Topic: 2-3'' Body Lift

[Islander]

Who makes the best kit?

[jackhammer]

I am going to get the 1"daystar...all poly w/new poly bodymounts...seems better than just metal spacers...for what its worth

[Jeffy]

I recommend not going over 2".  Your body mounts will thank you for it.

All of the 2" and up are made out of plastics now.  Back in the 80's and early 90's you could get aluminum body lifts that were 3" tall.  All of the aluminum ones have disappeared.  Good thing too.  People have learned that tall body lifts aren't the answer to lifting a vehicle.

The other concern is that these body lifts sit on top of the existing mounts and if they are warn they will need to be replaced.

Now you see many 1"-1.5" body lifts.  These came about because people wanted that extra lift to go from 33's to 35's without having to reinvest in a suspension lift.  MORE, Daystar, JKS, Currie are just a few.

Daystar is the only one who replaced the whole mount.  Less individual parts and replacing old worn mounts is it's biggest advantage.

Out of these 1" kits, there are two different types.  polymer and aluminum.  The advantage of the aluminum is that it doesn't degrade but can be cracked and will rust over time.  Polymer mounts will absorb some vibrations compared to aluminum but can rot over time.  They won't rust though.

If you're looking for some lift I suggest that you do it properly the first time.  Save up if you have to.  Adding a 3" body lift will require extending the fuel lines, extending the steering shaft and relocating the fan shroud.  Also, the transfer case and transmission stuci (manual) will need to be extended since they are attached to the frame.

If you're really hard up for cash, I suggest spreading the 3" around.  You can do a 1" body lift 1" shackle and or go with TJ flares and make an additional 1.5"-2" of room.

[Yellowcritter]

I run the daystar and have had no problems after 2 years of hard driving ... I would also recommend doing a motor mount lift at the same time. It would keep you from having to mess with relocating the fan shroud and using the t-case shifter bracket.  It also helps tuck the oil pan a little farther up and out of harms way and decreases the chances of having vibrations after doing a suspension lift.

Just my 2 cents.

[Islander]

Great advice, thanks everybody.

Here is my goal, if it helps clear some things up:

Right now - bone stock.  My goal is to get 33x12.5 on - the idea was a 2.5 SL and a 2'' BL.  I've heard that I'll need to lift the motor a little too (suggestions and/or sources?).  I figured I'll need longer brake lines, but a flex-a-lite is in the mail so I'm covered in that dept.  I didn't think about the steering shaft, but if I stay in the 1''-2'' area will I need to attack that as well?  Fuel lines should be easy enough - I'm sure they need some attention anyway after nearly 200k.  It is a manual - can I extend the shift arm inside the tub or is it more complex than that?  What exactly needs to be done to the t-case?  I'm getting some 7.25'' flares from a buddy at work for $100 - can't beat that from the prices I've seen.

I figure if I net 4.5'' and get those massive flares I'll clear w/ some room to spare.  This thing is going to be my DD for a while, and I don't plan on any WILD wheel'n - the most flex it'll see will be some mild dirt trails to/from a camp ground on occasion.

(Just to let everybody know - now that I've sold all my other projects and turned my attention to getting this old Jeep back in shape - my old lady wanting to trade her "baby" - a little 3 series - in for a new Rubicon... who says Jeeps aren't for everybody?)

[Jeffy]

Ugh, get the right wheels for your application and you won't need huge flares.

You can get a 12.5" wire tire tucked so only 1-2" stick out last the stock flares with 4.5" BS.  Adding 7.25" flares would really look weird.  Not to mention who makes 7.25" flares?  The widest I've seen are Warn Trail Flares which are 7".  Most others are 6". You won't need flares if you're going to use the stock wheels anyway.

As for brakelines you can extend the front lines, in the HOW-TO.  You do not need a MML but it might be good.

Honestly, if it was me, I'd go with a 1" body, 1" shackle and TJ flares.  Otherwise, look for a used 2.5" kit and add a 1" body lift.  Adding a tall body lift can be more work then a short suspension lift.  Not to mention, looks tacky and stresses your body mounts which can lead to tears in the body.

[Islander]

Here are similar flares to the ones I was talking about:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=8050703001&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT

I'll try the 2.5 SL and a 1 BL - if I need flares after that I'll look into something more subtle - I measured out 7.25 from the fender and you're right - it would look really wierd.  I'm getting some simple black d-window 15x10's - I was guessing at something with at least 4.0 BS but I found some cheap with a 3.75 locally so I make stick them on and see how they feel.  I'll probably do all the brake lines in SS while I'm under there, like you said - to it right the first time and all that...  Anybody know a good source for a MML?

