CelticMonster

Hey guys, bear with me as I'm learning and just looking for more opinions after some initial research.
I have questions about suspension lifts, specifically 3.5" lifts for a JKUR. I am looking at purchasing a bare bones kit that I will upgrade as time goes on. The use will be daily driver as well as weekend warrior for light/ mild trail use (nothing heavy or excessively rocky).

1. What are the minumum requirements I could get away with for a 3.5" lift? (Shocks, springs, bump stops, rear track bar bracket, extended sway bar links, but what else? Do I need to upgrade my front driveshaft immediately? Do I need an adjustable front track bar immediately? Extended brake lines, control arms, what else is required for a bare bones kit?)

2. What would be your recommended kits? I am aware of some top tier kits like Rock Krawler, but what kits do you guys think would be the best base for a buildable kit?

3. Would it be better to build my own kit piece by piece?

Any information would be appreciated.

- CM

nthinuf

There is too much personal opinion involved for 'required'. But at that height, I would add some form of caster correction right away.

You can unhook the brakelines to get some slack, or $10 at the hardware store and you can make some brackets. Check them at full droop, but should be ok until you get around to longer lines. A front trackbar will be nice to have, but you can get away with waiting on it (unless having the axle offset causes one tire to rub too much...) The front driveshaft, no one can tell you how long it will last - could be years, could be a few thousand miles. You will want to actually crawl underneath and check that boot as part of normal maintenance. When you notice a bunch of grease spitting out, you can decide what to do about it then. Bumpstops can wait, but be sure to stuff the tires so you have an idea of the clearances. Start reading up on draglink flips. (I think this can wait, others will have it in the 'required' category.

Add MetalCloak and Synergy to the list of mfg's to look at. And remember that, depending on build, you might get a lot more height than you expect with some of these coils!!

Lots of people go the franken-lift route. Do the research and you'll be fine, but it's a whole lot easier to just buy a complete kit from one mfg.

resharp001

I completely agree with nthinuf. I have a Frankenlift myself....built over time. I can tell you it's a bit of a frustrating path to take cuz it feels like you're constantly having to address something. The biggest thing is that a 3.5" lift gonna cost you way more all said and done than you expect or budget for.....at least that is my opinion. You just can't really do it on the cheap. You really need to address steering components on top of suspension components and driveline components. Then all the little piddly crap like bumpstops, brakelines, brackets for this and that. That junk adds up. I understand that most can't just plunk down several thousands to just do things right up front. Make no doubt that it will be a pricey build......and it won't really be ideal till it's done....and there will be expenses along the way you didn't account for.

CelticMonster

I appreciate the responses you guys. Overall, it seems as though a 2.5” kit would still fit my needs best with far fewer headaches and hits to my wallet.

resharp001

I think one thing people often misjudge, is what you're actually going to get out of a lift. A quality 2.5" spring is probably going to net you 3+" of actual lift.....and 3.5" is gonna be 4"+....and the higher you get, the more costly it becomes typically. People get caught up in the number. Higher doesn't mean better. At the end of the day you're gonna need to address the same components, and none of it is cheap. One thing in regards to springs.....I'd concentrate on something that is dual or triple rated. If you're going to build part by part, buy quality parts the first time. It sux to buy the same part twice.

I'd imagine you're putting 35s or 37s on. Keep in mind that larger tires will wear on your steering....that's why your steering components typically get wrapped up in the lift as well. TR, DL, and ball joints will need addressed at some point.

Regardless of what height you end up with, caster is one of the most important things for you to address. If you don't understand it.....read up on it, and make sure you correct caster for the lift....either with geo brackets or adjustable arms. Don't use cam bolts.

Rock Krawler Suspension

This is one of the most overlooked things when people start putting together Frankenlifts.

OP, Nothing wrong with piecing something together, just do homework and know what you're getting into. If you want to look into a complete, entry level kit with plenty of room to expand in the future, check out our Flex System.

Adam C

nthinuf

Just looked back at another post. You are planning on 35's with flat fenders, correct? Good 2.5" coils will be plenty for 35's with flats.

To give it a little perspective, this is MetalCloak 3.5" coils, 37" tires, and stock fenders before I got around to chopping them.


And consider that after you have all the new components, if you decide you still want to go higher, you won't have to live with wonky handling. It'll just be a matter of adjusting the adjustable components, or changing to different holes on the brackets.

CelticMonster

So right now, I have my 35s on there and they are pretty stuffed but I only have very minimal rubbing when I'm turning hard (but I'm also being careful with big bumps and high speeds). The fenders will have to wait because some friends of mine are stressing the importance of a lift first, and now I can see why. Overall, it does seem like a 2.5" lift will be what I need.

That said, what would be some good quality, entry level brands or kits? I will look up Metal Cloak and Synergy as well but I've been eyeballing Teraflex, Rubicon Express, and Rough Country. Only problem is that I'm seeing mixed/ contradictory reviews on springs for all of those companies.

- CM

nthinuf

Where are the tires rubbing?

If you are waiting on the flats, you could go ahead and chop the stock flares? Doesn't take all that long, and will give a few extra inches of clearance until you get around to the lift and flats. (there are a bunch of how-to threads and youtube videos to look at.) You could even start with a cheap budget boost, nothing at all wrong with running spacer lifts, and the price is right.

hmm...

CelticMonster

So the rubbing is primarily on the control arms, I think. I did have some on that plastic bumper skirt but I trimmed that away.

I see a "hmmm," what are your thoughts about these companies and their springs? I know I can only take mixed opinions with a grain of salt but I'm curious what you're thinking.