Need Help Picking a Lift

Hey, All
I just recently purchased a brand new 2016 Jk sport with a manual transmission. I am new to Jeeps and don't know too much about lifts and all the little details i have done some research in the last year but I need some advice. My jeep will be a daily driver so I was thinking about lifting it between 2"-3". Some of the lifts I have been looking at are the 2.25" Old Man Emu lift and also some of the Teraflex lifts. I have heard that people have problems with the Teraflex lifts and i haven't heard much about the Old Man Emu lifts. Just wondering if you guys can give me some advice form your experiences on your builds.
Thanks in advance for your help!

Welcome to WAL.

Thanks, I guess I can do my First Wave to everyone! since I finally own a Jeep! :standing wave:http://wayalife.com/images/smilies/standing wave.gif

Welcome to Wayalife. 2 door or 4 door?

It all depends on the way you plan on using your rig. I understand that you will be using it mainly as a daily driver but do you plan on wheeling? If so what kind? If you're unsure the best option would be to take your jeep out with a local club and get to know it, it will help you figure out the route you'd like to take.

What size tires are you going to want to run?
You lift a jeep to fit the tires you want to run.. you go larger tires for more ground/axle clearance..

Welcome to WAL.

I researched a few lifts and and ended up going with the EVO MFG Double Down Long Arm lift with 4" Springs, I think it is an excellent product and a great starting point for a build. It is on my daily driver a 2012 Rubicon (manual trans) and it handles better than the stock setup could ever dream of handling, it has great road manners and is a beast on the trails. I personally do not have experience with other lifts for Jeeps this is my first one, but I can tell you why I went with the one I chose. For starters there are great reviews on EVO products and this lift, from my research. I like that the kit I got can be upgraded down the road, I did not want to buy things twice or have to swap parts out because I can not upgrade. I am not entirely sure where my build will end up but I have a darn good idea of where I would like to see it in the next two to three years. This kit gives me all the options I need for upgrading and is perfect for what I do right now. It is extremely beefy and well made. When it comes down to it you are going to get what you can afford at the time of your purchase or hold off for what you really want. My recommendation is to read a number of reviews try not to get jaded by peoples' personal reason why they went one way or an other and look at the facts about each product (base your decision off of facts and your personal options/views, not someone else's idea of what is great and how you should spend your money) . Also you have to be honest with what your budget is and what you will really be using your jeep for, what you want it to look like, and where you may want your build to go in the future. My best recommendation would be to not rush into a purchase just to get your Jeep lifted but figure out where you want to be with your build in a few years and start with something which can get you there will out having to replace things which don't need to be replaced down the road if you do it right the first time, but that is just how I chose my lift.

Hey Guys Thanks for responding so quickly. My jeep is a 2 door. I do plan on wheeling my jeep, I live up in Canada so it would be mostly rock crawling with so mud as well. I am planning on running 33" tires for the time being the then moving up to 35's further down the road when I re-gear. I have looked into the Evo lifts briefly but there isn't a shop any in Winnipeg that carries Evo products let alone a shop in Manitoba that carries Evo. with that being said I could order on line but I don't know if a shop would be familiar with installing one of Evo's lift.

Pretty much any Budget Boost will get you what you need for 33s. If you decide that you want to go bigger later on, sell the BB for half what you paid for it and only be out $100.

You will have a better understanding of your wants and needs by then.

Most JK lifts will lift a 2 door an inch over advertised lift height. Idk about Old Man Emu, since they have one, specifically for a 2 door. You can run 35's on a leveling kit or budget boost, with proper wheel back spacing, & like lidless07X said, if you want something different later, sell your old kit.

I have owned two FJ Cruisers in the past, and a Toyota Hilux overseas, that I put Old Man Emu lifts on. Very pleased and happy with the quality and performance. Old Man Emu makes quality products for sure. Edited to add: The OME set up rides way better than stock, that is for sure.

For my next Jeep build I am considering either Old Man Emu or one of the newer JKS Manufacturing set ups. 2-2.5" set ups, if go with a 2 door.

On my 2012 2 door Rubicon, I had the AEV 2.5 inch kit and it handled/rode well, but is a bit pricey. And to make it all work well, had to buy a few other components not included in the AEV kit (Like a JKS adj, front track bar). Probably not go the AEV route again.

Another member here has recently been trying to sell me on Skyjacker's set ups, so need to do some research on those.

A friend of mine has a 2015 2 door white JK. He is running the teraflex 2" budget boost and says he is pleased with it. Runs 315s with it. Personally though, think he could go a bit higher for clearance, as the 315s look a little too large for the wheel well and he gets some rubbing.

I have the TeraFlex 2.5" lift on my JKU X. In my experience, I really have not enjoyed this kit, it rides really rough, almost jarring. I'm going to swap out the TeraFlex shocks as soon as I can for Rancho 9000's but in the long run, I'm going Evo springs when I can afford it. I would be patient, I wish I was, and get the right kit and do it once. Good luck :thumb:

I briefly had Old Man Emu springs on a JKU and it rode very good. If your looking at 2" - 2.5" of lift I wouldn't hesitate to get the OME springs or go with EVO's leveling kit. For 3" I would go with EVO springs, have read nothing but good things about them especially when paired with the right shocks. This is what I am going to go with on my new JKU.

Don't bother with skyjacker or teraflex (add many more to this list) unless your just going to do a spacer lift, then it really doesn't matter what spacers you put in, they will be the same from one company to the other besides height and other parts a kit may come with.

Since you have a 2 door, you will need front and rear driveshaft and possibly a Draglink flip if you net 3"+ lift.