mac,re: airbag @no horn: answering your question-no water in the dashboard. and to mtngal- i've got a 2001 sport with dana 44 package. any ideas? thanks, harry
Unfortunately, no other ideas. Yours is too new to have the infamous '98 dash gauge problem.
Tom - hang in there guy. My other half says he'll try again week after next (going to get Zyban next week). Hopefully he'll be able to get through that 3 month hump this time. If he does, he will have beaten me - I didn't get through it until the 3rd try!
I guess it was about seven or eight years ago that I "got on the patch" and made it 30 days without smoking. You know how memory works, though, so it might have been ten years ago.
Yeah, I'm a few years older now (I'm 54 now), but I still don't think that explains why I am not seeing the immediate improvements that I did back then.
I guess I oughta go to the doc and see about my sinuses. I just can't seem to breath through my nose, so I breathe through my mouth all night and wake up with a dry mouth. I also feel like I haven't slept. I probably have sleep apnea, and I had been blaming that on smoking. It still COULD be smoking, and it's just taking longer this time to get better.
Oh well, I would be foolish to give up after this long, so I am still plugging away. I need to break my previous record of 30 days, at least! I can then set a new goal, once I reach that one.
Thanks, Glen, and thanks to ALL of my Buds in here. You guys probably don't even realize how much inspiration you are. One good motivating factor for me is knowing how you guys are pulling for me and how you would be disappointed if I fell off the wagon.
I think your experience 8 years ago differs from now because you were on the patch. You were still getting Nicotine on the patch and now you are totally cold turkey.
You should check the humidity in your house. Low humidity could be causing your sinus issue and the resulting dry mouth. We had the same problem here and I put a humidifier in the bedroom. It worked wonders....
I am now saving to have whole house humidifiers added to our 2 furnaces. These will be controlled by a humidistat.
Our houses should have about 70% humidity but in the winter our furnaces dry out the air to about 20%, which is dryer than the Sahara Desert (see I knew I could get a Jeep reference in this post).
Hey Tom I know I don't get a good nights sleep when I'm sick, so if you are that could be a little of it. Lick Kelleyo said you went cold turkey this time so that could be a little bit of it too.
Kelleyo I hope that you get a good humidifier unit. I know the one on our furnace doesn't work that great. Still have to have a room humidifier on some nights.
I tried a room humidifier when we first moved up here. I liked it but my husband hated it. This area certainly goes against the normal humidity thing of being lower inside in winter. I looked at my indoor-outdoor thermometer and it said the humidity inside was 30% with 20% outside. I've just gotten used to the lower humidity.
I agree with kelleyo about the differences between using the patch and going cold turkey. My other half tried the patch a number of years ago but it made him really jittery. That might be why you were feeling so wide awake last time. Just hang in there, it does take quite a while for all of that junk to get out of your system.
Gotta go now and try to start the Noble Black Steed. He hasn't moved in 2 weeks (we were gone last weekend) so I hope he starts. I sure wish it would snow enough to give me a good excuse to drive it to work.
Playing out in the mud and dirt definitely gives me a lift. Somehow I find it so satisfying to stand up on some hill/mountaintop overlooking scenery of trees, mountains, streams, and natural things. I'm getting old enough now that driving to that location (or being able to drive closer to it) has definite advantages. And remember, Wranglers are washable...
I thought that the OEM Mopar battery in my 1999 Sahara was getting a little weak since it seemed to be cranking a little bit slow on cold mornings. After all, the poor thing was at least five years old-the Jeep's build date is 1/99. I was going to buy an Exide Nascar Select from my local parts shop but I decided to have them load test the battery first. To my surprise, the battery tested out fine. I decided it still wouldn't hurt to remove the battery cables, clean them, and reinstall them with a set of anti-corrosion washers. While I was at it, I decided to check the electrolyte level of the battery cells. I carefully pried off both caps and found that every cell was down to the level of the plates. I topped up all six cells with distilled water and refitted the cables. The slow cranking was eradicated. I would suggest that everyone check the battery level at least every six months. I have followed this procedure with my other two cars and both still have their OEM batteries. One car is nine years old, the other is eight.
