What is the best riding and performing lift kit for my 2001 TJ?

01saharatj

01saharatj

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Im looking to buy a 2.5” lift kit looking to put bigger tires on it and hoping to improve ride also. Will be doing occasional off roading but mainly on road grocery getter. Really looking to improve ride along with bigger tires. Any help in deciding is appreciated
 
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01saharatj said:
Im looking to buy a 2.5” lift kit looking to put bigger tires on it and hoping to improve ride also. Will be doing occasional off roading but mainly on road grocery getter. Really looking to improve ride along with bigger tires. Any help in deciding is appreciated
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That is a loaded question.
No one can nail that down.
It's a matter of preference.
 
The OME light springs will allow the softest ride (they are the softest springs I know of) but the valving of the shock will make the biggest difference. The Rancho 5000x is the most recommend shock here. I have them. I like them. The OME nitro Sport shocks (to me) feel close.
Some say the 5000x rides better than the 9000 series that has adjustable valving. I have no experience with them. Hopefully others will know.
Tires are a very large part of the suspension on a TJ. Changing tires or air pressure can make a big improvement in ride too.
So does the ANTIsway bar and the condition of your bushings. Both suspension and body.
 
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I have an OME lift (shocks and springs) and love it. Mine rides better than factory but I purchased my shocks from a guy that originally purchased them 2 years ago and never installed them. I don't know when OME changed their shocks but from what I've heard the newer shocks ride harsh (mine do not).
 
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I should add...
If you add a 1.25 inch body lift you can run 33" tires without causing major issues with your drive line angles. I think this is a very good option that will totally change the look of your Jeep.
 
Goatman said:
The OME light springs will allow the softest ride (they are the softest springs I know of) but the valving of the shock will make the biggest difference. ....
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No one is going to the difference between 140lb and 160lb. The only possible difference will be in the final ride height and that is going to effect the shocks and how they behave more than anything else concerning the ride.
 
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Well, I guess the guys at OME are just stupid. They go through all that trouble for nothing. They just must like all the extra inventory and supply problems just for fun. And all the folks running coilovers that change out springs to dial in their suspension are just stupid. And all the testing the automakers do for their suspension can't read.

If your suspension moves just 2" in normal driving then you would need to add another winch up front to get the same compliance with the heavy spring. The harder the spring the harder the ride. That's why they make different spring rates.
Or else the entire automotive industry might know a bit more than you do about this. European cars ride firmer(harsher) than US cars because they use a harder spring. Less potholes let them do this. Try driving any vehicle that offers both a stock and performance or heavy duty version. Then tell me spring rate dosen't matter.
 
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Plumber1 said:
Every time I see OME I think Original Equipment Manufacturer I know the letters are backwards :)
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Funny - I actually just sold a piece of car audio on a different forum and the buyers screen name was OME246, so I asked if he was a Jeep owner, but he ended up being a nephew of this guy.

http://oldmanengineering.com/
 
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Goatman said:
Well, I guess the guys at OME are just stupid. They go through all that trouble for nothing. They just must like all the extra inventory and supply problems just for fun. And all the folks running coilovers that change out springs to dial in their suspension are just stupid. And all the testing the automakers do for their suspension can't read.

If your suspension moves just 2" in normal driving then you would need to add another winch up front to get the same compliance with the heavy spring. The harder the spring the harder the ride. That's why they make different spring rates.
Or else the entire automotive industry might know a bit more than you do about this. European cars ride firmer(harsher) than US cars because they use a harder spring. Less potholes let them do this. Try driving any vehicle that offers both a stock and performance or heavy duty version. Then tell me spring rate dosen't matter.
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Haven't you been paying any attention to any of these discussions recently? We even had a shock tuner explain things.

No two OME coils provide the same ride height. Ride height is the product of the spring rate and free length. Choose the OME coil that provides the ride height you want. Tune the ride with the shocks.
 
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Hope8we are trying to say the same thing, just in a different way.
But the main purpose of a suspension is to convert the rough road or trail into a smooth controlled ride in the body. Not just stuff in whatever is the right height and then try to figure out how to get it to work. Otherwise just cut some pipe to the height you want, shove that in instead of a spring, and *poof* suspension is perfect.
Ride height can be fine tuned with spacers or body lifts. To choose a spring because it is a 1/4" taller or shorter despite its ability to provide an improved function is (in my mind) the exact opposite of what to do.
Get the spring that most closely can provide the ride quality you want, then you can add a small shim if needed.
 
That means if you want a soft ride get a soft spring. If you want a firmer ride get the firmer spring.
 
Goatman said:
Hope8we are trying to say the same thing, just in a different way.
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Not even close. You're giving the springs way more credit for ride quality than they're due. Do springs that are appropriate for the application affect the ride quality some? Of course. Do the shocks have way more control over the ride quality? Yes. Please don't continue trying to make a point by using springs that are nowhere near being appropriate for a Wrangler... like your suggested use of a pipe instead of a spring to try to make your point. That type of misleading point earns you no credibility points.
 
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