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Running 37s on a 2.5" or 3" lift, 1" body lift, and flat flares

65K views 44 replies 21 participants last post by  planman 
#1 · (Edited)
I've received a few questions about how to do this.

As a preface, lift height alone does not give you the ability to run larger tires.

What matters is flare/body clearance and the length of your bumpstops.

So, here is an explanation:

Currently, I have my winter wheels on...with my current lift which is essentially the OME LT kit (3") from Northridge4x4.

(I haven't reinstalled my wide Xenons for winter yet.)




Okay, the details on how to do it:

37s, OME HD springs (3"), 1" body lift, and:

Cut 2" off stock Rubi rocker guards



Drill holes to replicate stock rocker guard ends so you can move the caps (here is what a stock end looks like):



Fold over pinch seam with BFH (big friendly hammer), sand underneath cut or flat flares, paint flat black, also sand rear most pinch seam and paint it flat black so the 1" body lift is less obvious. Sand inner rear fender well and paint with Duplicolor bedliner (looks better than trimmed stock inner liner):



Sand and paint flat black under the front trimmed flares, and drill a couple small holes through the bottom part of the front inner fender liner so you can zip tie it to the body mount to hold it in place:




You will need 2.5" extended rear bumpstops. Here are mine from my original 2.5" TF BB when I had my Xenons installed:




You can run stock front bumpstops without rubbing, but your springs will fully compress. I later added 1" extended front bumpstops from JKS (the kind that you bolt to the bottom of the front spring perch). Here is a full stuff on stock front bumpstops and 37s (pre-OME LT shocks and extended brakelines):



Barely touched with compressed front bumpstops and Xenon flares:




Wife driving with front compressed on stock bumpstops:



Wife also driving with stuffed rear tire (those tires and wheels are now on her rig):



Install front axle sleeves, C gussets, box in lower control arm brackets with skids, and reinforce trackbar bracket on front axle:






Install chromoly front and rear axle shafts (didn't take any pics).

Install minimum 5.13 gears, and preferably 5.38 gears if you have an automatic (no install pics).

Install Superchips Flashpaq.

Adjust front steering stops with 4-6 washers to avoid rubbing tires on frame rail with full lock turn. Not my pics, but here is is a write-up:

Project-JK.com - Jeep JK Wrangler Resource Jeep JK Wrangler Steer Stop Adjustment
 
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#2 ·
Here are the results with the upgrade from the 2.5" Teraflex BB, with 4dr Rubi take-off front springs, and Skyjacker Hydro shocks for a 2.5" to 3" lift...

to the current OME HD 3" springs with OME long travel shocks, extended brakelines, Currie front lower adjustable arms, JKS adjustable front trackbar, Rubicon Express rear adjustable trackbar, JKS rear upper adjustable control arms, JKS 1.25" front extended bumpstop, and keeping the 2.5" rear Teraflex extended bumpstop:




 
#5 ·
Thank you.

Woot....that gives me hope that i can have 35's on my 2" lift. Nice rig BTW.
Thanks.

Just remember, the primary determining factors are bumpstopping and flare clearance.

You need 2.5" extended bumpstops to run 35s with factory flares. That would not be a good idea on a 2" lift.

You can run 35s with no body lift and stock front bumpstops with flat flares, but even with flat flares, you would need extended rear bumpstops.

Also to run 35s, you would need to remove or trim your stock front lower plastic air dam.
 
#4 ·
Woot....that gives me hope that i can have 35's on my 2" lift. Nice rig BTW.
 
#6 ·
Very nice....I'm running fenderless and plan to go to 37's when its time for new tires....the KM2's aren't wearing fast enough!
 
#7 ·
Advice

I like your rig and I'm thinking about setting up mine similarly.

Currently mine is a stock 07 Rubi. I want to run 37" tires but keep my center of gravity as low as possible.

I read about, and am sold on the Metal Cloak fenders. They advertise 37's on stock suspension. If this is true I would like to add a 2-3" suspension lift to raise my middle a little more.

My wallet likes the idea of a budget boost, but I want to do it right the first time. My question: Is the benefit of a short arm lift kit with springs and control arms worth the extra $$? I will upgrade shocks to the Bilstein 5160's with my lift.

Basically I want the best combination of clearance and articulation without needing a step ladder to get in. Not to mention I don't want to invite a ticket.

Any advice would be helpful.
 
#8 ·
I like your rig and I'm thinking about setting up mine similarly.

Currently mine is a stock 07 Rubi. I want to run 37" tires but keep my center of gravity as low as possible.

I read about, and am sold on the Metal Cloak fenders. They advertise 37's on stock suspension. If this is true I would like to add a 2-3" suspension lift to raise my middle a little more.

My wallet likes the idea of a budget boost, but I want to do it right the first time. My question: Is the benefit of a short arm lift kit with springs and control arms worth the extra $$? I will upgrade shocks to the Bilstein 5160's with my lift.

Basically I want the best combination of clearance and articulation without needing a step ladder to get in. Not to mention I don't want to invite a ticket.

Any advice would be helpful.
Without a fair amount of cutting and without a body lift, you would need at least 1.5" front extended bumpstops and 3.5" rear extended bumpstops to run 37s flareless.

