Is the 2.4 worth lifting?

[AdmiralAckbar]

Hey all.
I’m brand new to the Wrangler community and just got my hands on a 2003 TJ with the 2.4L I4. Well taken care of and has just over 60,000 miles on it. It’s an auto, bone stock. I originally had the intent of doing a 4 inch lift, 33s, doing the SYE and driveshaft, adjustable track bar,etc., but I haven’t seen allot of talk about the 2.4 auto. Is it worth the bigger tires? I’m not doing any extreme wheeling and not a lot of highway driving. Mostly just in town stuff to work and the like. My biggest concern seems to be the power loss and I’m curious if I’d be able to get away with not regearing for a year or two, or if there’s a better combo of lift, wheels and tires that would suit the 2.4 better?

 

[mrblaine]

Worth lifting? Sure, but only high enough to get a dumpster under it.

 

[Chris]

If I were going to own 4 cylinder, I wouldn’t go above 2” of lift and 31” tires. Anything more than that and it would have to be a dedicated off-road vehicle only for me.

The 4 cylinder is a real turd. Don’t worry though, the 4.0 isn’t that much better.

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

Since your goal is mostly "in town stuff to work and the like" and you liked it enough to buy it, I'd just put 31" tires and see how it feels power wise wherever you drive it. I have the 4.0 so that's a slightly different story than the 2.4 but my stock TJ has 235/85 R16 Duratrac tires (just under 32 x 9-3/4). With those thin tires I've never had any interference when turning sharp or off road. If/when you want to go higher, the 2.4 probably isn't what you'll want at that point.

 

[Cross-Threaded-06TJ]

Hey all.
I’m brand new to the Wrangler community and just got my hands on a 2003 TJ with the 2.4L I4. Well taken care of and has just over 60,000 miles on it. It’s an auto, bone stock. I originally had the intent of doing a 4 inch lift, 33s, doing the SYE and driveshaft, adjustable track bar,etc., but I haven’t seen allot of talk about the 2.4 auto. Is it worth the bigger tires? I’m not doing any extreme wheeling and not a lot of highway driving. Mostly just in town stuff to work and the like. My biggest concern seems to be the power loss and I’m curious if I’d be able to get away with not regearing for a year or two, or if there’s a better combo of lift, wheels and tires that would suit the 2.4 better?

I think it is worth it. Just budget a regearing the axles for the 33's.

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

Anything more than that and it would have to be a deviated off-road vehicle only for me.

I misread deviated as dedicated a couple times.

After actually seeing it correctly I was going to suggest this:
A deviated dedicated off road vehicle.

But maybe this is better:
A dedicated deviated off road vehicle.

Maybe we can deviate that thought to what I'm dedicating this post to.

 

[suicideking]

It's definitely worth it. Just ask the owner of this 2.4. You don't need go over 1MPH to do this stuff.

 

[97' 4 Popper]

I drove a 2.5 4 cylinder for a year with 31s and 4.11s. Did fine very light offroading. It was under geared and didn't go over 75 on a flat section, slightest incline threatened to need to downshift to 4th. You will hate running 33s unless you got 4.88 or even 5.13. It's a special tool for special circumstances. Don't think of the 4 cylinder as your dream jeep but a workhorse. Sometimes the fact that these 4 cylinder don't have that much value is something that's valuable in itself. It can be used as a offroader unscrupulously. The people that say the 4 cylinders are trash were probably driving it on the road a lot, where it indeed is not suitable even for Indiana! Still wouldn't go higher than a 2 or 3 inch lift even if money wasn't an object on a 4 cylinder.

Also 2.4 auto, that must be rare. The 2005 and 2006 years I think only had the 6 speed.

 

[TheBoogieman]

AdmiralAckbar, hopefully you got the 4.56 gears with your 2.4L auto. I still wouldn't go above 31" tires. I had a 2.5L once.​

 

[AdmiralAckbar]

Sounds like I’ll stick with 31s. If for some reason I go with 33s, I’ll need the regear for sure. Thanks all

 

[mxz800]

I have a 2004 SE 2.4 motor, I don't plan on setting any land speed records but that isn't why I bought it. I bought the Jeep because it was cheap, and the frame was solid which is rare here in Maine. I slapped on some new rims, and tires, I'm going to fluid film the frame again this year, replacing the front fenders with ones I had powder coated and I'm replacing the bumpers.

I really don't give two shits what other people think about my Jeep, or my other cars. If I could have found a 4.0 that had a great frame that wasn't priced like it was gold plated I would've bought it. Enjoy your Jeep I know I'm enjoying mine.

 

[AdmiralAckbar]

I have a 2004 SE 2.4 motor, I don't plan on setting any land speed records but that isn't why I bought it. I bought the Jeep because it was cheap, and the frame was solid which is rare here in Maine. I slapped on some new rims, and tires, I'm going to fluid film the frame again this year, replacing the front fenders with ones I had powder coated and I'm replacing the bumpers.

I really don't give two shits what other people think about my Jeep, or my other cars. If I could have found a 4.0 that had a great frame that wasn't priced like it was gold plated I would've bought it. Enjoy your Jeep I know I'm enjoying mine.

View attachment 200469

Yeah, good find. Mine had 65k miles on it and not an inch of rust when I found it this summer. Been a blast so far