Question about Zone 4.25 inch lift

Sancho

Sancho

Getting my $30 worth by hitting the text limit....
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Anyone run a zone 4.25, but only installed the 3 inch suspension lift?

I am very close to buying the zone 4.25, but intend on installing the 3 inch lift for now... and going 4.25 once I regear and upsize to 33's.

Any thoughts on this approach?

I can buy the OME Deluxe kit... but have a hard time justifying nearly 3x the price.

I mention OME cuz I'm secretly hoping someone convinces me to just buy it. Lol.


Really tho.. anyone see an issue with buying the 4.25 zone combo.. but running the 3 inch lift only?

I like the idea of staying 2.5 to 3, and the fact that it is half the cost of the OME.

I wont regear or upsize tires anytime soon.
 
There would be no issue at all with running the 3" suspension lift and not installing the 1.25" body lift.

The OME lift kit is good, but I personally wouldn't buy the entire kit. I'd pair the OME springs with Rancho RS5000X shocks, as I prefer the ride of them over the much harsher OME Nitrocharger Sports. The older OME shocks were great, but the newer Nitrocharger Sports are a lot stiff and not worth the money IMHO, especially when you could get a set of Rancho RS5000X shocks for much cheaper.

Hell, the OME springs and Rancho RS5000X shocks would only run you around $600 tops.
 
If I bought that lift, I'd only install the springs. I know most love them, but I despise body lifts. I can't stand how they look, and I just perfer the idea of the body mounted directly to the frame the way it was designed to be.
 
Anyone who has installed only a 3" spring lift and a MML has installed the equivalent of the Zone 4.25 without the body lift.
 
89grand said:
If I bought that lift, I'd only install the springs. I know most love them, but I despise body lifts. I can't stand how they look, and I just perfer the idea of the body mounted directly to the frame the way it was designed to be.
Click to expand...

The only drawback, as far as the Zone kit is concerned, is that you won't be able to fit as tall of a tire without the body lift. And you will need to mess with the fan shroud.
 
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jjvw said:
The only drawback, as far as the Zone kit is concerned, is that you won't be able to fit as tall of a tire without the body lift. And you will need to mess with the fan shroud.
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No messing with fan shroud, if he doesn't install body lift...Unless you have to install a T-case drop as the same time?
 
1. Is raising the fan shroud an issue? Sounds pretty straight forward to me.

2. Any issues with vibes as t 3 inch SL and an mml? How do 31's look on a 3 inch lift.

3. @Chris , I have been looking at the 3rd option of just piecing one togethor. Aside from springs and shocks at 3 inches... would i need a fron or rear Adjustable trackbar?
 
Sancho said:
1. Is raising the fan shroud an issue? Sounds pretty straight forward to me.
Click to expand...
Haven't done it myself, but most will slot the holes in the shroud to raise it up.
Sancho said:
2. Any issues with vibes as t 3 inch SL and an mml? How do 31's look on a 3 inch lift.
Click to expand...
The vibes, or lack thereof, will be exactly the same as the full Zone kit or any other comparable 3" spring lift with a MML.

Sancho said:
3. @Chris , I have been looking at the 3rd option of just piecing one togethor. Aside from springs and shocks at 3 inches... would i need a fron or rear Adjustable trackbar?
Click to expand...

Knowing what I know now, I would be piecing together a Zone style lift with my own choice of shocks, custom bump stops, etc. ; followed by track bars, control arms... That's actually what I did with mine. I just didn't realize it until later on.
 
This is basically what I am in the process of doing. Found a Zone combo without shocks. Have 3 of the rancho shocks here (4th tomorrow), adjustable track bars on the way. I'll put the suspension lift on first, then tackle the body lift. I have concerns about the rust on my body where the middle body mount is, so there may be more work getting the body lift on for me. I was about to pull the trigger on the OME Ultimate kit from DPG when someone found the zone. I had already been thinking about the full Zone combo when I started reading up on the OME Ultimate. The OME is probably a better kit. But ultimately, I wanted the 4.25 vs the 3.75 of lift. It should work for what I want to do.
 
89grand said:
If I bought that lift, I'd only install the springs. I know most love them, but I despise body lifts. I can't stand how they look, and I just perfer the idea of the body mounted directly to the frame the way it was designed to be.
Click to expand...
I'd never let looks sway me away from installing a small body lift when just more tire clearance is needed. They have their benefits and add additional tire clearance without raising the COG as much as a suspension lift does. A 3" suspension lift plus a 1" body lift has a lower COG than a 4" suspension lift has. Not to mention body lifts don't affect the drivetrain geometry so they don't cause vibrations. Another thing in favor of the 3" SL plus 1" BL over a 4" SL is that you don't need a SYE/CV driveshaft with a 3" SL like you do with a 4" SL.
 
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mv70 said:
I have Zone 3" kit and 33"BFG . No prob and no plans for bodylift.
Click to expand...

We can hopefully assume that the supplied Zone bump stop extensions are enough to cover their supplied shocks. Are they also long enough to protect the body (specifically the front fender sheet metal) from the tires without the added clearance of the body lift?
 
jjvw said:
We can hopefully assume that the supplied Zone bump stop extensions are enough to cover their supplied shocks. Are they also long enough to protect the body (specifically the front fender sheet metal) from the tires without the added clearance of the body lift?
Click to expand...
Just measure and cut as you need for fender clearance. Front and rear bump stops
 
mv70 said:
Just measure and cut as you need for fender clearance. Front and rear bump stops
Click to expand...

It was a loaded rhetorical question. Assuming the supplied bump stops are appropriate for the included shocks and most 33s, then the absence of a body lift will almost certainly require additional bump stop. The longer bumps will result in shocks that have more unusable travel than Zone intended.

The partial kit can be made to work, but in doing so, you are straying pretty far away from the kit to the point that better results can be had by piecing together your own lift.

For some context, my Jeep's lift has always been pieced together to bring the suspension travels to one limit or another. This includes taking into account the presence of a body lift. Removing the body lift would lead to a significant domino effect of things no longer working togethr.

The point being that the Zone 4.25 is intended to be a complete system where each component relies on the others in order to work as designed.
 
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