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:
What is your budget?
This is probably the most important question of all. How much money do you have to put into lifting your vehicle?
Budget matters because it is the ultimate determining factor in what you can afford to do. Just remember,
you get what you pay for! Sure, there's those times where this saying doesn't always apply, but I would say that 99% of the time this saying
does apply. In the process of looking for lift kits, you'll see ones that are $500, and you'll see ones that are upwards of $2000. Why such a variance in price? Well, it's because the more expensive ones are not only more complete, but they also are engineered and designed to last longer, take more abuse and outperform the cheaper low budget lifts. Again, you get what you pay for, and I can't stress that enough. That being said, your budget is a very important deciding factor in your lift.
What do you want to accomplish with a lift?
Are you just looking to lift your vehicle with the intention of cosmetics only? In other words, do you intend to do any actual off-roading or is this vehicle just for looks and show? There's nothing wrong with a vehicle that's only for show, but you need to consider this when purchasing your lift and building your TJ.
If you're just trying to lift your Wrangler TJ for looks and only looks, you don't need to be as concerned with a lot of the things you'd need to be concerned with if you were lifting for off-road capability and performance. For instance, if you're never planning on taking it off-road, you could often times get by with a transfer case drop in place of a slip yoke eliminator. The same can be said for other components such as axles, gears, etc.
What size tire do you want to run?
The most common sizes you'll see on lifted Wrangler TJs are 33" and 35". You need to plan ahead and think about what the largest size tire you'll want to run is.
Tire size matters because you'll need a certain size life to accommodate a certain size tire. For instance, a 33" tire can be fit on a stock Wrangler TJ with no lift at all. However, it will barely fit, it will rub like crazy if you even remotely fly your suspension at all (probably even if you hit a speed bump) and it will also look horrible. A 2.5" lift can clear 33" tires pretty well, but ideally for the right look and amount of travel you'd ideally want a 3-3.5" lift for 33" tires.
What kind of axles do you have?
You'll need to determine what axles your TJ has also. You can do that by reading this thread on
how to identify your axles.
If you never plan on taking your Tj off road, your axles really won't matter much at all. You can put 35" tires on your Dana 30 and Dana 35 axles and probably be just fine, never having to worry about snapping an axle shaft or anything. However, if you plan on taking your TJ off-road and abusing it, those 35" tires (and likely even 33" tires) would start to become very problematic on a stock Dana 30 / Dana 35 axle combo. A built Dana 35 or Dana 44 should be just fine for running up to 35" tires. Anything larger than that and you'll be living on borrowed time most likely. If you're skeptical about the Dana 35 and larger tires, before upgrading to a Dana 44, you'll want to read this thread:
Should I upgrade my Dana 35 axle?
What is your axle gear ratio?
Figuring out what your axle gear ratio is is very important. You can do that by reading this thread on
how to identify your axle gear ratio.
If you have an auto tranny in your TJ with 33" tires and 3.07 gears, you're going to hate life. Your TJ will be a complete dog on the highway and in the city. It's going to feel underpowered and over worked. For this reason you should take into consideration that many people re-gear their TJ after they lift it and put bigger tires on. Even if you never plan on off-roading at all, I can tell you that most people want to have an ideal gear ratio so that they can actually enjoy driving their TJ on road or off road.
Suspension Lift vs. Body Lift
Body lift kits
A body lift is classified by additional space between the cab and bed of a truck. While the body itself is higher, the suspension and wheels remain at the original height. You end up with about one to three inches of space, allowing you to install larger tires without affecting the driving experience or handling.
One of the major advantages of a body lift kit is that is tends to be more affordable than its suspension counterpart. It's also relatively easy to install compared to a suspension lift.
The general rule of thumb in the Wrangler world is that you never want to exceed 1" of body lift (1.25" is fine). Anything more than that not only looks ugly (you'll have a huge gap between your body and frame), but it's also unsafe.
The most common use of a 1" body lift with the Jeep Wrangler TJ is to provide space for a
tummy tuck (tucking your transfer case further up into the body to provide extra ground clearance). Other than that
tummy tuck situation (where a body lift is pretty much mandatory), it's generally recommended to stay steer clear of them.
