Differential clearance is just one part of it, and 33's would only get you 1" of diff clearance, so it's not real dramatic.

So, in a nutshell, there are still advantages to getting a just budget boost lift.
 
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I have a 2" bb on 32's, I think 1.5" or 2" on 31's is an excellent combo. you will raise the center of gravity on the jeep some, and you will notice that in drivability, but it is a very slight change. But just 2" above stock feels like you're on top of the world when you're sitting in it. You probably will want to change the bump stops to a +whatever you raise it, just to protect your tires and fenders.
 
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A small lift will give you certain advantages off road, such as approach/departure angles more clearance of the t-case skid so you have less chance of high centering on an obstacle. I went with 2" OME springs/shocks and 31's when I first got my TJ. Wheeled the heck out it in that configuration until I wore out my 31's.
100_0796.JPG
 
So with a 1.5-2inch budget boost, do I have to extend any of the other things, like brake lines and such?

This is what I'm thinking as of right now. (sorry to the OP, hope I'm not steeling your thread away.) I am thinking that when I have the money to replace my shocks and springs ( don't know how old mine are so it is something I want to do eventually). I will buy a budget boost 1.5inch kit. That way with the new springs and shocks, it would probably raise me up the 2 inches. Any thoughts on this approach?
 
KimsJeep said:
So with a 1.5-2inch budget boost, do I have to extend any of the other things, like brake lines and such?

This is what I'm thinking as of right now. (sorry to the OP, hope I'm not steeling your thread away.) I am thinking that when I have the money to replace my shocks and springs ( don't know how old mine are so it is something I want to do eventually). I will buy a budget boost 1.5inch kit. That way with the new springs and shocks, it would probably raise me up the 2 inches. Any thoughts on this approach?
Click to expand...
No extended brake lines needed for a small lift. If you go 2 inch budget boost you’ll probably just want the spacers, shocks, and a rear track bar relocation bracket and that’s about it! I recommend the OME track bar relocation bracket for 2 inch lift.

Side note though. If you’re going to go through the trouble of doing that just order some 2 inch lift coils instead of the spacers. The Procomp 2 inch coils Are great quality and budget friendly. Ran me $200 for all 4 on amazon when I did mine.
 
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KimsJeep said:
So with a 1.5-2inch budget boost, do I have to extend any of the other things, like brake lines and such?

This is what I'm thinking as of right now. (sorry to the OP, hope I'm not steeling your thread away.) I am thinking that when I have the money to replace my shocks and springs ( don't know how old mine are so it is something I want to do eventually). I will buy a budget boost 1.5inch kit. That way with the new springs and shocks, it would probably raise me up the 2 inches. Any thoughts on this approach?
Click to expand...
Nothing like that, but you may or may not need to drop the transfer case with some spacers if you get a shimmy on take off. I dropped mine anyway just to keep from putting anymore strain on my old u-joints. I had raised the jeep 2", so I figured I could stand to drop the t-case 3/4", but I'm not in rock country either. I did put +2 shocks and bump stops on also.
 
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