Things To Consider When Lifting Your Jeep
Installing a lift kit in your Jeep is not difficult if you have decent mechanical skills, but there are some things that you need to consider when you start looking at parts. If you are not comfortable installing your own lift kit, you can take your Jeep to a shop and have them install it for you.
How High is Too High
When you start to consider adding height under your Jeep, you need to take the time to think about what you want to do with it. If you are looking for something that looks cool going down the road, you can use a basic lift kit that adds room for some larger tires. Three or four inches of lift can make the Jeep look great and allow you to increase the tire size a few sizes.
For Jeeps that need to perform offroad, installing a complete lift system is a better option. Using an engineered system allows you to get the handling your need and dial in the suspension for the best travel and flexibility on the trails. Because you need more room under the Jeep for things to flex and move, you may want to consider something in the six-inch range.
Use New Springs
Inexpensive lift kits often use spring spacers or blocks on Jeeps, and while those are okay for small lifts like one or two-inch kits, they will make the suspension much stiffer, and the ride quality will begin to suffer. Most manufacturers recommend using lift springs on your Jeep if you are going up three-inches or more because the new springs are engineered to keep the ride quality the same while increasing the height of the Jeep.
The added stress that is put on the springs by lift blocks can crack the springs over time and require you to install new springs, so you are better off to do it once and not have to worry about it later. Talk to the kit manufacturer about what you are doing, and they can help you determine if you need new springs if you are not sure.
Steering Upgrades
As you increase the height to your Jeep's suspension, the steering geometry is going to change. The solution may be to install new steering parts to help bring the geometry back to where it belongs. Most companies that manufacture lift kits and suspension systems offer steering parts that will help you achieve the proper alignment and keep your Jeep handling properly.
Talk to the manufacturer to learn more about Jeep lift kit installation, or take the Jeep to an alignment shop that deals with lifted 4x4s to get some suggestions about how to keep the steering working correctly.