I have replaced my factory battery with a Yellow Top Optima for winching purposes. I guess I should have stayed with the factory battery until it proved that it couldn't handle the job. I might have been fine with it.
Hey, glad to hear you are still with me in this. Way to go!
Your idea about the humidifier might be right on the money. I think I will see if we have one around here, and if not, get one. That just might be the answer to my problem! Thanks.
Glad to hear that you are still beating the smoking habit; it DOES get easier-BTDT. I know you can do it! The problem with auto batteries is that most of them are touted as being maintenance free when in fact the cells still have caps and evaporation still takes place-particularly in a battery subjected to the hot under hood environment. I've even seen batteries with a huge label covering the top so that it appears maintenance free. Peel off the label and you'll find removable cell caps. That said, the Optimas are definitely the hot ticket for those who need the added capability and/or mounting flexibility. Are you getting much of an ice storm out your way? I took the Sahara out to get the paper and checked out the road conditions. We are getting a lot of sleet in addition to the freezing rain and the result is that the ice on the pavement has a "pebbled" texture and thus is nowhere near as slick as it would be otherwise. I didn't even bother to use 4WD. The forecast calls for another round of the nasty stuff later this afternoon/evening, though.
than I ever care to again!!!! Tom's picture of his car is pretty much all I've looked at today. I went to Lexington this weekend to pick up a little blue MGB. This morning as we were getting ready to head back to Mayfield it started a mixture of sleet and freezing rain. By the time we were pulling out of the drive everything had a .25" to .50" covering of ice. What normally is a 4.5 hour trip took 7 hours!! Boy am I glad to be home.
We're in the middle of an unanticipated 4-5 inch snow/sleet storm. For whatever reason, the roads were not pre-treated and were basically a mess.
Naturally, like any self-respecting Wrangler owner, I am out in my Sport having a blast playing in the snow.
So I come to an intersection in which an Acura Integra is stuck in about a 7 inch drift. Behind him, two snowplows are stopped with their drivers not knowing exactly what to do about the Acura that is clogging up the intersection.
Well, to make a long story short, I was able to save the day with my tow hook/straps and a little 4Lo. The snowplows were then able to continue on their way.
Tom - now THAT's some ice! That looks like one of those days when I'd stay home, even with a Wrangler!
We had a dusting of snow up here this morning, after a slow rain all day Saturday. So I took my Noble Black Steed over to a dirt road near home. The road is one that doesn't normally require 4WD, so I'm not thinking and start up in in 2WD. After wagging the rear end I remember to put it in 4hi. What a difference - no more wagging tail!
Everyone drive safely out there on those icy roads.
That's the way our region looks. My wife's car is in the body shop getting a few dings repaired so I'll be giving her a ride to and from work tomorrow. I hope it's all melted by then. My co-worker called and told me she'd cover all my cases if my son's school is closed(there's a method in her madness-she'd rather go to work than stay at home with her kids). They had a brief story on the news tonight about some poor [non-permissible content removed] who managed to roll his Rodeo-it happened @2 miles from my house. He said he was going down a hill when he "lost traction". I'd bet the farm he jumped on or off the throttle really fast and induced a bit of a shimmy from the rear axle, at which point he jammed on the brakes and became a passenger. Live and learn-although flipping your late model SUV onto it's roof is a somewhat expensive lesson...
Whenever I need some help I always come back to this forum. I always read this forum while I was planning the purchase of my second Jeep and I was wondering if I could receive some help now.
I want to lift my 2001 Wrangler and give it some larger tires, but I'm not able to do it myself. Does anyone know any shops in Southeast PA that do this sort of work or do you have any hints on how to locate such a shop that would perform this type of work?
I wouldn't worry too much about the power/weight thing. Good Lord, people put oversize tires on their Jeeps, often without re-gearing, and they add all kinds of weight in winches, heavy duty bumpers, armor, and tool boxes, etc. That 4.0 L engine has plenty of power.
What kind of lift did ya have in mind? If you are talking just a couple inches, then you could go with spring spacers and longer shocks, or you could go with new springs and shocks. Either way, at two inches, there is a real good chance that you would not need to relocate the trac bar, nor would you need to adjust for driveline angles. This should mean that you could do the job yourself. Small lifts are SIMPLE to install.
