[FarFire70]

This has been a long time coming and this weekend I finally got the Jeep lifted and up on 33s.

Here is it on its stock suspension and 30s with a 1.25 JKS BL & MML.


Stock Gallery

I picked up BB pucks for free and got a set of Skyjacker hydro shocks and SS. Those went on Sunday along with the JKS BPEs but the my new wheels didn't come in till Monday. So here it is on a BB.


BB & 30s Gallery

I was always worried it look really stupid with the budget boost and 30s but its not too bad. Of course that couldn't stay so it had to go up on 33s and Cragar 342 Series wheels.





BB & 33s Gallery

Lift went together in no time but there were a few problems. My front upper bushings have disintegrated but this seems to be a widespread problem. Called SJ and have a new one on the way. I'm gonna see how it holds up and if it goes bad too I'll throw on some Energy Suspension bushings that everyone has been raving about.

We also messed up the rear and put the spacer at the bottom instead of the top since I didn't get rear bumpstop extension with my pucks (can't beat free tho). They're working fine but I'm going to pick up hockey pucks to fab up extensions and flip it around.

I also have a very slight vibe but I'm hoping that when I reinstall the puck at the top that it'll fix the problem. Since the puck isn't flush with the spring plate, I'm figuring I'll lose .25"-.5" in the rear which will level me out and hopefully lessen the DS angle. If not, I'm going with washers at the TC.

I put on Rubicon flares a few weeks ago to prepare for the wider tires and they do a great job of covering up most of the tread but still leave enough out to give me the aggressive look I was looking for. Well worth it for the piece of mind that I won't be pulled over as quickly as I would with the stock flares. I'm up in the air as far as the rim pinstriping. I had originally planned to remove it but I'm warming up to it so I'm giving it two weeks and then making that decision.

The RE rear trackbar relocation bracket is on the way but for the time being its fine. There's at least an inch of clearance between the driver side tire and spring perch. I just want to recenter the rear axle.

I'm so happy to finally have it up in the air. The 6-speed manual, 3.73s, and 33s meshed up nicely for street driving. I'm sure I'll be hurting in when I hit the trails but I'm waiting for lockers before I regear but those are a while off. The next step will be getting a spare. I'll be putting it on the tailgate and making sure it's on there solid. I know the risk that the tailgate hinges will sag and bind but I don't have the money for a bumper so I'll take my chances for the time being.

[shawn1980]

looks good man

[pilot-one]

Sweet! Make sure when you regear go with 4.56's. They are a perfect match for the 33's.

[timdastis]

looks good...i didnt think that tan/black combo would work but it looks real nice

[vincec]

Looks nice but whats up with your mirrors why do they look funny?

[Rob 99TJ]

Looks great. I love that khaki color. Now you just need to get a full size spare.

[FarFire70]

Originally Posted by pilot-one

Sweet! Make sure when you regear go with 4.56's. They are a perfect match for the 33's.

That's the plan.

Originally Posted by vincec

Looks nice but whats up with your mirrors why do they look funny?

The 03-06 mirrors are different than the 97-02 mirrors. My bracket that attaches the mirror to the door does not come off the mirror, unlike the 97-02 mirrors. So the mirror movers attached to the bracket instead of replacing it. I'm not a big fan of the design but it lets me run w/o the doors.

[FarFire70]

Originally Posted by Rob 99TJ

Looks great. I love that khaki color. Now you just need to get a full size spare.

That's the next thing. I'm saving my money now for parts at the PA Jeeps Show but after that I'm going to buy a rim and used tire and put it on the back.

[03_X]

Same wheels I got! looks great... I'm waiting to re gear also.. if you get to it before me, let me know how it goes!!

[Nazdreg]

That Jeep looks very good, you definitely picked the right rims also

I'm looking to get 33's for myself - I just haven't found the right deal yet.

[Kiddo86]

Beautiful Jeep... That's the color I originally wanted.

[-Rudy-]

Looks great, I love that color!

[silverjeep]

Nice. I have the same setup. You'll love those tires there great on road.

[FarFire70]

Thanks for all the comments on the color. Khaki and black look came together really well. I actually happened to fall into the khaki color since it wasn't actually a color I had thought about initially but when I found it, I loved it.

So it's been a few days since I got the lift and tires. I got my new bushings from Skyjacker and replaced all 4 up the front. The rears look good for now but they sent them too so I have them if anything happens. It made a world of different, the front shock uppers were basically without bushing and made a lot of clanging and did nothing to help the ride. With the new bushings it feels 100x better. It's smoother and it's nice not listening to the clang as I drive.

I also picked up 6 washers and put them in for my transfer case drop. It's not much, probably 1/16" but it wasn't for vibes since that stopped when I put in a hockey puck as my rear bumpstop extension and moved the puck to the top of the shock. Hole saw and a hockey puck makes a quick, perfectly fitting bumpstop ext.

The washers were because rush was starting to form on the TC skid and frame where they are matted. I threw a quick coat of black rustoleum on the TC skid and frame rust and the washers dropped the TC skid just enough that I can get some water in there and keep things cleaned. I don't need the winter salt sitting in between the two without being able to wash it out.

I've decided to get rid of the red and blue pinstriping on the wheels so that's the next thing on the list. The RE trackbar bracket will go on too once that comes in. Love spending my day working under the Jeep

[johntom]

Thats awesome, you just gave me a picture of EXACTLY what mine will look like next winter. Looks good, I cant wait now!! What is the backspacing on those rims? I noticed you said you installed the Rubicon flares to cover the tires better, how much wider are those than stock Sport flares?