< My husband wants to do a 4.5" Rubicon Express lift with 33" tires (x11.50 or 12.50?-I can't remember) I'm concerned about the lift height-I was thinking 4" would be good, I don't want to increase the chances of rolling, but I know we need enough lift to prevent tire rub on the leaf springs. Any experiences? >
I've had the RE 4.5" kit on my '94 YJ since '02 and am very pleased with the performance. Great ride, excellent flex on trails and minimal sag (around
1/4" total). I've flogged it over numerous trails including Moab and the Rubicon. Nary and issue. Probably among the best YJ spring lifts out there. You can run 35's with it if you install a 1" body lift, or install TJ flares.
< Also tires. Like the new Toyo Open Country M/T but from what I can find it doesn't come in a 33". He wants Super Swamper SSR's. Any suggestions??
Don't have any experience with Toyos, though one of our club members just got a set of their 37s. The SSR radials are excellent, the only knock I've ever heard on Swampers from anyone is short tread life on the older bias ply tires. I've run BFG MTs for years and have had great luck with them, only one sidewall cut that would have likely taken out anything. Excellent wear characteristics, too. The Goodyear MT/Rs are another superb choice.
Either of them are excellent. I also like Durango4x4.com products, but they're also pricy. Currie Enterprises makes an excellent bumper as well. Stay away from stuff like "Rock Crusher" and some of the cheaper stuff, total junk offshore knock offs. Warn's bumpers are somewhere in between in terms of quality, but a good value. As for the winch, you have a lot of choices. Rule of thumb, buy one rated for 2x your vehicles loaded weight. For a YJ that's 8,000 - 9,000 lb rating. I've had a Warn XD9000i on mine since '96 and it's always worked well. You need to be careful that the front bumper you buy either has a built in winch mount compatible with the winch you chose, or that the winch manufacturers YJ kit will work with the bumper. Their respective product info will usually state what goes with what.
Good luck, sounds like it'll be a really nice Jeep.