Tom - have fun on your trip - we'll be thinking of you. Don't know where you are headed, but my other half wanted to remind you how dangerous casinos are to those who are quitting smoking...
Unlimited - I'll go along with Tom - my Sport has lots of power and I don't think the extra length/cargo will make all that much difference. Of course, I don't expect it to be a sports car, either - just go up and down major hills (like from sea level to 6,000 feet daily).
Jeff - Sorry I can't help you on the 4x4 shops - I'm from SoCal and haven't been in PA in over 10 or 15 years...
jb, As Tom mentioned, lifts are not that hard to install. However if you are not able to do that at this time I suggest you contact some 4X4 clubs in your area for input on shops that would do honest reliable work. Hey, you may even meet some great people that would help you with your lift! Tera Flex and Rubicon Express are two brand names that are respected in lifts.
300 pounds won't make a difference. My family members are all pretty big. When my largest brother rides along in my Wrangler(about 390 - he's no small boy!) I don't notice a difference at all in handling, response, etc, even at highway speeds (up to 80 to keep up with traffic). I DID notice a difference at highway speeds when I had a full load of my brothers. I think the biggest problem was distribution - myself and one of my younger brothers were on the left (about 450 combined) and my two older brothers were on the right. (about 700 combined) At around 70, I couldn't accelerate as quickly, and I had to compensate some in the steering. Around town, it was as quick as usual. The full load at highway speeds isn't something I want to do again - I could almost see the gas needle dropping! (It was pretty windy at the same time, which didn't help gas mileage or handling) However, I think it is a testament to how strong the Wrangler is.
Not sure I'm gonna be taking that trip. I was going to North Carolina, but they are having an ice storm.
Anyway, be SURE to do some research before getting that four inch lift. Some people will tell you that you really need a long arm (control arms) type lift for four inches. Also, you will DEFINITELY need driveline angle correction, which will most likely be a transfer case drop. The trac bar will also have to be relocated for that much lift.
You can live with the transfer case drop, but the best way to correct for driveline angles is to get a slip yoke eliminator and a new CV driveshaft, and that stuff ain't cheap.
If you dont' know what is meant by driveline angles, it refers to the position of the output yoke at the back of the transfer case in relation to the position of the pinion yoke on your differential. You are raising the transfer case four inches, but the differential is not going up any higher. (The differential will go up with the bigger tires, but so will the transfer case, so that won't help.) Anyway, that changes the angles between t-case and diff, and that makes your U-joints work outside of their designed angle range. This results in driveline vibration.
A three inch suspension lift is usually as high as you can go without taking expensive countermeasures to combat problems that the lift causes.
As well as the vibration issue that Tom describes above, you also have a problem with the now reduced wheelbase. The axles don't move up and down vertically as most people think, they swing in an arc towards each other. Adjustable longer upper and lower arms will correct this, but at additional expense.
You also need to consider the front track bar, which will need to be replaced with an adjustable one. A four inch lift is also about the point where you need to consider a dropped pitman arm to avoid bump steer.
I could go on, but a four inch suspension lift is a BIG step up, both in engineering requirements and cost. If you must go to four inches, at least consider a three inch suspension lift with a one inch body lift.
I'm still waiting to get to the spring install (OME) on my Jeep, but I went ahead and installed the shocks until I can get a chance to do the rest of the lift. The stock shocks I had were the "high pressure" gas shocks that come wiht the 30" tire package. I replaced them with the OME shocks (also gas pressurized, but they require a much lower compression force than the stock shocks). Ride quality on road is definitely softer. The Jeep really soaks up washboard roads and cracks/potholes in the pavement. I am very suprised at the change (improvement to me) in ride quality. I'll post again after I get the springs and track bars installed. Going from the stock high pressure to the lower pressure shocks, I lost almost 1/8" all around. Given the longer springs I'm installing, I'm shooting for a net gain of 2 - 2.5".
Wow!! I didn't realize it would include that much modification.
