You may be a new Jeep owner or a grizzled old veteran. Sooner or later, however, someone at your local Jeep club is going to ask you the question, “So when are you going to lift your Jeep.”
Well, although the question is simple enough, lifting a Jeep is not. It requires a number of specialised jeep parts, but when done correctly, you really should have no troubles out on the trail. The thing about raising a Jeep is that is not the simplest of tasks. Don’t let that put you off, however. In this article, we are going to take a look at a couple of things to consider before lifting your Jeep.
Do your homework
There are a range of different lifting kits out there. Do your homework regarding the few you have chosen as the most likely candidates for the job. Read reviews, talk to people at your local Jeep club who own lifted vehicles and even try to get some time out on the trail in one of them.
Where do you intend to drive your Jeep after it is lifted?
Now you have to be honest with yourself here. If you never hit the trail and only use your Jeep around town, then lifting is really for the look only. In this situation, a relatively inexpensive lifting kit should suffice, but don’t think about taking your vehicle out on a challenging trail at any point. That might just spell disaster.
How much do you want to spend?
When it comes to lifting kits, the price range from entry level kits to top of the range systems is vast! There are other factors to consider, however. Once a lifting kit is applied, you might want or need to make a number of other changes. This could include longer brake lines, changing control arms, a new driveshaft, larger tyres and bigger axels. Although purchasing all of these jeep parts are not often necessary all at once, if you love to off-road, they certainly may be needed very soon.
Choice of kits
Choosing a lift kit is not easy due the fact that so many types of these kits are available. This includes:
- Short arm
- Long arm
- Budget (lifting coil spacers)
- Body
Selecting one comes down to your research and probably, more importantly, your budget.
Get ready for the changes!
By adding a lift kit to your Jeep, you can be assured that its ride and handling characteristics will change significantly. This can have a massive impact and take some getting used to should you use your vehicle as a daily commuter.
Lifting your Jeep can not only be a great project to tackle it can add real value if you love to go off-roading with your vehicle. Just bear in mind the considerations mentioned above, especially the wide variety of jeep parts and kits that can be used to get the job done, depending on your needs and how you will ultimately use the vehicle.