Here's what I'm going to start with: stock 2010, 2-dr, auto rubicon used as my daily driver, can remain 100% street use until all upgrades are completed if necessary

Where I want to finish in about 1 year: 3" TF coil lift (not sure if short arm is okay or if need to go LA), 35" or maybe 37" tires, xenon flat fender flares, re-gear, new driveshafts, strengthen front axle, superchips programmer, 10% light/moderate off-road use. I'd like to do the upgrades in chunks of $3K to a max of $4K per 3 month time periods. Also, I don't have the space, tools or knowledge to do any of the mods myself so factor in labor cost too.

I've already ordered new front & rear bumpers and rock sliders from shrockworks because of the lead time, so those are my upgrades for the remainder of 2009.

January: I'm considering doing xenon flat fender flares, new wheels and a set of 35"s, I've seen some threads on this combo and seems okay for DD use. (most of my dd is <45 mph, on weekends I hit 70mph on the highway)

April: Re-gear, axle mods and superchips programmer

July: TF lift and driveshafts
Will the TF short arm be okay? I'm concerned about ride quality and highway handling more than offroad flex. It seems the LA is still optimal for highway handling, but is the difference significant enough to justify the incremental cost?

I realize this step could be over $4K with labor but seems it would be best to do the lift and driveshafts at the same time.

TBD: 37" tires

Or are the 37's not suitable for a 2-dr at highway speed? If so, I'd probably go with a TF 2.5" coil lift instead of the 3" and stick with 35's ; but otherwise still do all the other upgrades listed.

I'd appreciate any opinions or suggestions. Thanks!

 

Planman will give you a list when he see's this thread

 

sounds like you got it covered, welcome to the jeep world

 

3" on 35s FTW

 

Something to think about: what do you want your tires to be, beyond the size, and why? Are you going all-terrain, mud-terrain, mud-terrain boggers? I have 33's, but they are gnarly bias-ply mud tires and would not be suitable for a DD (balance, flat spotting, noise). You might want to take a little bit of a wait-and-see approach past your first few upgrades to see if priorities change. I didn't think I would be getting a winch anytime near after I bought mine, but one trip into the muddy wooded trails of NW Illinois changed my priorities. I can't imagine having 37" all-terrains on a huge built up jeep, so take that into consideration before you go big.

 

On the Long Arm question. You will be fine with short arms on a 3" lift. Long Arms would be nice but overkill. The advantage of going Long Arm now is you could always go higher by popping in new springs.

 

FAQ's:
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/modified-jk-tech-2/modified-tech-faq-answers-questions-every-newbie-has-18617/

List Install Write-ups:
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...7&postcount=10

DIY Alignment:
http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-...-end-alignment

Midwest Staging Area: (bribes of pizza and beer...)
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/mid-west-52/



Pay for the labor on the gear install with what you just saved by doing the lift and other mods yourself/with friends.

 

Some food for thought:

Is this really true about the TF LA kit?

It seems a bit counterintuitive to me that LA will provide better road handling, although the LA will certainly expand flex range. Maybe this is 2DR specific.

I am going through a similar process, so I am interested in knowing.

Also, if you add the weight of the bumpers and rails, are the 35's going to have enough clearance without the lift kit even on the road?

 

The longer arms help correct the geometry of the increased ride height. Long Arms ride and handle better both on and off road. However, Long Arms for only 3" of lift is overkill. If you go 6" of lift or more then you should be thinking Long Arms.

 

on a 2 door jk the tera 3" is really more like a 4" kit. If you can afford to go long arm, I say do it. Long arms offer the smoothest ride possible. If you go short arm, and you are debating the two then you will always wonder how much smoother the long arm would be. offroad you are not going to lose any articulation with the short arm. I have the shortarm tera 3" and there is no binding or limitation caused my the arms. The only limiting factors in articulation with either kit is the shock length, and bumpstop height. I am very happy with the kit, but if I got a good deal on some long arms I would add them to my jeep. I got my tera kit with only 4 flex arms (front lowers, rear uppers) so that I could adjust my pinion angle in the rear and my caster in the front. a month or two later I added the other 4 arms because they are so nice.

I recommend that you regear and get the 35s at the same time. I have had 33s and 35s on my JK (two door automatic) and the 4.10s did fine with the 33s, but the 35s were too much for them. It was a real slug. These autos have enough trouble staying cool without getting dogged by not having low enough gears. I am running 5.13s on mine and it really makes a big difference on and off road. Some guys on here are running 3.73s and 35s and even 37s and say it drives great, but IMO regearing is a must. just my Don't forget before and after photos!!!