Lift Kit on 97 Jeep Wrangler

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Donasay

Donasay

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So it has come down to this, I need new shocks on my wrangler, there is no avoiding it, the car leans a little bit, the rear right isn't so hot any more and the ride is as bad as all you know what. Seeing as how I have to get this stuff replaced any way I was thinking of ******* over the extra $200 bucks for a 2" lift kit. I am wondering, since we have so many other jeep owners here if any of you think this might be a good decision.

My main concern is how the lift kit affects the ride, does it make it better or worse, I don't go off roading much, 2 years ago I took the thing down a snowmobile trail, and rode it up my friends lawn last summer, but not much really to speak of. I drive on the highway about 600 miles for thanksgiving Christmas and easter, other than that no highway, but a good amount of around town driving.

The other concern I have is that it is recommended that once you lift the thing you need bigger tires, I don't have the money for that right now, so how will it affect the ride if I just keep the stock tires I have now, is changing them out necessary?

If anyone has experience doing this, let me know.

Don
 
For $200, I'm assuming body lift.
The only reason to do so is to fit bigger tires.

I had it done on my old '91.

If tires aren't in your future, I'd consider putting that money toward heavier duty shocks
 
Well 200 additional on top of the money I am already ******* over for new shocks to begin with. All new springs and shocks and arms and stuff.
 
I just lifted the front end of my jeep 2" using the teraflex 2" spacers. I only did this because i got the kit for free and wranglers seem to sit a little lower in the front anyway. I still have the 30" stock tires and it doesn't bother me. eventually I'm going bigger but not until I need to get new tires. You can buy a kit from rubicon express(or a bunch of other websites) that comes with new shocks and 2" spacers for the front and back, for like $200 I believe. Basically with this kit its a "suspension lift", but you use your stock suspension system. I have very little experience working on cars, just a desire to do so and I was able to do the lift with a friend with very few problems. Doing it myself saved me like $250, all i had to do was get the front end re-aligned because after the lift your toe end sits in. Luckily I had got my car aligned by sears a couple months prior to the lift and all I had to do was pull the ol "yeah, I don't think my car was properly aligned the first time"
 
If your jeep is leaning, it's got nothing to do with your shocks, it means you have a broken or sprung suspension spring, that's what sets your ride height. Shocks just dampen (slow ) the rate at which the springs can move the axles in relation to the body. Air shocks area different story of course, but I doubt you will be using these on your Jeep.

Since you need to replace at least one spring anyway, now might be the time to lift it. A suspension lift will most likely stiffen your ride, as stronger springs are how the lift is accomplished (or more springs in a leaf stack) If you replaced the springs with stock units, you can lift the jeep with a body lift, which in no way will affect the ride.

Hope this helps!

P.S. Even if you don't go off road, it will look better (meaner, more aggressive) if it's raised up a bit.. and bigger tires makes it look even better ;)
 
Do you subscribe to JP magazine? There are lots of articles on lifting TJ's-some of the better companies that I recall were ARB (Australian company) or BDS (Big Dicks Suspension) that offered a lifetime warranty. "If you break it, we replace it," or something like that.

If you don't subscribe and can wait a little while, I can rifle through my collection and send you some relevant copies.
 
Donasay said:
So it has come down to this, I need new shocks on my wrangler, there is no avoiding it, the car leans a little bit, the rear right isn't so hot any more and the ride is as bad as all you know what. Seeing as how I have to get this stuff replaced any way I was thinking of ******* over the extra $200 bucks for a 2" lift kit. I am wondering, since we have so many other jeep owners here if any of you think this might be a good decision.

My main concern is how the lift kit affects the ride, does it make it better or worse, I don't go off roading much, 2 years ago I took the thing down a snowmobile trail, and rode it up my friends lawn last summer, but not much really to speak of. I drive on the highway about 600 miles for thanksgiving Christmas and easter, other than that no highway, but a good amount of around town driving.

The other concern I have is that it is recommended that once you lift the thing you need bigger tires, I don't have the money for that right now, so how will it affect the ride if I just keep the stock tires I have now, is changing them out necessary?

If anyone has experience doing this, let me know.

Don
Click to expand...

A friend of mine has a 2" lift kit on his '95 YJ (ARB) and it is reasonably comfortable for a Jeep. If you stick with just a suspension lift for now, you can hold off on adding tires until you do a body lift. For cheap tires, you can always pick some up from Craigslist or used tire shop.
 
I lifted 2 Jeeps. 1 was 98 Jeep Wrangler renegade and the other was a (6 Cherokee Sport XJ Both of th lifts were Trailmaster 4" Suspension. I did a 4" body lift years ago on a Toyota and would never do that again. I had so much air going through the underside of the truck even before I put on the bigger tires that it slowed my truck down about 10 mph on the highway. Do it once, do it right. I loved the suspension lifts. Get a good 1 or dont do it at all. Softride is supposed to be 1 of the best.
 
PeteOz77 said:
If your jeep is leaning, it's got nothing to do with your shocks, it means you have a broken or sprung suspension spring, that's what sets your ride height. Shocks just dampen (slow ) the rate at which the springs can move the axles in relation to the body.
Click to expand...
+1!!! You've probably got worn shocks, but something else has gone wrong.
 
I am a cherokee owner with a 4.5" lift and 31's. Go to Jeepin.com, great forum with great advice (a lot like this forum!) I don't know a ton about wranglers, but you definitely have a problem with one of your springs. I think a 97' would be a TJ, with four coils, one on each corner. You would be best off with new springs, they would be the most comfortable ride and you have to buy new shocks anyway, so slightly longer ones wouldn't cost much more at all. But, lifting brings on all sorts of other issues that need to be addressed. Read up before making a decision, and buy good quality parts, don't cheap out or the ride will be bad.
 

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