Before and after lift kit

[Ilya]

There is a popular opinion that jeeps are lifted because of the look (my case). In order to help the doubters, I will leave my photos here.

Comparisons of the stock version and Mopar 2" + BFG 315/17/70

BFG 315/17/70

Coopers XLT 305/17/70 (the best size for Mopar IMHO, 10% lighter, but this size is not easy to find in Dubai)

Also have another pic to compare 33 vs 35 (285 vs 315), but here also different lift kits

 

[Craig Finlayson]

Looks great @Ilya  love it!!

[Ilya]

I found another pic - Jeep with Mopar Kit (2" on paper, but 3.5" in the reality) but still with the stock wheels (Mopar rims are double priced comparing to any good third party, so for the rims and tires it makes sense just to go to Al Quoz shops)

 

[Varun Mehndiratta]

It surely looks cool....still will keep.it stock...😃😃 Will save that money for perhaps a nice tent with camping season coming .or maybe this year for a bike and bike rack

[Looper]

I took the plunge for the Mopar 2” lift kit. My car is a daily driver, and the only car in the family currently.  Wife drives it half the time. I needed something that’ll behave close to the stock vehicle which she is used to driving.
 

Well that’s what I tell myself to reason why I spent a fortune on the car. Blame it the wife’s driving habits. 

[Looper]

PS: do I regret - no.
Did I need it, yes kind of - I came to a level of my driving experience where I started to feel the need of a wider tyre and consequently a need of a lift kit.

If I could get away with just the tyres I would have. I tried to do what @Kailas has done. Drive in 285s without a lift. It had slight rubbing issues in the desert but otherwise fine on road. But the handling was not that good on road frankly - somehow didn’t enjoy driving on road that much.

The lift or the adjustments Jeep did while installing the lift made day and night difference to the handling on road. I once again love driving the car on road and it behaves much better. 

[Felix Obst]

Hi @Looper @Ilya, 

thank you so much for the detailed pictures and analysis. Just one more question - where did you do it and what was the rough price, Jeep directly?

Regards, 

Felix

[Looper]

I did mine from Jeep directly. I put spacers at Jeep(1550 outside 1100) but would have avoided if I could. I bought tires outside (750 ea) and Mopar 2” lift (~9.7k). Tomorrow I’ll have the alignment done at Jeep (~900). I’ll have reprogram the car for larger tires, tire pressure etc.  

Alternatively similar setups can be done outside approximately half cost. My Jeep ride quality is like stock set up now, and the wider tires and lift has tremendously helped my desert driving experience. I feel more confident in cross crossing and ridge riding. Before it used to scoop a lot of sand and loose momentum and fall off the ridges. I however used to loop back on track hence the name. The wider tires provide a lot more traction which  helps me to get out of soon going to be tricky situations quickly.

Having said that I have constantly focused on eliminating my trouble areas while driving. So a great deal of desert driving also helps.

[Felix Obst]

Hi@Looper,

thank you so much for the details. I do not want to save money I'm looking for the stock like experience, with a better washboard performance and less jumps during approaching the dunes. I made already my experience with custom suspensions and do not want to do this anymore. I think I will follow your approach. 

Thank you so much!

Regards, 

Felix

[Ilya]

Jeep directly, 2 inches, ~10K (which was in the reality 3.5). After that, you can take 315/70/17 (rubs insignificantly only in very extreme cases -  so good to go), but I like more 305/17/70 (rims and tires - another 10K, of course outside as Mopar rims are 2500K each).

@Looper is right, lifting in the third-party workshop will cost twice cheaper, but it's not the same lift kits. Nearly all (or all) 2-2.5" lift kits will only have coil springs (and some minor things) while Mopar has coil springs, Fox shock, and some massive metal bars (I have no clue what was that - but it gives an impression that Mopar kit is "stronger')

A warranty should not be the factor, I assume, as despite its a gray zone, but I never heard any problems about the cars, lifted in outside off-road garages.

Edited September 7, 2021 by Ilya