Honest opinions is lifting my 09 JK worth it

[lax71vcu]

I would go with take off springs

sets the jeep up a bit higher and gives a bit of a stiffer spring. That would be my route.

I have a JKUR that I wanted to set up a bit higher and with stiffer springs. I went with 1" Synergy progressively wound springs. I love the results.

I do have my rubicon springs if you are interested. I am in Va. if I can help let me know.

 

[swift7777]

My 2 Door with Rubi Coils, 18's up front & 60's in the back, at the time this photo was taken I also had the rubi shocks in there, now I switched to Old Man EMU for a 2.5 inch lift.

Jeep still rides great, no need to change driveshafts or upgrade trackbar, & mpg's are still reasonable. I've wheeled this set up all over the East Coast and never really felt like I needed anything more.

 

[Septu]

If you don't plan on doing serious rock crawling and just want to hit up fire roads you probably don't need a lift. However the factory springs and shocks are pretty soft on the sport model. I upgraded to some JKU Rubicon springs (18s & 59s) and shocks and got a little over 1" lift on my 2 door. it's the perfect height for my 33's and gives a pretty good ride. A lot more firm but it feels better. No more crazy brake dive.

I second the opinion on some used JKU Rubi springs. That should net you .75-1.5". Swap out the tires to something more aggressive than the stock sport tires. You didn't say if you have a 6spd or a auto. If you have the 6spd, I'd go to 33s. Looks great, and would be a very capable machine. If you have an auto, I'd probably go with something closer to your stock size. A little bigger (1-2" max), but not much. You'll really notice the new tires with the auto. Good news is Toronto/GTA is pretty flat, so if you do have the auto, it shouldn't be too bad.

On my JKUR, first thing I did was bumper and winch, then tires (very aggressive 33s). I'll have had it 2 years in Feb, and I'm only just getting ready for the lift now (likely early in the new year). I wheel it several times a month. While a lift would have kept my belly from rubbing, it hasn't stopped me from getting to where I wanted to go (sometimes the winch had to assist ).

 

[bob91yj]

Another vote for the Rubicon take off parts, biggest all terrain tires that will fit with out rubbing, skid plates/armor, and solid recovery points. Good skid plates/armor will generally let you slide/drag/bang over the odd obstacle without causing any real damage.

I've known/seen way too many overbuilt internet Jeeps that the owner hates in the end. Generally speaking, the more you do to make it capable off road, makes it less capable on road. Figure out what it won't do right now that you want it to be able to do, and build it to meet YOUR needs, not what the current interweb craze thinks you need (AirRock suspension comes to mind for TJ's/LJ's, Revolver shackles on YJ's).

 

[toylandcruiser]

I put 285/70R17 AT's on my 2010 2 door and am HAPPY with 0" of lift. I had debated about 35's and lift, but being REALISTIC when was I ever going to need all of that.

I did Bilstein 4600's to replace my stock shocks, but it did not change my COG

Shocks won't change cog

 

[jeep-N-montero]

There are guys running 35's with just a tummy tuck, flares and maybe a leveling kit, but personally don't think you need anything larger than 33's to run 90% of the trails from coast to coast.

 

[Longtallsally]

I agree with no lift- or a very mild lift. I put simple 2" springs in mine just to account for the weight of the winch on the front. I'm glad I did it, but I also run the stock tires and thus, have not really experienced a drop off of more than 1mpg with the extra 300 lbs of armor and the winch. The armor was the single best upgrade.

Proof you don't need a huge lift and tires is in the fact that I did THE Rubicon trail with my largely stock machine. I took on some dings, but that was more based on a tight timeline, than a lack of vehicle capability. I never even spooled out the winch. I know the trail is not as rough as it used to be, but it still is no slouch, and sounds like a lot more difficult than you plan on doing.

So the "big lift big tire" crowd is a little silly in my opinion.

This is immediately after buttoning everything up. The springs have settled a bit since then and it really looks darn near stock.

 

[Septu]

So the "big lift big tire" crowd is a little silly in my opinion.

I'll be honest. I love the way a JKU looks with 4" and 35s. Do most people need that much lift? No, not at all. But I still think it looks bad ***. Once you exceed what you want it to do, it becomes a preference thing.

