I have a great local guy who runs a pretty busy 4x4 shop and he's really big into zone lifts and I had never heard of them outside of his shop

I posted once before but didn't get much of a response and I'm getting closer to getting the lift and I'd really like some advice...

The lift is for a 2 door jk with 285/70/17's

I'd like to stay at either 2.5 or 3" at the most

Not looking to cheap out or waste money

Just somewhere in the middle

Matthew

 

I think they are the same as BDS just no lifetime warranty but dont quote me on that

 

I was looking at zone but instead i went with teraflex coil lift and i am very happy that i did. Good luck with your choice.

 

Zone is a sister company to BDS. Never dealt with any of their Jeep lifts, but just helped a friend install one their truck lifts. We had no major issues, good quality & good fitment. It does look like their 3" kit for a 2-door is a little incomplete though.

 

What is missing??

Matthew

 

To do "proper" 3in lift on a 2-door.. It is missing front trackbar, front upper/lower control arms(Adjust Caster), and rear upper control arms(Set Pinion Angle) for a new rear driveshaft. And since you have a 2012, a new front driveshaft as well.



WOL:
Q: What are all the components that I will need with a 3" lift?
A: On a 2007-11 JK, at bare minimum, you should have a set of 3" coils, bump stop extensions, longer shocks, rear brake line extension brackets, new longer rear sway bar links (factory links can be installed up front), adjustable front track bar and rear track bar relocation bracket. Optimally, I would recommend adjustable front upper and lower control arms as well as they will help you set your caster to the appropriate angle it needs to be. Also, if you have a 2-door, adjustable rear upper control arms and a new double cardin U-joint style drive shaft would be highly advisable.

On a 2012-Up, you will want to install a new front drive shaft regardless if you have an automatic or manual transmission. Assuming you install new, longer shocks with your lift, the extra droop you will see at a flex will cause the slip shaft boot on the drive shaft to tear. However, that is just one problem you will encounter. Even if you install exhaust spacers or relocate the cross over, the CV boot at the output shaft will be sitting at a significant state of pinch and this will cause it to fail prematurely.

 

I thought if you stayed at 3" or less you could get by not having to replace the drive shaft?

What if I do a 2.5" lift, it's just that the drive shaft almost doubles the cost of the lift...

Plus what I've been reading always mentions the front shaft

Thanks for your detailed message, it explains a lot, it s just that there is so much info out there and so many different lifts it can get really confusing

I'm just trying to make my jeep a little bit more trail capable without putting on 37" tires and lifting it 5"

Matthew

 

None of that is set in stone that is a must have, but good to have since you are already tearing the suspension down. Or can just do the "Run it till it breaks" method. Just start with the bare minimum and upgrade once you notice things need to be changed.

It doesn't seem like a lot, but the difference in parts from a 2.5in to 3in lift is greatly increased on a 2-door. That's why when I get ready for 35's, I'm doing the best possible 2.5in lift and adding a 1in body lift for extra clearance.

 

For what it's worth, I spent a lot of time looking over options, reading reviews, and ended up going with a Zone Offroad 3" lift. It really is a solid choice and I've wheeled with it about 6 or 7 times so far with no issues. In my case I also went with a JKS adjustable track bar and a set of 3/4" Daystar spacers up front, to help compensate for my bumper and winch, all for around $700. While I was at it, I also replaced all the factory 14mm bolts with 9/16" ones to help ensure I didn't end up with the dreaded death wobble! Here is a before and after picture:

 

theres a lot of threads on this lift. I personally like it. Ive had mine on for about a year. its nices because it give you the basics, then you can piece together the rest as you like.