So it seems if I go with a 3" suspension lift, there won't be much more to modify other than the suspension? Am I correct? I guess with the larger tires, I would also have to change the gearing.
Well, we got our first snow since I got Amy. It was great. By the time I got out on most of the main roads they were all cleared off but the back roads and neighborhood roads were fun. Shoveled the drive way the easy way, just drove over it. Packed it down and left a nice base of the freezing rain we are supposed to get tonight.
It was great to see just about nothing but Jeeps on the road. Wranglers everywhere, a few Liberty's, and Grands. The Range Rovers were out today too. Only saw a few cars, surprise surprise they were pissed off that all the Jeeps were out and driving SMART.
Hopefully some more snow will fall tonight with the other stuff and I can have more fun tomorrow.
We may be able to give you some better suggestions if you can tell us more about your current setup (current size tires and gearing, auto/manual) and waht you're trying to acheive with the lift (bigger tires, better articulation, etc.). Also, do you have a target tire size you're trying to fit? There may be more things that will be helpful, but those couple of questions should help us get you pointed in the right direction.
Twylie is correct in asking for more info from you.
We could give you better advice, if we knew where you're at now for tire size, transmission, and differential gearing and if we knew what size tires you had in mind after the lift.
If you happen to have a five speed tranny and the 3.73 gearing, you might find that your acceleration would be accetable with 33" tires and the current gears. That's a tough call... some people say it's OK, and some say it's too weak. You could certainly try it for a while, and see how you like it. You probably wouldn't get to use fifth gear too much.
Another big question is whether or not you are going to offroad with that Jeep. If you go wheelin' with it, then you will want to be able to disconnect the sway bar for better articulation. This could cause the tires to rub on the fender flares, if your lift is not big enough for the tires you put on.
Sorry to point all of this out and kinda disappoint you, but it is better for you to find out now than later.
The most important things to do are to:
1) decide what you really want for tire size
2) decide if you are willing to pay the price to do it right as far as the lift and the things associated with it for that tire size.
I have been running just a little 2" procomp spring and shock lift and 31" tires. This is MUCH better than no lift at all, and it did not involve regearing, driveline angle correction, nor trac bar relocation.
I want to go bigger someday, but I know what all would be involved, and I am not prepared financially to take that on right now. I want to do it right whenever I do it.
about doing something half-baked (I would use another word instead of baked).
When you do something, or even purchase something inferior, instead of doing it right the first time, you end up paying a lot more. In a case like this, not doing it right could cause more problems. You wouldn't want your suspension or tranny to break or fall out while driving down the highway. This is a potential life-critical thing here. No point in paying with a life.
Save the money and do the research. Figure out the best way to do it, then find the vendors with the reputation for quality and reliability. Tsjay brought up a few good ones. Ask around. Use your local 4x4 groups. Join em too!
In time, you may find a 4" lift is more than you need to accomplish what you want. I've seen several 2-2.5" lifts with huge tires on them that looked nice and mean.
I currently have just the stock tires(Goodyear Wrangler GS-A) and a manual transmission. I'm not sure how it is geared, but it's whatever was set from the factory.
I am not going for much more than just the look. I would like to place 33s on it or whatever the max is for a 3" lift.
Keep in mind as well - many states have laws about how far out tires can stick w/o protection. If they hang out too far, you'll need wider flares to cover them. Another expense to factor in.
I'm really all about the look and don't plan to do any real off-roading. The most my Jeep will see is snow. I think 33s and a 3" lift will be fine for the look I'm going for. Also, the price isn't a huge factor, but I would like some sort of ballpark factor if anybody has one.
As for the fender flares, I'll definitely have to think about them also as I live in PA and I do believe they are required.
Sounds like you are gonna be happy with 33s, and that you are not going to be worried about disconnecting the sway bar, since you are not going to be offroading.
A stock TJ with NO LIFT AT ALL can run 31" x 10.50" tires on factory wheels, which will have either 5.0 or 5.5" of backspacing. Some people have to install washers behind their turn stops to prevent rubbing of the tires on the control arms at full turn, but I didn't have to do that on Thelma Jane when I had the 10.50's and the factory wheels.