 

[haven]

Why not use the jeep in stock form, and take note of the times you have difficulties on the trail? Most mild obstacles can be overcome without mods. After you have experience driving on the trails you like, you'll know what mods will be useful.

Installing stronger springs, as suggested above, makes sense if you have loaded up the front end with a winch and offroad bumper.

 

[Stumpalump]

Stock sucks and is too soft and you all know it but I'm horrified at what suspension company's do. So keep it stock or keep reading. All of the most important parameters for decent suspension are not even considered by suspension "kit" companies. They can't tell you the spring rate, pre-load, rebound or compression dampening. They can tell you what size tire fits. Pathetic. I think AEV did the research but if it was me I'd call Deaver spring for coils and Bilstein, Fox or King for shocks and do it myself. Keep it low and get out of your head that a much higher rate will give a harsh ride. I'd go up around 100 lbs on the springs over stock and cut the coils to dial in the lowest height I could live with but only on the advise of Deaver. Run the JKS coil spacers with built in air bumps for the ultimate if you like and have Bilstein get you in contact with a Jeepspeed builder that can get you shock valving specs that they use on light days. 20% more money, 10% more time and a suspension that will perform on the road, rocks or high speed wild hair up your ******** runs that you will love when it's right. You will spend a week of spare time ordering up the right stuff but do not trust the internet or the suspension kit company's that do not manufacture their own shocks or springs. Period! Yes I'm yelling. Let me repeat... Do not trust the internet or suspension kit company's for your suspension needs. Ever. Burn this info in guys unless you only want to clear a bigger tire for looks.

 

[Espo78]

So you are advising that cutting after market lift coils is somehow better than buying a lift kit from a reputable company? Huh?

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Stock sucks and is too soft and you all know it but I'm horrified at what suspension company's do. So keep it stock or keep reading. All of the most important parameters for decent suspension are not even considered by suspension "kit" companies. They can't tell you the spring rate, pre-load, rebound or compression dampening. They can tell you what size tire fits. Pathetic. I think AEV did the research but if it was me I'd call Deaver spring for coils and Bilstein, Fox or King for shocks and do it myself. Keep it low and get out of your head that a much higher rate will give a harsh ride. I'd go up around 100 lbs on the springs over stock and cut the coils to dial in the lowest height I could live with but only on the advise of Deaver. Run the JKS coil spacers with built in air bumps for the ultimate if you like and have Bilstein get you in contact with a Jeepspeed builder that can get you shock valving specs that they use on light days. 20% more money, 10% more time and a suspension that will perform on the road, rocks or high speed wild hair up your ******** runs that you will love when it's right. You will spend a week of spare time ordering up the right stuff but do not trust the internet or the suspension kit company's that do not manufacture their own shocks or springs. Period! Yes I'm yelling. Let me repeat... Do not trust the internet or suspension kit company's for your suspension needs. Ever. Burn this info in guys unless you only want to clear a bigger tire for looks.

About half of that was correct info, the rest is just bad advice. I know a number of companies that now list the spring rates, but this has only been in the last 2-3 years.

 

[buellmech]

My main reason for asking about the lift was I need to buy new tires, and I hate spending money on things that are just for looks, thanks everyone for the advice

 

[profdlp]

My main reason for asking about the lift was I need to buy new tires, and I hate spending money on things that are just for looks, thanks everyone for the advice

If someone is buying it so they can look cool cruising down Main St. on Saturday night, or so their friends all go "wow", then it's just for looks. (Which is fine for those who do enjoy spending money for those things; I'm not knocking that.) If someone wants bigger tires and more ground clearance in order to get to places they couldn't otherwise go, it's money well spent. Drawing the line between the two is up to each individual's preferences and needs.

Decide which you want and need, then make yourself happy.

 

[redthies]

My main reason for asking about the lift was I need to buy new tires, and I hate spending money on things that are just for looks, thanks everyone for the advice

If you NEED new tires, then buy the size you want. The difference in price between a stock size tire, and one that is a size or two bigger is basically zilch. With the Rubicons, there is only one or two tires that come in the stock size (255/75-17). If you want a different tread style, you can only go up or down in size. I'm running 285/75-17 Toyo AT2s now, with a 2.5" OME coil (they know their spring rates and always have). The Toyos are light years ahead of the stock BFGs.