I am looking into a 4 door jeep and I am researching lifts. I am leaning towards a dual purpose lift, nothing extreme. I have been pushed into the direction of doing a 4" tuff country x-series lift and running 20x13.50x37 tires. This all being done as well as flat fenders and re-gearing. 4:11 gears or 5:13?? Thanks for the advise!

 

I will preface the following by saying I am not an expert, but I have done enough reading on this and other forums to be dangerous (especially to my checking account).

First I will say I've never read or heard anything about Tuff Country. What does the kit come with? At 4" you are reaching heights where I believe steering and drive shafts are going to need to be considered. Also, running 37s will need beefy axles and/or reinforcement. What front axle does your 4 door have?

I know others will chime in.

 

Not sure what "dual purpose lift" means. Since Jeeps can serve many purposes, suggest you just tell us what interests you: Rock crawling, mall crawling, expedition/overlanding, roads to the hunting lease, family camping trips, daily driver, etc. The answers are different.

Saying "nothing extreme" and "37" in the same post is almost an oxymoron. 37s are pretty hardcore. Some mall crawlers love them, and that's cool. Just trying to avoid misunderstanding the question.

As for gears, best answer depends on engine you have, as well as tranny. Provide that info if you'd like to improve your responses.

 

lol, research some more.

What are you wanting to do with your Jeep? A mall crawler?

Just a couple of things to think about. To lift a JK correctly, it costs about 1k for every inch of lift. 20" wheels are going to be expensive and depending on what type of wheel, will probably get bent or scratched off road. Tires will also be a lot more expensive.

If you will never go off road and have money to waste, go ahead. But if you plan on seeing any trail, this set up will not be pretty.

 

what exactly are you asking the fourm lol

 

Walk away from the shop that is pushing you to do what they want, and spend some time researching. You might start by opening the two threads stuck to the top of this modified area.

Since you are looking at flat flares, you don't need a 4" lift. And you could also consider 17" rims instead of 20's, unless you are doing 20's just for the look.

 

Since you said your not looking for anything too extreme, I would lean towards a 2.5" lift, flat fenders, and 35's, which will be very capable for many types of terrain. If you are set on the 37's and 4" lift, be prepared to spend a lot of money to do it right. Take your time and research everything. Keep in mind the cheaper lifts are going to ride rougher, flex less, and sag more than the more reputable brands.

 

Based on your PM that "I plan on being able to take the jeep camping, light trails etc... Nothing extreme meaning no rock climbing or everyday off-roading", you don't really need 37s or 4" of lift. The taller the lift, as already mentioned in this thread, the more problems you'll have. The answer to more problems is yet more money that most folks installing taller lifts (and make no mistake: 4" is a tall lift on a JK) did not realize when they decided to make the install. Honestly, for Jeep camping and light trails, I'd recommend 32-33" tires. If you have a Rubi, the OEM tires are just fine--run them down until worn, then look at a good AT--many of us have found the Goodyear Duratracs to be a great, all-around tire. Recommend some wheel spacers if you stick with the stock wheels, otherwise select wheels with a 4.5" (or so) backspacing. As for lifts: 2.5" maximum. If you like the look of flat fenders, you could do them, but they are not necessary for even 35s on a 2.5" lift--2.5" lift and 35s work fine with a little bit of trimming and tweaking (but if you run 35s expect gas mileage to drop). I personally think the stock fenders are the best looking fenders out there, but many folks seem to like flat fenders.

For comparison purposes, a couple of very similar Jeeps in many respects--the darker green one is a '12, the medium green one an '07. The '12 has 33s with 1-1/2" wheel spacers, and a Teraflex 2.5" coil lift. The '07 has 35s and a 2.5" coil lift with OME HD springs on the rear. Both have Shrockworks bumpers, tire racks, rock rails, etc. Both are used extensively off-road for overland/expedition travel, some of it a bit technical ...









Still the '12, but added snorkel, new AEV Savegre wheels (I'm jealous!) and overhead rack. After this trip we'd also add OME HD springs on the rear to correct sag with very heavy equipment weight over rear axle ...




And the '07 doing its thing ...

 

If you're stuck on 37's ( cant argue that, they do look badass on a 4 door ) 3" is good enough, proper back spaced wheels is needed and flatties.

I run synergy coils. Beautiful ride on and off road. Progressive rate coil too, so they're long.

Tuff country isnt even spoken of on here. I do know they run progressive or dual rate springs though. Cant comment on quality. But the kits are pretty incomplete. You dont need 4". It gets tall for a DD and can cause issues after a few miles are on the jeep.

Heres mine on 37's with only 3" lift.