Suspension lift kits
A suspension lift will increase the ground clearance of a vehicle, and for that reason are frequently found on trucks and 4x4s headed for dirt trails. The most common suspension lift kits for the Jeep Wrangler TJ usually range from 2" all the way up to 6", with the most common being around 3-4" of lift. It is definitely possible to go over 6" of suspension lift, but it is not advisable if you plan on keeping your TJ as an on-road vehicle as well.
It does take a bit more effort to install a suspension lift kit onto a vehicle. One of the most important things to remember when it comes to a suspension lift is
the higher you go, the more expensive it gets. Lifting your suspension beyond 3" generally requires new driveshafts, slip yoke eliminators, changes in pinion angles, adjustable control arms and a host of other things as well. All of these cost money.
Conclusion
A suspension lift is the way to go. A body lift should only be seen as a complementary accessory or add-on to an already dialed in suspension lift. A body lift should never be over 1", and is most commonly used to provide extra room for a
tummy tuck or extra clearance for tires.
Long Arm vs. Short Arm Lifts
You'll run into a lot of people who like to get into the long arm vs. short arm debate. When we talk about the 'arm' we're referring to the control arm. A short arm lift uses shorter (similar length to the stock control arms) control arms whereas a long arm lift utilizes extremely long control arms which are relocated to aftermarket mounting brackets on the frame.
Most people will tell you that the long arm lifts ride smoother on-road and off-road, hence their reason for purchasing a long arm lift. This simply is not true. I can tell you that with a proper short arm suspension system (i.e. Currie) it will ride just as good (both on-road and off-road) as any long arm suspension system. I have ridden in both and I can tell you this from first hand experience. Also, before you bring up the completely unsubstantiated argument that "The control arm angle with short arms is too extreme with a lift and therefore it contributes to a poor quality ride.", I want to call complete bullshit on that.
While there is truth to that statement, I can tell you for a 100% solid fact that the control arm angle at 4" of lift (typically the most common suspension lift height people go for on a TJ) is not even close to extreme enough to in any way negatively affect the ride quality. Anyone who tells you this is very misinformed and should probably not be listened to. My advice comes from numbers of builders out there who not only work on Jeeps for a living, but create some of the most extreme and capable builds you'll ever see.
Another downfall to long arm lifts (in my opinion) is that if you like to do lots of rock crawling, you're going to have a much higher chance of catching your long arms on rocks and other obtrusive obstacles. Just talk to veteran forum members such as
@Jerry Bransford (who has run both short arm and long arm lifts) and he can attest to this. I think you'll find that most people who have run both a high quality long arm and a high quality short arm (while few and far between), will prefer the short arm. The problem is, most people have not run both, they just instantly assume (which is stupid) that a long arm is better.
That's not to say a long arm lift doesn't have it's place, because it certainly does. However, if you're planning on staying at 4" of lift or less, a long arm lift is unnecessary and will generally cost a lot more.
For a great read on long arm lifts versus short arm lifts, see this thread:
Long Arm Lifts vs. Short Arm Lifts. That thread gets into the reasoning behind each lift, the science, and the nitty gritty.
What will I need with X amount of suspension lift?
Below I am going
to outline a rough idea of what you can expect to purchase at each inch of suspension lift. My tire size recommendation is just that, a recommendation. It is by no means a must, but it's a pretty sure bet of the tire size you can fit that will both look good (meaning
not too much wheel gap and not too little) and perform well off-road.
NOTE: A SYE (Slip Yoke Eliminator) is only required if you have a non-Rubicon model TJ. If you have a Rubicon, you'll only need a double cardan driveshaft as the Rubicon NP241OR transfer case is equipped with a fixed yoke from the factory.
