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2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee - 3.5" Lift and New Tires


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Hello Hashim, Its true. My old suspension was much quieter. Now its like a really bad punk rock band (road noise + engine noise + differential) in front of my car for speeds above 60.

I did speak to Albert. He suggested to lower the car by an inch. Probably replace the 2" budget boost with 1 inch or so. He suggested the drive train (i think) lowering kit, which would fall in the range of AED 900. He said his shop does Differential repairs too. May have to look into that soon.

Steering stablizers for JGC WJ are not available anywhere right now! He tried all his contacts but no luck.

I hate the differential noise. It totally takes the comfort away from the ride. I used to have this 3-4 months back too. I took it to Trading Enterprises and they werent unable to solve or even determine the problem. I took it to DynaTrade and they are the one that suggested it could be the differential. Also, they noticed that my front left tire had a bulge on it, and the rear right tire had a different pattern than the rest 3. Two weeks later another tire got punctured and I decided to change all 4 with new ones from Dynatrade. That was the last I heard of the differential noise and assume it was from the strain caused on the uneven tires. 0-120 was a breeze... no engine or road noise at all. So yeh, the ones on there are barely 2 months old and the usual Bridgestone All terrain ones.

Albert says Cooper Tires are good. 275 - 70 r17 (roughly 31"-32") I think, but a bit on the pricey range of AED 850 per tire. Will probably have to look into those too in a couple of months!

First I have to get the Steering stablizer and the noise rectified! Lets see how it goes. Will keep this thread updated.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Quick update.

I sped up on a rough sand road and noticed the ride is less bouncy than when going slow over bumps. After doing this a couple of times the drive became slightly smoother. The differential noise was still around, and my transfer lowering kit+ steering stabilizer should be arriving this week or the next.

In the mean time, I went tire shopping yesterday. My preference was for Cooper 265 70 r17. That's roughly 31.5" 10.5", 2 inches more to the height and 1" more in width than the stock 245 65 r17.

While fitting the front left, they said that there would be rubbing when you do a full turn, and I checked... Disappointed, I asked them to put the old ones back and called up Robbie's to see if they can do some trimming. They said they sill have a look at it.

On my drive there I noticed the ride was smoother and quieter. The vibration was less and the differential noise was almost gone. I think the front left wheel was the culprit again. They did not fit it right the first time and it's just plain ignorance on the part of Robbie's. I know they do great work, but I think there is lack of supervision or something... or maybe they just did not take this task seriously. Careless I say! All they could recommend is buying more parts to make it work without even taking a second look at it. Granted I was in a hurry to take it back because it had already been there for a whole day.

I also noticed that the wheels are not centered in the wheel well. SOME of them have uneven gaps between the sides and the fender/mudguards. Another reason to prove it was a rough job.

I found this Body shop in Qusais called Dream Car Care who said they can fix it all. Frankly now I feel comfortable handing it over to them than the former. I believe more attention could be given to fix problems at hand and do not have to worry on the pockets.

The people at Robbie's are fun and professional, but just that I do not feel it's worth the money for now.

Will update the post with the new tires and fender trims later today or tomorrow.

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Here is what I meant by off center.

post-555-14041805481_thumb.jpg

post-555-140418054818_thumb.jpg

I know its taken from different angles rather than eye level, but it gives you the idea. Yes they were on level flat ground.

Any idea why the axle is tilted like this?

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Here are some pics of the new Cooper tires and Jeep after the trim body work.

post-555-140418054836_thumb.jpg

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The drive is much smoother now. There is only a little bit noise at the differential which could be solved with the transfer kit lowering and the Steering Stabilizers I assume. Waiting on those parts.

Other than that, I am loving my ride. Glad that it got back its smoothness or 90% of its smoothness back :).

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  • 3 months later...

A lot has happened since this last post. My ride quality was still not good even after doing a transfer case drop. Not receiving any guidance I did some reading and went ahead to source in some new Adjustable lower control arms, Adjustable track bar, longer end links... I had Robbie's install them and that's all they did. The ride became worse... I went to many random alignment centers but none knew how to align a lifted JGC.

3-4 months later now, I found Off road center and I told them my worries of not having a smooth ride. I also told them about the axle not being centered and they readily knew it was because of improper fitting length of the trackbar. I left the Jeep with them for a day to fix/replace rear brake pads, rear control arm bushings, and they discovered where the noise was coming from. The front drive shaft was bad and need to be replaced. Now I am riding without one... but at least the noise is gone.... will add a new one in a few weeks.

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Robbies are really good and professional but a tad bit expensive too. well if you are looking for quality then we have to pay for it too. great pics.

They are good, but sadly they specialize in Wranglers, and I did not find their "reasons" satisfactory. No offense to them, they do great work and are really friendly people. I think OffRoadZone is pretty decent with their knowledge on lifts and 4x4s.

Here are some recent pics.

Also added a Billet Heavy duty Side Step Bar.

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Here is a Before-After lift and accessories comparison :)

post-555-140418055262_thumb.jpg

Now it needs a good paint job!!

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  • 6 years later...

Yeah, that's why forums are made for long-term use than quick dump on social media that evaporates faster than water.

Surprisingly your post and knowledge have also helped thousands of other Jeepers in the last few years.

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  • Like (+1) 2

Let's root for each other & watch each other grow.

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