How to Lift a Jeep TJ

Jeepers, here's how you can lift your TJ Jeep to look more rugged, fit those big mud tires, and gain the clearance you need to go offroading.

Depending on how big you want to go, there are many lifts and heights you can choose from. Budget boosts are the cheapest, followed by body lifts, and then suspension lifts (which are the most expensive). Body lifts lift your Jeep tub from the frame 1 to 3 inches. Suspension lifts involve replacing the coil springs, shocks, and other vital parts of your suspension. Budget boosts are a combination of body lift and coil spring spacers - which fit above your coil springs. A stock Jeep TJ can hold 31" tires with no rubbing offroad, however, a 2" lift will accommodate 32" tires and a 3" lift can handle 33" tires. To fit 35" tires, many Jeepers are simply using a 4" lift, but 6" is what a 4x4 shop usually recommends.

Let's take a more depth look at each lift kit. The most basic and quick to install is the budget boost. It includes up to 2" polyurethane coil spring spacers and 1" of body lift. You remove your springs and bump stops in order to slide the coil spring spacers directly up underneath the stock rubber insulators. Put everything back together and your Jeep is sitting taller.

The body lifts contain 11 polyurethane bushings that replace or sit on top of factory rubber bushings underneath your Jeep. Body lifts range from 1 to 3 inches. One inch body lift is considered to be the safest body lift height. That is because with anything over one inch, you will have to adjust brake lines and such. Also, the more space you put between your tub and frame, the less gas mileage you will get, not to mention the gaps that are unappealing to many. To install a body lift, you will jack up your Jeep to separate tub from frame. When the Jeep tub is lifted off the body bushings, you will remove the stock bolts, place the new polyurethane bushings on top of the factory ones, and re-bolt it back together with longer bolts. Once you are done, your entire Jeep will be lifted 1-3" off the frame, depending on the height you bought.