1" Lift
Required: Shocks, Springs & Bumpstops
Tire Size Recommendation: 31"
2" Lift
Required: Shocks, Springs, Bumpstops, Adjustable Track Bars and a
SYE (Slip Yoke Eliminator) or transfer case drop
Tire Size Recommendation: 32"
2.5" Lift
Required: Shocks, Springs, Bumpstops, Adjustable Track Bars and a
SYE (Slip Yoke Eliminator) or transfer case drop
Tire Size Recommendation: 32" or 33" (33" will ideally need a 1" body lift to give you a bit more room in the fenders)
3" Lift
Required: Shocks, Springs, Bumpstops, Adjustable Track Bars, Extended Brake Lines,
SYE (Slip Yoke Eliminator) with a Double Cardan Driveshaft and Sway Bar Disconnects or a Currie Antirock
Tire Size Recommendation: 33"
3.5" Lift
Required: Shocks, Springs, Bumpstops, Adjustable Track Bars, Adjustable Control Arms, Extended Brake Lines,
SYE (Slip Yoke Eliminator) with a Double Cardan Driveshaft, Rear Spring Perch Relocation Brackets (
or Rear Shock Mount Extensions), and Sway Bar Disconnects or a Currie Antirock
Tire Size Recommendation: 33"
4" Lift
Required: Shocks, Springs, Bumpstops, Adjustable Track Bars, Adjustable Control Arms, Extended Brake Lines,
SYE (Slip Yoke Eliminator) with a Double Cardan Driveshaft, Rear Spring Perch Relocation Brackets (
or Rear Shock Mount Extensions), and Sway Bar Disconnects or a Currie Antirock
Tire Size Recommendation: 33" (or 35" with modified fenders)
5" and up
If you're running more than 4" of suspension lift you've pretty much exceeded the capability of short arms and it's time to move to a mid-arm or long-arm suspension system. However, if you're running over 4" of suspension lift you are probably not a newbie and therefore I'm not even going to address this. 4" of suspension lift is plenty to run 35" tires (especially when using a 1" body lift in addition). The majority of us never run any higher than 4" of suspension lift.
What about LJs?
Have an LJ? You're in luck. With an LJ, the driveline angles are much less severe than those on a TJ. This is a huge benefit when it comes to installing a lift, as you won't need to worry nearly as much about driveline angles.
Here are some examples:
- A 2.5" lifted LJ with a NV231 transfer case will not experience vibrations. No SYE or transfer case drop will be necessary. The driveshaft is long enough the driveline angle is not as severe.
- A 2.5" lifted Rubicon LJ with the NV241J transfer case will most likely not require a double cardan drive shaft. The shorter transfer case allows for a longer driveshaft and less severe angles.
- A 4" lifted LJ with a NV231 transfer case will likely not require a SYE. Slight vibrations may start at 4-4.5" however, so pay close attention!
The general rule of thumb is that 4-4.5" of lift is about the max you can get out the LJ's single cardan driveshaft without experiencing some vibrations. You can most likely do a small transfer case drop (stack washers) to eliminate the vibes, or install a double cardan shaft and SYE (SYE not required on Rubicon models).
General Rules of Thumb with Suspension Lifts
- The higher you go the more expensive it gets.
- Fenders and or fender flares will need to be addressed with certain tire and lift heights.
- When you need longer brake lines depends on how flexible your suspension and how far it droops, not necessarily how tall it is. However, once you're at 3" of lift or more, I would definitely be running extended brake lines. The YJ front brake lines are a cheap and easy upgrade to extend your brake lines.
- You can usually get by with the stock control arms up until about 3" of lift. Anything taller than that and you'll need some adjustable control arms.
- Adjustable track bars are generally a good idea with any size suspension lift. However, you should be fine for the most part running the stock track bars up until about 2" of lift or so. Still, if you can afford adjustable ones I would get them regardless of how small your suspension lift is.
Adjustable Track Bars
The purpose of your track bar is to keep your axle centered laterally (side-to-side) under the vehicle. The stock track bars are a fixed length. Anytime you lift your vehicle this causes your stock track bar to pull your axle to one side of the vehicle more than the other. This happens because of the fixed length stock track bar.
With an adjustable track bar you're able to adjust the track bar length to compensate for however much you lifted the vehicle. This in turn allows you to center the axle laterally (side-to-side) under the vehicle.
I've run both a 2.5" lift and a 4" lift on my TJ with the stock track bar. At 2.5" of lift, the axles are off center, but barely enough to be noticeable. However, at 4" they start to become very noticeable. This won't do any harm to your vehicle by any means, but it looks silly. Another benefit of upgrading to an adjustable track bar is increased strength and better bushings / joints.
So while you certainly don't need an adjustable track bar, I highly recommend one. At 2.5" of lift and under you can get away with the stock one, but anything over that and it becomes a necessity if you ask me.
