Marc's Build

Okay, so I'm new to all this but I've been very interested for a long time. I'm going to be very up front and say that I have very little knowledge or experience on lifts, or even mechanics in general. With that said, I would absolutely love to learn. I intend to keep my Jeep as a DD, but would like to make it a lot more offroad capable. I hope I won't bother you all with the questions I will inevitably have, and would appreciate your help in installing anything (mostly everything).

My goals for the jeep are to run 35s 4 inches of lift or so. I know there are a ton of other mods that come with this (t case drop, extended brake lines, etc) that I will need help doing as well. Through my research it seems like most people prefer getting the best equipment from different manufactures, as opposed to kits. How do you all feel about that? I'd like to purchase a lift and tires within the next few weeks, so I'd really like to hear everything you guys have to offer.

Thanks,
Marc

The REAL question here is what are you looking to spend. If I had a decent budget, here's what I would say:


- Currie 4" coils
- Currie Johnny Joint Control Arms (Rough Country is also a cheaper alternative)
- JKS Motor Mount Lift/Body Lift Kit
- Adams Offroad SYE kit & CV driveshaft (this eliminates the need for a t-case drop)
- 35x12.5 Goodyear MTRs
- YJ front brake lines
- Currie adjustable trac bars (Rough Country, if you're still looking for the cheaper alternative)
- Grand Cherokee (ZJ) tie rod

So this is all a rough sketch. Obviously Currie is expensive, but is arguably the best on the market. No, I am not a "fanboy" but I do support and believe in an unparalleled product. That being said Rough Country makes good stuff for the weekend wheeler. 2003x is a prime example of this, as Pat's rig is all Rough Country suspension and he swears by it. Avoid the tc-drop, and do it the right way: by installing a Slip Yoke Eliminator and a CV (cardan drive shaft) you can keep the skid at the same height and in fact properly fix your driveline angles. The ZJ tie rod will help you turn those tires without breaking the weak stock rod. JKS MML/BL is optional, but would help with tire clearance and also to fix driveline issues.

I don't own the MTRs, but If I were buying a tire tomorrow that's exactly what they would be. Do some quick or thourugh reading on them and you will note not ONE person complains. They seem to be a great agressive tire. Or, look for the 35" BFG A/Ts. That's what I run.

More info to come. Figure I'll start with this and let others post. Ask as many questions as you want..

AND PLEASE - remember that we are here to help you install this stuff and teach you how. I've personally done every technical aspect that's on this list with the exception of the MML/BL. It's a cakewalk.

A Currie antirock in front would help .

Budget is everything as well as knowing where you want your rig to be. We just put a 6"LA Rough Country kit in my brother's 05 LJ Rubi added some new 1.5 wheel spacers and some 315/16 KM2s. He bought everything from Classic City Offroad and I think it was a just about $3500 for everything with shipping. He had planned on going with 35 MTR-Ks, but a guess they're on back order for a few weeks. He had a tight budget, but only was in it more for the cool factor. He'll probably wheel it a hand full of times, but it's not the primary function of his rig. If he planned to do more weekend warrior wheeling then I would have talked him out of the RC kit and into something a little better, then we would have looked for some used tires.

Thanks for the very detailed write-ups. I wouldn't say I'm on a strict budget, as I'd much rather do it right and only have to do it once, but I don't want to buy the complete top of the line equipment either. My goal is to keep the Jeep as a DD but be capable of wheeling on the majority of the trails. Constructing it this way will increase the "cool factor" too. I've been looking a lot at the BFG A/Ts because I have those in 31s on it right now. The goodyear MTR have phenomenal reviews, but seem like they're a lot better than I need for right now. Basically, I want to do it the right way and have it last a long time, as opposed to constantly having to change out parts for a higher quality.

Hey everyone - It's been a while since I posted this.. I've been in New York for a while with work and haven't gotten the opportunity to do any of the things I would like. Anyways, I decided to purchase the RC 4" lift so I can throw 33s underneath it. I figured this would be ideal since I do not plan on doing aggressive offroading but would like to make it somewhat offroad friendly. Rather than have this put on by someone, I would really like to learn how to do it myself. Would anyone with experience be available to help me? I know it's getting cold out and I can't really offer much in the form of tools, but I would love to learn this stuff and can supply food/beer for anyone that would be willing to help. Please let me know if anyone is interested! Thanks

That's the spirit!

Yeah, nothing wrong with starting smaller while allowing for bigger later on. 33s will still get you pretty far and will giving you capability without allowing you to get in over your head too quickly, ha ha  

In terms of the lift, the club would love to help. We all had mentors that showed us this stuff when we started, so it's nice to be able to pay it forward. Your best bet for getting some helpers is to find a place to work, set a date, and then offer pizza, etc.

Honestly, doing it with help gets it done faster and gives you a chance to meet everyone, which is the true benefit. I have formed closer bonds over broken bolts and stubborn bushings than any amount of "meeting over beers" would ever do me.

The all trerrains are good tires but the sidewalls puncture alot easier than some others out there especially when aired down.
They ane not the greatest in the mudd either.

I'm ready to install the lift whenever people are around to help. Ideally, I would like to get it done before the club run in December. I generally have every weekend off, and am taking all of Thanksgiving week off. As far as a location, my parents have a flat driveway that could be used but don't really have the tools. If people would prefer a weekday I could also take the day off from work.

As far as tires, I was thinking I'd go with the Goodyear MTRs. It seems like those have the best reviews and have been recommended by everyone I have talked to.

You will get alot more traction with the MTR's, better sidewall too.

Lift came in the mail yesterday... Let me know if any of you would be free to help, I'd love to get this on before the club run.

It's always nice when brown santa drops off a bunch of goodies for the jeep  

I'd like to help but I'm short on free time since I just picked up a $700 95 camry that needs new CV axles and other things before it can be my winter beater car.  If my project runs short I'll shoot you a message but I wouldn't put money on me finishing early haha

A few tips for getting this done.  Always plan on the project running long, get 2-3 cans of PB blaster and soak every single bolt you need to remove every day for a week in advance, and get yourself a propane torch from home depot.  PB blaster and a torch are lifesavers up here. What came with the kit?

Good luck!

mrj42290 wrote:Thanks for the very detailed write-ups. I wouldn't say I'm on a strict budget, as I'd much rather do it right and only have to do it once, but I don't want to buy the complete top of the line equipment either. My goal is to keep the Jeep as a DD but be capable of wheeling on the majority of the trails. Constructing it this way will increase the "cool factor" too. I've been looking a lot at the BFG A/Ts because I have those in 31s on it right now. The goodyear MTR have phenomenal reviews, but seem like they're a lot better than I need for right now. Basically, I want to do it the right way and have it last a long time, as opposed to constantly having to change out parts for a higher quality.

I have the MTR's and I love them. For the extra money you will spend on them, it will be worth it. I got mine from another club member used and I'm going to be buying new ones when I need to. I'm a BFG tire guy but even on my pick up truck I'm going with the MTR's as well as they are that good especially off road.

The kit I bought has the coils, control arms, sway-bar links, and t-case drop kit. Also bought the steering stabilizer on the side.

I'd love to lend a hand but I haven't installed a lift before and I'm in progress with my own repairs..

Try not to use the T CASE drop because it will lower the skid plate and you loose ground clearance (the reason for lift is more clearance).
Kinda like going forward and backwards at the same time.

You still get the axle clearance benefits of being able to run bigger tires though!

A hack n tap SYE and a junkyard double cardan DS is a pretty cheap solution though and will be better than dropping the t-case.

Also I would suggest if you have no tools that you go to Sears and pick up a basic set of sockets/wrenches, and a breaker bar. You really don't have to spend more than a couple hundred dollars to have most of the stuff you'll need and I promise It'll be worth it in the long run to have your own tools.

hobhayward wrote:Also I would suggest if you have no tools that you go to Sears and pick up a basic set of sockets/wrenches, and a breaker bar. You really don't have to spend more than a couple hundred dollars to have most of the stuff you'll need and I promise It'll be worth it in the long run to have your own tools.

Seriously. The best like $120 or whatever that I ever spent. You'd be amazed what a good Craftsman (my preference for price) tool set and a breaker bar will do. Everything from oil changes to axle swaps over the last 5 years and I've only ever had a buy a few more sockets to supplement. It pays for itself 10 times over in time and labor.

a few years ago i put on the tube bumper...

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but i got sick of it and eventually want to add a winch so i added a warn bumper and grille guard...



i also added some fog lights and spot beams...



which i think look awesome at night...



I'm not sure what's next on the list, but the lift will have to wait until the spring

Yeah, never hurry on the lift, otherwise you end up doing something and changing your mind later.

Any armor on it yet? That's always my first recommendation. Make the whole learning curve of wheeling much more fun!

Some good diff covers or oil skid plates is where I would recommend starting!

Finally got the lift kit in... I did it with a buddy of mine who knows a little bit about cars. I learned so much doing this. Now I'll actually have an idea of what you guys are talking about. I decided to go with the 4" RC lift with 33x12.5x15 goodyear MTRs w/ Kevlar. I put some Black rock wheels on it also

Anyone have trouble taking old the old shocks? It took us close to 2 hours just to get them out because they were so rusted on. Sprayed a few days beforehand and the day before to help with the rust but they were a huge hassle.

Here's the jeep with just the lift and the old BFG 31s I had on it



Here's the after shot with the lift/tires/wheels



I stuck with just doing a T-case drop for now since it came with the kit... I'll probably change my mind in a few weeks. Next step is to definitely get some skids, diff covers and armor

Looking good ! Big transformation, you should probably get a SYE so you won't wipe out u joints prematurely.
That way you will have ground clearance and peace of mind knowing that once that's done you can work on getting armor and you won't have to keep removing the T Case skid.,, MY 2 CENTS,,,

Looks very good. Definitely get rid of the TCase drop when you have the money.

Jeep looks great!

very nice