Backspacing determines how much your tires will be pushed outward from the frame, or pulled inward toward the frame, when mounted on the wheels. The higher the number for backspacing, the more the tires are pulled in toward the frame, and the less they will stick out past the flares.
I think I posted this not too long ago, but I'll do it again. This diagram shows plainly what backspacing means.
So, my man, if a stock Jeep will run 31's, it would be logical to assume that a two inch lift would handle 33's, and would even be a little better than 31's with no lift (you go up two inches on tire diameter, but it's the tire's RADIUS that matters for clearance).
A two inch lift is almost sure NOT to cause driveline vibes.
The cheapest way to get this two inches of lift would be two inch spring spacers and the longer shocks that you would need. I think you will be very pleased with the cost when you do some checking. These are called "Budget Boosts," because they get the job done cheaply. They wouldn't be as good as spring and shock lifts, if you were going to offroad, but they are fine just for tire clearance.
If you want to know your gearing, get a build sheet for your Jeep, and it will have that info. You can go to Jeep.com and then "contact Jeep." On the email form, tell them that you are requesting a build sheet, then give them the last eight characters in your VIN in the space they provide. You will get a VERY quick response from DC.
Hi Denver! I might have to consider one of those puppies, if I were in the market for a Jeep and didn't get the Rubi, but I am pretty certain I would have to have the Rubi.
They aren't fixing them up like Rubi's are they? Four to one T case, front and rear 44s, front and rear lockers, etc. ??? Now, if they were doing THAT...
Wow, we're in the midst of another arctic high. The temps were hovering around -33C (-27F, but more like -45F with wind-chill). Tonight it is supposed to hit -38C!! Even leaving Buffy plugged in all night doesn't help much. Sure it's easy to start up, but feels like all the lubricants are nearly solid.
Gave her about 6 minutes of idling followed by a couple of very slow driving... even after all that, once I let off the gas it was like I had the breaks on! Once I hit about 3000Km it will be time to use synthetics for everything except maybe the engine oil.
You can safely circulate and warm the transmission oil by putting the transfer box in neutral and engaging second or third gear while you're letting the engine warm up at idle. Of course, you'll have to have the parking brake engaged!
Ok, so I have a minor decision to make about the 2" or 3" lift, but it seems like the 2" will be my best bet. I'll have to start checking around some shops and some jeep clubs in PA to find out about someone doing the work.
I have another question. Do you know if the bigger/wider tires will keep the Jeep from being pushed around by the wind. This winter has been harsh for keeping control of the Jeep on a long stretch of highway I travel near the Delaware River. I'm hoping that having more tread on the road and a wider base will help with this.
Hey, that's a great idea! I actually leave the transfer case in neutral overnight anyway. Aside from not leaving anything of value inside (as well as opening the glove compartment and console), and a clutch lock, I hope it would act as a theft deterrent - in case of punks that don't know any better and are in a rush, they might not even notice why the vehicle won't go. The more time they waste, the more likely they'll get discouraged and go for something else. Hate to think that way, but living in a city where about 20 cars get stolen every night, it's a necessity (although I do realize that there are places where 20 stolen cars a night would probably be a "light" night).
Comments
Tom - hang in there guy. My other half says he'll try again week after next (going to get Zyban next week). Hopefully he'll be able to get through that 3 month hump this time. If he does, he will have beaten me - I didn't get through it until the 3rd try!
Yeah, I'm a few years older now (I'm 54 now), but I still don't think that explains why I am not seeing the immediate improvements that I did back then.
I guess I oughta go to the doc and see about my sinuses. I just can't seem to breath through my nose, so I breathe through my mouth all night and wake up with a dry mouth. I also feel like I haven't slept. I probably have sleep apnea, and I had been blaming that on smoking. It still COULD be smoking, and it's just taking longer this time to get better.
Oh well, I would be foolish to give up after this long, so I am still plugging away. I need to break my previous record of 30 days, at least! I can then set a new goal, once I reach that one.
Thanks, Glen, and thanks to ALL of my Buds in here. You guys probably don't even realize how much inspiration you are. One good motivating factor for me is knowing how you guys are pulling for me and how you would be disappointed if I fell off the wagon.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
I think your experience 8 years ago differs from now because you were on the patch. You were still getting Nicotine on the patch and now you are totally cold turkey.