Track Bars & Clearance
There are a ton of aftermarket adjustable track bars out there, tons of them. Some of them are cheaper than others, and I can tell you from experience that the cheaper ones are generally always cheaper for a reason... They have very poor clearance issues when cycling your suspension.
If you skip on this and end up buying some cheap track bars, you can almost be certain that you'll have to drastically increase the amount of
bump stop you run (which will further prevent how much flexibility you have off-road) in order to keep the track bar from contacting your differential, and potentially other suspension and driveline components as well.
Because of this, you should do a great amount of research before buying a track bar. Ask around the forums and find out what a lot of the veterans and hardcore wheeler guys are running. Don't just spring for the cheap track bar because it is $100 or less. I can all but guarantee that will end up biting you in the ass at some point, especially if you plan on taking your Wrangler off-road.
What is the best lift?
If only
it were that easy, right? Well, I think it is pretty easy, but I also think that my opinion
is going to be different
than that of others. If you asked me what is the
best lift you can buy for a Wrangler TJ, I would say hands down it's the Currie 4" short arm suspension system. However, you'd likely find a lot of people who disagreed as well.
'Best' is a subjective and completely relative word. When you look do your research in regards to Wrangler TJ suspension lifts, you'll find that the two names that come up the most often are Currie and Metalcloak. There's others, no doubt, but Currie and Metalcloak seem to be the most sought after and talked about. Currie has been around for along time and has a very, very proven track record. Metalcloak is relatively newer to the scene, but has built a cult like following based off of what I consider to be very clever marketing.
Towards the lower end of the spectrum you'll often hear people talking about Rough Country, Skyjacker and a few others. While I don't mean to offend anyone that has these lifts, I will say that there is a reason they are so cheap when compared to something like a Currie lift. These lifts should be considered entry level lifts and meant for people who are on a budget. There is nowhere near the amount of engineering going into these things as there is with one of the higher end lifts.
That's not to say they're complete garbage. They would work fine for most beginners, but you can expect that at some point in time (especially if you wheel a lot) that you'll quickly outgrow them and be shopping for something better. A good example of this would be
this review of the Zone lift after 18 months by
@CasterTroy.
So, I can't answer this question with a 100% solid answer, because everyone has their own opinion. I can however tell you that
you get what you pay for and that is a fact! Trust me on that one... If you pay $500 for a Rough Country suspension versus $2400 for a Currie... There's a reason why.
What makes a good lift versus a bad lift?
Lifts kits are a relatively simple thing in the sense that they all use some sort of metal (i.e. steel, or sometimes aluminum) for the control arms, track bars, and springs. However, the two things that I feel are most important in a lift are the brand of shocks that are used in the kit, as well as the type of joints.
Ride quality is determined by the shocks, period. The springs are only there to set the height and support the weight of the vehicle. The way the vehicle rides is determined by the shocks. Reputable shock brands include Rancho, OME, Bilstein, Fox, and possibly a few others (though those are the most popular). Low end lifts use crap quality, no-name shocks. Lift kits from manufacturers like Rough Country and Skyjacker for instant, are using their own shocks that are very, very notorious for riding like garbage. These lift kits should be avoided at all costs.
The next thing that makes a good lift kit versus a bad lift kit is the type of joint used. There are only two joints I would ever consider on a lift kit, and those would be the Johnny Joint and the Duroflex joint (which is only used on Metalcloak lifts to my knowledge). Those two joints are not only rebuildable, but they also offer the most amount of articulation you'll get out of a joint. Compare those joints with the type of joints / bushings you'll find in lower end lift kits, which are typically made from solid polyurethane, or rubber if you're lucky.
Polyurethane bushings are notorious for squeaking and making ridiculous amounts of noise. In addition to that, they'll wear out much quicker than the higher end Johnny Joints or Duroflex joints. Jerry for instance has 12 years on his Currie Johnny Joint control arms and still hasn't had to rebuild them yet! That's very impressive if you consider the aggressive type of off-roading that he does down there in Johnson Valley. That's some serious rock crawling to say the least!
So there you have it. If you're trying to figure out what separates the high end lifts from the low end lifts, in my opinion it comes down to the shocks the lift kit includes, as well as the type of joints / bushings. Higher end lifts will be priced higher for this reason too, because the good parts don't come cheap.
For a good read on what makes a bad lift, check out this thread: Why Do People Dislike Skyjacker Lifts?
