lift question

[swatch_12345]

whats up everyone. i just bought my first jeep. it's a 96 stock grand cherokee laredo. a buddy of mine has some 31" superswampers that he wants to sell. will they fit on my jeep stock and if not what exactly alltogether will i need to get to make them or other various tires fit?

[paineszj]

The tires wouldnt fit stock, they would rub for sure. Unless you did some creative and brutal trimming! If you put a 3 inch lift on you can fit 31's. I went with the 4wdh lift on mine and I love it. I'll pm the pics to you, check the meet and greet pics too it should be there!

[swatch_12345]

Thanks man. About how much would this lift run me?
:shizzle:

[paineszj]

4wdh 3 inch $429.95
Skyjacker also sells one but its $599.95 and its the same thing, minus the lower links. Go to 4wd.com for more information and pricing!
Hope this helped.

[jeepboy73]

man, i had 31's on my stock grand and they only rubbed on sharp turns. if you had to you could run em. i currently have a 2 inch budget boost kit that fits above the springs, now theres no rub at all.i am looking to do a front to rear swap and just buy new front rock krawler springs(100$ pr pair) and buy shocks. im trying to do a cheap lift, but im sure ill have more in it in the end than if i would have just bought a kit in the first place. btw, welcome fellow jeep pimp!

[gearhead313]

put the tires on a good offset rim and do a 2" budget boost. You'll be fine.

[renegadestang]

man, i had 31's on my stock grand and they only rubbed on sharp turns. if you had to you could run em. i currently have a 2 inch budget boost kit that fits above the springs, now theres no rub at all.i am looking to do a front to rear swap and just buy new front rock krawler springs(100$ pr pair) and buy shocks. im trying to do a cheap lift, but im sure ill have more in it in the end than if i would have just bought a kit in the first place. btw, welcome fellow jeep pimp!

You might've had the Up-Country springs...

[Tex]

i've heard that really big lifts are bad for the frame and the jeep in general. if so then why do you guys do it, unless you have money to blow?

[paineszj]

Lifts arent really bad for the vehicle! In most cases a lift will ride better than stock, unless you go extreme. A lift has no affect on the frame. The only thing that your changing is the shocks, springs, and control arms. Everything goes to the correct location with relocation brackets. I do it cause its a Jeep, thats what there made for. Its not for everyone, but it looks really cool.

Check it out at

http://www.4wd.com/mudmag/

[Tex]

i want to eventually lift my zj so i can get some bigger muds but i hear about two different types of lifts: body and a suspension lift. whats the difference, which is better for what, and what costs more?

[Breaking it!]

The only way you can lift a Cherokee is by its suspension. Body lifts do not exist as the vehicle is a unibody construction.

[paineszj]

tex if you want a cheap lift go for spring spacers. The call it a budget boost. You'll be able to get bigger tires under it with a budget. With the unibody also, go out and crawl under the ZJ and look at what would be a frame rail. If you do you will see that the body and the frame are one. Hense the name unibody. Like breaking it said, no way to do a body. But you can do the spacer for about the same as a body.

[ddoyle00]

Hey,

Even without a lift, which would have to be about four inches to fit comfortable (TerraFlex makes a good one), you have to consider which engine you have. If you have the I6 and you drive it every day, I wouldnt fit those size tires on it. If you have the V8, then knock yourself out. Reason being, the I6 is only rated 190 hp at the flywheel which translates to about 175-180 at the wheels. Your engine is gonna have problems turning those tires at any speed over 40 mph. You are also going to need to upgrade your steering box and brake lines. Nothing is ever easy.

[Breaking it!]

Hey,

Even without a lift, which would have to be about four inches to fit comfortable (TerraFlex makes a good one), you have to consider which engine you have. If you have the I6 and you drive it every day, I wouldnt fit those size tires on it. If you have the V8, then knock yourself out. Reason being, the I6 is only rated 190 hp at the flywheel which translates to about 175-180 at the wheels. Your engine is gonna have problems turning those tires at any speed over 40 mph. You are also going to need to upgrade your steering box and brake lines. Nothing is ever easy.


Many, Many, Many of us (old) Wrangler guys have been running 33inch and up tires. Granted it does rob some power, but its not like your gonna blow a head gasket if you have oversize tires on.

But keep this in mind: a 3 inch lift is still a 3 inch lift and on a ZJ/WJ 3 inches with 31's or maybe 32's still looks sick as hell and still performs like any other Jeep.

[ddoyle00]

This is a reply to Breakin it....that is exactly what would happen if he takes most of these ppl.'s advice. It would break. Those size tires will not fit stock or with a budget boost, he is pushing it on a 4 inch lift. I know you could do it on a Wrangler, but he has the GC.
Tex, Im not gonna lie to you and act like I am a wizened Jeep Sage, but the smart thing to do is get a 2" budget boost and start out with 265 or 285 tires.
All of these 3-4" kits are starting out at $1200 and if you happen to bust your brake lines trying to slow down those bigass 31's, then thats even more money. Remember, its easier to upgrade later on.

[mdwatkins]

Ok, before this turns anymore into a pissing contest the fact is that a 31x10.5 tire will fit on a GC. It's not going to overly affect braking or cause any other major problems. Yes in some cases they will rub at full crank of the steering wheel...but an experienced driver can limit this to a bare minimum and in most daily driving you will not rub.

A puck or budget boost lift is always a good starting point...minimal cost, minimal effect on the entire set up. Longer brake lines are always recommended but not a mandatory for a BB...especially where most guys with a BB in a GC will never flex the Jeep enough to put a strain on the hoses...larger tires are not going to cause the hose to burst...putting strain on the hoses because you've lifted the vehicle and are constantly using the hoses as bump stops and limiter straps will....

In this case, my advice is to buy your friends tires...have them mounted and have fun....if you find that they are rubbing more than you like and you're not looking to spend money on a lift then buy a set of steel wheels with a smaller back spacing. A steel wheel will run you about 50 bucks a pop...and if you find a local 4x4 forum or ebay you might find them for even cheaper.

Matt