PDA

View Full Version : Small lift suggestions for a 2000 TJ



BLAZZIN
January 19th, 2012, 11:28 PM
I bought a 2000 TJ a couple of months ago and have been thinking of putting a small lift on it. I would like to be able to run trails like MSV and similar with out dragging it across every rock. I would like to stay with a 33 or smaller tires. Is there a lift out there that is really worth having over any others, I have seen some of the 4" long arm kits and feel that might be a good option. Are there any lifts I should stay away from?

Brody
January 20th, 2012, 06:47 AM
I am not going to get into the brand of lift as they are too many people here with Jeeps with lifts for feed back.

I will say that you need to be very careful doing your research when getting a lift. Once you get close to the 4" (and especially over) lift on Jeeps, you end up spending a small fortune trying to get all the other Jeep components to work with it....and you can do a lot of stuff with a lift under 4".

Here are some things to watch for/look for:

-Some of the manufacture's lifts, especially if you are thinking of adding skid plate/armor, necessitate also using a small body lift and/or an engine or tranny lift.
-Price breakdown of the lifts is pretty much having adjustable control arms/track bars vs fixed length control arms/track bars. This is further broken down by the use of fixed poly bushings vs Johnny Joints or other rebuildable joints.
The better (and more expensive) kits are going to have the Johnny Joints and adjustable arms. Aside from having more junk that gets loose, these are the ones to get if possible.
- Watch what the lift kit rear springs do on the lift kit. Many of the rear lifts have rear springs that sit at an bad angle after the kit is installed, which requires yet another after market part (not included in the kit, of course) to be purchased and installed to correct this.
-Watch what kits need or include extended brake lines or drop brackets.

Basically, it comes down to wallet depth...Listen to what the other folks on the forum chime in with for suggestions and do some additional research. Installation on almost any Jeep is going to be about the same no matter what kit you get.

In addition to this, think about some armor under the Jeep to protect the expensive junk. Side protection, gas tank protection and steering box protection are fairly inexpensive for what they protect. Changing out the factory tie rod and steering linkage is also something to seriously consider as the stock Jeep components are somewhat cheeselike...

Java
January 20th, 2012, 07:05 AM
I went through this when I bought my LJ and wanted to run 33s. IMO you can spend a LOT of money on lift kits and get diminishing returns beyond a few hundred dollars. I read over and over how someone spent a fortune on a kit and their buddy with a budget boost does all the same trails. The TJ stock suspension is fantastic, and the term "long arm" is a misnomer; it should be "longer arm", the stock arms are neither short nor long as they only come in one size. Jeep put a lot of time into coming up with that size, and it works very well. I bought the Rough Country 2.5" kit, it was about $300.00 and came with springs, shocks, steering stabilizer and some brackets, I'm still running the stock control arms and got some spares for free. Two years of wheeling and it still works great. It's not a cheapy quality kit, Rough Country is the same company as Heckthorn, Gabriel, Ryder and a host of others, plus they make stuff that other companies rebadge, they just have the capacity to come in cheaper. I also added a 1" body lift, and 1.5" wheel spacers, and I run 33s on the stock rims with no issues. My favorite example is Charles Wells, the guy who literally wrote the book on Colorado wheeling runs a TJ with a 3" lift and 33s, has done all the "hardcore" trails in Colorado and Utah with it. The first editions of his books were done in an XJ with 32s.

Colin
January 20th, 2012, 08:31 AM
Wells, the guy who literally wrote the book on Colorado wheeling runs a TJ with a 3" lift and 33s, has done all the "hardcore" trails in Colorado and Utah with it.
I have this same book, the fun treks one written by Charles A. Wells??? His is locked on both ends according to the reference section in the back.
I too had a TJ with a 3 on 33's that works great, wasn't locked though:frown:, even ran spring creek once, it only rubbed bad when it was close to fully flexed and I had the wheels turned.

BLAZZIN
January 20th, 2012, 09:41 AM
This jeep will see some trail use but if I'm going to run anything two difficult I would take the YJ. I want to be able to hop in the TJ drive it anywhere, wheel it, and drive it home.

Aaron
January 20th, 2012, 09:50 AM
I ran 33"s nicely under my $500 Rough Country 2.5 Suspension +1.25 body lift. I ran MSV and Coney just fine. Never hit a skid. It's jdawg33's jeep now and I think he is just as happy as I was.

Colin
January 20th, 2012, 09:51 AM
My TJ was my DD, drove to school every day.

