Hi all,

My new Rubi 4dr should be here at the end of the month, and I have a few things that need to be explained to be. In the pics below is my previous Jeep, a '04 Rubi w/ 5.5 R.E. LA with all the fixins on 33" BFG installed in early '05 by Northridge 4X4 ( Thx for letting me hang out the other day David, and I'll stop by next Friday!).

So the questions are: I can't figure out how, let's say, a 3" FT lift will get the same flex as a 5.5" Is the JK suspension geometry really that different than the TJ's?. Are the stock JK's 1-2" taller than the stock TJ's, so that 3" will get me the same height as the 5.5? I understand the new frame length, and that it has longer arms but I just can't get it into my thick skull how 3" is better than 5.5"
(Oh, how I wish it was!).


-Derek

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My good friends '83 CJ-7, built for real work from 40+ years of Jeepin experience

 

Is that Micheal Jackson in the Jeep behind you???

Just kidding! Hopefully WOL will chime in here. That's the type of question he's good at answering.

BTW, nice flexiness!

 

The JK is a whole new and different design than the TJ. Wider frame, longer control arms and better cut out wheel wells for starters. It is really hard to compare a TJ lift to a JK. I currently own both a TJ and a 4 door JK.
If I were to level the front of my JK I would have no problems fitting, and wheeling 33's. Stock my JK has 32's. Our TJ sport came with 30's. 31's would have been a strech stock. Lifted 3 inches it sits comfortably on 33's.

 

Are you asking if a JK with 3" lift will flex as much as another JK with a 4.5" lift? If so, who told you that? All lifts have different flex characteristics based on the type of control arms, lengh of shocks, spring rate, bump stops, etc. If you are asking how a 3" lift on a JK will allow as big of a tire as a TJ with 5.5" of lift, it's due to the larger wheel openings.

 

I understand the allowing of larger tires, but I guess my question would be better phrased "suspension travel". Really, who cares if you can run 47in tires, but only have 4in of suspension travel. So to bring things to a finer point, I want to replicate in the coming JK, as much as possible, the flex seen in my TJ. With the new JK geometry will that be possible with a 3" conventional lift (I remember R.E. advertising 36" wheel travel for their 5.5 L.A.)? Or would I have to go with a long arm set up?

And no, that is not Michael Jackson

-Derek

 

I don't think that 36" of travel is possible. Most 3-4" JK kits are using 9.5-11" travel shocks. I'm not sure what the long-arm kits are using, but someone on here should be able to answer that question.

 

Thanks for the info guys, I can see that I was kind of comparing apples to oranges. I will start doing more research as to what equipment will get me what I had, and for what price.

-Derek

 

To judge from your sig, one might get the impression that you kinda like Jeeps. Did you ever own any other brand of vehicle? Not a slam; I think it's cool. This my third Jeep. I had a XJ and traded it for a ZJ.