I have a 2015 JKU Sahara Wrangler X edition (whatever that is) that I'm gonna start working on in 2016, so I'm making the list of stuff I want now. I have the automatic transmission.
For wheels I'm planning on 17x9 with 33" tires. I'll also be putting on the flat bushwacker fender flares and stubby bumper w/ winch. I'm really only wanting to do about 2.5" or 3" max on this lift, as the JKU is my daily driver and I really don't get offroad much (except for the beach and some occasional playing at a friend's farm).
I"m also unsure if I need to regear, and what all that would entail. Do I need to both front & back or just back?
I'm asking because I helped my neighbor put on his 4" lift and he ended up taking it to the shop about 3 times before he finally got the death wobble fixed. I don't really want that issue (he had a drop pittman arm), so lets say budget is somewhere between $1500 and $2K.
With a 2.5 inch u do not need a pit man arm I have the teraflex 2.5 inch spring lift with shocks and the teraflex monster track bar to center my front diff again
Doing a drag link flip is much better then a dropped pit man arm
You've got the right budget for a solid setup. With 33's you could run a 2" spacer kit and stock gears and be good to go but I'd recommend going with a 2-3" spring kit so you're not reusing the factory coils. You may not plan to use it offroad much but it's worth keeping in mind that factory coils tend to fatigue and lose ride height with offroad use as they're not designed to handle full coil bind/full compression. With the aftermarket bumper and winch you're planning to add it would also help to have a higher coil spring rate to compensate for the added weight and affect it will have on the stance/front ride height.
You won't need a drop pitman arm for a 2-3" kit, unless the kit you use includes/requires a front track bar relocation bracket for some reason (most shouldn't). A drag link flip would be a nice upgrade to a 2-3" setup but you don't need it and can always add it later down the road. JKS offers a pretty wicked flip kit, too - http://jksmfg.com/i-22814506-drag-link-flip-kit-2007-2015-wrangler-jk.html . Using adjustable track bars, drag link flips, aftermarket/adjustable control arms, etc are all nice upgrades to a 2-3" setup and all have their benefits but most don't need them or see enough benefit to justify what they costs.
If you did decide to re-gear you'd need to do the same ratio front and rear.
Making use of your budget with what we offer, I'd recommend something like this: 3" Suspension System
Hydro Shocks
Exhaust Extension Kit (Required if using stock front driveshaft and stock exhaust)
Alignment Cam Locks (Required if using stock length front control arms)
HD Single Stabilizer (One of the more common upgrades but not required)
Front Adjustable Track Bar (Not required but recommended if budget allows)
JKS J-Cal Programmer (Corrects speedo for 33's, also able to be upgraded to a power/tuning programmer)
This parts list would be about $830 from us using our JF member free shipping promo. There's plenty of other upgrades we could add to this, just depends how much you want to upgrade your suspension or if you'd rather use the leftover lift kit budget for some other goodies. If you have any questions I can help with just let me know, or shoot me a PM if you're interested in details for our free shipping promo.
forgive me if I'm wrong, but if you use the Bushwacker flat fender flares, I don't think you'd need a lift for 33s since you can clear 35s with a 2" kit with stock fenders...
You can clear 33's w/o a lift or flat fenders on a JK.
No need for Bushwacker flat fenders.
And if you feel the need for flat fenders, simply trim them with a Dremel tool. (This is what I did to fit 37's):
Just use an AEV ProCal to reprogram the ECM for the new tire size. rduJeep, you have 3.21 gears. If you decide to go to 35's, I'd upgrade to 3.73 gears (minimum), ideally to 4.10 gears.
P.S. Welcome to the Jeep addiction. The only cure is to continuously upgrade. LOL!
I have the painted stock fender flares (Sahara X).
Also another question, would I need spacers?
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