A list of questions before making a purchase

Travis

Travis

TJ Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 29, 2016
Messages
932
Location
Clinton, Iowa
Okay, so I know the lift & tire size question has been covered here at length, I have been reading but have not really found what i'm looking for. I have finally garnered enough funds to make a purchase and have decided on a Zone lift kit. The Zone kits fit my price range and I think they are efficient for the use I will get out of it. There are 2 kits I am considering, the first one is..
http://zoneoffroad.com/zone-offroad-products-2in-suspension-lift-kit-jeep-wrangler/j1.
This one would allow me to continue to run the 31's I currently have & keep the stock suspension set-up.
The other kit I have been looking at is..
http://zoneoffroad.com/zone-offroad-products-3in-suspension-lift-kit-jeep-wrangler/j2-j3
I like the look of the 3" lift better but it's more expensive & I would like to upgrade to 33" tires when I purchase a new set of shoes. So, now here is where my questions arise. First, if I do go with the 3" kit, do I need to add a body lift with it? Will my 3.07 gears push a set of 33" tires effectively? Does the 3" kit come with everything I will need out of the box? I know some of this may seem silly to those with more experience, I just need some direction here before I spend the money. Thanks in advance guys, any input is greatly appreciated.
 
As you know, the questions will start pouring in. Refresh us on your motor, axles and tranny. That will help field some of those questions.
 
Let's see..

4.0 I6
Dana 30 front, Dana 35 rear
Transmission, I'm actually not sure, stock Sport model if I had to guess. Let me pull up my build sheet and get all the specs.
 
Question 1: Depending on how your Jeep is used you can get by without the body lift. Going more for looks and mild FSR travel and you should be fine without.
Question 2: You will be able to push 33's with the 3.07 but would be much better served to regear shortly.
Question 3: The kit that you posted will be everything you need to get your jeep up in the air 3" but is very lacking in giving you a great improvement in off road ability. But if you are going more for looks it will be just fine.
 
Even with your 3-speed automatic which helps in mis-geared situations, performance with 33's and your 3.07 gearing is still going to be frustrating. I'd start saving now to regear your axles to 4.10.

And I agree with the recommendation to go with the 3" suspension lift which is the bare minimum for 33" tires. :)
 
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With that 3" lift, you'll either need a TC drop or a SYE and double cardan driveshaft. I'm also not sure at that height if you'll need to adjust pinion angles or not (adjustable control arms). At 2.5" I didn't need to, but I can't say for sure with 3".
 
Chris said:
With that 3" lift, you'll either need a TC drop or a SYE and double cardan driveshaft. I'm also not sure at that height if you'll need to adjust pinion angles or not (adjustable control arms). At 2.5" I didn't need to, but I can't say for sure with 3".
Click to expand...
Lift description listed a minimal TC drop is included.
 
Chris said:
With that 3" lift, you'll either need a TC drop or a SYE and double cardan driveshaft. I'm also not sure at that height if you'll need to adjust pinion angles or not (adjustable control arms). At 2.5" I didn't need to, but I can't say for sure with 3".
Click to expand...
Generally speaking, you don't normally require a SYE and CV driveshaft with a TJ until you get to about 4" of suspension lift. Typically a tcase drop is enough, sometimes a 1" MML may be required too which I believe is included in taller Zone suspension lift kits. :)
 
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So what I'm gathering is that the 1.75 Zone kit would be more what I'm after. I don't plan on wheeling my TJ, as I have said in the past, this is a street Jeep.
 
Travis said:
Agreed. Will the 1.75 kit even be a noticable upgrade?
Click to expand...
Yes. I think for a street only TJ the 1.75 is a good look. Nice looking set of 31's and you are set. Still have a great 4x4 for those Iowa snows, good on a fire service road out by the lake and not a lot of $$$ spent.
 
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Travis said:
Agreed. Will the 1.75 kit even be a noticable upgrade?
Click to expand...
JP98 said:
Yes. I think for a street only TJ the 1.75 is a good look. Nice looking set of 31's and you are set. Still have a great 4x4 for those Iowa snows, good on a fire service road out by the lake and not a lot of $$$ spent.
Click to expand...