You should check the humidity in your house. Low humidity could be causing your sinus issue and the resulting dry mouth. We had the same problem here and I put a humidifier in the bedroom. It worked wonders....
I am now saving to have whole house humidifiers added to our 2 furnaces. These will be controlled by a humidistat.
Our houses should have about 70% humidity but in the winter our furnaces dry out the air to about 20%, which is dryer than the Sahara Desert (see I knew I could get a Jeep reference in this post).
Hey Tom I know I don't get a good nights sleep when I'm sick, so if you are that could be a little of it. Lick Kelleyo said you went cold turkey this time so that could be a little bit of it too.
Kelleyo I hope that you get a good humidifier unit. I know the one on our furnace doesn't work that great. Still have to have a room humidifier on some nights.
Hang in there you two.
Tony
I agree with kelleyo about the differences between using the patch and going cold turkey. My other half tried the patch a number of years ago but it made him really jittery. That might be why you were feeling so wide awake last time. Just hang in there, it does take quite a while for all of that junk to get out of your system.
Gotta go now and try to start the Noble Black Steed. He hasn't moved in 2 weeks (we were gone last weekend) so I hope he starts. I sure wish it would snow enough to give me a good excuse to drive it to work.
Erik- Great Words thanx dude.
hmmm maybe playing in the mud is what I need
Keep Jeepin'
Bama
I have replaced my factory battery with a Yellow Top Optima for winching purposes. I guess I should have stayed with the factory battery until it proved that it couldn't handle the job. I might have been fine with it.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Your idea about the humidifier might be right on the money. I think I will see if we have one around here, and if not, get one. That just might be the answer to my problem! Thanks.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
The problem with auto batteries is that most of them are touted as being maintenance free when in fact the cells still have caps and evaporation still takes place-particularly in a battery subjected to the hot under hood environment. I've even seen batteries with a huge label covering the top so that it appears maintenance free. Peel off the label and you'll find removable cell caps. That said, the Optimas are definitely the hot ticket for those who need the added capability and/or mounting flexibility.
Are you getting much of an ice storm out your way? I took the Sahara out to get the paper and checked out the road conditions. We are getting a lot of sleet in addition to the freezing rain and the result is that the ice on the pavement has a "pebbled" texture and thus is nowhere near as slick as it would be otherwise. I didn't even bother to use 4WD. The forecast calls for another round of the nasty stuff later this afternoon/evening, though.
Had a great day of whelin' yesterday. Have you guys been keeping up with my picture posting in Gill's?
http://www.itsajeep.org/PhotoPost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppu- ser=4
Check em out.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Tony
Tom, I thought about you guys yesterday.
Naturally, like any self-respecting Wrangler owner, I am out in my Sport having a blast playing in the snow.
So I come to an intersection in which an Acura Integra is stuck in about a 7 inch drift. Behind him, two snowplows are stopped with their drivers not knowing exactly what to do about the Acura that is clogging up the intersection.
Well, to make a long story short, I was able to save the day with my tow hook/straps and a little 4Lo. The snowplows were then able to continue on their way.
Wow, Jeeps are fun
-Frank
We had a dusting of snow up here this morning, after a slow rain all day Saturday. So I took my Noble Black Steed over to a dirt road near home. The road is one that doesn't normally require 4WD, so I'm not thinking and start up in in 2WD. After wagging the rear end I remember to put it in 4hi. What a difference - no more wagging tail!
Everyone drive safely out there on those icy roads.
I like the idea of being able to carry 4 people and gear am concerned about the extra 300lbs without any more power.
Whenever I need some help I always come back to this forum. I always read this forum while I was planning the purchase of my second Jeep and I was wondering if I could receive some help now.
I want to lift my 2001 Wrangler and give it some larger tires, but I'm not able to do it myself. Does anyone know any shops in Southeast PA that do this sort of work or do you have any hints on how to locate such a shop that would perform this type of work?
I would appreciate any ideas.
