So I am considering a LCOG type build for my yet to be delivered JK. Going with 33s now but long term will be 35s....and no taller. So my plan is to do a small lift to give the 33s room to flex, then when the 33s are worn down and I go to 35s, go to BW flares to clear those. I am still pondering coils vs pucks (90% on road and DD Jeep). But assuming I am going to coils I am looking for opinions on what is available and recommended. Two key inputs are that I want mostly stock parts and no steering issues....the wife has to drive it too on occasion. Second since its a DD I don't want a rough ride on road. This will be a pretty light built JK. Budget $400-$600....could stretch it. I am considering

1) RK stock mod 1.5 - at least the springs, maybe the kit. Are triple rate coils too firm? I am shooting for 2-2.5" of lift in the front....would i be exceeding that here? Are they worth the extra coin? Was leaning this way but don't want steering and road ride to suffer significantly. Does this necessitate new shocks to smooth out the stiff springs?

2) TF Performance leveling kit - lots of stories about sag...even on light builds. I know coils are linear and rate is aimed at stock ride and stiffness. Lift seems to be on the low end and after sag gets worse.

3) Rancho kit - has coil front and puck rear....leery of low end Rancho stuff. Similar sag concerns.

4) Synergy coils - multi rate and look really similar to RK but a little more expensive....was leaning to RK if I went the dual/triple rate route

Any others I am missing I should be looking into? Or with the lift so minimal should I just go with a spacer lift?

 

I have the AEV 2.5 the price tag isn't the best but the on and offroad ride is awesome , 25k on the lift already

 

Too much lift and way out of budget. With 3" coils i'll probly need LCAs and then it snowballs. Thx tho.

 

If concerned about ride, go with the 2.5 Rc series 2 budget boost with a set of geo brackets and good shocks.

 

Well I still wanted some offroad capability so I was considering coils to keep articulation. Are you suggesting I just go with spacers?

 

I installed a 2" Rancho kit with the RS5000 on a 4dr 2012 JK and it rode better than stock. He had heavy bumpers and still got 2.5" lift up front (I'm sure it will settle a little over time.) Did a nice job of leveling the jeep and maintaining a great ride. He was on a budget, but we were both pleasantly surprised at how well it rode for an entry level lift kit.
Could easily clear 33s with the stock fenders, and 35s with flats.
I don't have any great pictures, but here is a pic of the lift shortly after we installed it.


I would also consider OME springs. I just installed them on my personal Jeep this week. I paired them with a set of Rancho RS9000XL shocks, and I am very pleased with the ride quality/lift height.

 

Nothing rides like stock once it's been lifted. I've got the RK 2.5" stock mod with Rancho shocks. Test drove a 2016 2dr and the ride is completely different.

Longer shocks will do a lot for allowing you to flex out your 33's, just ensure they don't have too long of a compressed length and you'll be able to play while maintaining your stock ride.

 

What...you mean you're not in the camp of justifying whatever lift you have as riding better than stock? Lol

Joking aside I agree. I have the 4" Evo plush rides and drop brackets, dual durometer bushings....all the crap that's supposed to give the best ride possible - and does. For a lifted Jeep.

But, still not the same as stock. Never will be.

 

Stock ride is probably less critical than dialing in 2-2.5" of actual lift on the front, and close to 1.5-2" overall. I understand it will be a little stiffer, and thats ok. I just dont want teeth rattling stiff with lift kits that require 300 lbs of armor to get in a usable range of the coils.

 

I don't agree that a lifted Jeep cannot ride as good/better than stock. I've tried several suspension systems on my last three JK's looking for that "perfect" ride(Long arm/Coilovers/etc.) One thing I have learned is the JK will never ride like a luxury car...
That being said, all my personal JK's ended up riding better (after a lot of trial/error with different components) than they did with the stock Rubicon suspension/wheels.
I have installed a lot of different "kits" on Jeeps that were not my own, and some are deff. geared towards a stiffer/sportier ride. Some like that, but for my style of wheeling/daily driving I prefer a soft ride.

My current 2dr JK which is by far my mildest build, already rides softer than it did with the stock Rubicon suspension/tires.
It has
OME 615/617 Coils(Light duty), RS9000XL Shocks (Set to 3f/2r), RK raised rear trackbar bracket, longer rear swaybar links(rears moved to front.), 35" Cooper STT Pro (C-Rated, set to 25psi) and longer brake lines.
I have a set of Synergy adjustable front lower control arms arriving on Monday to help dial in caster, but even without them the Jeep is easy to handle going 70-75mph on the highway.