[Jeffy]

Ew, pocket flares....  3.75" will have them stick out pretty far.  Probably stick out 85% of the tire.  I run 3.75" with 12.5's and I wish I had more BS so they would tuck under more.

[Yellowcritter]

Running the 4 banger you don't need a bomb proof motor mount and the factory mount transmits basicly no vibration like Daystar and others do. I would just go with the JKS style that raises the factory mount ... they come in an aluminum puck and a stamped steel version. I run the puck style but, I know people that run the stamped and I haven't heard anything bad about either.

A couple of guys in our local club run a YJ with 33's. One has a 2.5" Skyjacker and 1" BL, the other runs a 4" Procomp and neither have rubbing problems.  They are running aluminum wheels with 3.75 BS with factory flares, but one of the main things to help keep from rubbing are the right bump stops.

[Islander]

That's exactly what I wanted to hear critter - thanks a lot for the advice and again for the pics.

I'll be doing the 2.5 and 1 with some sort of MML - depending on the $$ involved - if it's not too drastic a difference I'll do the Daystar, otherwise I'll check out JKS.

[jagular7]

I run the Daystar poly 1" body lift. Wasn't a problem to install at all. Only add anti-seize to the bolt to keep them from becoming a problem later on. Suggestion to install those side mounts to the grille, remove your headlights to gain access to the cavity. You'll need to pull them through the hole to pop them in. I added the motor mount later, but I did trim the bottom of the shroud to clear the fan after the body lift. Do note, that the body lift kit should contain a bracket to relocate you t-case shifter bell crank. THe crank is secured between the trans and the floor. Skyjacker has a bracket kit to remove the bell crank from the floor.

Also, due to you looking to run larger tires, I'll assume you'll be getting new wheels. The 12.5" wide tire provides a lot of tread contact for urban driving (street). That's a lot of friction to overcome for the 4cyl. I'll suggest that you look into a less wide tire, like those along the 10-11" wide. These widths are not readily available in the 15" rim size, but step up to a 16" rim and they are everywhere in ATs and MTs. I should have gone that route but didn't. I do run on 34x10.5 LTBs on 15x7s and don't really have much choice for running an AT tire or another MT tire. THe backspacing tucks the tires up well in the flares. Check out http://www.4bangerjp.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=745 message and pics.

[Islander]

Thanks for looking out jagular7 - granted 12.5'' of tread my put an un-needed strain on the little 2.5L, but I'm subconsciously trying to blow it up so I can stick a well built 4.0 in.  Nothing against the 2.5L it's a great motor - but mine as been run for 200k, nearly all urban stop and go driving... it'll be a mercy killing.  As long as it'll last another 5k before grenading I'll be happy.  Then I'll be putting in a 4.0 auto (St. Thomas has VERY steep roads, a standard DD isn't much fun).

[Yellowcritter]

That's exactly what I wanted to hear critter - thanks a lot for the advice and again for the pics.

I'll be doing the 2.5 and 1 with some sort of MML - depending on the $$ involved - if it's not too drastic a difference I'll do the Daystar, otherwise I'll check out JKS.

Just wanted to make sure I didn't confuse you. Daystar makes one of the best body lifts around, but their motor mount lifts transmit a lot of vibration from the motor through to the driver. Where the JKS products use the factory motor mount and just raises it up an inch the same as a body lift does the chassis so no added vibration. I ran a daystar mml for a month or so and then went to the JKS ... just couldn't handle the vibes.

Here's a link from a friends website, he is a good person to deal with.

http://www.jeepinoutfitters.com/scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=85

[Jeffy]

Running the 4 banger you don't need a bomb proof motor mount and the factory mount transmits basicly no vibration like Daystar and others do. I would just go with the JKS style that raises the factory mount ... they come in an aluminum puck and a stamped steel version. I run the puck style but, I know people that run the stamped and I haven't heard anything bad about either.

JKS has a aluminum and stamped steel body lift? When did they switch from Durathane? :?:

[Yellowcritter]

JKS has a aluminum and stamped steel body lift? When did they switch from Durathane? :?:[/quote]

Was talking about the motor mount lifts by JKS ... thought I cleared that up on last post. Sorry.