Just about any kit out there will require either a front drive shaft or an exhaust spacer. With the 3.6L engine and the way the exhaust is routed gets in the way of the drive shaft.

Have you looked into any of the Rock Krawler kits? You might be very interested in the 1.5" lift as it does not change the drive shaft angles too much and still allows for larger tires without trimming the fenders. PM us if you would like to discuss in more detail.

 

Good luck.

 

Are you for looks or actual use? Quite a bit to think about with 35s if you actually use it.

Are you open to cutting your flares or getting flat fender flares?

Sent from some string and a few tin cans.

 

First thing to figure out when you pick a lift is WHY do you want a lift?

35" tires will fit without a lift if the fenders are flat or trimmed.

A lift raises the center of gravity so road handling can be a problem.

Even a short lift stresses the drive shafts.

If you want a mad rock crawler it is going to take much more than a lift kit.

On the other hand, a lift makes tire clearance easy, and a lift gives you extra ground clearance except at the axles.

I lifted because of my wife's arthritis. The stock suspension bottomed easily on the trail and the jarring was painful for her. The lift provided some extra suspension travel, and I added Speed Bumps for soft landings. I picked the 2.5" AEV lift because their springs and shocks are tuned to work together and AEV is known to have a comfortable ride. I added wheel spacers behind the stock wheels so the track is 3" wider to compensate for the center of gravity being higher. I also used the AEV geometry brackets to help with on-road handling.

The Jeep handles great on the road, probably better than stock. My wife is much more comfortable on the trail, and I have ground clearance and room for tires. After 15K miles I can tell that new drive shafts will be coming soon however.

 

For me, the lift was important, more so than tires as I regularly was getting high centered in my 4-door. Two doors won't have the same problem.
3.5" seems to be a good amount of lift to maintain good onroad manners and jeep my belly from dragging/hanging up.

3" you must address the front driveshaft in both a 2dr and 4dr. '07-'11 it is for the rzeppa joint in the driveshaft transfercase end that will fail. '12+ is for the joint AND the exhaust crossover.

I evaluated my needs and real use and the AEV was good for me. It will get me through with relative ease, 99% of all trails. Enough clearance to run 35s with no rubbing issues with stock flares. 37s with some trimming of the flares.

It is a bit more than say the Rancho sport3" or 4", but handles the loads I carry better and handles better as a daily driver than a friends I've ridden in.

Budget minded, you can't really beat Rancho for all around good quality.

Stay away from teraflex. Their control arms, if you get then, are junk. Their spacer lifts are great! And what I initially had.

35" tires will destroy your factory ball joints faster than stock or even 33s. Axle C's reportedly bend quite easily with 35" tires and require gussets. Budget ~$65 for the gussets and $200 or so for a welder to install.
Budget ~$400 or so for a front driveshaft if you go 3"+ driveshaft will likely need to be done within 12,000~15,000 miles after lifting 3"+ on '09-'11. Otherwise you can use an exhaust spacer to get you by on a '12+

Sent from some string and a few tin cans.

 

It's only a matter of time before the front driveshaft WILL start spitting grease. I had my geometries adjusted and it still blew after 6K.

A couple things to look out for:
1. Make sure that if you get a lift with adjustable control arms, they are actually adjustable(like teraflex control arms) and not fitted with those stupid cam bolts.(my first lifting mistake)
2. What's the warranty like on wearable items from the manufacturer? The AEV lift comes with Bilstein 5100's which have a lifetime warranty.(I'm switching to those right now thanks to my BDS crap bushings wearing out) Also heard they have the best ride for non adjustable shocks.
3. Some lifts now come with geometry correction brackets instead of control arms. Installed correctly, I could see these being better for the longevity of the vehicle due to the re-use of stock components.
4. Once you decide what lift you want, will you do the install yourself or have a shop do it? Will they fix it no questions asked within a certain timeline? I'm sure there's people in your area with jeeps who would be glad to let you ride in them to feel how the lift is.
5. Look at what actually needs to be changed out to have stuff not interfere while flexing and all that. I'm not too savvy on the newer(12-14) models, but they had some weird stuff happen with the crossover pipe and in that area. Some lifts are more "complete", with adding corrections for these when you lift.

Hope this helps some.

 

5100's only have a 90 day warrantee against defects and leaking seals. Quality of ride is an opinion. Personally I like OME nitro sport better for a ride quality vs the 5100's

 

I guess it is an opinion kind of thing. But, I stand by my lifetime warranty statement.

Directly from bilsteins website:

"GENERAL AFTERMARKET WARRANTY DETAILS

ThyssenKrupp Bilstein of America warrants its gas pressure shock absorbers against defects in workmanship and materials for as long as you, the original purchaser, own your car.

If a shock/strut malfunctions and Bilstein determines it to be defective, we will either replace it or repair it depending on the term of the warranty based on the assembly's model type."

While there is a 90 day warranty, that applies to their other models and not the 5100's. If you were to get the 5160's, then you'd only have the 90 day warranty.

 

Sorry, you are right about the limited lifetime for the 5100's and not 90 days. However their warrantee does not cover bushings, boots, hardware, broken shafts, bent tubes and is void if used off road if you read further in their warrentee description.

WARRANTY RESTRICTIONS
The limited warranties set forth above do not cover normal wear and tear and are non-transferable. The following are warranty exclusions:
Original equipment shock absorbers (vehicle manufacturer warranty)
Improper installation
Racing, driving competition or off-road use
Modified use or other than Bilstein-recommended vehicles
Commercial vehicles
Bent or broken Rods showing abuse or abnormal wear
Surface finish, boot or mounting hardware such as, but not limited to, rubber bushings, as well as labor charges are not covered by any of the foregoing limited warranties.
Bilstein's liability for a defective shock absorber is limited to replacement of shock with a new or reconditioned Bilstein shock absorber. Repair or replacement as provided by this warranty is customer's sole and exclusive remedy in the event of a product failure. Manufacturer shall not be liable for any incidental, consequential or other damages resulting from the disassembly, handling, installation, service, repair or use of this product. Some States do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you.
This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from State to State.
Note: Other exclusions may or may not apply in certain states or rare circumstances.

 

Lol... Yep and it started to rain.


2007 Rubicon /2 door/6 speed