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Recommendation on a 3" lift

2K views 36 replies 10 participants last post by  TheBoogieman 
#1 ·
Hello all,
I have a 1999 TJ with 32" tires that has a 2" puck lift that uses the tired old stock springs, which have sagged in the front. I am considering replacing with a 3" lift so I can go with 33" tires when the current tires wear out. I've looked at the Terraflex offerings-they look good, but a little pricey.
•Have you got any other recommended manufacturer's 3" lift?
•Should I plan on replacing the lower control arms as well as the shocks and springs? If so, can I do it in stages as money comes available, or should I do it all at once?
Thanks in advance.

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#3 ·
X 2 on the Zone combo lift for 33's. I've had several of them with no complaints. I'll probably go that route with my newest Rubi and upgrade to Rancho adjustable shocks.
 
#4 ·
To clarify, you asked for a 3" lift, and the Zone combo recommended above is a 3" suspension lift plus a 1.25" body lift. Whether or not you install the body lift (or even buy it, Zone sells them separately), their 3" suspension lift is well-liked. You may find that 3" is not enough, and the body lift is just enough of an addition to give you what you need.
 
#11 ·
I would suggest Old Man Emu springs as a great foundation for your lift. They ride and handle great, never sag, and there's various spring rates we can choose from to best accommodate your stock and aftermarket equipment.

I have OME products on special for the Summer so hopefully we can keep things within your budget. PM me here on the forum or email me at kolak@aol.com and we'll chat :)
 
#12 ·
I can also recommend the Zone 3" kit.

I originally had a Zone 3" but changed the MML block that came with it with a Brown Dog 1" MML, and a Currie 3/4" Body lift (actually their 1.25" that I machined down) and worked great with 33's.

~
 
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#14 ·
Guy,


I bought a tera 3ST 3" springs, adj control arms and some other items back in 2001 probably about 90K miles ago. I still have everything but the control arms. IF they are still using the same type of control arms now that they did back in 2001 one DO NOT GET THEM!!!!! I have the Older style OME shocks that are no longer available. If the spring have sagged they have sagged all the same.


If you want to get the costs down as low as possible I would suggest a 2.0" susp lift and a 1 inch or so body lift.
 
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#16 ·
The old ones I had used a polyurethane bushing in each ends. The ends were fixed. The arms twisted in the middle to allow you to adjust the length and some movement for suspension but not enough in the right direction.

Those arms could rip off control arm brackets because they did not allow for the right movement and the polyurethane bushings offered little flex and wore fast.

The arms I had were from along time ago and I am not sure if they are the same today.
 
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#17 ·
Not to hijack, but am looking for something similar on my '99 4.0 sport. Went to 4wheelparts and they recommended the 2" procomp + 1" BL to fit 33's. After reading a few reviews on the procomp, I'm not so sure. May need to plunk down a few more $$ for OME or Rancho. I've heard that RE, OME and Rancho are the best in terms of ride quality both on and off road. Is that the consensus? Am looking for something that rides nice on road and then will behave offroad too.
 
#20 ·
Not to hijack, but am looking for something similar on my '99 4.0 sport. Went to 4wheelparts
That was your first mistake. They push their own stuff and swear it's the best on the market. Even worse, they'll install it for you for a hefty price.
 
#18 ·
tera, RE, RC, rancho, procomp, and several others fall into the overpriced for what they are category and several have questionable parts like drop pitman arm, fixed control arms with rubber bushings, poorly designed track bars, etc. its really a bit pathetic as our Jeeps have been on the road for 20 years. you'd think the minimal amount of R&D would have been done a decade ago, but many companies are still selling items that were found to be of poor design 15-20 years ago.

budget minded brands that are great bang for the buck are zone/bds.
intermediate budget is the OME.
no budget gets into the Savvy, Currie, Metal cloak lifts.

went a bit more budget friendly on the gf's lift and have no complaints so far
zone 4.25 combo, mc front track bar, barnett diff cover, aussie locker, novak shifter cable, and 33" MTR's.
minus the tires, thats less money than a tera or RE kit with better components.
 
#27 ·
You may need to adjust it, but it's an easy procedure:

ADJUSTMENTS - SHIFT LINKAGE
(1) Shift transfer case into 4L position.
(2) Raise vehicle.
(3) Loosen lock bolt on adjusting trunnion.
(4) Be sure linkage rod slides freely in trunnion.
Clean rod and apply spray lube if necessary.
(5) Verify that transfer case range lever is fully
engaged in 4L position.
(6) Tighten adjusting trunnion lock bolt.
(7) Lower vehicle.
 
#29 ·
The Zone 4.25 combo lift comes with everything needed.
1) Everything for 1.25" body lift.
A) Steering shaft lift block
B) Transfer case shifter linkage extension

Never mind............ If you are interested, look it up.


I installed everything myself with no vibrations or problems with shifters having any trouble.

Drove it for a month with just mml and body lift installed to 75 mph with no vibrations.

I paid under $525 for kit with free shipping from Morris.

Installed Metalcloak adjustable track bar just because I seen some people didn't want to drill frame for trackbar bracket in the front.
 
#37 ·
The ride was good with their hydro shocks. No vibes, but I had to drop the t-case 1/2" with some washers. I've put that lift on a few of my Jeeps (5 speed, 6 speed and auto). I usually add a 1" spacer up front to level it out a bit. My 03' Sahara with that lift and 35's.
 

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