Hello,

I was hoping to get some advice without getting slammed to hard. I recently bought a 2014 JK and it will be a pavement pounder the majority of the time with a little off roading. I know everyone is probably shaking their head but it is what it is. I love Jeeps and have owned 3 of them over the years but not very up to date with lifts. I just purchased a nice set of 17x9 rims with 285/70/17 which should give me a nice ride. I also bought a Rancho 3 inch sport lift with Rancho RS66106B springs from a guy on craigs list that came with rancho 9000 shocks that are 9 way adjustable. MY question would be is the 3 inch to much that would cause me issues with drivability? Next question is do I need Sway bar extension for this lift and is it safe to say that I need a longer Track bar for the front. I have purchased the exhaust spacer but not sure if the other items are neccessary. Any help would be appreciated.

 

There are Stickie posts that will answer many questions. 3" and above lifts usually have more issues. You can run those tires, skinny 33"s, without a lift with adjusting your steer stops - or - using quality 1.5" wheel spacers.

Not sure what's included in your sports lift. What you need are: adjustment for caster by control arms or bracket; adjustable front track bar, bracket or adjustable rear track bar; sway bars front and rear; brake line extensions and possible new front driveshaft.

 

What all came with the lift? Everything listed on their website? If so, it has a front adj trackbar and front links.

If you did not get them, then yes, recentering the front axle and getting the swaybars closer to level with the frame would be good. You might also want to look at some form of caster correction (rancho's ca brackets? A set of control arms ?) and a rear trackbar bracket to center that axle.

 

It came with rear track bar bracket and bump stops. I ordered sway link extensions and was contemplating doing a front bracket for the track bar or a adjustable track bar.

 

Instead of the exhaust placers, or new drive shaft there is a bolt on exhaust mod that moves your exhaust y crossover behind the tranny. I'll try to find the link

http://m.quadratec.com/products/prod...=17121+0300+07

This was just a quick search, I'm pretty sure I saw one under $200

 

Just to let you know, you're not the only one.

I've been on this forum for awhile trying to learn about the lift aspect for awhile. At times, it can get intimidating and confusing. The good part is that you outlined your intentions and there are many on this forum who can offer great advise based upon your intentions. The part I struggle with, is when that advise often includes terms which are part of a common lift/suspension/steering language and everyone assumes you know exactly what they're talking about. They'll say things like, you'll need front casters, sway bars, leveling kits, long steering kit, sway links, quick disconnects, control arms, adjustable muffler bearings etc..etc...etc. Then I get intimidated in having to ask, what the heck is that and why do I need it?

 

Up front, the trackbar and draglink need to remain roughly parallel to each other. So if you relocate one end of the trackbar with a bracket, you generally want to move the draglink the same amount with either a drop pitman at the frame end or by flipping it to the top of the steering knuckle at the axle end. Keep it simple, just go with the adjustable trackbar. (Draglink flips are something you can look into later if you choose.)

Caster correction - as the lift height increases, the front axle starts tilting, rotating the pinion further up. As the pinion goes higher, the caster decreases, causing flighty steering. The taller the lift, the flightier it gets. At 3", as noted earlier, you will probably want to lower the pinion, and raise the caster. (cam bolts, control arm brackets, longer/shorter fixed control arms, adjustable control arms) You can wait and drive it with the lift to see what you think, but in the meantime go ahead and research the options. They all have pro's/con's, so read about the differences, don't just automatically get the cheapest you can find...

You will also want to check the brakelines once the lift is installed, make sure they aren't stretched too tight and will rip out when you flex it.

And in addition to the driveshaft gizmo you got, you will also want to make a habit of crawling underneath and looking at the joint at the tcase end of the front shaft. (or both shafts if you have a 2door). They can get pinched and wear through from the steeper angles from the lift.

 

Why the Stickies should be read. Always better to do research before you buy.