Heather
January 20th, 2012, 12:05 PM
I want to be able to hop in the TJ drive it anywhere, wheel it, and drive it home.
That's how mine is (knock on wood) and if budget is a thought...the only thing we paid full price on Cracker is the Rokmen. Almost everything else my husband (The Craigs List Ninja) got for pennies on the dollar, including the KM2 tires that're on it now... 2.5" lift, 1.25 body lift (only to accommodate the belly tuck), 33" tires.

P.S. Cracker does everything up to a 7. I don't have the nads to do anything about that, I don't think...

ccbruin
January 20th, 2012, 04:37 PM
Long arm kits are real expensive. Personally, I wouldnt spend that much and then run 33" tires. Sounds like it won't be doing too much hard wheeling, thus i find it hard to justify nearly $3000 for an RE long arm kit vs. a $500 Rough Country kit that Aaron says will do the job just fine. Pretty much comes down to personal preference and how deep your pockets are. Take a look over jeepforum and read some reviews on all the different lifts and see what all the TJ owners have to say about them

Brody
January 21st, 2012, 07:21 AM
P.S. Cracker does everything up to a 7. I don't have the nads to do anything about that, I don't think...

I would feel better knowing that you don't have any 'nads'......unless they are Chris', but those are kept in the 'special purse'....:D

Java
January 21st, 2012, 09:46 AM
I think the long arm kits are awesome, but like Alec said a waste for 33s.

here's some video of the RC kit- the first one is the kit plus a 3/4" spacer, I may have gone this way instead of the body lift if I had it over:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7f7aeyMicg

this one is the manufacturer's:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oea7EqkSrBk

BLAZZIN
January 22nd, 2012, 02:29 PM
Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I will look into the RC lift. Do you think the ride quality will be better or worse with the Rough Country lift? I remember when I first lifted my YJ with a super lift spring setup and it drove like a tank, you couldn't drive over a bump with out getting beat up. I would really like to avoid anything like that.

ccbruin
January 22nd, 2012, 04:34 PM
It will probably ride a litter rougher. Depends on what shocks you get really. But it will for sure ride better than the YJ with leaf springs

otisdog
January 23rd, 2012, 06:40 AM
Good shocks are the key to a better ride. The RC kits are popular but get the best possible shocks with it.
If you want great ride and lift the Old Man Emu [OME] stuff is known for a suberb ride. They make 2.5" stuff. Pete is right - when you get up into the 4" suspension lift range there's lots of other junk you have to do.
Here's some of the OME kits available at DPG - there are others listed at the bottom:
http://dpgoffroad.com/products/old-man-emu-deluxe-tjlj-wrangler-kit/
Jim

Java
January 23rd, 2012, 07:05 AM
Thanks everyone for the suggestions, I will look into the RC lift. Do you think the ride quality will be better or worse with the Rough Country lift? I remember when I first lifted my YJ with a super lift spring setup and it drove like a tank, you couldn't drive over a bump with out getting beat up. I would really like to avoid anything like that.

tough to say better or worse, but it was a bit different, not too much. I had 30,000 miles on my LJ when I put it in, it was firmer than the stock suspension for sure. it really improved cornering, and after a day or two I didn't notice the change anymore. I'd say it's close to stock but a little stiffer. With 33s it rides better than with 31s, but the steering is a little less precise. everything is a trade off.

Captain
February 18th, 2012, 11:39 PM
I have run used 2" OME springs for years (like 7-8) with stock arms, ran 32s for years and just stepped up to 33s (I have an extra 3/4" spacer on the rears). The spring rate is nice, it's a little on the softer side which makes for a better all-around ride but really loaded with gear it sags a bit. As mentioned, shocks are the key to ride quality. I forget exactly what I am running, but I think the rears are stock WJ fronts (I can pull a part number if you want) which I researched the heck out of at the time and found that they are about the right extended and collapsed lengths for 2-2.5" of lift. The big bonus is that they were $18 at Autozone with a lifetime warranty. I'm on my second (free) set now and am quite pleased. Still searching for a similar swap on the fronts, as they are a bit worn out. If you have the time, I'd look around to find some used stuff - people swap out their crap a lot and you can try things out for WAY less $. Plus, if you don't like it you can turn around and sell it for little or no money lost. If you find yourself doing a lot of rocks and needing better control arms you can always add that later. 2" will also eliminate the need for a t-case drop, and I ditched the track bar relocation bracket as well. Try it, wheel it, change what you don't like. Sorry, my two cents turned into at least a few nickels... :)