Looking for build/lift opinions: go big or stay small?

T

Tim04Willys

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Jun 2, 2017
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Placerville, CA, United States
Hey everyone, Just looking for some thoughts or maybe confirmation in my ideas on overall lift/tire size direction with my TJ.

I've seen a few of you guys say "if I did it all over again..." that you'd stick with a small lift and 31's. Well that's where I think I'm at, after years of going back and fourth, back and fourth..... you know how it is. I "need" big tires right? "Everyone" has at least 33's right? I can't possibly do any wheeling unless I have at least 33's.... etc.

The thing is, I pretty much love my Jeep on 31's, like the look, like the simplicity. I've had it since '08 and it went from DD to now just a toy that might get 1k miles a year, so I can go either way, it just seems to me that 31's does everything I need and maybe the challenge on some trails is just more fun than if I breeze through it on big tires?


So I bought the Zone combo lift (with intention of 33's or 34's), never installed it, now I'm pretty sure I don't want to. I also bought a used Dana 44 on craigslist that I'm pretty sure is fried and will need to be rebuilt if I use it.

So reading here and thinking more and more, it seems I shoulda gone with the OME 2", buy new 31's (current are pretty worn), re-gear to 4.10 and call it done!

Or should I not be a pussy and install/fix the Dana 44, put on the bigger lift, regear, 33's, etc etc etc? :confused:

I just got back from a 2 day trip and ran 2 trails, Pardoe's (AKA Carson Emigrant trail, Squaw Ridge) and then Strawberry trail on the way back. For anyone in the area that knows them. Everytime I take it wheeling on these types of trails I convince myself that I just dont need to go big and that it's more fun the way it is. I was with my buddy in his stock Rubicon JK 4 door by the way and he didn't get through anything any easier than I did (except for when he used lockers), those things high center so freaking easy...

Now, Strawberry was very challenging and there was plenty of scraping & rock stacking, but I dont really care if I have to do that 1 or 2 times a year. And when I scrape, 90% of the time it's the stupid shovel, 10% is the gas tank skid/rear bumper. 2.5" of lift would help that.

Lastly, I'm just not interested in hard core rock crawling, not my thing. Trail riding, exploring, camping, hunting. But being in the Sierra's....I'm going to be in the rocks sometimes, so far being small and narrow on 31's gets me through though.

So long rant but:

1) OME 2", new 31's, regear stock axles (maybe Tru Tracs)?

2) Bigger lift, 33's, swap in Dana 44 and have it rebuilt, and regear as well?


p.s. as you can tell I'm a big fan of smaller/simpler Jeeps and smaller tires in general, maybe just because I've gotten through all kinds of stuff over the years in a totally stock TJ with 3.07 gears, no lockers, no lift, no sway disco. no special fenders, etc. Just a set of good 31" M/T's and maybe good (or lucky) driving I guess.
 
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I'm one of those that wished I could go back to the simple times of 31's. My vote would be to stick to 31's, add some lockers of some sort, and tuck that shovel as far up as you can, then wheel the piss out of it. I ran the Rubicon on 32's and 2.52" lift without too much difficulty. It made the trail challenging, and like you said, how many times a year are your going to run trails like that? I'm more into exploring, overlanding myself, so I can relate with what you're saying.
 
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Great minds think alike. I once had 31" Goodyear Duratracs with the OME 2" lift. More than anything, I wish I had stayed with that setup. It's just perfect in terms of being just enough, but not too much. I too had the idea that unless I had 33" tires and a 4" lift, I couldn't go wheeling. That's a stupid way of thinking, and it's very incorrect. The problem is, I was a newbie (we all are at one point), and instead of doing the research first, I just bought things blindly.

What I've learned over the years is that I don't do extreme enough wheeling to need 33" tires or a 4" lift. The stuff I do is more or less, "exploring". I'm not doing rock crawling or anything.

So, if I was in your situation, I would put the OME 2" lift on, some nice 31" AT tires, and I would also slap that Dana 44 on. In my opinion, while you don't need the axle, if you already have it, it adds value to your TJ, and it gives you a rear axle that will be mostly bulletproof (as long as you don't drive like an idiot).

Pair that with the right gears (that depends on which transmission you have), and you'd have a nice, solid setup. One that looks tasteful and clean. The older I get, the more I dislike the look of Jeeps on 35" tires with 6" lifts. I get that some guys need that for rock crawling, but for guys like me who just want to explore, it's silly to go overboard like that.
 
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@Tim04Willys there you go.
 
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Nice looking Jeep ya got there @Tim04Willys, and it looks good on 31's.

