Okay, so I have a 2008 Sahara that I desperately need to "Man Up"! I'm tired of the stock look. It's depressing!
My plan is to run 35's (Nitto Mud Grapplers) with 18" Rockstars. Will 18" 35's have enough sidewall. I despise the look of low-pros on 4wd's. I'm not a gangsta
I don't plan on doing any rock crawling but do drive off-road for many fishing and kayaking expeditions. I don't care if the ride is rugged but do want to retain the tight steering. I also want to have good clearance with no rubbing. So far I'm thinking about a 3" TF kit with a 1"-2" body lift, but not sure how the body lifts look on the Jeep's. With lifting my jeep I worry about the wear and tear on the drive train. It's also a crapomatic so I know I will need to upgrade the gears but do I need a new front Drive line for a 3" lift? Will it burn up fast? I'd love to see some pictures if anyone has a Jeep with the 18" Rockstars. I'm also thinking about Bushwackers... Some Jeeps look good with them and some don't. I have a black Unlimited 4dr and would like know if there are any clearance issues with 35's and how they look with the Bushwacker fenders.
Any input on options i.e. brand and upgrades would be much appreciated.

 

3" lift with no bodylift... or 2.5 lift with no bodylift

 

I wouldn't do the body lift. You wont rub with the 3" lift if you get the correct back spacing on your rims (4.5). To maintain your steering you will need front lower adjustable control arms or Currie adjustable uppers. The driveline will have to be replaced eventually. I tore mine up when i flexed really good, but as long as you're not wheeling to hard the front will be ok.

The 3" TF lift is a pretty minor lift (everything is bolt on) and you won't feel like you are tearing it up at all. You will be very happy with the outcome. Just remember - this is only the beginning! You will eventually empty all your pockets.

 

you wont need any bodylift with the TF 3". I am running the 3" TF kit with full flex arms and it has plenty of room for my 35x12.50R18 Mud Grapplers. Matter of fact, I think if I want to run 37s I will just have to hack my flenders.

I air down to 14-16 when on the trail, and I havent had any issues. My wheels are the 18x9 Ultra Goliath.

 

Thanks guys! I guess I will skip the BL and go for the TF 3" I hope it will be tall enough. I do want some fender/tire gap. Anyone have pictures of their 3" TF lift with 35's.

 

I run a TFBB 2.5" with 33" Toyo M/C. Plenty of sidewall. I run 18" Hoss rims. I don't wheel either. I just wanted a nice "man" Jeep, too. You can definately run 35" on a 2.5' BB. I researched pretty hard and a service advisor at a Jeep dealer, who was their "lift expert", says a 2.5" is excellent because it doesn't put alot of strain on your suspension. My regret is that I wish I would have added a 1" space in the front to level it out. I guess I will do it when I throw a bumper on it.

 

I don't know why everyone is so ANTI-body lift. Its a free inch with no strings attached - OK, not fre, but $100. Come on?

This is my '07. I've been running this set up for 2 years and 40,000 miles now. I am a partner with a bridge firm and this Jeep get flogged on a weekly basis on remote job sites. It has a 2" OME coil lift (HD 4dr springs - so its more like 3-4") and I'm running a 1" Daystar BL. The tires are 295/75-16 Hankook MT's (they are 34x11.50's). I haven't had the slightest issue yet. I needed an adj trac bar to bring the frt axle back over, but other than that, its been user friendly and never left me stranded. With the 1" BL. I couldn't rub if I tried - before that, it was tight at full stuff/turn.
BL's are great - I don't care what anyone says. And the JK hides a 1" BL very well.
Enjoy your rig.

 

JUST DO IT, but don't forget EVO front axle gussets.

 

I am not anti-body lift. I just don't have one or need one. I can fully stretch/ stuff my 35s with just my suspension lift. If I did need more room, I would chop my flenders first, maybe even add a coil spacer before I added a body lift. A 1" body lift doesn;t look terrible to me, but a 2" or more does.

You have a really nice Jeep man, but the first thing I noticed, even before reading your post, was that you have a BL on it. You can tell around the front bumper and side steps. It doesn't look bad, but it is noticeable. I don't care for the look of them, but on some Jeeps it is just fine. Your Jeep looks great.

 

maybeI don't stretch it out? that is why I don't need a body lift to clear my tires?


Nope. I stretch it a little. But just that one time on a Ramp right?



Nope. I stretch it all over the place on the trail every chance I get. lol.

I noticed you asked for a photo of a Teraflex 3" with 35s? Here you go: