New jk lift questions

R

Rlbol

New member
First off I would like to say hello. I am new to the forum as well as new to jk's.

I am sure this question is asked often however after doing some searching and reading I can't find the info I am looking for. I may be searching incorrectly or the wrong terms, if so please enlighten my on the best place to look or better search terms.

My wife has had a jeep yj for a while. It is fun but with a large bds lift and big mud tires it looks much better then it drives. And couldn't Imagine spending weeks in it and covering many many miles in it. It is her toy and just and extra vehical. So I do have some experience with jeeps.

On to my jeep. I am going to spend a few months traveling around from fl to northern nm area. I had planed on getting a range rover or jeep Grand Cherokee type of vehical. Some thing decent on the roads with off road capabilities. I am never going to be climbing rocks but will be off roads campung, hunting and such. I would also like to see some trails in the co, nm, Utah areas but nothing crazy. Long story short I rented a jk on the outer banks for a couple weeks and loved it. When I got home I went purchased a new jk unlimited sahra on monday. It has a hardtop, max tow so it does have a 373 gearing and Tru lock dif.

So to my question. I am looking for a lift, tires and rims, and roof rack. The only problem is I have about 2 weeks before leaving!! That does not much leave much time for research. So any and all suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated!

My criteria:
Ride and driving quality.- so I will be spending a lot of time and putting a lot of miles in on top of being disabled with nerve and back problems. I will not be doing any 1000 mile days but I am not looking for a rough ride!

33 maybe 35" tires max. So I shouldn't need a Hugh lift but I will need the clearence to get over obstacles up the the forests. Such as downed tress etc...

The jeep will be set up for exploration with a good amount of storage. The reason for the roof racks.

With that criteria, and a decent budget please let the advice flow.

What my shopping list has started, again with very little knowledge other then what I have read!
Wheels- I like all the newer aluminum wheels. Fir d t on my list is the "kmw addiction I have also seen some nice fuel models. Those were based purely on appearence. If there are better models or these are not good, please advise.

Tires- 33 or 35 Goodyear Dt ( my thinking is good road behaveyers, all weather, can handle the off road, looks good.

Lift- 2 or 3" lift thinking maybe coil overs, or new springs? This is where I really need help. I don't think I will anything to crazy. However if there is a lift that has a good driving and ride quality better then the rest, that would interest me. I am looking for more then a spacer kit but I don't know which one.

Roof racks - I have seen some real nice rack setups on the road but I haven't been able to locate much online. What I have found seams to be fairly basic.

I am currently in s Florida with a local 4wd store close as well as morison 4x4 not far away. The parts should not be a problem to get in time it seams to be a matter of getting the correct stuff for my needs.

I am sorry for such a long post and I thank everyone for there advise and wisdom!
 
seanb123

seanb123

New member
Rlbol said:
First off I would like to say hello. I am new to the forum as well as new to jk's.

I am sure this question is asked often however after doing some searching and reading I can't find the info I am looking for. I may be searching incorrectly or the wrong terms, if so please enlighten my on the best place to look or better search terms.

My wife has had a jeep yj for a while. It is fun but with a large bds lift and big mud tires it looks much better then it drives. And couldn't Imagine spending weeks in it and covering many many miles in it. It is her toy and just and extra vehical. So I do have some experience with jeeps.

On to my jeep. I am going to spend a few months traveling around from fl to northern nm area. I had planed on getting a range rover or jeep Grand Cherokee type of vehical. Some thing decent on the roads with off road capabilities. I am never going to be climbing rocks but will be off roads campung, hunting and such. I would also like to see some trails in the co, nm, Utah areas but nothing crazy. Long story short I rented a jk on the outer banks for a couple weeks and loved it. When I got home I went purchased a new jk unlimited sahra on monday. It has a hardtop, max tow so it does have a 373 gearing and Tru lock dif.

So to my question. I am looking for a lift, tires and rims, and roof rack. The only problem is I have about 2 weeks before leaving!! That does not much leave much time for research. So any and all suggestions and advice would be greatly appreciated!

My criteria:
Ride and driving quality.- so I will be spending a lot of time and putting a lot of miles in on top of being disabled with nerve and back problems. I will not be doing any 1000 mile days but I am not looking for a rough ride!

33 maybe 35" tires max. So I shouldn't need a Hugh lift but I will need the clearence to get over obstacles up the the forests. Such as downed tress etc...

The jeep will be set up for exploration with a good amount of storage. The reason for the roof racks.

With that criteria, and a decent budget please let the advice flow.

What my shopping list has started, again with very little knowledge other then what I have read!
Wheels- I like all the newer aluminum wheels. Fir d t on my list is the "kmw addiction I have also seen some nice fuel models. Those were based purely on appearence. If there are better models or these are not good, please advise.

Tires- 33 or 35 Goodyear Dt ( my thinking is good road behaveyers, all weather, can handle the off road, looks good.

Lift- 2 or 3" lift thinking maybe coil overs, or new springs? This is where I really need help. I don't think I will anything to crazy. However if there is a lift that has a good driving and ride quality better then the rest, that would interest me. I am looking for more then a spacer kit but I don't know which one.

Roof racks - I have seen some real nice rack setups on the road but I haven't been able to locate much online. What I have found seams to be fairly basic.

I am currently in s Florida with a local 4wd store close as well as morison 4x4 not far away. The parts should not be a problem to get in time it seams to be a matter of getting the correct stuff for my needs.

I am sorry for such a long post and I thank everyone for there advise and wisdom!
Click to expand...

If ride comfort is what you are focusing I and many others would push you in the direction of the evo enforcer. Many swear by their plush ride coils. This lift won't break the bank like coilovers would and coilovers would be right around 3.5 inches at their lowest. Along with the plush rides pair it with some king shocks your shore to have a smooth ride.
 
MR.Ty

MR.Ty

Token East Coast Guy
Welcome to WOL! Glad you are here.
First off, based on you not wanted to do anything too difficult in terms of off-roading, I recommend a 2 inch budget boost. There is an extensive write up on how to install one and it can be done in your drive way with minimal tools. If you enjoy the current ride quality, a BB (also known as a spacer lift) will mostly maintain the ride quality while providing the necessary clearance for larger tires.

As for the tires- since you want a roof rack, I recommend a 33inch all terrain for your long trips. I recommend the 33inch size over the 35 because of you saying that you won’t be doing anything extreme. A 33 inch tire will keep your center of gravity a little lower (safety) and will save you a bit on your mpgs (though it may not be more than 1 or 2 mpgs)

As for the roof rack – Do you have a hard or soft top? The only one I’ve heard good things about it the Gobi stealth rack. Others (not me, I do not have one) state that it hugs the hard top nicely and has minimal wind noise. Plus you can still remove the freedom panels. I hope this helps!
:thumb:
 
Mikead40

Mikead40

New member
With budget being less of a concern I would definitely look at AEV lift kits. In my opinion, they have one of the best on road rides I've experienced. They're products are aimed more at expedition type jeep use - which is basically what you're describing. If budget was a big concern or if you were looking to do more serious off-roading I wouldn't make the same recommendation. I would also look at their roof rack - it's a really solid design.
 
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olram30

olram30

Not That Kind of Engineer
Mikead40 said:
With budget being less of a concern I would definitely look at AEV lift kits. In my opinion, they have one of the best on road rides I've experienced. They're products are aimed more at expedition type jeep use - which is basically what you're describing. If budget was a big concern or if you were looking to do more serious off-roading I wouldn't make the same recommendation. I would also look at their roof rack - it's a really solid design.
Click to expand...

What other lift kits have you had on your jeep to compare to the aev? Just curious?
 
sean.m.adams33

sean.m.adams33

New member
I think you're rushing man. Two weeks isn't enough time. You probably don't even NEED that stuff. Want, definitely. But being that you are new to jeeping give your stock rig a chance. Trust me, it's gonna surprise you. But if you must and price is no option (even though time is not on your side) I would say,

Lift: evo enforcer with kings. From what I have Seen from others it is awesome on and off road.

Roof rack: gobi. I know LOD is coming out with one soon and that one will probably be awesome.

Tires: if you think you'll want 35's don't waste your time with 33's. I went from 33's to 37's.

Remember as you add these things there are a lot of other components to consider along the way. You need that time to research. Otherwise you will walk in to your local off road shop and they will sell you what they make the most money on and you will regret it (ask me how I know). Good luck with your choices either way. Make sure to take pics along the way. And welcome to wayalife!
 
Mikead40

Mikead40

New member
olram30 said:
What other lift kits have you had on your jeep to compare to the aev? Just curious?
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To be clear, I've never had AEV on my Jeep. Ive had RE and metalcloak. But i've driven about 500 road miles in an AEV lifted jeep and it was a very comfortable ride, I've also helped install their lift in 2 other JKs. I know they're expensive, but in my opinion, they produce a well engineered, dialed in and consistently good product.
 
Mikead40

Mikead40

New member
2007blackJk said:
But but .... It's AEV !!!! Rofl
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No, dickhead, I wasn't blindly recommending it just because "it's AEV". I've ridden in an AEV lifted JK quite a bit, had two other lifts on my JK - plus ridden in several teraflex, and procomp lifted JKs. AEV's on road ride is really good.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Mikead40 said:
No, dickhead, I wasn't blindly recommending it just because "it's AEV".
Click to expand...

"dickhead"... really? :naw:

I've ridden in an AEV lifted JK quite a bit, had two other lifts on my JK - plus ridden in several teraflex, and procomp lifted JKs. AEV's on road ride is really good.
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Just goes to show that ride quality IS in fact 100% subjective. Clearly, you enjoy a ride that is on the firm side and really, there's nothing wrong with that but, if I had nerve and back problems, the coils AEV uses is not exactly what I'd prefer. Of course, what would I know.
 
MTG

MTG

Caught the Bug
Rlbol said:
First off I would like to say hello. I am new to the forum as well as new to jk's.
Click to expand...

Welcome! :standing wave:

Lift: I'd go with EVO enforcer with either Bilstein or Rancho shocks, Kings if you have the money. I do not know if you could get this before your trip though.

Roof Rack: I would wait a bit and see what the LoD roof rack is going to look like...a few of the expected features seem very promising. :thumb:

Good luck!
 
G

gt88norm

Member
JMHO : I think 35" tires might be a bit boggy w/3.73s, if you outfitted w/factory GPS & satellite radio there's not many roof racks that don't place one of the tubes right over the antennas in the passenger side 'B' pillar. Don't underestimate the JKs stock capabilities, last week I "did" the 'Naches Trail' here in WA in an stock suspended and tired '12 JKUR w/Sahara side bars on it(those are coming off and stockers back on). Personally I recommend not going too crazy with the wallet 'til you've done a little more homework. If I had it to do over I'd go w/4.10s. When you go past an certain point the support infrastructure has to be bolstered logarithmically to keep up w/the changes you've made. Angles change, dimensions change, mass of moving parts change, basically your jeep turns into an BOAT! (Break Out Another Thou.)

Norm
 
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R

Rlbol

New member
Thank you all.
I am back in NM after about a week in CO.

I ended up doing very little to the jeep before I left. I found a set of matching Rubicon wheels with new tires. I switched them and like the look. Nothing else was available in my time frame.

The jeep has preformed very well driving out here, out in the country west of denver as well as in the mountains. I am very happy so far, now just have to find out where to locate all the ohv trails!!
 
bkac

bkac

Caught the Bug
MTG said:
Welcome! :standing wave:

Lift: I'd go with EVO enforcer with either Bilstein or Rancho shocks, Kings if you have the money. I do not know if you could get this before your trip though.

Roof Rack: I would wait a bit and see what the LoD roof rack is going to look like...a few of the expected features seem very promising. :thumb:

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Man I had no idea they were coming out with a rack! Thanks for that info.

Sent from my VS980 4G using WAYALIFE mobile app
 
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