I"m another believer in short lift sizes and 31-32" tires. Most of the places and most of the times that I'm in the backwoods a short narrow build is almost mandatory. I have another option for springs if you are interested. They work really well on my 99 TJ SE. The resulting lift is about 1-1/2".
 
Thanks guys. Yeah the look is another reason since it's the Willys edition I think narrow tires look appropriate and cool.

I appreciate the 1.5" springs, I do think I could use the OME's 2"+ though as I do bounce off rocks plenty with my shovel.
 
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Tim04Willys said:
Thanks guys. Yeah the look is another reason since it's the Willys edition I think narrow tires look appropriate and cool.

I appreciate the 1.5" springs, I do think I could use the OME's 2"+ though as I do bounce off rocks plenty with my shovel.
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Look into H&R springs. When all was said and done, they netted out an inch and a half on the SE. Bouncing off rocks with the shovel is probably best addressed on it's own.

Here is a link to the H&R site, with a 2004 jeep wrangler selected: http://www.hrsprings.com/application/search/results/17/350/2004/

The part number you are looking for is: H&R 52107

The are also showing the nice 1/2" hub-centric wheel spacers. Browse around on the site and check them out. It's good stuff and pretty interesting reading.
 
Tim04Willys said:
Thanks, I've actually looked at that site thanks to this site, I didn't know that option existed before. But I'd still need shocks anyways, so the OME is more appealing to me, and the little extra lift is nice.
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No issues. You really can't go wrong with the OME setup. Tried, tested, proven.

BTW, I'm running Bilstein 5100's with mine and those shocks are a good match for the H&R springs. There's an install writeup and several long term reviews of my setup here on the site. If you're interested.
 
You could just install the Zone lift you already own which is only a 3" suspension lift plus a 1.25" body lift, and run 33's without needing to upgrade the rear axle to a Dana 44. Only if you liked to hammer the gas when offroad or if you installed a locker into your rear axle would an upgrade to a Dana 44 be appropriate.

A 3" suspension lift is not "going big", that's just an average suspension lift height.

The Zone kit also includes the parts needed to eliminate the minor drivetrain vibration a 3" suspension lift will cause. It does that with a pair of 1" taller motor mounts which decreases the u-joint angles on the rear driveshaft. Uncorrected excessive rear driveshaft u-joint angles are what cause drivetrain vibrations and the 1" taller motor mounts will fix that.
 
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Tim04Willys said:
Hey Jerry,

I kind of got scared out of the Zone lift a while back after reading feedback of it on this site. I was leery to go with a "cheap" lift in the first place, but ended up ordering it anyway on a whim.
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I dunno about bad feedback on the Zone lift, I have never noticed that here. I don't run a Zone so I have no dog in this fight but I wouldn't have recommended you install it if the feedback I have been reading for years, including here, wasn't generally very positive. I'd run it before I'd run a Rough Country, Skyjacker, or ProComp.
 
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Tim04Willys said:
Hey Jerry,

I kind of got scared out of the Zone lift a while back after reading feedback of it on this site. I was leery to go with a "cheap" lift in the first place, but ended up ordering it anyway on a whim.
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The Zone lift is a relatively inexpensive lift, not a cheap lift. It's not a Currie, but it isn't a Rough Country either. There are a LOT of Zone lifts running around in my neck of the woods and everyone seems to be satisfied with the fit, finish and performance of the Combo Lift. I don't run one, but my build criteria is different than what the Zone targets. It's a good way to get on 33x12.50 tires without breaking the bank.
 
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There is no one size fits all option, everything is a compromise.

You need to build your Jeep according to how you want to use it.

There are runs my club does that you cannot even go to unless you are running a minimum of 35s and 2 lockers.

The Zone lift is made by BDS and it's the best entry level option. The OME costs more money. There are a lot of people who have outgrown their Zone lift and probably just as many that think it's perfect for what they use it for.
 
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StG58 said:
Nice looking Jeep ya got there @Tim04Willys, and it looks good on 31's.

I"m another believer in short lift sizes and 31-32" tires. Most of the places and most of the times that I'm in the backwoods a short narrow build is almost mandatory. I have another option for springs if you are interested. They work really well on my 99 TJ SE. The resulting lift is about 1-1/2".
Click to expand...

What springs are those?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
FTI76 said:
<snip> You need to build your Jeep according to how you want to use it.
<snip>
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That's the money shot, right there. Build YOUR TJ for how and where YOU are going to use it. Figure that one out, and then pick the mods that accomplish that goal. Surprisingly enough, it just may be a bone stock TJ with 31x10.50's on stock rims.
Tim04Willys said:
Well there you go, now you see why I've gone back and fourth forever.....:smash2:
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Welcome to TJ-dom.
 
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