Lift Straight Talk

[dustinfromohio]

I have a 2002 TJ X just like you OP, 3 inch zone suspension lift and transfer case drop installed by previous owner, zero vibrations or issues other than a somewhat bumpy ride.

[Snboarder113]

I didn’t read your whole book but a budget lift and shocks don’t need anything. No tcase drop no trackbars no sye. If you’re having issues adjust your front caster cam bolts and align toe in a bit. I ran a 4” rough country lift without a sye with no vibrations. If you’re getting rotational vibes inspect your u joints for stiffness and tire balance.


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[trailraider]

myself personally , I like the Skyjacker budget kits for the TJ's . has control arms, springs, shocks, relocation bracket and the t-case drop.... all for probably less then the paid for the teraflex kit. but I do always add a front adjustable track bar on top of this kit.

[wayoflife]

What you really NEED is to install an SYE and adjustable rear upper control arms to set your pinion angle. Here's a write-up I did for this years ago:

http://4x4xplor.com/SYE-CV.html

While you can get by with a t-case drop, I would NOT recommend it. Depending on how much lift you actually got (TeraFlex coils tend to yield WAY MORE than is advertised), the drop may not be enough to mitigate driveline vibes. You could install a 1" motor mount lift to help but really, why pay so much money to lift your Jeep only to drop the one point you're trying to raise up right back to where you started from. Personally, the whole idea of a t-case drop is stupid. But then, that's just me.

[longarmwj]

What you really NEED is to install an SYE and adjustable rear upper control arms to set your pinion angle. Here's a write-up I did for this years ago:

http://4x4xplor.com/SYE-CV.html

While you can get by with a t-case drop, I would NOT recommend it. Depending on how much lift you actually got (TeraFlex coils tend to yield WAY MORE than is advertised), the drop may not be enough to mitigate driveline vibes. You could install a 1" motor mount lift to help but really, why pay so much money to lift your Jeep only to drop the one point you're trying to raise up right back to where you started from. Personally, the whole idea of a t-case drop is stupid. But then, that's just me.

My exact thoughts. It's like those stupid control arm drop brackets you can buy. It's like you're lifting your Jeep only to un-lift it at the same time

[Janitor]

What you really NEED is to install an SYE and adjustable rear upper control arms to set your pinion angle. Here's a write-up I did for this years ago:

http://4x4xplor.com/SYE-CV.html

While you can get by with a t-case drop, I would NOT recommend it. Depending on how much lift you actually got (TeraFlex coils tend to yield WAY MORE than is advertised), the drop may not be enough to mitigate driveline vibes. You could install a 1" motor mount lift to help but really, why pay so much money to lift your Jeep only to drop the one point you're trying to raise up right back to where you started from. Personally, the whole idea of a t-case drop is stupid. But then, that's just me.

Thanks very much for your suggestion, and your web site, and your videos. Much appreciated.

[Janitor]

Here's an update with details so that other newbies may learn. This is the lift I bought: https://www.extremeterrain.com/teraf...j-1141200.html

The lift ended up being 2.75 inches after two weeks of settling in my case. I don't mind the extra 3/4 inch. The kit is sold as "everything you need" and that's not true. You can't get the axle alignment set properly unless you also buy adjustable track bars front and rear. Teraflex instructions tell you to drill a hole in your front axle bracket to reposition the OEM front track bar. This is a bad idea. In my case it would have resulted in an oblong hole widening the original hole and making a weak/dangerous mount point for the bar. The bracket they provide for the rear track bar does not allow for proper positioning and will result in misaligned axles. The rear bolt on bracket they provide also results in a much weaker attachment compared to the OEM welded bracket. Additionally, to get it right you have to buy adjustable rear upper control arms so that you can get the rear driveshaft pinion angle right. Teraflex instructions imply that the angle of the bolt on bracket they provide is sufficient to do what adjustable control arms will do. It is not. It puts all the stress on the wonky bracket they provide, off to one side of the axle while simultaneously being flimsy and weak. It creates a failure point that is weaker than stock and will miss-align the axle, while you are trying to raise and strengthen your Jeep. The instructions were also missing major steps like the fact that you have to disconnect the front anti sway bar links in order to have room to replace the springs. The lift also created a dangerous drive line vibration that requires a SYE and longer/better driveshaft to resolve. If you get this kit plan to buy the other parts I mention here and do it right so that you don't wind up with a death wobble machine. I have not driven it enough yet to comment on the springs but they appear to be slightly heavier duty than stock and the protective coating appears to be solid and thick.

As mentioned in the tread above, I would also/now stay away from Teraflex, and I did not find "Extreme Terrain" helpful. Your best help and guidance is going to be a few people on this form and others who have done all this before. Thanks to all who have provided meaningful comments.

[Clutch]

Let’s see some pictures! Glad you got everything worked out.


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