Thanks
Jeff
Thanks for sharing the story with us. Yep, Jeeps are amazingly FUN (and useful), and that's for sure!
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
I wouldn't worry too much about the power/weight thing. Good Lord, people put oversize tires on their Jeeps, often without re-gearing, and they add all kinds of weight in winches, heavy duty bumpers, armor, and tool boxes, etc. That 4.0 L engine has plenty of power.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Sorry, Jeff.... the devil made me do it.
What kind of lift did ya have in mind? If you are talking just a couple inches, then you could go with spring spacers and longer shocks, or you could go with new springs and shocks. Either way, at two inches, there is a real good chance that you would not need to relocate the trac bar, nor would you need to adjust for driveline angles. This should mean that you could do the job yourself. Small lifts are SIMPLE to install.
Good luck.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Help jbwatts with his lift question, OK?
Maybe I can sneak on and read some posts, but I doubt if I will be able to make any posts.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Unlimited - I'll go along with Tom - my Sport has lots of power and I don't think the extra length/cargo will make all that much difference. Of course, I don't expect it to be a sports car, either - just go up and down major hills (like from sea level to 6,000 feet daily).
Jeff - Sorry I can't help you on the 4x4 shops - I'm from SoCal and haven't been in PA in over 10 or 15 years...
As Tom mentioned, lifts are not that hard to install. However if you are not able to do that at this time I suggest you contact some 4X4 clubs in your area for input on shops that would do honest reliable work. Hey, you may even meet some great people that would help you with your lift!
Tera Flex and Rubicon Express are two brand names that are respected in lifts.
Good Luck,
dewars
JeepHead
I'm actually planning on about a 4 inch lift.
I guess I'll look into some 4x4 clubs around here and see if I can find a good place.
Jeff
Anyway, be SURE to do some research before getting that four inch lift. Some people will tell you that you really need a long arm (control arms) type lift for four inches. Also, you will DEFINITELY need driveline angle correction, which will most likely be a transfer case drop. The trac bar will also have to be relocated for that much lift.
You can live with the transfer case drop, but the best way to correct for driveline angles is to get a slip yoke eliminator and a new CV driveshaft, and that stuff ain't cheap.
If you dont' know what is meant by driveline angles, it refers to the position of the output yoke at the back of the transfer case in relation to the position of the pinion yoke on your differential. You are raising the transfer case four inches, but the differential is not going up any higher. (The differential will go up with the bigger tires, but so will the transfer case, so that won't help.) Anyway, that changes the angles between t-case and diff, and that makes your U-joints work outside of their designed angle range. This results in driveline vibration.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
As well as the vibration issue that Tom describes above, you also have a problem with the now reduced wheelbase. The axles don't move up and down vertically as most people think, they swing in an arc towards each other. Adjustable longer upper and lower arms will correct this, but at additional expense.
You also need to consider the front track bar, which will need to be replaced with an adjustable one. A four inch lift is also about the point where you need to consider a dropped pitman arm to avoid bump steer.
I could go on, but a four inch suspension lift is a BIG step up, both in engineering requirements and cost. If you must go to four inches, at least consider a three inch suspension lift with a one inch body lift.
-twylie
So it seems if I go with a 3" suspension lift, there won't be much more to modify other than the suspension? Am I correct? I guess with the larger tires, I would also have to change the gearing.
It was great to see just about nothing but Jeeps on the road. Wranglers everywhere, a few Liberty's, and Grands. The Range Rovers were out today too. Only saw a few cars, surprise surprise they were pissed off that all the Jeeps were out and driving SMART.
Hopefully some more snow will fall tonight with the other stuff and I can have more fun tomorrow.
Tony
-twylie
Tony
We could give you better advice, if we knew where you're at now for tire size, transmission, and differential gearing and if we knew what size tires you had in mind after the lift.
If you happen to have a five speed tranny and the 3.73 gearing, you might find that your acceleration would be accetable with 33" tires and the current gears. That's a tough call... some people say it's OK, and some say it's too weak. You could certainly try it for a while, and see how you like it. You probably wouldn't get to use fifth gear too much.
