Traveler III
With the JKU being as popular as it is I thought I would contribute an article to help fellow Jeeper Overlanders along with the lifting of their rigs.
The Jeep JK/JKU is the most recent addition to the Jeep Wrangler family. Since it hit the streets a decade ago it has garnered much attention from the Jeep crowd. It has been a versatile weekend warrior/daily driver for people ranging from soccer moms to hardcore Jeepers. As such, there are a lot of aftermarket products available. Lift kits being one of the more popular and desirable options.
Understanding what you want vs. need will help you begin your journey upwards. The most critical factor to keep in mind is that altering a vehicles factory suspension geometry can have both beneficial and costly effects. Because of the design of the Wranglers suspension it is often required to do more than just add taller springs or spacers. This is one reason why there are so many posted questions on the internet about what lift is best or why does my Jeep handle poorly. Let me offer my experience in suspension and let’s discuss a few of these things. Keep in mind that I am not an expert but I have been around a bit and understand a few things.
Several components are affected by a lift. How much they are affected depends on how high the lift is. No matter the lift height one this is a guarantee: lifting a Jeep Wrangler will:
A) Bring the axles closer together by shortening the wheelbase.
a. This is due to the control arms not being longer.
B) Offset the centerline of the axles side to side in relation to the right and left side of the frame.
a. The front track bar is adjustable but the rear is not. The axles will swing to the right side of the vehicle around .5’-1” approximately.
C) Increase the angle of the sway bars and cause them to be less effective.
a. This means that too short of end links and the sway bars will tilt downward causing them to be less effective.
D) Change the caster and toe settings
a. Caster is the rearward “tilt” or “roll back” of the axle. The further forward the “tilt” the lower the number and the worse the handling is.
How much each of these changes depends on the amount of lift you choose.
For most, a 2”-2.5” lift will alter each of these only a minor amount. You will need longer sway bar links. Most time the rear can be moved to the front so you will only need to buy the longer rear links. The rear links are longer than the front so they can be reused if they are in good condition. You will want to consider an adjustable rear track bar or drop bracket, and adjustable front lower/rear upper controls arms. These are not required but they are certainly good to have. This will allow your axle centerline corrected and allow for front and rear caster to be closer to factory specs, greatly improving handling. It will also set the wheelbase closer to factory by allowing the axles to move further apart and be more centered in the wheel arches. Longer shocks are always a possibility but, depending on the type of off-road environment you’ll be in, spacers may suffice.
For lifts that are 3”-4” you are going to need the longer adjustable control arms to allow the alignment angles and the wheelbase to return to a more desirable number. Longer sway bar links front and rear will be needed as well. Adjustable track bars and a drag link flip kit will be important here, too. Longer shocks will also be needed to allow for the additional travel of the suspension as well as new longer bump stops. Without those new parts, the handling will be “typical lifted Jeep” which is to say…poor.
Keep in mind that you can lift your Jeep anyway you choose but the overall handling and safety are going to be compromised. If you are going to spend the money to lift your Jeep take the time to make it ride and drive well. I am not going to tell you how to spend those hard-earned paychecks but you’d do well to heed a little advice and play it smart.
One thing to bear in mind when it comes to lifting a rig for overlanding, bigger is not always better. Most will never need a lift over 2.5" for the places they intend to go. The higher you go the higher the center of gravity goes and, when adding lots of extra overhead gear, this can lead to trouble when climbing up or down an obstacle.
The Jeep JK/JKU is the most recent addition to the Jeep Wrangler family. Since it hit the streets a decade ago it has garnered much attention from the Jeep crowd. It has been a versatile weekend warrior/daily driver for people ranging from soccer moms to hardcore Jeepers. As such, there are a lot of aftermarket products available. Lift kits being one of the more popular and desirable options.
Understanding what you want vs. need will help you begin your journey upwards. The most critical factor to keep in mind is that altering a vehicles factory suspension geometry can have both beneficial and costly effects. Because of the design of the Wranglers suspension it is often required to do more than just add taller springs or spacers. This is one reason why there are so many posted questions on the internet about what lift is best or why does my Jeep handle poorly. Let me offer my experience in suspension and let’s discuss a few of these things. Keep in mind that I am not an expert but I have been around a bit and understand a few things.
Several components are affected by a lift. How much they are affected depends on how high the lift is. No matter the lift height one this is a guarantee: lifting a Jeep Wrangler will:
A) Bring the axles closer together by shortening the wheelbase.
a. This is due to the control arms not being longer.
B) Offset the centerline of the axles side to side in relation to the right and left side of the frame.
a. The front track bar is adjustable but the rear is not. The axles will swing to the right side of the vehicle around .5’-1” approximately.
C) Increase the angle of the sway bars and cause them to be less effective.
a. This means that too short of end links and the sway bars will tilt downward causing them to be less effective.
D) Change the caster and toe settings
a. Caster is the rearward “tilt” or “roll back” of the axle. The further forward the “tilt” the lower the number and the worse the handling is.
How much each of these changes depends on the amount of lift you choose.
For most, a 2”-2.5” lift will alter each of these only a minor amount. You will need longer sway bar links. Most time the rear can be moved to the front so you will only need to buy the longer rear links. The rear links are longer than the front so they can be reused if they are in good condition. You will want to consider an adjustable rear track bar or drop bracket, and adjustable front lower/rear upper controls arms. These are not required but they are certainly good to have. This will allow your axle centerline corrected and allow for front and rear caster to be closer to factory specs, greatly improving handling. It will also set the wheelbase closer to factory by allowing the axles to move further apart and be more centered in the wheel arches. Longer shocks are always a possibility but, depending on the type of off-road environment you’ll be in, spacers may suffice.
For lifts that are 3”-4” you are going to need the longer adjustable control arms to allow the alignment angles and the wheelbase to return to a more desirable number. Longer sway bar links front and rear will be needed as well. Adjustable track bars and a drag link flip kit will be important here, too. Longer shocks will also be needed to allow for the additional travel of the suspension as well as new longer bump stops. Without those new parts, the handling will be “typical lifted Jeep” which is to say…poor.
Keep in mind that you can lift your Jeep anyway you choose but the overall handling and safety are going to be compromised. If you are going to spend the money to lift your Jeep take the time to make it ride and drive well. I am not going to tell you how to spend those hard-earned paychecks but you’d do well to heed a little advice and play it smart.
One thing to bear in mind when it comes to lifting a rig for overlanding, bigger is not always better. Most will never need a lift over 2.5" for the places they intend to go. The higher you go the higher the center of gravity goes and, when adding lots of extra overhead gear, this can lead to trouble when climbing up or down an obstacle.
