I have a 2015 JK Unlimited automatic. Looking to do a 3-4 inch lift with 35's. 95% daily driver including freeway use at 75 mph + at times. Want it to look good and drive well. Offroad capable but will likely not offroad more than 2-3 times/year. I want to be economical but not stressed over $500 bucks. Have looked at JKS, BDS, Zone lifts. Recommendations for a new Jeep owner? thnx

 

In reality your budget for a 3-4" lift and 35's should be around $5-7k. The stuff you are looking at is incomplete junk and will ride like crap on the road. Flat fenders which will give you the look of a 4" lift will not mess with the suspension geometry as one option, a second would be to do a 2-2.5" lift which requires a lot fewer adjustable things to make it ride well. Newbies posting a request for a 4" lift and 35's is very common and was what you needed on the Jeep TJ. The JK has way more room in the fender wells to run a bigger tire and requires less lift.

Take a look at this kit: https://metalcloak.com/jk-wrangler-3...uspension.html with this high steer kit: https://metalcloak.com/hi-steer-kit-...ngler.htmlThis kit has everything you need for a 4" lift that is going to ride well at highway speeds. You may also want to ad a heavy duty tie rod that will help firm up the steering. When comparing lifts make sure they have all these components or you will be buying them in the future to fix your poor ride. If paying a shop to do work on a cheap lift it will cost you way more in the end as you will be paying labor charges 2-3 times vs doing it all right up front.

Be very carful in choosing tires and wheel as well. Many new jeepers by a 10 ply tire, wheels with the wrong back spacing, or buy oversized tires and wheels like 20'-24" which will ride terrible on a jeep.

You might want to read the link in my signature for more info on lifting your jeep.

 

Agree with Dirtman.. & in your OP - what gear ratios are in your JKU? What type of off roading is planned or probable? These would be crucial in my decisions?

 

I’m running a 3” bds lift on fox shocks but have gone away from all the bds stuff minus the springs. I also have a 1.25” body lift. I’m running 5.13 gears, 15” steel procomp wheels with their 35” at tire. If I were to do it again I would piece meal my kit together because that’s what I ended up doing in the long run. Replacing stuff I didn’t like that came with the kit cost more over the long haul. I still am trying to find a drag link and tie rod and what not with one ton ends to work with a 15” wheel. That’s the last part to finishing out my lift. No death wobble handles as it should for what it’s running and am happy with how it turned out. Not too much lift, well maybe a little for 35” tires but I had built everything along the way with a possibility of going to 37” tires.

 

I recommend starting with a 2.5" budget boost. This can be purchased and installed for a few hundred dollars and will keep your stock suspension components. I have had this setup for 13 years on a JK with 17" wheels and 35" tires and it has handled very well on and offroad.