06 Jeep Grand Cherokee Plans and Questions

[Lassen]

Ok, so I am in the early stages of working up my 06 GC — my daily driver — as an overland vehicle, too. I’ve just added in the last week my roof rack — a 61.5” x 49.5” Front Runner and next up are tires/shocks/springs and a bit of a lift. Tires are getting tired and likely need replacing this summer. So am thinking of doing this next phase when I get tires.

Questions re: tires. Current stock tires are 245-65x17. I’d like to go to a 245-75x17. Can I without using wheel spacers? Will it clear pinch weld? I’m keeping my rims.

Springs: I asked at one shop locally about replacing as it seems over years they have settled. He said springs don’t settle. True or false? Would replacing give me the lift I’m looking for?

Lift: I am thinking of doing a 2” lift, no more as I don’t crawl rocks or anything like that and my max load won’t be that extreme. Do I need an OME type lift or how good are just the spacers above the springs/shocks?

Because of my limited lift, I am thinking of adding some armor on the belly in the next phase. Given this need and the weight this will add, anything else I should take into account regarding lift/suspension given a heavier-than-normal vehicle?

More to come as things progress!




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[StuntmanMike]

Granted, I don't have a WK, so you may want to take this with a grain of salt. I DID have a ZJ though, so I have some GC experience.

I ran 2" spring spacers (commonly known as a "Budget Boost" in Jeep-speak). Those worked out wonderfully on my ZJ. I got the 2" of lift and clearance, as well as room for larger tires without effecting the ride at all. No other mods were required, and honestly it was the best my Jeep ever drove. I later went up to a 4" lift, then back down to a 3.5-ish inch frankenlift.

Springs do in fact settle. You're talking a 12 year old vehicle, parts wear out, springs included. I've read plenty of posts on various vehicle sites where people get lift just by swapping in new (stock height) springs. So with that in mind, spacers may not be the best option. It may be a good idea to go with something that has new springs. Old Man Emu is definitely a quality product, I've ran their shocks before and really liked them. It really depends on your budget. If you do a google search, you may be able to find where someone posted their before/after lift measurements back when the WK was newer. Generally suspension lift is measured from the center of the wheel hub to the fender lip, that way you take the variable of tire height out of the equation.

For armor, I would go with a t-case skid, fuel tank skid, and rock sliders. I imagine you could get the t-case and fuel tank skids as factory options, those will probably suffice, so I would look for a set of those used somewhere. Rock sliders are awesome, they were my fav mod on my ZJ. Not only do they protect the rockers from rock damage, but they also make a handy jacking point for a high lift jack, as well as a handy step to help when washing the roof or accessing the roof rack. (depending on the slider design).

Wheel spacers, I don't know. Not sure how much bigger a 245/75 is vs a 245/65. I would image it's just taller, not really wider, so wheel spacers may not be necessary. The spacers add no lift; they just push the wheels farther out.

If you haven't already, I would check out a dedicated Jeep forum for more detailed advice. I used to go to Jeepforum.com , JeepsUnlimited.com, and GrandCherokee.org.

 

[Lassen]

You bring up some excellent points! It does seem to make sense that if springs wear to replace with a taller spring rather than just putting a spacer on a worn spring. I would guess with a longer shock to go with them, too.

I had a ZJ once and there are times I wish I still had it. WKs seem more challenging to modify, either due to design or manufacturers don’t see many looking to modify these type vehicles. Can be done, but rather expensive!


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[GoldenStateAdv]

JeepForum has a lot useful information-especially when it comes to tire sizes with or without a lift. My previous vehicle was a ‘05 WK 4.7 QTII. Front had 2” spacers, rear had OME HD plus 2” spacers. Rear shocks were Bilstien 5100’s (never got around to installing my OME’s and 5100’s in the front). For my setup the OME’s were very necessary and I would recommend them to anyone - with or without a load. The stock springs are very soft. The 5100’s were also great. If I did it again I wouldn’t do the spacers at any time. I want to say my tires were 265’s with 2” wheel spacers.

 

[Lassen]

JeepForum has a lot useful information-especially when it comes to tire sizes with or without a lift. My previous vehicle was a ‘05 WK 4.7 QTII. Front had 2” spacers, rear had OME HD plus 2” spacers. Rear shocks were Bilstien 5100’s (never got around to installing my OME’s and 5100’s in the front). For my setup the OME’s were very necessary and I would recommend them to anyone - with or without a load. The stock springs are very soft. The 5100’s were also great. If I did it again I wouldn’t do the spacers at any time. I want to say my tires were 265’s with 2” wheel spacers.

That pic is basically what I’m going for...an off-road capable vehicle without being too overly overlandingish looking. Question, when you say you used OME HD plus 2” spacers, were you referring to wheel spacers or 2” spacers on top of the longer springs?


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[Lassen]

So, after thumbing through the websites mentioned and a search seeking info on 2006 Jeep GC ride height specs, I was wrong, my vehicle has not settled. According to specs, stock GCs of this year were 18” from mid hub to bottom fender for the front, and 19.25” from mid hub to bottom of rear fender. My measurements — exactly to spec. I guess I’ve just gotten used to its height, or am suffering from clearance envy![emoji16]

Maybe spacers on top of my coils and “beefier” shocks would fit the bill. Many people give rave reviews of spacers, but I’m not certain of their level of experience. I know my typical off-roading loads aren’t that extreme — typically just me on trips, so equipment loads are light, food loads are light, clothing, etc. — but maybe to handle the occasional OffRoad trip shocks and spacers may be enough?

I think I’m going through “analysis paralysis” right now!


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[StuntmanMike]

So, after thumbing through the websites mentioned and a search seeking info on 2006 Jeep GC ride height specs, I was wrong, my vehicle has not settled. According to specs, stock GCs of this year were 18” from mid hub to bottom fender for the front, and 19.25” from mid hub to bottom of rear fender. My measurements — exactly to spec. I guess I’ve just gotten used to its height, or am suffering from clearance envy![emoji16]

Maybe spacers on top of my coils and “beefier” shocks would fit the bill. Many people give rave reviews of spacers, but I’m not certain of their level of experience. I know my typical off-roading loads aren’t that extreme — typically just me on trips, so equipment loads are light, food loads are light, clothing, etc. — but maybe to handle the occasional OffRoad trip shocks and spacers may be enough?

I think I’m going through “analysis paralysis” right now!



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Unless you're planning on running Moab or the Rubicon, spacers are fine. New springs are good if you plan on adding a lot of extra weight or want to add wheel travel, but if you're just looking for a little more ground clearance and/or the ability to go up a tire size or 2, the spacers will do the trick. That's what I did with my ZJ and I was very happy with them. Spacers on stock springs and shocks was the best my ZJ ever drove. I went from 225/70/16 tires to 245/75/16 (about a 31x9.50) and it was awesome on the trail and drove like stock.

And with spacers, they're cheap enough that if you install them and don't like them, you're not out a lot of cash. Well, as long as you install them yourself that is. The labor cost on the install is most likely going to be more than the cost of the parts.

 

[GoldenStateAdv]

That pic is basically what I’m going for...an off-road capable vehicle without being too overly overlandingish looking. Question, when you say you used OME HD plus 2” spacers, were you referring to wheel spacers or 2” spacers on top of the longer springs?


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I was running OME Hd springs PLUS 2” lift spacers, and yes, I believe my wheels spacers were 1.5-2”