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YJ Lift Recommendations / Advice

Hey Guys, I've got probably what is an elementary question and an easy decision for most of you guys, but I'm having a difficult time deciding what lift option to go with. I recently purchased a 95 Sahara 5spd, 3:07, w/ 90K miles. It came with AR Outlaw II 15x8 (3.5 backspacing) with

235/75R15 (28.5") on it.They don't look bad, but I do want bigger tires (who doesn't??) I am not new to jeeps, but new to YJ's. I used to have an 84 Laredo CJ7 w/ 31's. My 84 Had a shackle lift on it (which I wouldn't advise) and 31's seemed small on it. When I originally got my 95 I automatically thought I would be able to put 31's on it like my CJ without a lift, but after research that isn't the case. Now, I'm faced with the decision of what size of lift I want to go with long term since I plan to keep the Sahara for a long time. I've tried to find pictures and other jeepers advice, and get very mixed feelings on everything so I decided to go to you guys..IMO, the experts.

What I do with the Jeep: 90% of time it's my fun around town vehicle, and occassionally (4-5 times) a year I will go trail riding and a little rocks and mud. I do like the looks of a lifted YJ, but I also want it to drive as good as it does right now being stock. I do have a set of 31's to put on it already, but it would be a while before I could get bigger than that if I went with a 4" lift vs a 2.5" lift. Here are the options I am at right now:

1) Put a 2" or 2.5" on it and the 31's I have and call it good. There is a used 2.5 lift complete selling for $150 which would allow me to do other things to the Jeep but i don't know about used vs new when it comes to lift kits. I know that the driveability would be about the same as stock (from what others have said), but most folks said that they regret not going with a 4" from the start. Why? Is it because of the off road capability, because I want mine mostly for looks driving around b/c I love a lifted jeep and how it looks. 2) Put a 4" lift on it with the 31's and look funny with small tires and a big lift (I think that's how it would look...I don't know what's why I'm asking). Then later be able to go with 32x11.5 or 33x12.5 (not sure which one) and 3.73 or 4.11 and be good. However, my concern with a 4" is that it will take more wear and tear on my other suspension components (ball joints, tie rod, etc...) since I do mainly drive it on the highway and occasionally on the interstate at 70+MPH. Can anyone give me history on what a 4 inch lift on occasional off road has done to their jeep? I've found a rough country lift with a good price (complete with pitman arm, steering stabilizer, 9000 Nitro shocks), and the only complaint I have found is the rough ride by some and others have loved it. Some of those were old posts as well, and Rough Country says when I talked to them that they have redone their springs and they are a ez-ride spring now. I don't know...Any opinion on this particular lift out there? So please any help, advice would be great as I've read posts till I'm blue in the face and finally decided to ask other Jeepers since I've gotten past results from you guys when I did the Nutter Bypass on my CJ. Basically, what I'm asking is what would you guys with history of lifts do since I'm starting out with a clean slate.
Reply to
Chris Hill
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I haven=B4t lifted my 95 Yj yet but based on a lot of research am planning on doing the following:

1) Upgrade to Dana 44 in the rear 3) Lift 2.5 inches with a high quality spring kit (Rubicon Express or OME) 4) go to 31 inch tires

If I decide to later go with 33 inch tires I plan to 1) Upgrade to 1 inch longer shackles for 0.5 inch lift 2) Add 1 inch body lift 3) Add slip yoke eliminator and new driveshaft (maybe not needed but will for other reasons) 4) Re-gear to 4.88

This would give 4 inches of total lift to clear the 33 inch tires and proper gearing.

Probably the cheapest way to fit 31s is to do a 0.5 inch shackle lift and a 1 inch body lift.

Reply to
nrs

One of the few that has actually done his homework correctly... Kudos

----------------- TheSnoMan.com

Reply to
SnoMan

I have a 95 wrangler with about 5 inches of lift. it had 33s on it. i dropped to 31s to make it a better jeep for me. if you do trails a couple times a year go with a 2.5 lift of good quality. the money flows freely the higher you get SYE CV shafts etc.....

Reply to
j

Ok, this helps me a ton. Here are the options I've got since I still haven't found the money tree in my back yard yet. :-) I think I have decided at this first phase to lift it enough to clear the 31's which I already own. I have basically about $700 set aside to do this to my jeep. This is my vehicle, but the 3rd car for my wife and I (we have an fullsize SUV together that we travel in and her car she drives daily). I can either:

1) buy a RE 2.5 lift (cheapest I found was $604 + S&H) and wait on the other enchancements. 2) Do a shackle(1") and Body(1") Lift, buy gears (thought about 3.73 or 4.11??), buy a front locker (read that this is the best way, but am not sure why yet), and get some decent shocks. On the shackles / BL, is there any that you recommend? I found on ebay someone is selling a 2" YJ Budget lift, but if I can by the parts separate spend a little more to get better parts I would. I was orginally afraid that the BL would look bad, and the shackles would mess my drive up and flatten out my springs.

I don't necessarily have to go the cheapest route, but as always there is more to do.

I guess what I'm having a hard time with is whether or not I should bite the bullet on one of the most expensive items I want to upgrade(The RE lift), or get every thing else in order and then get the lift. Also, on a side note speaking of the Dana 44...I can get one from a 69 Jeepster Commando (My brother has one sitting on his farm), but I would have to swap out the 35 in my jeep to it. I wouldn't think it would fit mine, or be too much of a pain to swap these out.

So I guess if you had $700 to spend right now on a stock YJ...what would it be?

Reply to
Chris Hill

You really want at least a 4.10 with 32 or 33's. Forget the factory gearing because it was way too tall to begin with (it was that way to try to sqeak a little more MPG out on EPA MPG cycle but not in real world) If you use link below you will find a free online tire size/axle ratio calculator that will shed a little light on you quest. When you do the numbers remember that the lift and bigger tires increase drag so it will tak more power to cruise same speed so simply making same effective gear ratio as stock will not help MPG one bit. You will take a drop in MPG because of lift and tires but you will take even a bigger drop if you do not properly regear it and lug engine.

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TheSnoMan.com

Reply to
SnoMan

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