Originally Posted by
Dru
Hitesh, Kerry just pulled me up for not responding to this. It's an open question. 10 Jeepers will have at least 25 different thoughts on it! In a nut shell my recommendations for JK will be:
C+/B Grade 2" lift 33" ATs
B+/A Grade 3" lift 35" muds and lockers.
Recommendations is not a requirement though. Mostly it's about how much damage you are happy to risk. Details thoughts:
1. OK let's start with protection "rock sliders!" Kerry is calling out. Yes and good ones that will take the load of the car. Not plastic things designed to help you step into the truck. WE swapped the Rubicon sliders for Uneek. Happy with them.
2. Diff covers - you want something that will take a hit - ARB etc is fine, we have AEV. While doing the diff, get some decent diff breathers installed with the suction point high somewhere in the jeep out of the way.
3. Serious recovery points front and rear - generally you do this with replacement bars. The rear is most often overcome with a tow hitch. The tow bar can be removed and the pin is excellent for rear recovery. Front recovery points depend on the bar. Our front bar is Mopar, our rear bars is AEV - I don't particularly like either.
4. Sway bar disconnects. Make sure you are happy with the ease of use - it will be you swearing at the truck hitting things with an anvil trying to pull it apart and put it back together. Start and finish of every trip.
5. Think about tyres and think about look. Most things flow from these two items. I dont think that 33" tyres will fit in the width of the standard fenders, though others have a different view. If you are to replace the fenders, in terms of look, do you like or hate flat fenders? For tyres at 33" you may be able to get away with keeping wheels and fenders. Not for 35".
6. 33" tyres will require a 2" lift. For a lift, you want to make sure that the engineering is geometry corrected. There are videos on this or it is easier to explain in a chat. Modification equipment suppliers can generally manage a 2" or 2.5" lift with pre-manufactured brackets. This makes the components and install a lot cheaper. This is a lift strategy, where for people who have got it, say it is fully legal. Perhaps, but does it look legal enough that you wont be pulled over? Probably. It is a go to solution for Wrangler in NSW. You avoid the cost of certification.
7. 35" you can't pretend. You need a full 3" lift. That is top heavy and tippy, so the track needs to get wider to compensate - new wheels with a different offset to add maybe 25mm track. You wont fit under the flares so go back to the look. Think about you front and rear bars and whether they fit the new tyres. We have problems on the rear and had to introduce bump stops which kills some of the articulation we paid for! The modification equipment is much more expensive - you can't have preset kit, everything has to be adjustable. I also think you should change the rations on the diffs to allow for the 35"s. Everything gets costly.
8. Underbody armour? I'm not sure it's needed and it adds a hell of a lot of weight to the Jeep. that is a win some lose some scenario. We ended up going for it.
Other thoughts? For me AEV sets the benchmark. No doubt about it. In both 2" and 3" lifts. You seriously don't go to any other gear unless you are convinced what you are doing is better than AEV. And yes I think I have done better. We are an unplanned hybrid of AEV bars, with Synergy and Terraflex suspension. And I wont go back to AEV.
How does this gear rate? Depends on the driver.
2" on 33"s as discussed, fully tuned - B grade as you push it.
3" on 35" as discussed, fully tuned - almost A grade as you push (our Jeep).
But then, Steve Foster driving my 33" spec on my disrespected AEV solution, drove first attempt over the A grade pinch point on Mt Airlie. And me on my wannabe A grade, took multiple attempts, seriously tested out the rock rails, damaged fenders etc. Sometimes I have better days!
And there is much further to go - coil overs, long arms, hi lift steering, hydraulics, hydraulic bump stops and on it goes - for what I truly think is an A grade Jeep (we are not there yet!)
Enjoy!
Dru