What determines ride quality, shocks or springs?
Shocks, 100%. Springs are only used to support the vehicle and to achieve the desired height. The shocks are what determines whether a vehicle rides smooth or rough. Suffice it to say, you can pair just about any springs (even Rough Country ones) with a set of nice shocks, and you'll have a nice ride!
Okay, so what shocks are the best for my Jeep Wrangler TJ?
Here's where it gets a little opinionated. I personally have run the Rancho RS5000X, Fox 2.0 shocks, Bilstein 5100s, and OME Nitrochargers on my TJ. I found that of all those shocks, the Rancho RS5000X shocks have by far the nicest, most comfortable ride of them all. All of the others were very stiff riding, but I didn't actually realize this until I installed the Ranchos. I had been running those other shocks the entire time thinking that it was normal for my TJ to ride the way it did. Once I installed the Ranchos I was seriously blown away by how much smoother my TJ rode, as well as how nicely it absorbed all the imperfections in the road.
The issue with the other shocks isn't one of quality. Those other shocks are very well built, and very good shocks. The issue is in fact that all of the others such as a the Fox 2.0, Bilstein 5100, and OME Nitrocharger, are all valved and setup for a much heavier vehicle than the TJ, which is believe it or not, still a very light vehicle compared to something like a full size truck. That being the case, those shocks are expecting a lot more weight, and without that extra weight on them, they tend to ride much rougher.
The Rancho RS5000X on the other hand is meant for a much lighter vehicle such as the TJ. This is why it rides so much smoother than the others. Now I will admit, the Fox 2.0 for instance is an amazing looking shock when compared to the rather bland Rancho. However, unless you can get a set of those shocks valved specifically for your TJ at it's weight, I think you'll prefer the Rancho RS5000X ten fold.
Take it from someone who has run all of these shocks. The Rancho RS5000X is truly an amazing shock, meant just for the TJ. If you prefer a stiffer ride, by all means, try one of the others. But once you see the light, you'll thank me for the Rancho recommendation.
Lift Kit Rankings
This title is a little misleading, but what I'm going to try to do here is break this down into three categories of lifts, low end, middle of the road, and high end.
Low End Lifts (you get what you pay for)
These lifts are cheap for a reason, and believe me, you get what you pay for. For the hardcore off-roader, these lifts simply won't do. If your Jeep sees mostly pavement and mall parking lots (which there's nothing wrong with), one of these lifts would be a decent choice. However, the weak point with all of these lifts will be the piss poor quality shocks, which should definitely be replaced with something better (i.e. Bilstein or Rancho) for a better ride.
Middle-of-the-Road Lifts (a happy medium)
I would consider these lifts to be a happy medium in terms of price and performance. They aren't as bad as the aforementioned lifts, but they're also not the best-of-the-best (in my book at least).
- Rubicon Express
- Tera Flex
- BDS
High End Lifts (the cream of the crop)
These lifts are widely regarded as being the best-of-the-best. If you want a lift that rides like a Cadillac both on-road and off-road and is built-to-last, look no further these lifts. Most of these lifts have re-buildable joints, and will last you the life of your vehicle. They may cost you a pretty penny, but again, you'll get what you pay for! I have personally owned the Currie and OME lifts, and I can attest to the ride quality and build quality of them.
- OME (the best 2.5" lift out there)
- Currie (my personal choice as I run this lift myself)
- Savvy
- Rokmen
- Metalcloak
- Am I missing any others?
Custom Lift Kits
Several members of the forum (i.e. @StG58) have put together their own lift to suit their personal needs. An example of this for instance might be pairing H&R springs with Bilstein 5100 shocks, or OME springs with Rancho shocks. While it may be a less common setup, there can be advantages to putting together your own lift, and it should certainly not be ruled out. The key to remember here is that you'll want to choose a reputable brand of shocks (i.e. Bilstein, Rancho or OME) and a reputable brand of springs (i.e. OME, Currie, Savvy, H&R, etc.).
In all honesty, even the high end lift kits such as Currie are missing several important components out of the box in my opinion. For that reason, I don't think that any lift kit is truly a complete, 100% ready to go "kit".
Last but not least, I will say that most of the time I think you can actually build a better lift by piecing components together yourself, so don't be afraid to do that!
