Bought my boy a Jeep, now I have the bug!

[flathead]

Well, I started looking at Jeeps for my boy that turns 16 in Feb but won't actually be driving on his own until August- KY requires 6 months of permit. I picked him up what seems like a very solid little Jeep with a VERY nice frame and what seems like a very nice tub.

I bought this jeep to keep him from driving like teenage boys do. I'm trying to instill in him that Jeeps are cool because you just chill when you drive and make it look good. Shoot, even camrys and accords are fast nowadays. He seems to have taken the bait. He's really liking the whole Jeep thing- unfortunately so am I and I'll need one too.

Give me some advice. I've asked a couple die-hard jeeps guys I know and they all say that cheap lifts are terrible. I'm also reading that on here. BUT, I'm not finding what kit we should be looking at.

He's not gonna off-road it. It'll be his daily. Of course he wants 4" and 33's. I'm ok with it and we don't expect it to ride like a Cadillac but it does need the look. There are so many companies and prices it's really confusing- especially being green with Tj's. I'd really prefer not to spend big bucks on tires and a lift then both of us hate driving it.

Any advice would be appreciated and we'll keep digging on here to see if we can come to a conclusion. He's probably gonna get the lift and tires for Christmas so I'm trying to get out in front of this...

 

[flathead]

I may have found the exact thread I need....missed it before.....

Sounds like exactly what direction we would like to take this..

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/new-to-jeeps-lift-kit-questions.65953/#post-1210388

 

[97TJNM]

Going for 33's is a reasonable goal and not nearly so hard to get to as 35's. (And as a father of a 14 year old with a Cherokee XJ sitting in the yard, don't kid yourself about him not offroading it... it's not a question of "if", but "when")

That said, if I was going to lift a jeep for 33's, and it was going to primarily be a on road, daily driver, I'd go with a zone offroad 4.25" combo lift.

https://www.quadratec.com/p/425-com...fuVqemiDxXjrSbwe86yvTI30mfnk8XkhoCSW0QAvD_BwE

I haven't run one myself, but several forum members swear by them as a good budget lift that gets you enough clearance for 33's.

That said, you may end up needing a few more bits and bobs to make it work perfectly, but you can't always tell until you get the lift installed. You may end up needing adjustable track bars, you may want a ZJ steering linkage upgrade, and you may want better brakes. But then again, you may slap this kit on, drive it, and really like it with no further mods.

Just my opinion, based on what I'd do in your shoes. It's worth exactly what you paid for it!

 

[LONGJP2]

He's not gonna off-road it. It'll be his daily.

Maybe if he helps with the installation work, he'll appreciate it more and take care of it.

I bought this jeep to keep him from driving like teenage boys do. I'm trying to instill in him that Jeeps are cool because you just chill when you drive and make it look good. Shoot, even camrys and accords are fast nowadays.

Hopefully he doesn't try to drive his lifted Jeep like a camry or accord.

 

[flathead]

Maybe if he helps with the installation work, he'll appreciate it more and take care of it.



Hopefully he doesn't try to drive his lifted Jeep like a camry or accord.

Yeah, he's really taken an interest in the Jeep. He saved up his money and it really was his money and bought his Raptor and we had to do a bunch of work on it.

LoL, I was thinking the same thing...I keep perpetuating the ole' Jeep lore about rollovers,... I say, listen, your buddies in their little rice traps will leave and get where ya'll are going a lot faster. BUT, your Jeep will park on top of them or climb your buddy's front yard hill or drive over parking berms....these things are turds and even going through the gears gives you no seat of the pants feel.

Crap, I've loving to drive this thing to work every day to find what needs taken care of. Last night I jumped in it late to drive to Menards and hour away because they had the best deals on gas, diesel and kerosene cans...just enjoyed the drive with the sucky radio blaring..

 

[TitanFlyer]

Same thing happened to me. I flew out and drove back a 2005 rubicon, lifted already, and on 33’s. I think he might be driving a civic whenever its time, I already started ordering parts!!!!!

 

[Irun]

You poor soul!

 

[Apparition]

Gear it higher so he has even less speed/acceleration.

Everything was driven like a race car as a kid, still are.

 

[TNHEADDUCK]

He will definitely be driving fast to the trails

 

[flathead]

I called Derick at DPS Offroad, as I saw suggested in so many posts to get a lift designed for our goals. THIS sounds like the way to go! He was very helpful and seemed to know his stuff. This will be the direction we'll go....thanks......er, well, I think.....

 

[AndyG]

You can get a lower priced lift to drive great, but you have to do several things-

-Have good tires, perfectly balanced

- have solid connections under the jeep- a TJ has over 40 bushings that smooth out connections

- get caster back after the lift

It is not impossible- But if you are not mechanically inclined you need a shop that knows how to take it all the way.

 

[Mike_H]

I'm gonna just throw this out here...don't go 33's. Do a 2" suspension lift and run 31's or 32's. It's still cool, and its a WHOLE lot less work. Gearing shouldn't be terrible (unless you unlucked out and got 3.07 gears), you won't have to worry about drivetrain vibs...etc.

If he still wants to go to 33's after a couple years (and hasn't wrecked it), then you can go full monte and do a build for 33's

 

[AndyG]

I'm gonna just throw this out here...don't go 33's. Do a 2" suspension lift and run 31's or 32's. It's still cool, and its a WHOLE lot less work. Gearing shouldn't be terrible (unless you unlucked out and got 3.07 gears), you won't have to worry about drivetrain vibs...etc.

If he still wants to go to 33's after a couple years (and hasn't wrecked it), then you can go full monte and do a build for 33's

This is a very good post.

I have had everything from 2 inches to 4 inches of lift and this is my current project- 2”

Lifts create geometric consequences. Less is less.