So I know that there are a ton of posts for stuff like this, but I am hoping I can get some specific help. I have a 2008 2 door, auto, wrangler fully stock and am just starting to modify it. After a recent trip of getting stuck in the mountain snow and having and F-350 pull me out I have finally convinced my wife that we need a lift and some tires!!! I dont want a huge lift, and I definitely do not want to modify my drive shaft or do any welding. I want to get 35x12.50's under my jk with no rubbing. I used to have a k5 that I did alot of work on and feel pretty comfortable doing mechanical things to my jk(I am just limited on tools and welding skills). I dont mind body lifts or cutting my fenders up with a hacksaw. Just looking for a cheap way to make my jeep a little more off road worthy. I have already proven it worthy stock... Now its time to take on a little more!!!
Thanks in advance for any input!!!

 

if you're willing to trim your flares, you can practically run 35's without any lift at all. however, for the benefits it would offer, i would recommend installing a 2.5" budget boost as it will help give you more clearance. anything more than that and you will need to replace your rear drive shaft sooner than later. also, being that you have an auto, more than 2.5" and you will need to eventually replace it as well. installation of a budget boost is super easy and this write-up will help you out

http://project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-...ation-write-up

 

This is mine with ~2.25" lift (1" spacers and Unlimted coils), 1.5" wheel spacers and 37" tires. I had to trim the pinch seams in the rear, cut back the rock rail a couple of inches, extend my bump stops a little, add washers to my steering stops to prevent any rubbing, and I made a stubby rear bumper (front is in the works). No rubbing, rides great and it is a beast in the sand and mud. Well, a beast with a minivan engine.

 

When I got my current Jeep and wanted to lift it I listened to a not so reputable offroad shop instead of finding answers here.

For the most part many of the manufactures of lifts market their lifts with a height number that will not represent the height you will actually get. To give a general idea what you will get, if the lift has springs (or spacers) and perhaps shocks you are getting approximately a 2 inch lift (even if they say 4 inches). If the lift includes the above and a trackbar you are getting approximately a 3 inch lift. If the kit includes the above (including the trackbar) and at least the front lower control arms (if not all of them) you are getting a 4 inch or more lift.

From talking to people smarter than I, the exception seems to be Teraflex which will provide more height than advertised (this could be a problem for folks who are not ready to replace some other items that may need to be addressed like the drive shafts). For the money/value needed for light jeeping and 35 tires the Teraflex 2.5 budget boost seems to be the most highly rated.

 

What? A 2 inch bb can be no less then 2 inches... It also can be no more then 2 inches. A poly puck is solid and doesn't compress. Most kits give you MORE lift then they say. My 2" ome hd springs gave me 3 and a half inches.

Components with the kit has no bearing at all on the height of a lift. That's all in the springs or pucks.

 

You miss understood, or more likely I wasnt clear. Of course the lift comes from the springs and not from the other components. What I was trying to say is that you can tell what the actually height of the lift is, not what is advertised, by the components that come with the lift.

You are correct of course that a puck only lift will give you the exact lift as the measurement of the puck.

 

Not to hi-jack but let's see some more pics of this small lift with 37s. My hopes of settling for 35s I believe are over.

 

This was mine the day I got the tires mounted with the fenders off. I pretty much followed Planmans directions for trimming the rock rails and setting the bump stops. I think he used a BFH to bend the front edge of the rear pinch seam over whereas I had to do a little more trimming including some at the rear. I don't think I have as much lift as he did.



I made a ghetto ramp at home to flex the suspension on and see where the tires were going to rub.


This was a work in progress shot. Once I trimmed where the tire was hitting the rear of the pinch seam I was able to go up a little higher. I pretty well only play in the mud and sand here in Florida and rarely disconnect the swaybar but I wanted to get the steering stops and bump stops set as well as trim everything to allow the maximum travel if needed. My stock Rubi shock were too short so I measured everything compressed and extended and ended up using ProComp ES9000 shocks for a 4" lift. They allow me to compress to the bump stops and extend a lot more than my stockers. I had to make brackets to entend the rear brake line hangers. Also, the Teraflex extended front swaybar links and extended rear links helped it flex quite a bit with the swaybars connected. It worked out well for me running 37's. I love how stable it is blasting down dirt roads and off-camber playing in the sand. I hope this helps a little. Good luck.

 

Thanks for putting up the additional pictures and information. Very inspiring!