I need some advice before diving into my upgrades. Everything on my Jeep currently is stock. I want higher for light off road, but mostly a DD and dirt roads. I'd like to keep my entire suspension/tire upgrade in the $2k-3k range including tires if possible. I may have to upgrade in stages, so it probably makes sense to upgrade suspension first. Ultimately, I'm thinking 35x12.50-18's and a 2.5" lift. Can I put these tires on factory wheels (with or without wheel spacers?), or do I have to change? From what I've read so far, 2.5" lift seems like the magic number before major mod's are required. Or can I go higher for not much additional cost? (I assume I can fit 35's with a 2.5" kit). I want to get as tall as I can be, economically, without sacrificing safety. Lift kit recommendations? Tire recommendations?

Do I need to purchase a tool like AEV Procal Module? Anybody have one I can "rent"?

The biggest thing I want to avoid is purchasing a lift kit and realizing either during install or later that I need additional parts.