Hey, everyone! I recently purchased a '15 Unlimited Rubicon Hard Rock. This is my first step into the world of Jeeps. Needless to say, I'm a little lost with so many options for aftermarket parts.

This is my daily driver. I have about a 30 mile drive into work through town and some backroads (one way). The longest drives I would probably make in this vehicle would 200 miles or less. Anything longer than that and we would probably take my wife's Buick Enclave for family comfort (we have daughters 4 years old and 1 year old). I have never done any off-roading, other than the years I grew up racing dirt bikes. Never done any on four wheels, though. However, I'd like to do it. Obviously, I'd be starting with mild stuff until I learned my way around the vehicle and how to handle it off-road.

I'm wanting to give this Jeep a more stout look (like pretty much everyone else does). After tons of reading that has confused and clouded my thoughts, I've got some thoughts as to what I think I want. I'm looking to you guys to offer me some help and advice, so I know I'm on the right track.

I love the look of 35s, but I think I'm just going to go with 33s. I think they would handle pretty much anything I would throw at them, plus I wouldn't have to sacrifice as much in power and fuel economy (I know, it's a Jeep!), and I wouldn't have to add a new tire carrier to handle the larger 35" spare. To get a more stout look, I'm thinking I want 12.5" wide tires. I think the 33s would be a nice balance for daily driver and a little off-road fun.

To go with the 33s, I'd like to get some 15" wheels. Going down in wheel size will give more sidewall and help the more rugged look. A plus to that is also lower costs for wheels and tires. I'm not sure which wheels to get. I'm thinking I'd like to go with aluminum, but I'm not sure what backspacing I need to not have any rubbing. I'm not wanting to grind anything off the calipers. Any help in regards to which 15s and what backspacing would be greatly appreciated. If 15s are too much trouble, I guess I could go with 16s, but I'd have the same questions.

To gain a little more clearance, I'm looking to do a 2.5" suspension lift. I talked to someone at Terra Flex, and got some good advice about which kit to go with (although when I talked to him I was planning on 35" tires). He suggested the 2.5" suspension lift with shocks. From the reading I've done, Terra Flex seems to get good product reviews. I talked to my local Jeep dealer about the Mopar 2" lift, and to my surprise, they said they only install Rough Country lifts. I told them one thing I liked about the Mopar lift was that I would be able to maintain my warranty. I was told I would maintain my warranty if they installed the Rough Country lift. I haven't read too much about Rough Country for the Jeeps, so I'm not sure how their quality stacks up to the others. Any insight into this would be helpful. I'd really like to maintain my factory warranty, so the dealer install is attractive. However, I also don't want to toss some junk on my Jeep, just to lift it. Too much invested in the vehicle to ruin it with junk parts. How do the stock shocks on the Hard Rock compare to the offerings that come with the different comparable suspension lifts? Is it worth replacing them, or should I just continue using them?

So is my thought process going on the right track with these mods (33x12.5x15 and 2.5" suspension lift)? Sorry for all the questions. I've read so much that I have information overload and it has my head spinning. Figured I'd finally post something so I can talk things out and get some direct thoughts from you guys. Thank you for your patience with me and thanks for having me!

 

The more you read the more helpful it can be, but also can add to the confusion.

One thing I have learned is to always try to keep future upgrades in mind. Lots of people go with 15 or 16 in wheels, and they work fine, with the factory parts. Later on down the road as things wear out, a lot of times it is the same cost or even cheaper to replace with beefier, aftermarket parts (i.e. brake rotors (big rotor kit), drag links, tie rods) things of that nature, and the vast majority of these won't work with 15in wheels.

I'm not certain about the back spacing in a 15in wheel, I know with a 17in wheel you are looking for 4.75 to 4.5 or lower.

Lifts: Teraflex is good stuff, there are a ton of threads in here about how bad RC lifts are, but I do not have any personal experience. 2.5 in lift for 33's is a little high (makes the tires look smaller), most people stay at stock height or do a simple leveling kit for 33's, but that is personal preference. A leveling kit is a little simpler and cheaper than a 2.5. With a 2.5 you will need to either add shock extensions, or replace the shocks, the stock shocks will not be long enough for that lift, and will actually restrict articulation making the jeep actually less capable than it was stock.

There is a sticky in the mod section by Dirt Man "my thoughts on lifts," that really lays out all the details of how's and whys about lifts, it is pretty long, but worth it. Dirt Man knows his stuff, way better than most.

That dealer sounds a little shady about the warranty, each dealer is a little different, if they didn't honor the warranty I would find a different dealer. When I bought mine they told me they would honor the warranty, as long as the lift was 4in or lower, and was properly installed, even if it was installed by someone else.

Hope this helps.

Happy Jeeping!

 

Oh, and cheers on the new Jeep!

Congrats!

 

Have you opened the Thoughts on Lifts thread stuck to the top of this modified area?

