Will this lift work?

[Kuhn]

I have just recently become interested in off-roading, so I am not very knowledgable. I mentioned in another thread that I'm looking at an '01, 5spd, 4cyl Wrangler. I want to be sure that a couple suspension ideas I have might actually work. Here's the suspension lift:
Suspension Lift
I'm just confused because the wrangler has rear leaf springs...
In addition to this, I'd like a 1 - 2'' coil spacer and a 1'' body lift. I should be able to fit 35's with this setup, if it's possible. Thanks!

[Kuhn]

Also, would I need anything in addition to the lift I mentioned? I don't see any shock in that suspension lift. Thanks!

[Ray H]

The RE 3.5 + 1"BL + spacer should be enough to run 35s. There are some things to think about though. This is just opinion and not meant to be a put down but I hate to see people that dont know anything about their vehicle (ie: your 01 TJ has coils on all four corners and you will need new shocks) get in over their head. Its going to cost you a bundle to run 35s and if you dont do it right, you wont be happy with the results and you will be selling the half a$$ed Jeep in a few months. To run 35s and be happy with them takes alot more than just making room for them. For that much lift you will probably need a slip yoke eliminator and CV rear driveshaft. You may get by with the stock driveshaft if you do a motor mount lift. You will have to get rid of the D35 rear axle or get real good at changing broken axle shafts. Youll have to regear the front and rear axles, even if you do regear, 4.88 is the lowest you can go and the 4 cyl. will still be a dog with 35s. Again, this is opinion based on several years of being in the off-roading and rockcrawling community. I think 33s are the practical limit of a 4 cyl Wrangler without doing major drivetrain modifications. No doubt the 35s would look cool sitting in the driveway but the minute you hit the road, or the trail, it will suck.

[Kuhn]

Originally Posted by Ray H

This is just opinion and not meant to be a put down but I hate to see people that dont know anything about their vehicle (ie: your 01 TJ has coils on all four corners and you will need new shocks) get in over their head.

I completely understand. I've been into AutoX for a while, which is a far cry from off-roading... So I can't claim to know very much about the Wrangler. I'm sure I'll learn a lot more once I own it.

I've been talking to a couple ppl and I've heard pretty much what you said... 33s are the limit for the 4cyl. Honestly, I think it might be wiser for me to just get some 2'' coil spacers and a BL and throw some 31s on there. That would be a decent setup for a novice off-roader.

I still have one question though... Is a 2'' BL too much? I heard that steering can bind sometimes, shifters don't always work correctly, and hoses & wires can be problematic. If this is true, I'm sure the 1'' BL would be plenty for me right now. Thanks for the help!

[Ray H]

Originally Posted by Kuhn

I completely understand. I've been into AutoX for a while, which is a far cry from off-roading... So I can't claim to know very much about the Wrangler. I'm sure I'll learn a lot more once I own it.

I've been talking to a couple ppl and I've heard pretty much what you said... 33s are the limit for the 4cyl. Honestly, I think it might be wiser for me to just get some 2'' coil spacers and a BL and throw some 31s on there. That would be a decent setup for a novice off-roader.

I still have one question though... Is a 2'' BL too much? I heard that steering can bind sometimes, shifters don't always work correctly, and hoses & wires can be problematic. If this is true, I'm sure the 1'' BL would be plenty for me right now. Thanks for the help!

You dont really need a BL to run 31s. Actually, you dont need any lift at all to run 31s on a TJ. With 31s a BL isnt going to get you anything at all. A spacer lift, on the other hand, does get you a couple inches clearance underneath and is well worth it.
Ive got a YJ thats lifted and locked that my wife and I play with on the weekends but shes also got a TJ that she drives to work daily. Its got a spacer lift and 31" MTs and swaybar disconnects. Even with open diffs, Im constantly amazed how well it does offroad.
Again, this is all subjective and meant just to give you something to consider. 31s are about as big as I would go with stock gears (4.10) in the 4 cyl. Its really important to keep your gearing correct with the 4 cyl. I know, my YJ is a 4. Im running 4.88s in it.
Everything you mentioned about the BL can happen. Another problem with the BL is the fan and fan shroud clearance. I dont care for BLs but they do have their place. For instance, a 1"BL and a motor mount lift work well together to reduce driveline angles and the MML illiminates some of the BL problems as well. A BL is a cheap way to go a size bigger in tire. You can run 32s (and some less aggressive 33s) with a BB and 1."BL.