Hello, I am new to the forum. Looks like a great place.
yesterday, we traded in our 07 denali for an 09 Unlimited sahara. We plan to add a few goodies to the Jeep and this seems like the place to research and find answers. The JK is going to be a daily driver for my wife (she doesn't go too far), and also our family car (2 kids and a dog). We drive a 250 mile route to and from a vacation home 6-8 times per year. My concern is putting a lift and bigger tires on the jeep. I hope we can lift her without making any sacrifice in highway comfort. Any ideas?

Also, the jeep didn't come with a soft top, but we plan to buy one. I was looking at the bestop trektop. Any comments or suggestions on that top or a different one would be great.

We are pumped to be jeep owners and can't wait to start personalizing our rig!!
Thank you in advance for any help.

 

hey Hoopa70, welcome to JK-Forum! regarding lifts, if you install a simple 2.5" budget boost, you will get enough clearnace to run 35's and you will not sacrifice the ride you have now. if you are looking for a true 3" or more coil lift, you can definitely make your jeep ride as nice if not nicer than stock - it's all just a matter of getting the components you need to dial in your ride. as far as the trektop goes, i have one and love it. it's a great solution to a soft top and an affordable one too.

 

Wow, you went from luxury to well just the opposite. You'll enjoy your JK immensely and remember if you need those 3rd row seats again you can add them, as did I. Just look for 3rd row seats Jeep on line and you'll find them. Also, you can use all kinds of attachments with your hitch to get all that space back. All kinds of attachable trunks and stuff. Enjoy your Jeep!

 

Hoopa, welcome to the board!

Definately consider a budget boost, it will retain the factory springs and the ride will not change. Also be careful on your choice of tires, a "D" or "E" rated mud tire will be stiffer than a regular All Terrain tire. If you drive a lot, consider a 33" or 34" tire, it will be more highway friendly than 35's on stock gearing.

 

Thanks for the replies.
Please forgive my ignorance. Jeeps and lift kits, etc. are a new thing to me. i have been searching this site and educating myself, it's a great resource.
My goal (I think) is to get 35's under the jeep. As far as the body lift vs. the suspension lift, I think I am leaning towards the suspension at this point. I have read some people having to replace drive shafts, gears etc. I guess I need a realistic idea of how to cover all the bases surrounding the lift.
If I was to put a 3" suspension lift on the jeep, what would be the entire list of modifications necessary to keep it a reliable vehicle for daily use (no future headaches)?
The trektop is on the short list.
Funny you should mention the third row seating, i was curious if there was an aftermarket option. I need to take a look at those.
Theres a bunch of stuff I want to figure out, but obviously the lift is a big hurdle.
Thanks again

 

The 2.5 in budget boost that wol was talking about is just simple coil spring spacers. It is not a body lift, more of a suspension spacer. Very reliable and you retain your factory ride. They are also very simple to install. Good Luck with your decision and welcome to the forum.

 

Welcome to the forum!! Take moment and download the 209 TearFlex catalog from my sig line below. Give me a call if you have any questions.

Joe

 

I'm guessing as a family guy, you'll probably be going with an AT. My personal choice as well. If you're putting 35's on there and dealing with any hills on your vacation drive, you'll want to really think about re-gearing. 5.13's would be the way to go.

 

FWIW...

Like you we have a vaca home that we drive 200 miles two every other weekend...

Our jeep has a 3inch with 35's....it also has 5.13 gears.....If you are driving on the highway often I would find someone with 4:10 gears and 35's and drive it on the highway cause I would not recommend hw driving with 35's and 5:13's....it just don't have the passing power and I would much rather drive the wife's SUV. As far as ride, it rides great and very comfy...I have a 3" Ultimate full traction lift so I have no qualms there...but just hw driving power and acceleration not the best....maybe others with stock gears and 35's can comment...

 

HA, HA !! I already downloaded it... Lots of cool stuff. I already browsed through the instruction manual for the BB. Very cool!! I might go that route first for a quick fix. Some of the other forum members have some very cool rigs with the BB and 33's - 35's.
Lot's of great looking JK's on this site. I spent the entire day looking at pictures of other people's rigs to get ideas. Awesome stuff.
Thanks for all the replies.
EDIT: Seer1 and mbrown2: Thanks for the info. on highway driving and gearing.this is exactly what I need to hear.
mbrown, do you take your jeep to the vaca home often? just curious if you "mind" driving it long distances.