[LA_ri_yen]

Hi all, I've had my jeep for about 5 days now. I scored a 2003 sport wrangler with 50k miles. It's in great condition. It's my first jeep, and even though I've always wanted one, I don't know a whole lot about them. But I'm willing to learn. I've owned over 20 vehicles in my short life and have sunk lots of money into each, so I'm not new to the modification world.
With that said, I'm looking to do a simple lift, so I can fit some 33"s. so far, I see a lot of talk for the rough country 3.25" lift. I don't want to get rid of my factory ride. I live in southeast Louisiana where the only rock climbing I will be doing is my gravel driveway to my house. I'm mainly going for a more aggressive look, and just incase I take it off road I'll be ready. Any and all suggestions are welcome.

 

[Chris]

You picked a good place to learn here.

I have run a few Rough country lifts with no issues but they are a tad bit stiffer of a ride. Old man emu springs are supposed to be some of the smoothest out there. I don't have a TJ so hopefully others will chime in.

 

[LA_ri_yen]

You picked a good place to learn here.

I have run a few Rough country lifts with no issues but they are a tad bit stiffer of a ride. Old man emu springs are supposed to be some of the smoothest out there. I don't have a TJ so hopefully others will chime in.

Thank you Chris. Yes that was a rather fast response, so it seems like I chose the right place to ask.
I guess I got carried away, but a main question I had was, if I do a 3.25" lift, will I need to replace anything stock? Am I going to put anything in a bind? I've lifted vehicles before, but never a jeep. They seem a little more complex. Thanks again.

 

[Chris]

Your rear axle is your weak point if it is the dana 35. I would not go more than 33's for wheeling and 35's if you are light footed and only really use it for street driving.

 

[Chris]

If you lift it to much (I know on a YJ it is 4 inch) you will need an SYE (Slip yoke eliminator) and new rear driveshaft.

 

[LA_ri_yen]

If you lift it to much (I know on a YJ it is 4 inch) you will need an SYE (Slip yoke eliminator) and new rear driveshaft.

That's what I've been reading. That's why I'm thinking the 3.25" with the 33"s is the way to go for me. Thanks for your input!
I'm also looking to replace my bumpers and add some aftermarket armor. Any suggestions on where to shop or order from? Maybe places to stay away from? Thanks

 

[Chris]

Depends on the quality you want and the price you want to spend. Read this.

http://www.wranglerboard.com/f13/smittybilt-products-711/

 

[LA_ri_yen]

Wow, great read! That helped a lot.
Sounds like I'll be ok with a rough country 3.25" lift, 33" tires, and some smittybuilt bumpers for what I am looking to do with my jeep.
Thanks!

 

[Chris]

If it is all show then that is an ok way to go but the RC lift may be a rougher ride then stock? I personally didn't have any issues but have heard some complaints. I an RC lift on a Cherokee and two on YJ's with no problems and a decent ride. Hopefully other will chime in on their experiences.

 

[LA_ri_yen]

Yea I'm not rushing into anything. It's not my daily driver. More of a weekend warrior. I've had lifted, lowered, slammed, air-ride suspension, fast, furious....you name it...so I'm not looking for a Cadillac ride. I can deal with 'non-factory' ride quality. I'm just looking for a light mod that looks aggressive, without having to change a lot of parts and one that won't put a strain on anything.
I am going to use my jeep off road, but not often. And not to the extreme.

 

[UserName02102]

I'm not sure about the RC 3.25 lift but I know their 4" lift came with lower control arms. My brother and I did the 4" on his 98 TJ sport and it's slowly turning into a Frankenstein lift due to premature wear on RC's parts. So far we've replaced his rear lower control arms and all 4 shocks from RC with skyjacker parts. Also your going with a good choice of height because a 4" lift requires a transfer case drop or taller motor mounts which throws your transfer case shifter out of wack. I'm just throwing that on the table so you can ponder on the brand you want to go with.

 

[LA_ri_yen]

Yes thank you for the response and input. The 4" lift looks great and I'm sure gives you that extra ground clearance, but after reading about the transfer case drop, it didn't sound like anything I was ready to mess with. I have read several reviews about rough country's shocks and parts, falling to pieces within a year. I'm still listening guys, and thanks for the input.

 

[Mumblewood]

If ya dont want to mess with the factory ride you could do a 2" budget boost and a body lift. You will still have your same springs. if ya don't plan on doin much hard jeepin for a while this is this great way to go. It's also fast and cheap.

If ya want to do a spring lift me and a few of my friends have used tera-flex lifts. We all have liked them and I still use the springs on my long arm kit. If fact i have been useing the same springs since 03. I also have friends that use full traction springs rubicon express and fabtech with no complaints.

Remember though that springs arent that expensive and can be swapped pretty easy. I also only expect to get about 10-12 years out of them under heavy beatings before hey start to sag and need replacing

 

[eastcoastcam]

Rough Country has come a long way in the past couple years with the quality of their bushings and shocks. I know of several people here running their gear with no complaints, everthing from the 3.25" kit to the 4" & 6" long arm kits. I am running 33"x10.5" tires with just a BB and coils from a Rubicon. I believe the 3.25" kit comes with a TC drop, but it's best to not install it right away and wait and see if you have driveshaft vibes first without it. The TC drop for that kit is less than the 4" kit, giving you the same height gain to your bellypan.

 

[LA_ri_yen]

Next question, I'm new to a jeep and also new to this forum. Is there a local's section? I can't seem to find it, and I'd live to meet up with some jeep enthusiast to point me in the right direction.

 

[marinadiehl95]

Next question, I'm new to a jeep and also new to this forum. Is there a local's section? I can't seem to find it, and I'd live to meet up with some jeep enthusiast to point me in the right direction.

Go to regional forums I think it's called. I think it's the last one on the list Atleast on the app it is. I'm a newbie toooo