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Should I Lift My WK?

2K views 17 replies 13 participants last post by  PolkaPower 
#1 ·
Hi All, i am new to the forums, i know i should probably start off with an introductory post. I have a 2006 WK Limited fully loaded with the 4.7l V8 and it has 193k miles. The drivetrain, and powertrain is pretty solid and if you looked at the vehicle, it looks super clean. The shocks and struts are pretty much shot and i was wondering, if it makes sense to put an OME lift on the WK with that kind of mileage. I understand that their other lift options that are cheaper, however i think it just makes the most sense to go with the OME because it replaces the shocks and struts. Any feedback would be much appreciated, and im happy to finally be a member of the Jeep Forum since i now own a WK. :grin2:
 
#2 ·
I bought my 2005 5.7 WK about 5 years ago... always wanted to lift it. Finally did last week! Got the OME 2-3" lift, it was about $1300. Installed new BFG 265/70r17s today with stock wheels (planning on upgrading wheels in near future). Btw had to throw on 5/16 spacers to get them to fit.

As far as the lift goes I am very pleased with it. I have read about "wobbles" that come from cheaper lifts so I figured I'd go with OME since I only read good things. Honestly I feel like it handles better than it did pre-lift. I do have one issue though with the lift which i came on here to post about... hoping it will be a simple fix. Aside from that I'm happy with the lift. I say go for it.
 
#4 ·
At 193K the stock suspension is definitely toast and is due to be replaced. A budget lift would only lift a bad suspension and do nothing for handling or stability so your choice to replace the springs and shocks is a good one.

The OME/Bilstein 4600 selection will give you a GREAT ride and truly transform your WK. Your Jeep will be lifted but the day-to-day benefit is a great riding Grand Cherokee that is extremely smooth, comfortable, stable and not harsh at all. It will be firm and steady, like it was when it first came off the showroom floor - though I believe the OME is a better ride than a new WK.

Send a PM to Kolak - he'll get you set up. BTW, are you in a northern state that uses road salt? If so, the lower clevis bolt may give you issues so do a search on here to get an idea of what it takes to remove a frozen bolt. I ended up cutting mine out and replacing the lower control arm (wanted to replace the bushings anyway - was easier to just replace the entire arm) and you may have to do the same so budget for lower control arms. I bought mine from RockAuto.com. If you're in the south or a salt-free area the project will be a piece of cake.

Keep us posted.

Bob
 
#5 ·
With 193,000 miles and the 4.7L engine I would first take an assessment of the vehicles general condition - fuel pump, exhaust manifold gaskets, water pump, radiator, radiator hoses and clamps, control arm bushings, ball joints, wheel bearings, oil pan(rust), status of fluid changes (transmission, f/r differentials, transfer case, brakes, power steering, radiator), inner and outer tie rods, brakes including parking brake, serpentine belt, valve cover gaskets, battery, TPMS sensors (batteries last 8-10 years, units cost $35 each tire plus installation), tires (for wear and age), and suspension components. Also, have someone carefully check your engine performance to make sure there are no misfires that need to be addressed. Tend to these items first.
 
#6 ·
I had my WK for 6 years- sold it alittle under a month ago. I will say this, I went through 3 diff suspension set ups in the time ive owned it- daystar BB, just a leveled stance with stock springs and an OME MD. of them all, I like the stock, leveled stance with a quality set of shocks. handled great, granted the ground clearance wasn't as great with the OME but it rode great. at 193k- control arms, shocks, your spring isolators, etc are shot so I would start looking at some upgrades. if it were me, id level it with some bilstein 5100s in the front, throw some bilstein 4600s in the rear and replace the control arms and enjoy it, at 193k id keep suspension mods at a minimum cause sooner or later something will need addressed mechanically.
 
#7 ·
I agree with the others. You have a lot of miles and the potential for expensive maintenance. Best to make sure there's no hidden issues. It would really suck to spend hard earned dollars on a lift kit and then the Jeep gets parked for a trans issue, water pump, alternator, or something like that.

With all that said, you should consider what you want to do with the Jeep: Is it going to be a daily driver or a project to mod for hard wheeling?

Whatever you decide, good luck!
 
#8 ·
I would opt for the OME HD lift. I have only done a few lifts on different Jeeps and I can tell you that BB lifts are garbage. In my opinion adding a BB to springs will only add a little bit of stiffness to your Jeep and not address the real problem of bad springs. But if you get a OME lift it will give you a great ride and brand new everything. Better than you have had with the springs, shocks and struts that you have now. I had about 193K on mine when I did my OME and I'm pretty happy with it.
 
#10 ·
My opinion is a combination of what has been said by Bob and RCS (and others). How long have you had the vehicle? If you acquired it recently then hold off on any big expenses for a while and go through everything RCS listed. If you've had it for a while and are confident things are in good shape then follow Bob's advice. I would also add that you should replace the spring isolators all around (top and bottom so 8 total), strut top mounts up front, and the front upper ball joints unless they have been done fairly recently (or all new arms if the bushings are worn too). The OME/4600 combo is a great ride and replacing the worn out old springs makes a big difference, you can really notice it between my OME MD/4600 setup and my friends stock+spacer/5100 setup.
 
#11 ·
I agree with the others in that with high mileage there will be a lot of things that should be looked at. Also think of your intended use, if you are not taking it off road then why do a lift?
The most you'd need then is a set of 5100s set on the lowest setting. I have that on mine with the OE springs and it rides great. With 245/70-17 tires the front is about 1.25" taller and the rear is .50" taller. It sits perfectly level. The only off road I do is on the beaches of Long Island so no need for a taller lift....
 
#12 ·
I lowered my hemi with H&R springs, custom exhaust, and Bilstein 4600s then added custom tuning. It's really fun to drive on road, especially in the Tahoe twisties. There's no point in lifting it if you aren't going to wheel. I definitely wasn't going to wheel the wk so I built it to perform on road.
It gets nasty up here so I wanted the awd, cargo room, and V8.
I got a ZJ for 1500 bucks and added a long arm suspension and 35s for that. Much simpler vehicle and I don't care if it gets banged up. Plus it's not my daily driver so if something catastrophic happens I won't be out my only vehicle.
 

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#15 ·
I have been thinking about patrolling the junk yards to find a lifted WK for parts. Spending on tires and shocks for any vehicle is a must from time to time since they are consumables but the added cost of the lift is questionable unless you are decidedly keeping the Jeep long term.
There are a few mods I'd like to do to my Jeep but not at full price. I just bought it but it's still 10 years old so I need to be realistic. I expect mine will be going to the junk yard in 5 years so that's $10k down the drain right there.
Steve
 
#18 ·
Age doesn't matter. How well it's maintained is most important with mileage next.
The transmission has a limited life span but it's more cost effective to replace that than buy a new vehicle if it's been maintained well.
My ZJs 20 years old just about and has around 140k. Runs great.
My wk has almost 160k miles and I'll probably drive for another 5 years and then trade it in on a Tesla. I expect to be over 200k miles about then. It still runs excellent.
That will be the first car payment I've had in 10 years.
 
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