After talking with a couple of my buddies who do some off roading they suggested I get a 4" lift on my JK. I've been reading up a lot lately and figured I would need a ton of other components (drive shaft, control arms,etc..) if I were to go with a 4" suspension lift. The problem is I am only 19 years old and am not looking to spend a ton of cash on the lift for right now. I was thinking about the options I had and came up with the idea of a TF 2.5" BB and a 1" BL to net 3.5" of lift which will get me close to that 4" my buddies suggested. My question is if I were to install a TeraFlex 2.5" Budget Boost with Shock Adapters and also install a Daystar 1" Lift Body Mount Kit would there be any other parts/hardware I would need or would everything be in the kits? Would I need to extend brake lines or are the Rear Brake Line Brackets that come with the BB enough? Would I need a front track bar? If there is anything I would need please inform me or if anyone is running a set up like this could you tell me how you like it or show some pictures. I have a 2010 Sahara unlimited automatic

 

I ran the RC 2.5" BB and a 1" BL with flat flares wich is plenty of room to clear 35" tires. I did not have a track bar or after market control arms. I did not have to lengthen the brake lines but the were tight. It might not be a bad idea to just relocate the hard line to give you the extra length you need. I did not have any drive line issues and wheel it every chance I get. I had this set up fo 2 years. It is cheap and it gets the job done.

 

im looking at the same thing hope some jk have the same sit up

 

You've browsed through the FAQ's, correct?

What size tire are you going to run? And why specifically are your friends saying you need 4 inches? That is plenty of lift for 37's, and you can run them with your planned BB/BL. (search around for some of Planmans posts on this, he'll get you set up...)

Concerning the driveshaft - you have an auto. Don't think that just because you go with a 2.5" BB means you will not have an issue, just somewhat less likely.

See post #6 here and do some preventative work.
https://www.jk-forum.com/forums/show...vs.-Skid-plate

Extended brake lines would be good, but install the brackets and check the lines after the lift install. You may not need them.

A front trackbar is a preference. If having the axle off-center is not causing any issues (driveshaft too close to tranny or esp or...), then add it whenever.

Lifting causes the caster to be too low, this will cause flighty handling/bumpsteer. Gets worse the higher you go, so drive it and decide for yourself whether you need a set of adjustable ca's up front.

 

First off I want to say thank you for all the replies and information. It is good to know someone has run this set up and thanks for the info 07JKRUBI, makes me feel better about the decision . To answer some questions...

Yeah I read up a bunch before posting this and have read through the FAQs a few times now.

I am planning on running 33's for now but will go to 35's in the future. This is mainly because of the issue with gears. Like I said in my original post I am looking for a somewhat cheap way to get a good lift and re-gearing is just too much $$ at this time for me.

My friends said to go with a 4" after I told them about my idea of only going with a 2.5" BB and 33's. Their explanation was that after lifting 2.5" and adding an extra 2" of tire the jeep would look almost stock with with the way the tires filled (only an extra .5"). My one friend has an older jeep with a 4" lift too so I guess you could say he is somewhat biased .

Yes I know the auto unlimited has the problem with the drive shaft and that's why I chose this set up thinking I could somewhat eliminate the problem and cost of getting a new one. Do you think I should get one right off the bat and not risk it or wait and see?

Thanks again for the help!

Also I did some more research on the BB and found that the RC Series II Kit is only $179.95 compared to the TF, which is $321.99. Any opinions on which I should go with? I don't want to go too cheap and get a bad quality lift, but if they aren't much different I would rather save the $140.00.

 

You'll notice that the tires he needs 4 inches of lift to run, you can probably fit with no lift...



And no, you won't need a new driveshaft right away. That was just a heads-up that people are losing driveshafts with shorter lifts.

Just be aware of the issue and plan accordingly. Flex it and see how close the shaft is to the tranny pan/skid plate. If it's over too far, add a front adj trackbar or bracket, trim the skid, replace the band, etc. If you will not be disconnecting, this may not be an issue. (but we all like that extra articulation, don't we!)

And if you do happen to rip the boot, it will start losing grease and dry up, get noisy, and then eventually fail. But it won't be overnight. Same with the rzeppa at the tcase end of the shaft. It may start spitting grease due to the new angles, but again, it will be gradual. IF you find that you need to replace it, you should have plenty of time to budget in a new one or find a cheap take-off. The moral of the story is just to be aware of it, check the driveshaft semi-regularly, and adjust your driving or components if needed...

 

Haha yes that is true I know the older models needed much more lift to run bigger tires then we do. Thanks again for the help and info nthinuf

 

I think the only consideration between those two kits is that the TF kit comes with bumpstops, while RC uses the stops integrated into the 2.2 shocks instead of adding externals.

Since you are getting shock extensions instead of the new shocks, that could be an issue. (coils/shocks over-compressing, tires ripping fenders off, that kind of stuff...) Add the price of front and rear bumpstops (or 2.2 shocks) to the RC kit and then compare prices.

 

Dude, if I were you I'd stop listening to my friends. Just get a 2.5 BB with spacers and Rubi wheels & tires. Just run it for a while like that and get an idea at how capable (and cool) you JK really is.



Just sayin'