4" vs 6" Lift (plus ? about BJs kit)

[Jeep4myBoys]

alrighty - now that someone had to go and post the Trucks! video, I really like the look of the chero lifted 6" on 35s. I know I could fit 35s on a 4", but that looked sweet.

So, off road and on, what are the advantages and disadvantages of 4" vs 6" of suspension lift (cost of BJs lift kit aside)?

[Jeep4myBoys]

Also a question for Brent or Ryan if they notice this - Does your kit include sway bar disco's?

Will a six inch lift (or four for that matter) require longer driveshafts?

[crazydog]

Also a question for Brent or Ryan if they notice this - Does your kit include sway bar disco's?

Will a six inch lift (or four for that matter) require longer driveshafts?

No the disconnects are sold seperately.

As for as the driveshafts, mine did not and most do not, but some do.

[83waggy]

6" is extremely stiff... almost to the point it feels like theres little to no suspension at all. So if you want a decent ride i wouldnt go with the 6" lift... havent had time to take it off-road yet but with how it drives on the road, I can already tell its not going to flex at all. If you want to do it right I would spend the time and the little extra money to do a spring over setup, then you get the look you want and the functionality of having a flexy suspension. As far as sway bar disconnects, I made my own, theyre not too hard. Didnt need to lengthen driveshafts either although I did have to replace some u-joints

[billyrb]

Timothy, our 6" suspension does flex well and is a comfortable ride once broken in (you need to follow our installation instructions to ensure this). Of course it won't flex as well as an SOA, but it never was meant to. I own the Cherokee that was on the show and used it as my daily driver until this summer (undergoing changes to the interior / body). If you have other questions, you can email me at ryan@bjsoffroad.com

[bchesley]

I will concur with that. It is not that stiff. It will get softer once you start using it. Do some high speed jumps if you want it softer quicker:D

[Jeep4myBoys]

Sounds like a 6" would probably work for me. SOA would be about 7-8", wouldn't it? That's probably a little taller than I want. I also want it to have good road manners, and it seems like it would be a lot more work to fix it with an SOA.

If I can do the BJs lift with at most 2 days work, or an SOA the right way with more like 6 or 7 days, I'd rather do the 2 days and spend the other 4 or 5 days on the trail (time is limited for me these days, with the twins, dontcha know;))

[Little Red Wagon]

I'll agree with the other two, it's a much better ride after you "flex" it a little bit. It rides better than my 78'chevy! I bought BJ's 6" all spring lift...running 33's here's it in Mexico!
http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b25/jchitwo/smalljeepphotoSmall.jpg

[Jeep4myBoys]

That's a sweet picture, Little Red. Mine's a wide track but that's still about the stance I want.

[billyrb]

with common hand tools and a friend to help, you can easily have it all installed in a day. I've installed 4 myself, and it isn't hard. Two suggestions:

1. buy 2-3 cans of PB Blaster. Soak every bolt 2x to 3x a day, and use a wrench to tap the nuts / bolts after each soaking to help it travel.
2. after 4-5 days of this, try loosening the shackle bolts where they bolt through the spring eyes. These are going to be the hardest things on the entire job. if they move freely / easily, then your job is simple. if they are frozen, it'll take more time but can still be done.

the problem is that on the spring eye bushings, the original bolts rust and then expand / flake apart inside the bushings, freezing them in place.

[Jeep4myBoys]

Thanks Ryan. My front end jingles when it bounces (that doesn't sound right;)). I'm sure the bolts and the bushings are pretty much shot. I assume your kit doesn't include new spring bolts, but do you sell them separately?

[bchesley]

Here is a pic of a BJs 6 inch on a widetrack with 35" BFG Mud.

Brad

http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/1974-1983-Cherokees/P4260610.JPG

[will e]

Have you seen one in person? My suggestion, call up a meet and greet in NM and/or go visit someone with a 4" and 6" lift. The only thing I would caution about with the 6" lift (and the taller tires) is getting in/out and getting the boys in/out. Also, you raise your center of gravity which makes it a little more tipsy (but probably not too bad)

You can get 33" tire on a WT with a 4" lift, can't you?

[FSJeeper]

Here is a pic of a BJs 6 inch on a widetrack with 35" BFG Mud.

Brad

http://www.fullsizejeeps.com/jeeps/files/1974-1983-Cherokees/P4260610.JPG

Brad, man that Cherokee looks sharp. Your Cherokee was my daily driver for years and you have definitely improved it.

[janie]

You can get 33" tire on a WT with a 4" lift, can't you?

Sure can.

http://img68.imageshack.us/img68/3996/dscf0709ai4.jpg

[Jeep4myBoys]

Have you seen one in person? My suggestion, call up a meet and greet in NM and/or go visit someone with a 4" and 6" lift. The only thing I would caution about with the 6" lift (and the taller tires) is getting in/out and getting the boys in/out. Also, you raise your center of gravity which makes it a little more tipsy (but probably not too bad)

You can get 33" tire on a WT with a 4" lift, can't you?

Getting the boys in and out will be a little more difficult, thinking about 3" between the lift and 35" tires instead of 33s. Since it's not my DD though, that shouldn't be too much of an issue. The total height, including the stock luggage rack will still be lower than my stock pickup.

If it's not too much more tippy, and road manners are ok, I really like the look. Thanks for the pics, Brad, that's a nice Cherokee. Mine will look a lot like that with that setup.

[Rompn]

You can get 33" tire on a WT with a 4" lift, can't you?

I run 35x14.50x15 Super Swamper Boggers on my 79' Cherokee wide-trac. It only has a 4" lift. No fender cutting either.:D I do plan on getting the suspension to sit around the 6" mark though because it looks better and will allow full flex. Currently with only the 4" lift, I have to limit it as to not rub.

[bchesley]

Brad, man that Cherokee looks sharp. Your Cherokee was my daily driver for years and you have definitely improved it.

Thanks. I have put a lot of work into it. I still have a long list though.

Brad

[AlsChopShop]

i was in your same spot a few months ago. i looked at both the 4 and 6 inch kits and i've actually decided that i would go with the 4" kit because of the increased flex. i don't care much about the ride, but keeping all 4 on the ground is what i wanted. i figure i can always run a 2" body lift if needed to clear bigger tires.

for now, i picked up a 2.5" kit from brad here and i've also found some chevy shackles that should get me 3" of lift. not sure if i'll eventually swap out for the bj's 4" or ill keep running this mild lift. only time will tell.

btw, brad... did you ever run across those pictures when the kit was on your rig? i still haven't installed mine (moving to the new shop next weekend) and wouldn't mind getting a closer idea of where its going to sit.

Al

[bchesley]

I did but they are on my work computer. I will try an remember to emai them on monday when I go back to the office.

B