What You Need to Know About Lifting a Jeep Wrangler. The Jeep Wrangler is a well-known off-road vehicle. This bulky SUV, available in two or four-door variants, has solid axles front and rear, removable doors and top, and a manual transmission. The standard Sport grade has 9.7 inches of ground clearance, while the off-road-ready Rubicon has 12.9 inches.
THE PERFECT LIFT KIT FOR YOUR JEEP WRANGLER
Body lifts and suspension lifts are the two most prevalent types of lift kits. Your Wrangler could benefit from a body lift kit. For $89.95, Rough Country, one of many off-road equipment suppliers, provides a 1.25-inch body lift kit. A suspension lift, on the other hand, will raise both the frame and the body from the axle, making more clearance for larger tires and clearing obstacles while off-roading. A leveling device that lifts only the front of your truck to level its ride height is also available.
HOW TO LIFT YOUR WRANGLER WHILE MAINTAINING THE FACTORY WARRANTY
Jeep’s in-house performance division, Mopar, offers a 2-inch suspension lift kit that will keep your Jeep’s factory warranty intact. It costs roughly $2,000 and includes Bilstein shocks, springs, and extended and lower front control arms with larger tire bushings. The Jeep-branded wooden carton houses the equipment. Pricing is for parts only and does not include the necessary longer brake lines or professional installation.
If you wish to lift your Wrangler higher than the Mopar kit would allow, you can look to the aftermarket, but keep in mind that aftermarket parts may void some of your factory warranty. Several aftermarket lift kits provide up to 5 inches of lift. For example, Fabtech Motorsports sells a kit that allows for 37-inch tires. (If you install tube fenders and are willing to reduce the Jeep’s fenders, you could fit 40-inch tires.)
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In addition, the Fabtech package features front coilover shocks with remote reservoirs for improved high-speed damping, rear remote reservoir shocks, dual-rate rear springs, updated control arms, brake line relocation brackets, and other goodies. Except for wheels and tires, you won’t need to buy anything else, but the package will set you back more than $7,500.
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OTHER THINGS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN LIFTING A JEEP WRANGLER
Not all aftermarket raise kits, unlike the Fabtech package, can be easily installed on your Wrangler. If you’re taller than 2 inches, you’ll probably need new wheels with a particular backspace (the distance from the mounting surface to the back lip) and width. You may also need to change your exhaust system or install steel brake lines.
Taller lifts will necessitate various control arms, longer shocks, a longer track bar to regulate the lateral movement of the axle, and longer emergency brake lines. Some kits include all necessary components, while others do not. If the price of a kit appears to be significantly lower, investigate what it includes and excludes.
Lifting your Jeep Wrangler can increase its capability by allowing for larger wheels, more suspension travel, and better articulation (the way a vehicle’s suspension moves to allow travel over obstacles on the route). However, a greater center of gravity increases the likelihood of tipping over at high cornering speeds, and the SUV’s fuel economy suffers as a result.
