Going from 6 inch lift to...?

phasty20

phasty20

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Aug 12, 2019
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65
Location
Raleigh, NC
Hello,
I purchased my 2001 Wrangler Sport with a 6" lift and 35x15 Super Swamper TSL's. This was purchased with the intention of downsizing the tires and lift and using it for family fun and also some hunting trips. It will spend more than 99% of it's time on paved roads and I have zero intentions of ever doing any rock crawling or serious off-roading.

The Jeep will probably see 3k miles per year or less. I really want to run 33x12.50 tires on 15x8 steel wheels and 3.75" backspacing. What's the minimum amount of suspension lift I can run with this setup, keeping in mind articulation and hard off-roading are not factors? I would prefer to not use a body lift.

Whatever lift kit I buy, I will need one that includes control arms. The lift on the Jeep now has some wear in the poly control arm bushings and the shocks appear old as well, so i intend to replace everything at the same time. One option I am looking into is: https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/genui...-set-of-4-tjs-tjstg238-4/_/R-ADDK1-TJSTG238-4

I am aware there are better products on the market, but given the intended use, I doubt I would ever see the benefit of a lift that is double or triple the cost. Do better reasonable options exist? I don't mind paying a little extra for higher quality if I can actually see and use the benefits. For my needs, I think all I need is enough lift to fit 33" tires and nothing more. But I have no previous experience with these vehicles so I would like some input based on real experience.
 
4"

Even if articulation is not an immediate concern, the little bit of added up travel will make travel over rough ground that much nicer.

Really for what you describe, 32" would likely be me than adequate. Build those around a 2.5-3" spring lift.

Does the existing build have an SYE/double cardan rear drive shaft? Stock arm mounts?
 
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jjvw said:
4"

Even if articulation is not an immediate concern, the little bit of added up travel will make travel over rough ground that much nicer.

Really for what you describe, 32" would likely be me than adequate. Build those around a 2.5-3" spring lift.

Does the existing build have an SYE/double cardan rear drive shaft? Stock arm mounts?
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Thanks for the reply. All looks stock to me. I did forget to add that is has 4.10 gears.
 
phasty20 said:
Thanks for the reply. All looks stock to me. I did forget to add that is has 4.10 gears.
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What trans and what rear axle?

Pics will help. 6" of lift is a huge amount to even begin to get under control without a lot of changes. Going back down can sometimes be tricky.
 
jjvw said:
What trans and what rear axle?

Pics will help. 6" of lift is a huge amount to even begin to get under control without a lot of changes.
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It's a Dana 44 rear and Dana 30 front. 4.0L 5 speed. I can get pictures tomorrow. In my opinion the previous owner didn't do much. I think the current setup is all show and no go.
 
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4.10's can turn 32's nicely. Might be ok for 33's too. With 32's you can use stock control arms. And get you everywhere you describe. And do it with a simple 2-3 inch spring with no body lift needed. But I would go through the Jeep carefully. The guys I know that would put a 6" spring in also do some sketchy work elsewhere on a vehicle.
 
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Photos of the current setup...

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Goatman said:
4.10's can turn 32's nicely. Might be ok for 33's too. With 32's you can use stock control arms. And get you everywhere you describe. And do it with a simple 2-3 inch spring with no body lift needed. But I would go through the Jeep carefully. The guys I know that would put a 6" spring in also do some sketchy work elsewhere on a vehicle.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply. For the terrain I travel, a 100% stock wrangler could handle it. But if I'm buying suspension components, tires, and wheels anyway I might as well get something that will make me enjoy it more. Every time I see a TJ that I really like the looks of, it nearly always has 33x12.50's so that's what I would like to run.
 
Dropped pitman arm? Check
Dual steering stablizers? Check
Huge coil spring spacers? Check.
Red shock boots? Check.
Aftermarket lower fixed control arms, stock uppers? Check


Yeah, you can fix that, but it will take some parts.
 
Measure just the springs.

Post a pic of the center skid from the side.
 
In your original post you said you want to run 33's. Generally for that, you'll want about 4" total lift, a SYE and CV driveshaft and that's about it for the basics. It may have one already, I didn't notice for sure if it did.

I have no idea how tall those springs are without the spacers, so maybe the spacers just need to be removed. I'd toss the lower steering stabilzer at the very least. I'd replace the aftermarket fixed lower control arms with factory arms. Add adjustable rear upper control arms, or adjustable upper and lower rear arms if the budget allows if you don't have a SYE. I don't know what shocks are on there, but Rancho RS5000x shocks are very nice. I'd look into a standard pitman arm, and possibly a new track bar. There could be more, but that would make decent progress in getting it back down.
 
Is that a stock front track bar. At 6" of lift I can't imaging how far off center the axle is. Plus a dropped pitman arm? Yep, measure spring height, minus the 2" spacers. I'd guess 4" springs. Also want to see how much the t-case skid has been lowered, cause you don't have a SYE. The lower A-arms gots to go.
 
I bought a lifted jeep too, and knew I had some suspension stuff to work out right away. I went from 4.5" springs to 3" OME springs, removed some trans skidplate spacers, & went thru all the bushings on all the old Rancho CAs, upgraded the steering, got the tires balanced & aligned. I kept a SYE, Rancho shocks & CAs, & trussed 8.8. The work made a huge difference. Made the Jeep more manageable, driveable, less of a handful. Not to mention solved a gnarly death wobble at 35 or 40 mph.

I haven't replaced the control arms yet, but have my eyes on Core 4x4s, adjustable, upgradeable setup. https://www.core4x4.com/

The previous owner did some things that were crazy (SYE & skidplate spacers). I bought the rig knowing it had a ton of parts added to it. But then figured out that a lot of it was just too much
 
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That rear axle is set like it has a DC driveshaft. But no DC driveshaft. I'm guessing it is cranked up so the stock driveshaft would still "fit".
That angle out of the transfer looks pretty darned steep to me.
Or its 8am and I've yet to go to bed. Either way, that looks just like I thought a cobbled up 6" lift would look. Some people think spray paint makes crap work better.
 
Thanks for the info. Based on the dual stabilizers, I'm thinking the previous owner may have had a death wobble issue and installed the 2nd stabilizer to mask it. It has no death wobble now, so until I'm ready to remove and replace everything, I'm not planning to change anything on the current setup.

Prior to purchase, I had intended on lowering it back down and going to 33's. I had noticed the bushings on the lower control arms and shocks had some wear, so it all needs replacement anyway.

I'll begin my search for the items suggested. Would anyone be willing to assist with suggesting kits or should I purchase springs, shocks, etc. separately? This is my first Jeep and I appreciate all the help so far.
 
For your intended use, I would recommend the Zone 4.25 Combo. It has 3" springs and a 1.25" body lift. The 3" springs will allow you to use stock control arms ($20-25 a piece from RockAuto), and allow you to use your current driveshaft (saves you the expense of an SYE and Double Cardan driveshaft, roughly $600). Lose the lower steering dampner. Get an adjustable trackbar (Currie, JKS, metalcloak) for the front to center the axle. Go back to an OEM pitman arm. Recommend the ZJ steering tie rod (solid bar vs hollow tube). Shocks based on the correct size by cycling your suspension. Then your choice of wheel and tire. That would be a respectable build, IMO and would handle well.
 
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