Jeep Cherokee's - 04/10/14
Am green to auto engineering past what a Bentley manual teaches, so be gentle.
Anyone gone thru the development/trouble-shooting/expense of going all-out with a quality 4.5 inch lift (or so, at least > than 3 inch) on a jeep cherokee or similar? Was it worth it in the end, or did the relative durability of a steel chassis pick-up or restoring a bronco/wrangler/scout/FJ make more sense? (Don't have room for that right now, though.)
Bought a nice used '01 for knock-around and hunting. Exactly what I need overall, like it, but wanting more clearance; stock wheels 29 inch. As do some research it turns out that getting 33's in there entails going 4 inch or greater lift + fender cutting, which leads to steps c, d, e, f, g, h, i..... Doing it right (bds or comparable long-arm lift, slip yoke elim, re-gearing, bumpers/hitch, wheels, etc, etc), top shelf stuff, looks like around 8k all said and done by a 4x4 shop. Could end up more. The jeep was only 5k....
If you otherwise like the jeep, would you go for it? Why/why not? Am wrestling with where's the line between "weekend hunt/joy ride" and "fool's errand, thousands of dollars in headaches".
What's the sage advice?
Anyone gone thru the development/trouble-shooting/expense of going all-out with a quality 4.5 inch lift (or so, at least > than 3 inch) on a jeep cherokee or similar? Was it worth it in the end, or did the relative durability of a steel chassis pick-up or restoring a bronco/wrangler/scout/FJ make more sense? (Don't have room for that right now, though.)
Bought a nice used '01 for knock-around and hunting. Exactly what I need overall, like it, but wanting more clearance; stock wheels 29 inch. As do some research it turns out that getting 33's in there entails going 4 inch or greater lift + fender cutting, which leads to steps c, d, e, f, g, h, i..... Doing it right (bds or comparable long-arm lift, slip yoke elim, re-gearing, bumpers/hitch, wheels, etc, etc), top shelf stuff, looks like around 8k all said and done by a 4x4 shop. Could end up more. The jeep was only 5k....
If you otherwise like the jeep, would you go for it? Why/why not? Am wrestling with where's the line between "weekend hunt/joy ride" and "fool's errand, thousands of dollars in headaches".
What's the sage advice?
Originally Posted by 458 Lott
The bugger of getting more ground clearance is it requires larger dia tires more than anything else, which is what pushes you to get the lift kit. But once you get larger dia tires, you've effectively changed your gear ratio. If you want the same gear ratio, you need to crack open both differentials to regear. While you have the differentials opened up, you might as well go with a locker. And then you start thinking, well if I'm going to all the trouble of doing a proper lift, I might as well go with big enough tires to make it worth while, and then you start looking at break upgrades, and adding some hp...
It's a slippery slope that can get real expensive fast.
It's a slippery slope that can get real expensive fast.