For under $2k and your needs/wants I'd go with a Metalcloak 2.5" kit. From what I've read for the past year they're pretty badass. They have a few kits under $2k.

Sent from my Galaxy Note 3 while crawling over mini trucks.

 

Lots of people have it. Still go for metalcloak. Guarantee your friend will be jealous.

 

2k is a great start for a lift. I did a3" bds for 700 or so. It's not bad but for 2k I'd be looking at Rock krawler, or since your so close to it in price range, save a bit more and go metal cloak man. If you can put that much down on a lift you'll likely be happy with whatever you get. It's not like your only budgeting 4-500 for a rough country ( no pun intended for my fellow jk buds running rough country)

And def go 3. Nothing wrong with2.5 but once you do that you'll probably want a 3. I'm running mine for 2 yrs now and no drive shaft issues

 

my components were around $2200 but I installed it myself. I knew how, had the tools and space and right equipment and I'm too damn particular. Not to mention, at the time, I was living in the tidewater area of Virginia and not one shop I went to did I trust for quality work. If you pay to have it installed, depending on what you get, it can run anywhere from $300-$2000 for labor alone.....

 

I would recommend installing the left yourself. It's really not that hard with all the write ups and videos out there. And the money it would cost to have someone else install the lift, you could buy all the tools and do it yourself