I looked at their website, and there are no write-up instructions for the JK Metalcloak flares. However, you would need to a significant amout of cutting to run 37s on stock front and rear bumpstops. I would like to see the instructions, because I do not believe you could cut enough to run stock bumpstops with common 4.5" backspaced wheels.

What you do suspension wise depends on your budget.

In running 37s, my budget priorities were:

  • front axle sleeves and gussets
  • regearing
  • Superchips Flashpaq
  • rear bumper capable of a 37
  • stubby front bumper
  • engine skid
  • EVAP skid or relocation
  • winch
  • relocated steering stabilizer
  • CB
  • recovery gear
  • HD diff covers
  • front and rear chromoly axle shafts
  • 37s on 4.5" or less backspaced wheels
In order to prioritize those items first over an expensive suspension, I ran a 2.5" BB, 1" BL, and flat flares. The combination worked extremely well.

Because I had a 2 door, the TF BB combined with take-off springs from a Rubi 4 dr hardtop JK was sufficient to handle a steel front bumper and a winch without sagging.

However, at that time, the TF 2.5" coil lift, or RK 2.5" coil lift were not available.

If I were starting from scratch again, I'd start with a TF 2.5" coil lift with shocks instead of the 2.5" TF BB.

Then, instead of Xenons or cut stock flat flares, I'd do the Bushwacker flat flares.

Everything else, I'd prioritize the same things I did the first time if I were building for 37s.
 
#9 ·
Not to hi-jack this thread, but to add to it ... here is a picture of my friends Jeep with a 3" Polyperformance long arm lift, and 37s, with the stock flares. With the axles centered in the wheel opening the 37" tire clears the pinch seam by 1/4" in front and in the rear. Minimal trimming of the inner plastic liner at the back of the rear fenders is needed, and the rock rail needs to have 1 1/2" cut off its back end. He is running the bump stop extensions that come with the suspension lift.

 
#16 ·
#11 ·
The stock yellow bumpstops are soft enough that they are capable of being compressed almost completely into the metal cups on a complete flex/stuff of the suspension.

The bumpstop amounts I give are sufficient for a full stuff.

With no body lift and stock flares, 4" extended bumpstops are needed if the suspension is going to be stuffed.

With flat flares and no body lift, and without a fair amount of cutting, at least 1.5" is needed in the front and 3"-3.5" is needed in the rear.

If either of the 2 rigs above don’t have at least that much--which is unlikely --they will have significant rubbing ifthe suspension is fully flexed either on an RTI ramp or when wheeling offroad.

Not that they don’t look great and should be fine on road, but drive across the crack on Golden Spike (or a similar obstacle) and they will damage their tires, flares, and/or fenders.
 
#20 ·
SouthernJK said:
I am having rubbing issues with my 295/70R18 tires on stock rims. Tires measure around 34.5 so there shouldn't be any rubbing. I get rub on the front lower control arm when turned all the way right or left. Could this be fixed with wheel spacers?
Yes. You absolutely must run wheel spacers to run wider than stock tires on stock wheels with no rubbing.

You want Spidertrax spacers. You will have to remove all the stock lug retainer clips to run them without wobbles.
 
#22 ·
ok so here goes and bear with me! Im going 37's for my stock Rubi 6spd. My plan after reading this thread is......

1. 2.5 TF BB
2. 1 or 1.25 BL
3. Spidertrax 1.25 wheel spacers
4. Stubby front bumper end caps
5. Trim and sawzall all pinch weld seams including stock Rubi rock rails (2")
6. Trim and cut all stock flares to make them flatties until my GenRight budget shows up


Do JKU stock Rubi springs raise the lift height more than the stock 2dr Rubi springs?

I'm thinking pick up stock JKU Rubi springs if thats the case, seems like those are easy pickings in the classifieds...

Thanks for your input on this......I'm driving to the other side of the island tom am to pick up my new jeep and I cant wait!! Mahalo!!
 
#23 ·
ZIMM18 said:
ok so here goes and bear with me! Im going 37's for my stock Rubi 6spd. My plan after reading this thread is......

1. 2.5 TF BB
2. 1 or 1.25 BL
3. Spidertrax 1.25 wheel spacers
4. Stubby front bumper end caps
5. Trim and sawzall all pinch weld seams including stock Rubi rock rails (2")
6. Trim and cut all stock flares to make them flatties until my GenRight budget shows up

Do JKU stock Rubi springs raise the lift height more than the stock 2dr Rubi springs?

I'm thinking pick up stock JKU Rubi springs if thats the case, seems like those are easy pickings in the classifieds...

Thanks for your input on this......I'm driving to the other side of the island tom am to pick up my new jeep and I cant wait!! Mahalo!!
The JKU Rubi springs are just stiffer. Because of this, the give a little lift.

I wouldn't do them except for the fronts only, and only after you add something heavy to the front like a steel bumper and winch.

I don't like a stiff ride.

Also, I'd do the BB with shocks instead of the shock extensions because the extensions won't give the same extension/articulation as newer, longer shocks.
 
#33 ·
Yes they are Pitbull Rockers. We run them on 2 Jeeps and a pickup.
 
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