Easy on the wallet 2 inch lift question ??????

[Mud Rookie]

Hey everyone,

I just recently bought a MINT 05 TJ 4.0l and I cannot be more pleased with it... I actually had to put the hard top on yesterday and it nearly brought me to tears..... But since I have gotten it, I have really done it up and it looks amazing... Now I am in the market for a ( I know this is going to pain your ears) cheaper yet efficient way to give it some tire clearance and a slightly higher stance.

I certainly do not want to be cheap but at this point spending $1000.00 is...

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[DannyL]

Here's a better deal in my opinion http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep_tj_2.html First off it's a new coils that will give you a little extra lift from the sag the stock coils have gathered AND the new springs are progressive so they give a better ride. The shocks are vehicle specific so it's not the same shock that you would find on a F350 (like the Skyjacker)!
Last but not least, you would be dealing with a nice guy like me! lol

Thx
Danny

 

[Kunker]

Danny is probably putting you on the right track - talk to Chris (2greys) on here as he has done the spacers in the past, and I think moved on to a small coil lift similar to what Danny has linked. Chris can let you know what worked, what didn't, and what he wishes he had done from the start.

 

[2Greys]

My jeep came with a 2" spacer lift that the PO had. I ended up doing a 3" Zone which comes with springs, shocks, new links for the front and rear sway bars. Rough Country is pretty much on par especially since they replaced their v1 shocks. I also bought a Currie TJJ adjustable track bar as I had developed death wobble just before.
Now, looking back I would have bought one with new Control Arms as well. My bushings are nearing the end of their life and rather than just replacing the bushings I would have liked to dial in the pinion angles. I went with 3" as I was trying to avoid doing an SYE. I ended up doing one anyways and don't know why I didn't do it. Remember mine is a 98 so the bushings in the Control Arms are 15 years old now so a 2005 is a different beast altogether. Course the price for all that starts hitting $1800 but once you replace the control arms all around it costs more after the fact.
Your bushings are probably fine and a 2" doesn't usually warrant adjustable Control Arms but it isn't unheard of for vibes to show up at less than 4". I would definitely skip doing a spacer lift and get something like the Rough Country or Zone suspension lift. But don't (and I mean DON'T) do a TC drop, silly to lift it 2" just to end up dropping it an inch.
If you have vibes, try a MML, if you still have vibes, spend the cash and get the following:
SYE
Rear CV drive shaft
Rear Adjustable control Arms
Rear Adjustable Track Bar with bracket (optional at 2" but nice to have)

The SYE was night and day after doing it and I would definitely include one the next time I lift a Jeep.
Also re brake lines You should be fine it's around 4" where you need to look at longer brake lines. YJ lines fit the bill in that case.
Personal now I would have got the Savvy/Currie 3" lift. Pricey but you get what you pay for. Better spend the money the first time than spend more later on.

 

[Impact]

Bump for the boys at PJF!

I ran the rough country coil spacers on my TJ... and hated them! If you plan on doing anything I really suggest going with new coil springs.

 

[Mud Rookie]

Thanks everyone for all your advice....

After reading up on TONS of lift kit stories, blogs and from you all I have made my decision.... Calling Danny at PJF 4x4 and ordering the New Rough Country Spring and Shock kit from him today...

Thanks again and we will talk again soon ...

Danny

 

[Mitko]

Good choice - I mean the lift kit. I had 4" Rough Country in my TJ back in a day with zero issues. No d-shaft vibrations at all, no need to extend the brake lines, overall very well built kit.

As for the spacers - dont know about the **** but I am running 2" spacers in my truck as addition to already lifted suspension and have no problems. So to each its own I would say.

 

[Kyle TJ]

I went with spacers on my 01 TJ, but soon after found my front coils are sagging a full inch! Next spring I'll have some proper 2" lift coils on. I'd go with new proper coils for sure. Nothing wrong with spacers, but full coils are better.

 

[2Greys]

Probably the biggest difference between spacer and proper suspension lift is that the a 2" longer coil will compress more than a stock coil and 2" spacer since the spacer doesn't change size, the stock coil will compress as per normal but with the spacer on top it won't compress any more than that. Coils alone allows more up travel thus allowing the tire to stuff more into the wheel well.
With a TJ, one of the concerns with this is ensuring bumpstops are set up adequately as you don't want to have the tire hit the fender but at the same time you don't want to limit the upward articulation.
Rule of thumb is 33's with 3" needs 2" bumpstop. (Bigger tire or shorter lift = more bumpstop). 31's with a 2" suspension lift should not require any additional bumpstops. This of course is assuming you have disconnected your sway bar (or are running something like the Currie Antirock). Best thing to do is have the tires on and remove the springs. See how close the tire comes to the fender before full stuff. Make sure to remove the jounce bumper and just have the cup there. If the tire hits the fender before the bumpstop, that will tell you how much more bumpstop you need.

Other thing to keep in mind though is front trackbar clearance. The clearance between the front track bar and the front diff cover is so close in stock on the driver side at full stuff that a lot of the aftermarket diff covers (i.e. Solid, Riddler) will bang against most aftermarket adjustable track bars. Some people have dealt with it by shaving the diff covers. The adjustable trackbars I recall that just clear are the Currie TJS and TJJ models as well as (I believe) the latest one from JKS. Of course every Jeep is different so YMMV but it's something to consider if you are going to replace the front diff cover with anything beefier. It's also something you can check while making sure the bumpstops are good. May not need it now but good thing to know if going with a new adjustable trackbar and a LCOG lift (i.e 2-3" lifts)

 

[chunkytrunks]

I've ran 2" spacers in both my tj's and you can ask the guys how well my Jeep works. Never had an issue and id your on a budget and not planning on wheeling I would reccomend that way in my opinion.

 

[valley dad]

i have to say i afree with elpresidente on this one.
Seen his jeep once or twice, either it's good or he is lucky, but I never seen much that could stop him..