Topic: So I am new to this....

[nooneatall]

Hello to all!  After just discovering this site today, i must say, that i am glad for a site for all of us 4 bangers!  I have searched through many posts already, and have decided that i need to ask my own question...
I have a 95 Rio Grande Wrangler, that needs a new suspension.  Now, I am not much into off road suff, and it is my daily driver.  Everything is pretty much stock now, but i am looking at maybe the 1.5 to 2.5 lifts that are out there, mainly for a better stance (with some bigger tires, of course), but also, i just want to upgrade it without having to get a new driveshaft, etc. 
I was looking at the Black Diamond 1.5, or the 4wd hardware 2inch, as they seem in my price range, and pretty straight forward.  Also thought of the Pro Comp 2.5, but it said drive line mods may be needed.
I guess my question is, for my daily driver, (and i would like 31" tires) how do these fare?  Can somebody give me an idea of all of the other things i need to order with the kit to have on hand to  put this thing on over the course of a weekend?  ie: brake lines, shims, shackles, etc.
I really appreciate it, and thank you so much.

[Jeffy]

My choices for 2.5" and under...  OME and Rubicon Express 2.5 Extreme Duty.  You could also go with some custom leafs but those are around $150 each and do not come with anything like hardware or shocks. (This can be a good thing though.  Many lifts some with sub-par shocks.)  If you had to go cheap on the springs then at least get good shocks.  Pro-Comp leaf springs are stiff even for a 4.0L.  Unless you're planning on driving with a fully packed Jeep all the time, it probably isn't a good idea.  Lifts like Rancho, Trail Master, Pro-Comp, Rough Country, Superlift, Skyjacker, etc... haven't changed their leaf designs in a over a decade.  Most are considered really stiff.  Skyjacker and Superlift on the other hand are on the soft end.  Skyjackers and Superlifts have been known to bend (as in kink)easily.  4WD lifts are generic.  What you'll find out is that many of the lifts available are made by one company, McKoy Brothers in Canada.  They actually make many of the generic leafs and other companies sell them under their own name.  At one poing you could by Rubicon Express Standard leafs and they would have the same ID number painted on them as the Pro-Comps.  For 2.5" you might have to lower the transfer case which will reduce the angle for the driveshaft but also lower the shifters into the floor which can be a PITA.'

If your current leafs are in OK condition and want to fit 31's then I'd consider a 1" body lift and a .5-1" shackle lift.  Then get some Sway-bar disconnects and remove the front and rear track bars.  This will really soften up the suspension without costing a lot and it won't require you touch the driveshaft.  Although the shackles will change the pinion angles and front steering geometry a bit.  You can fix this with steel leaf spring shims.  They come in a number of angles.  Make sure you get the steel ones rather then the aluminum.  I've never had problems with the aluminum ones BUT they can crack and then work they way out.  Steel ones are cheap so it's not like they cost a lot more.  You will also need to move the brakelines.  Either you can get an extension kit like from Rubicon Express or you can relocate the front lines for free (check DIY) and then buy a longer rear line for another application. (I forget offhand what works for the rear.  You could get longer lines for the front (C20/30 I believe) but relocating them is cheaper.)

As for how long it will take, well that depends on where you live and how much rust there is.  You'll spend a lot more time if you have to deal with rust and broken bolts then with installing a new kit.

[nooneatall]

Thanks for the great info.  I have been kicking around the idea of putting a little lift on there for a couple of years, but had other obligations. 
I wish i could get by with a slight body lift or something, but my leafs have about 100k on them, and one side has a slight bend.  Since i need to replace these anyway, I thought I would go for a whole kit and be done.  I am fairly mechanically inlcined, and my brother in law is way into builing cars, etc., so I am confident that we will get this done.
Do the two kits you mention happen to come with everything i might need, out of the box?  Also, wondering on the best site to pick this up at.  My budget constraints might be a factor here, also.  That was one of the reasons I was looking at a couple of the less expensive kits.
D