A recipe for an affordable but quality 2.5" lift

Chris

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Thanks to @CodaMan for laying the ground work for this one as he inspired me to write this thread as a resource for others.

The issue is that I see people constantly posting about purchasing the OME 2.5" lift, Rough County 2.5" lifts, or others "lift kits". In reality, I think you can save a lot of money and get better quality parts if you piece together your own lift. The problem I have with the OME lift is that the newer shocks they switched to years ago ride terrible in comparison to the shocks they used to use. Rough Country is the same way in that the shocks they include in their kits are absolutely terrible.

For the most part, springs are springs, but the shocks are really what's going to affect your ride quality. That being said, below you'll find a perfect recipe for a 2" lift that uses quality parts and won't break the bank. In addition, this setup shouldn't require a transfer case drop in most cases.


With the addition of a Savvy 1.25" body lift and a 1" Savvy motor mount lift, you can easily turn this lift into a 3.25" lift and set yourself up for a tummy tuck.

Hopefully this thread serves as a resource to others. You're much better off piecing your own lift together as oppose to buying a "kit" in most cases.
 
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It's been great on my Rubicon for over 2 years now.

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I had a similar approach two years ago when I replaced the PO’s BB daystar lift. Swapped in rancho rs5000x (2-3” ones before I knew the ranchos ran longer) and 2” BDS springs with the 0.75” spacer upfront. Worked great with 31s. Added the savvy BL and MORE motor mount lift last year when I went up to 33s for a total of 3.25” of lift. At that point I had to go all the way with the SYE and tummy tuck😂
 
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I’m planning on running Rough Country 2.5” springs and Rancho RS5000X shocks. I might add a .50 spacer to give myself a tad more room but I’m only going to run 31’s.
My little 4cyl will be happy with that.
 
I had a similar approach two years ago when I replaced the PO’s BB daystar lift. Swapped in rancho rs5000x (2-3” ones before I knew the ranchos ran longer) and 2” BDS springs with the 0.75” spacer upfront. Worked great with 31s. Added the savvy BL and MORE motor mount lift last year when I went up to 33s for a total of 3.25” of lift. At that point I had to go all the way with the SYE and tummy tuck😂
That sounds almost exactly like what I plan to do.
 
If you’re staying with 31’s, do you still need the body lift?
Maybe it’s for looks, maybe for a tummy tuck later on. 2 inches I believe is often considered “good enough” I believe 2.5 is desired if your rock crawling for proper “up travel” without hitting the fender.
This is all on 31’s of course. There’s a thread in TJ resources called “a beginners guide to limiting your Jeep” that you might find useful.
 
So is the consensus really to use the 0-2" shocks and not the slightly longer RS55241 & RS55239 ? I have the springs ready to go but dont really want to install springs, measure and then order the shocks. Id rather bang it all out at the same time.
 
So is the consensus really to use the 0-2" shocks and not the slightly longer RS55241 & RS55239 ? I have the springs ready to go but dont really want to install springs, measure and then order the shocks. Id rather bang it all out at the same time.
 
So is the consensus really to use the 0-2" shocks and not the slightly longer RS55241 & RS55239 ? I have the springs ready to go but dont really want to install springs, measure and then order the shocks. Id rather bang it all out at the same time.
I believe that is the general agreement, Ranchos run long.
 
So is the consensus really to use the 0-2" shocks and not the slightly longer RS55241 & RS55239 ? I have the springs ready to go but dont really want to install springs, measure and then order the shocks. Id rather bang it all out at the same time.
I first ran the longer Rancho's with my ProComp springs (with a .75" front spacer) and only had around 2" of up travel. I switched them out to the shorter ones and now have a little over 4" of up travel with about a 60/40 UP/DOWN travel ratio. However, I was just talking to someone on here that needs the longer shocks with his OME springs. If it were me, I would install the shorter one, let them settle and measure the exposed rod length. If they're too short then call Rancho and get a refund using their "90 day no questions asked return policy". They will send you a shipping label, so after you purchase and install the longer ones send the first set back to Rancho. Easy peezy.
 
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RS55239's with a 3" lift, 1/2" BL, at full bump with 1 5/8" bump stop extension,
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Any less than 1.75" of bump stop extension and your shocks will then be your bump stop. So, with that said, how important is up travel to you? If you need 1.75" of bump, and only have a 2" lift, then you aren't gaining much over stock up travel. This is why many would suggest the 0-2" lift shock offering.
 
Newbie....... Here's my '04. 31" Duratracs & AR23 wheels just put on. All stock. I'm going to do a 2" OME/Rancho5000x and am following closely what y'all are saying about the 0"-2" vs 2"-3" shocks. BTW, I just scored this Jeep about a month ago. All stock, 55k miles, one owner. I feel very fortunate to have found it. 4.0L, Dyna 44, A/C, 3.73,

Jeep New Wheels tint etc.jpg


Jeep Stock.jpg