That's a fair point. My thinking was to go big if I have the funds and not ever need to add on later. I'll definitely do some looking into some less comprehensive options and see what I find.

Here are the latest additions:
- MOPAR door sill protectors
- AntennaX cb capable antenna
- MORE dead pedal
- Grabars (front and rear, only front pictured)

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That's a fair point. My thinking was to go big if I have the funds and not ever need to add on later. I'll definitely do some looking into some less comprehensive options and see what I find.

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At 2.5" you could get away with front upper or lower adj control arms or control arm drop brackets (to correct caster). Front/rear adjustable track bars keep the axle centered left-to-right under the vehicle (shifts as lift is added). At 2.5" you could probably live without them but if having your axles shifted slightly bothers you then get them (you can add/retrofit them later). You'll also need exhaust spacers or a new front driveshaft so that your driveshaft doesn't rub against the exhaust (ruining the rubber boot on the stock driveshaft). You'll also want longer sway bar links (quick disconnects for the front unless you have a Rubicon).

Getting all 8 adj control arms is needed for correcting loss of wheelbase and geometry correction (caster and pinion angle) on higher lifts. With higher lifts you'll also want new drive shafts - not only will aftermarket driveshafts be stronger but they give you extra length to correct for wheelbase loss and because of their narrower profile give you more exhaust clearance. And then there is the need for longer brake lines, fixing your steering geometry...


tl;dr: Unless you want to blow $4k really quick, I'd suggest a 2.5" lift. There are tons of Metalcloak and other manufacturer packages you could pick from without having to go "the full enchilada".

So 3.5" means new drive shaft is necessary? If that's the case, I may need to rethink what I want to do.

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So 3.5" means new drive shaft is necessary? If that's the case, I may need to rethink what I want to do.

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There's really too many variables to say if you'll need them or not at 3.5". A lot depends on what you do exactly. If you don't plan to offroad it then you might not ever need to replace the stock ones.

But the increased angles and loss of clearance with the exhaust might shorten their lifespan (reduced further by the amount you utilize the full limits of your suspension). Some of those problems can be fixed by adj control arms and exhaust spacers. It's definitely one of those things you can budget for later.

But any aftermarket drive shaft will be narrower than the stock one and always provide you more clearance and be stronger. There are also drive shafts with different end joints that operate better at the angles which will exist with higher lifts.

And as mentioned each driveshaft runs around $400-500 and is an easy job to install. So don't sweat it too much if you are set on a 3.5"+ lift - just be aware of what problems that might present and the consequences so that you are prepared to address them as needed.

33s with 2 inch spacers...

Looking good! What are those wheels?

Great points. I'm glad you guys know what you're talking about. I'm new to all of this so I really appreciate it.

Not a jeep brah, but if you're worried about a lift requiring new drive shafts or other components why not get the milder lift and do a body lift as needed to clear tires? So a 2.5 lift with a 1" body lift. The bumpers don't have too much of a gap, you gain tire clearance and your CG is lower than bigger lift.

ATX 199 Wheels on 285/70/17 BFGs

http://www.atxwheels.com/wheel/24339/ax199

Sweet jeep man! Had to join the thread to keep up to date with progress!

Drives me nuts that most wheels are black. I really dislike the look of them on Silver bodies, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do when the time comes to upgrade.

What color are you going for? I'm looking forward to putting black wheels on my white JKU eventually, but I'm going to an all black and white look.

i like the KO2 at's!

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Not a jeep brah, but if you're worried about a lift requiring new drive shafts or other components why not get the milder lift and do a body lift as needed to clear tires? So a 2.5 lift with a 1" body lift. The bumpers don't have too much of a gap, you gain tire clearance and your CG is lower than bigger lift.

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you will be able to clear pretty good sized tires with a 2.5" lift. you don't need a 3.5" lift. I'd go 2.5" from a reputable dealer (rock krawler, metal cloak, etc.) and call it it a day. no new driveshafts needed.

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What color are you going for? I'm looking forward to putting black wheels on my white JKU eventually, but I'm going to an all black and white look.

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I have the stock 17s and really love the classic look...just not wide enough for a lot of bigger tires, from my understanding.

I'd like to stay with a matte/satin silver on a larger wheel.

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Drives me nuts that most wheels are black. I really dislike the look of them on Silver bodies, so I'm not sure what I'm going to do when the time comes to upgrade.

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I don't know...black on silver looks pretty good to me!

silver AEV pintlers?

315/70/17s (35s basically) fit fine on the stock 17" wheels with spacers, Sport or Rubi





Just buy good spacers and install correctly.

Nice! What lift is that in the pic on the bottom?

Pintlers always look hot in silver! Quadratec also has some 5-spoke wheels a bit cheaper that look nice as well.

But what do I know - once you go black, you'll never go back:

Stock suspension...lift parts are in the mail
285/75r16 (33")

Onyx Pintlers are pure sex...lord.

I've read that you have to re-tighten spacers every X miles...seems like it would be a massive pain in the ass to do yourself, not sure that's sound advice though.

2.5" Rock Krawler Flex in both pictures.

Not really, use lots of threadlocker when installed to correct torque.

I check mine when I rotate about every 12k...76k miles and no issues.

Alright, found out I've got right about $5k to drop. Here's what I have in mind, so feel free to tell me what I'm missing:

Metalcloak 3.5 inch lift - $2866 shipped (install with local jeep club,pay for food and beer)
35x12.5R17 BFG KO2s - $1636 installed at Discount Tire
Wheel Spacers (1.5 inch enough?) - $200
Alignment/Speedometer Calibration - $150?
Total: $4852

Anything I'm missing or way off? I know a new tire carrier can't wait too long, so I'd plan on getting that at Christmas. Is that too long of a wait?

Also, where can I find the backspacing on my OEM wheels? From what I gather, it's typically over 5.5". I just need to know more or less than 5.5".

Google is your friend

Fair enough. I had found that the backspacing on sport and rubi wheels was 6.25", but I had trouble finding it for the 75th anniversary wheels. It's probably similar, but I'll keep looking.

If they're 17s should be the exact same