Another big question is whether or not you are going to offroad with that Jeep. If you go wheelin' with it, then you will want to be able to disconnect the sway bar for better articulation. This could cause the tires to rub on the fender flares, if your lift is not big enough for the tires you put on.
Sorry to point all of this out and kinda disappoint you, but it is better for you to find out now than later.
The most important things to do are to:
1) decide what you really want for tire size
2) decide if you are willing to pay the price to do it right as far as the lift and the things associated with it for that tire size.
I have been running just a little 2" procomp spring and shock lift and 31" tires. This is MUCH better than no lift at all, and it did not involve regearing, driveline angle correction, nor trac bar relocation.
I want to go bigger someday, but I know what all would be involved, and I am not prepared financially to take that on right now. I want to do it right whenever I do it.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
When you do something, or even purchase something inferior, instead of doing it right the first time, you end up paying a lot more. In a case like this, not doing it right could cause more problems. You wouldn't want your suspension or tranny to break or fall out while driving down the highway. This is a potential life-critical thing here. No point in paying with a life.
Save the money and do the research. Figure out the best way to do it, then find the vendors with the reputation for quality and reliability. Tsjay brought up a few good ones. Ask around. Use your local 4x4 groups. Join em too!
In time, you may find a 4" lift is more than you need to accomplish what you want. I've seen several 2-2.5" lifts with huge tires on them that looked nice and mean.
-Paul
I am not going for much more than just the look. I would like to place 33s on it or whatever the max is for a 3" lift.
-Paul
I'm really all about the look and don't plan to do any real off-roading. The most my Jeep will see is snow. I think 33s and a 3" lift will be fine for the look I'm going for. Also, the price isn't a huge factor, but I would like some sort of ballpark factor if anybody has one.
As for the fender flares, I'll definitely have to think about them also as I live in PA and I do believe they are required.
Sounds like you are gonna be happy with 33s, and that you are not going to be worried about disconnecting the sway bar, since you are not going to be offroading.
A stock TJ with NO LIFT AT ALL can run 31" x 10.50" tires on factory wheels, which will have either 5.0 or 5.5" of backspacing. Some people have to install washers behind their turn stops to prevent rubbing of the tires on the control arms at full turn, but I didn't have to do that on Thelma Jane when I had the 10.50's and the factory wheels.
Backspacing determines how much your tires will be pushed outward from the frame, or pulled inward toward the frame, when mounted on the wheels. The higher the number for backspacing, the more the tires are pulled in toward the frame, and the less they will stick out past the flares.
I think I posted this not too long ago, but I'll do it again. This diagram shows plainly what backspacing means.
So, my man, if a stock Jeep will run 31's, it would be logical to assume that a two inch lift would handle 33's, and would even be a little better than 31's with no lift (you go up two inches on tire diameter, but it's the tire's RADIUS that matters for clearance).
A two inch lift is almost sure NOT to cause driveline vibes.
The cheapest way to get this two inches of lift would be two inch spring spacers and the longer shocks that you would need. I think you will be very pleased with the cost when you do some checking. These are called "Budget Boosts," because they get the job done cheaply. They wouldn't be as good as spring and shock lifts, if you were going to offroad, but they are fine just for tire clearance.
If you want to know your gearing, get a build sheet for your Jeep, and it will have that info. You can go to Jeep.com and then "contact Jeep." On the email form, tell them that you are requesting a build sheet, then give them the last eight characters in your VIN in the space they provide. You will get a VERY quick response from DC.
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
They aren't fixing them up like Rubi's are they? Four to one T case, front and rear 44s, front and rear lockers, etc. ??? Now, if they were doing THAT...
Tom
Have you hugged your Jeep today?
Gave her about 6 minutes of idling followed by a couple of very slow driving... even after all that, once I let off the gas it was like I had the breaks on! Once I hit about 3000Km it will be time to use synthetics for everything except maybe the engine oil.
Andrew
I have another question. Do you know if the bigger/wider tires will keep the Jeep from being pushed around by the wind. This winter has been harsh for keeping control of the Jeep on a long stretch of highway I travel near the Delaware River. I'm hoping that having more tread on the road and a wider base will help with this.
Thanks Mac!
Andrew