Yes, I think that TJ's look good on small lifts, mine has a set of H&R spring that lifted it about an inch and a half, and they do really well on the street and on the trail. I also run 31" tires and the difference in appearance is noticeable. I did mine for off road performance reasons and increased capacity. Works great, but then I've got an SE and 4.10 gears.
2017 Side View.jpg
 
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StG58 said:
Yes, I think that TJ's look good on small lifts, mine has a set of H&R spring that lifted it about an inch and a half, and they do really well on the street and on the trail. I also run 31" tires and the difference in appearance is noticeable. I did mine for off road performance reasons and increased capacity. Works great, but then I've got an SE and 4.10 gears.
View attachment 11282
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That is a perfect example of a quality low lift set up for 31's. Will get the job done on most reasonable trails, good street ride and all around enjoyable Jeep.
 
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When I bought my Jeep, it had the stock 3.07 gearing, stock dana 35, etc. but was running 33s and a 4.5" zone lift (not sure which one because the previous owner installed it). The ride was good, but there were a lot of vibrations due to needing the SYE and CV driveshaft. It is tolerable, but know the vibration, etc. will cause more damage (pinion bearings, transmission, etc.) over time. I have since upgraded to the DANA 44, SYE w/ CV, and 4.56 gearing and it is great. The jeep drives smooth as butter now. I also replaced my transmission because it needed to be done.

As for the zone lifts, they are very good for the price. Of all of the comparably priced lifts, they are the one I would choose.

If you are thinking about running 33s, I would start planning for those now (I doubt you will be happy until you are running them). I would go with the larger lift and save up to regear, do the SYE and CV driveshaft, etc. at the same time or before you put the 33s on. Lastly, if money is tight, I would recommend the Super 35 Kit when you regear rather than the DANA 44 unless you plan on rock crawling.

It gets expensive quick, but if you do it right the first time, you will save money and frustration in the long run.
 
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@JP98 requested that I list my mods here, so here it is...not much of a list. This SE goes like stink on and off road.

Current Mods:
All fluids changed
Maintenance performed regularly
H&R springs (about 1 - 1/2" of lift)
Bilstein 5100 0 -2" shocks (the valving is a good match for the trail conditions and the H&R springs)
KO2 31x10.50R15 tires on stock Grizzly wheels
Tow hooks from the farm store front and back
CB radio
Recovery gear
Tool kit
Viair air pump
Bumper mount for farm jack
Axe & shovel
Snatch strap

Future Mods:
Revolution Super 35 kit with 4.88 gears
Revolution front axle shafts
Front Powertrax No Slip lunch box
Rear Detroit locker
Vanco brake kit (stock replacement stuff, huge upgrade)
Engo winch (OK, just kill me now. It's not a Warn, but it'll work for what I do and I can afford it.)

That's it. That's all the mods the SE needs to get me way back into the back country and into more trouble than I can stand. Works really well in all the conditions that I've run across so far and I can keep up with most anybody around here. Skill / experience > mods
 
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StG58 said:
Yes, I think that TJ's look good on small lifts, mine has a set of H&R spring that lifted it about an inch and a half, and they do really well on the street and on the trail.
View attachment 11282
Click to expand...

X2

If I could do it all over again, I would have stayed at 2.5" of lift and either 31" or 32" tires. I built my TJ for purposes I don't even use it for. I got carried away...

However, it's there now, so I am not going to start all over. I'm simply saying if I had to start from scratch, I wouldn't do the huge lift and big tires. All I do is light trails and moderate stuff. Even a stock TJ with decent tires can do that.
 
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Thanks for weighing in guys, it is much appreciated. I have decided to go with the 1.75 lift, and stick with the 31" tire size. I am content with that since I don't plan on wheeling my Jeep. I will be placing my order within the next couple days and will post pictures when it has been installed.
 
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