You don't need a coil lift. Look at any of the 2-2.5" budget boosts instead. Teraflex's BB is very popular.

For 35x12.50's, a 4.50" backspace is the general recommendation. With a 33x12.50, a bit higher would be ok, but why not plan on the eventual tire size upgrade.

15" rims can be hit or miss. You'll want no more than a 4.0" backspace, less would probably be better to give more clearance with the calipers. But, even with less, people have still run into rubbing depending on the specific rim and the mfg variances. Discount Tire Direct has a list of aluminum rims that they guarantee will fit, might be a good place to start. Also note that 15's can have clearance issues with all of the brake upgrade kits, and with aftermarket components that have larger rod ends. Probably won't be an issue in your situation, but worth knowing about. Also, many tire mfg's are moving away from 15 and 16 inch tires, so selection will not be as good as 17 inch, and should continue to get worse.

Warranty will always be a gray area. You just might find that it is a dealership-only warranty, and no other dealer will honor it. Be sure to ask, and get it in writing. Even if you install yourself, they are still obligated to prove that whatever you are trying to warranty was actually damaged by whatever you installed. (personally, I think the staggering markup for a dealer installed lift is ridiculous and not worth it)

 

the best advice i can give you is pre-plan your jeep. I mean take the time and try to come up with the what the final look you are going for. I learned this the hard way some after market parts wont work with other parts. The more weight you add the more your are going to compress the springs the after market bumper are solid steel and the winches weigh a lot (you may need more lift). Come up with a concept that you Want do you want to off road? Is this a rock crawler are you going to build and over land jeep or are you just looking for some type of theam jeep these are questions you need to ask your self. You dont want to be patching drill holes and replacing sheet metal because you rock sliders wont fit with you fender flares or the rear bumper wont fit with the corner armor. These can be some very expensive mistakes. Some of the more obscure custom fabricators have great prices and are more willing to make exactly what you want. For example you want bigger tires and a lift but how is this going to effect performance are you going to need gear a drive shaft and make sure your are happy with the 33's if you are unsure just wait untilll you can afford the bigger 35. Make sure you look at the forums there are some great idears on here and some great advice

 

Thanks, guys!

I have read that sticky on lifts. But it might not be a bad idea to read it again, just to let some more information sink in. There was a LOT of information in it, and it was helpful. Originally, I was thinking about a taller lift with bigger tires. It was after that thread that I started to rethink what I was really going to use my vehicle for, and what would best serve that purpose. This is why I decided 33s was probably the best option for me, even though I love the look of a JK with 35s. The 35s would require more expense, and I really wouldn't gain anything from them, at least not to my knowledge (please correct me if I'm wrong). I would need a new tire carrier, have more expensive tires, spend more in gas, and possibly even have to swap out my 4.10 gears for something else. With 33s, I'm thinking I could still accomplish the general look I'm after, if I get something wider. I was counting on the smaller wheels to allow for more sidewall to give the illusion of more bulk. But if 17s are where I need to be for wheels, then I guess that's the route I'll go. As long as the tires are wider, it should still get a meatier look.

I wasn't sure if the 2.5" lift would be too much and look funny with the 33s or not. If leveling will give the entire package a better overall look (more proportionate), then that would certainly be a better option. I also like that because it frees up finances for other mods. In regards to suspension and aftermarket steel bumpers...., I don't think I'll change out the bumpers. The Hard Rock already has steel bumpers, so I don't think I'll have a reason to change them out.

I agree with the comments about thinking things through and planning for the future, for both mods working together and the overall look. That is exactly what I do with the Harleys I've customized. I don't want to just slap parts on there. I want everything work together functionally and aesthetically.

So you guys think a simple leveling kit and 33x12.5x17 is the better direction? If so, that opens the door to much more in wheel options and the money saved from the lift could help pay for them.

 

Another question....

Can I go with 35s and skip the lift, if I get wheels with proper backspacing (4.5) and flat fenders? As I mentioned before, I've done any off-roading, so I doubt I'd be doing any hard flexing, which means I shouldn't rub the fenders. I'd be more concerned with rubbing other stuff when turning.

 

We have 34s with flats and when off-roading, I have rubbed in the fenders. Just a bit and I was at full flex while making a tight turn. The point is that 35s would be a slightly bit bigger and would rub a little sooner than mine did. I don't wheel hard, just camp and such, but I still get in to some interesting places.

 

35's with flats would be better as far as performance, stability, and actual ground clearance vs 33's and a 2.5" lift. With 4.10 gears you will be fine with the performance of 35's with the trails you are looking to run and being mainly a dd.
16" wheels may be an option as well and have more clearance for brakes, keep the wheels at a 4.5" bs or less for 35"x12.5" tires and you should be fine.

AS far as mpg, cost of rubber and other things, IF these things are REALLY important then stick to the stock jeep and learn how to drive it off road as it is way more capable then a new jeep driver is off road.

 

Are you running a leveling kit, or do you just have flats?