What do I need to do to put 35s on a stock Wrangler TJ?
- Thread starter Noakea.B
- Start date
You are going to spend a lot of $$ especially if you have to pay for labor. It’s going to be a rabbit hole just to look cool.
You'd hate it, that kit rides like an old buckboard wagon due to its shocks that aren't valved properly for a Jeep. Consider the Zone kit suggested above.
Please add winky etc. type avatars etc. to such posts in the future so people won't think you're serious. I added one to yours.
There have been too many posts here recently where people make a post tongue-in-cheek acting like they're recommending something that would be terrible in reality but newbies don't know to not take them seriously.
I think the guy wanted to do the zone 3" suspension and a 2" body lift to fit the 35" tires but good point, It does have the 1" already.
Welcome to the forum and owning a Jeep TJ!
You need to start with a budget in the $7500 range.
Then you need to scrupulously spend it all.
No, a 2" body lift will not work. You should never go over 1.25" (because it will force you to do other changes to make it driveable).
The Rough Country lift is garbage and you'll end up having to replace everything except perhaps the springs. It will also ride like shit.
The link people sent about So You Want to Run 35's will answer most of your questions.
I wish I could say there is an easy way, but every change you make is related to everything else on the Jeep, so you are messing with what the Jeep engineers set up. That's the short answer why it takes so much to do.
31's are much more feasible, even 32's are reasonable, 33's get expensive, 35's are very expensive.
Don't forget that with 125k on the clock and 24 years later alot of your wearable items like rubber bushings, ball joints, steering components, etc probably have some wear. Tossing a decent sized lift and 35's is going to stress out the weakest link....fast.
I was in the same boat as you, but I'm going with 33's instead. I plan on doing most of the things I mentioned above since they need to be done anyways....and just in case I decide on 35's down the road.
- Plan to upgrade your steering components as they will be working double time with 35's. Steering box braces, upgraded tie rod and probably tie rods as well, ball joints, HD drag link, HD track bar, etc.
- Upgrade your brakes. TJ's barely stop well enough stock. Vanco Big brake kit or the equivalent DIY. Might be worth it to give some love to your rear brakes too. Disc conversion or at the very least new drum hardware, wheel cylinders, and shoes.
- Some would argue that 35's is a good time to truss the axles, especially smaller ones like the Dana 30 or Dana 35.
- Regear. Imagine if someone stole your 4.0L in the middle of the night and replaced it with an old and tired 2.5L. Thats what it will feel like if you don't regear.
- If you plan on lockers or a good limited slip, you'll probably want to look at upgrading to 30 spline inner/outer axle shafts for the Dana 30. Definitely new axle shafts for the rear if its a Dana 35 and "maybe" if you have a Dana 44.
- New driveshaft(s). You will definetely need a new custom rear driveshaft. Call Tom Woods. Also a slip yoke eliminator.
- Probably a good idea to install a motor mount lift when you do the body lift to improve driveline angles. And at 125k its probably worth getting new motor and tranny mounts.
I was in the same boat as you, but I'm going with 33's instead. I plan on doing most of the things I mentioned above since they need to be done anyways....and just in case I decide on 35's down the road.
Shit.I was not aware that Oregon seceded from the Union.
I saw the Eu in his location and thought I clicked on it long enough lol. Corrected, and thanks!
What everybody here is dancing around is your idea of running 35's even somewhat cheaply for even just the street is impossible. 35's are big, require a ton of supporting mods to run, and are a complete waste for what you want. If you adjust your aim a little, you can do it much cheaper. A 2" budget boost, 1.25" body lift, and some aggressive looking 33" tires will be far cheaper and get you most of the look you want.
Just get some tube fenders and call it a day. 35's will fit on a stock TJ and 37's with a body lift. You'll have as much suspension travel as a Geo Metro but its okay, the internet says it's possible!
Set of 5 35x12.5x17 Mickey Thompson Baja Boss M/T tires are $2000 alone (Just put these on my JT a few months ago). You will need wheels whether you stick with the 15's or not, as you'll need less backspacing to allow tires to clear, that's another $1000.
$800-$1000 per axle to regear.
Your $1600 lift
etc, etc...
AND prices are going up daily because of "supply chain issues".
$800-$1000 per axle to regear.
Your $1600 lift
etc, etc...
AND prices are going up daily because of "supply chain issues".
Another new guy here like the OP, I came here to learn and for advice. To the OP I'd suggest doing a good amount of your own research, a lot of the info you are looking for is here but you need to take time and find it. You'll get a lot more help if you make some effort to research then ask for answers to things you don't understand. I'm just as clueless as the next guy but I've learned a lot by reading through build threads and getting ideas for my build. I'll probably come up with a list of questions to ask here before I start with mods, or at least post up what I'm thinking of doing and ask for opinions. Just tyring to help since I'm in a similar situation, but note that with the small amount of research I've done, I can tell you're asking a lot when you say "what do I need to run 35's on a stock TJ". From what I can tell, if you have to ask that question then you don't have any business trying to run 35's. I'd suggest doing what most of these guys are pushing you towards and trying to do something on 33's.
There is a movement here for rural Oregon to join Idaho...I was not aware that Oregon seceded from the Union.
