Hey all,

On my 2Dr 2008 JK X, I want to put in a 2" lift... just enough to pick it up a bit, and I figure with 2" I can throw the next size tire up from stock on. But what is the best way to lift with the manual transmission without it throwing the shifter out of wack?

Does a 2" BB work for that? Or does the shifter still drop? What does anyone suggest for that?

Thanks!

 

What size tires do you want to run? I think if you just want to run some bigger sized tires, you can get by with Teraflex's new leveling kit and some Wheel Spacers or aftermarket wheels w/ 4.5 or less backspacing.

If you wanted to do it right the first time, I would suggest a 2.5" Teraflex Coil lift with shocks or the Old Man EMU 2" lift kit.

 

No the shifter will not drop when you do a suspension lift, only body lifts do that. A Budget Boost is a form of a suspension lift, so you will be fine.

 

I run a 2" Budget Boost and it will not affect your tranny.

 

Ah excellent. "Coil Lift" - does that translate to suspension lift? So a 2" BB is probably a good way to go?

How would the Skyjacker 2" Budget Boost with Hydro Shocks work for me (as for not effecting the transmission) Are Hydro or Nitro shocks better??

Since that wont effect the Transmission, is that something that requires alignment after installation?

 

Coil lifts and Budget Boosts are both suspension lifts. The difference (generally speaking) is that coil lifts replace your factory springs and BBs have polyurethane "pucks" that sit on top off your factory springs.

Coil lifts resist sag (introduced by heavy bumpers and accessories) better than BBs, and have great flex off-road. However, they do cost more.

All suspension lifts will require your steering wheel to be re-centered.

 

As far as which budget boost is better...

There isn't much to them. The shocks (or shock extensions) and price point are the major differentiating points among the vast array of budget boost.

I, personally, would try and keep the price of whichever budget boost you pick to $300 dollars or less. Too much more than that and you are starting to hit the entry points for coil lifts, and then I'd encourage you to reconsider your choice of a budget boost over a coil lift.

Not all budget boosts include all the same components, you will want one that includes the following items:

• Polyurethane Pucks (front & rear)
• Brake Line Extensions
• Rear Sway Bar Links
• Rear Track Bar Drop Bracket (or rear adjustable track bar)
• Shocks (or extensions for your factory shocks)
• Bump stop extensions (front & rear)

As far as which shocks are better... I'm not the best person to ask. I couldn't tell you the difference between Nitro and Hydro shocks.

 

Oh wow, cool! Thanks so much for all that info, that's a huge help. What do you mean by steering wheel needing to be re centered? Does that mean its un drivable till that happens? Or is it just a priority soon as the lift is complete?

It seems like its hard to find a kit with all that you say should be there. I was looking at a 2.5" Teraflex kit ("Budget Boost and Shock Adapter Kit", but that doesn't have shocks - and the SkyJacker ("Budget Boost with Shocks kit), but that doesn't come with sway bar links, brake line extensions or rear track bar drop brackets.

I am good with mechanics, but does this seem like a project I shouldn't tackle myself?

 

That TeraFlex kit with shock adapters is a good kit. It uses the shock adapters with your OEM shocks.

This is something you can easily do with common hand tools.

I did my lift myself and I didn't even own a wrench without having to barrow it...

 

No problem, I learned most of all that I know about Jeeps from this site. It was a dull day around the house, so I couldn't help myself but to give back a little

You had asked about a "front-end alignment". Unfortunately on a stock Jeep (even one with a BB lift) there isn't much to align. The control arms are fixed length, so you can't adjust the caster. You aren't going high enough that the toe is going to change too much. About the only thing that you will drastically effect (and that will desperately need you attention) is the steering wheel. After you do your lift you will notice that the word "Jeep" on your steering wheel is no longer level horizontally while your Jeep is going in a straight line. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem, except that the JK has a sensor in the steering wheel that lets the on-board computer know which direction you are trying to steer. This non-centered steering wheel will drive your ESP crazy

Luckily re-centering your steering wheel is very easy to do. Here are some easy to follow instructions that also explain the front-end alignment (or lack thereof) a little better:

http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-...-end-alignment

I probably didn't word my parts list the best. The shocks are optional so long as the kit includes shock adapters. I think I called them extensions, my bad. What these are, are little metal braces/bolts that allow you to keep your current shocks. Generally speaking that would be bad, as it would limit your articulation off-road, but the budget boost's pucks will provide a similar limitation so in practice it isn't that bad of a deal. Unless your shocks are toast (or you are just really upset with the factory ride) then I don't see a reason to pay more for shocks when buying a budget boost.

If the Skyjacker kit lacks those items I'd avoid it entirely. Those are some pretty important items.

All-in-all the TeraFlex kit is probably your best bet for completeness. I, personally, am not a big fan of their customer service, but from a quality of workmanship and price standpoint they are pretty good.

Yes

I highly recommend that you do install the lift yourself. It is a "big" task, but not a hard task. You will learn a lot about your Jeep, and in the end you will have a lot of pride when you look at your Jeep knowing that you helped created part of it.

You don't need any "special" tools, although an impact wrench would be very helpful. The secret is to pace yourself. Lots of people say you can do these in "3 to 4 hours" (or insert other ridicules number), but the problem with those numbers is that they assume you know EXACTLY what you are doing, have the Jeep up on a lift, and have all your tools organized and laid out.

I, personally, suggest that you just take a weekend to do it. Start on Friday after work, and "worst case" plan on working until Sunday. I give you 90% odds that you will get done mid-day Saturday, but if push comes to shove you won't fill stressed trying to get your daily drive back up and running before work on Monday.

If you do hit any road blocks, this forum is your best resource. I bet for the price of a few cold ones you could get a few local guys over to your garage to even help you.