Having a Jeep Wrangler as your vehicle is an achievement in itself, but if you are a true-bloodied motorhead, the achievement will not stop from there. It is normal for you to look for upgrades to improve its appearance and off-road capabilities. And this upgrade can be done by lifting the Jeep Wrangler to give your vehicle more power in dealing with off-road terrain and crawling ability even in the most challenging roads and off-road tracks.
But how to lift a Jeep Wrangler? What are the types of lift kits that are available for a Jeep Wrangler? These two questions will be answered and other information related to the subject, such as lifting a Grand Cherokee. This content is designed to give all Jeep enthusiasts information and ideas when lifting a Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Table of Contents
Lifting a Jeep Wrangler – Tips and Guide
When it comes to lifting your Jeep Wrangler, there will be many choices to choose from. The selection will all depend on you and your driving habits, desire, and, most of all, your budget. But the list below are the most popular lift kits available:
Body Lift
The body lift is basically the most affordable and the easiest way to lift a Jeep Wrangler. It will enhance the overall appearance of the vehicle and make stand out. A body lift will give additional space between the frame and body while also providing a 1 to 3 inches lift. But this lift kit will not make any changes to the suspension and the shock.
Budget Boost – Coil Spring Spacers
This lift will put coil spacers at the top of your vehicle’s coil spring to add around 1.5 to 2 inches of lift. Again, this type of lift is somewhat similar to the body lift, which is designed to enhance physical appearance and the ability to use larger tires.
Coil Lifts
This lift kit will add linger coil springs to the Jeep wrangler. It should add around 2 to 3.5 inches of suspension lift to provide more articulation to the vehicle. If you are a serious off-road enthusiast, this is a lift kit that fits you.
Short Arm Lift Kit
The short arm lift kit is similar to the coil lift kit but adds components such as the shocks, front and rear control arms, and large sway bar links. This lift kit is known for its efficiency while providing 2 to 6 inches of lift to enhance off-road capability and the vehicle’s ground clearance.
Long Arm Lift Kit
This lift kit comes with long control arms that are mounted on the vehicle’s frame to promote better suspension angels. It will also improve the Jeep’s articulation and crawling capability.
How to Lift a Jeep Grand Cherokee
There are many ways to lift a Jeep Grand Cherokee, but our presentation is about lifting the vehicle for about two inches by mounting spring spaces in the front and coil spaces at the rear. Please check on the step-by-step process below:
Step 1:
Jack the body of the vehicle while supporting it with jack stands just behind the control arms. Then, jack up the axle supporter with jack stands. Remove both tires with a 19 mm socket and then the 14 mm socket removing the top knot from the sway bar link.
Step 2:
The next step is to remove both front shock absorbers starting from the bottom. You can use a 13 mm wrench to hold the bolts still while using a 13 mm deep socket wrench to loosen the knot.
Step 3:
For you to get the fastener for the spring retainer, you will need to remove the ABS bracket. Use a 10 mm wrench or a socket to remove the two fasteners holding it in place. Once you have access to the spring retainer, use a 10 mm socket to remove them. You can remove the passenger side tower with a 19 mm socket to allow the axle to drop lower without binding up on the steering linkage. But this step is only optional. You can also remove the track bar at the axle with a 15 mm socket because the axle will lower when removed. Again, this is another optional step on your end but helps in speeding up the process.
Step 4:
You can now lower the axle bar by removing the jack and remove it using a large bar to help remove the spring. Then, you can remove the bump stop to let you rest the spring spacer against the isolator. Use a 16 mm socket to remove the fastener. To save time, use a spring compressor that should be lubricated before using. When compressing the spring, you will need to face it from you or anyone else in the area just in case it all breaks, and the spring goes flat. You want the spring compressor place on the other side of the spring and evenly tightened them down together so the core will not start to go outward, which can cause it to break and the spring to go flat.
Step 5:
Once the spring is inside, you want to rotate it so that the bottom is seeded correctly. In order to completely remove the shock absorber, you need to puff the hood, and that should be located on the side of the coolant tank. You will need to keep the shock from spinning using your hand while you are loosening the nut with a 15 mm deep socket.
Step 6:
The driver-side shock absorber is the most difficult to get to because it is buried under the ABS. The easiest way to do this is by removing the windshield washer fluid reservoir, which comes with two fasteners on each side, while needing a 10 mm socket to remove them. Then, use the 15 mm wrench to hold the nut still while turning the shock to loosen it.
Step 7:
The next step of the installation is to reverse everything by tightening everything back up while putting the wheels on and set the Jeep back on the ground. After doing this action, you will notice that the trackbar will not land up. So ask someone to turn the steering wheel until the holes line up. Then, put the bolts back in and fasten them down.
Step 8:
This step is the installation at the back, and you can start by placing a jack stand on the rear lower control arm to support the body. Then remove the wheels and both the sway bar links using a 14 mm wrench and socket. Then, remove the shock absorbers on the bottom. You will need an 18 mm wrench for the nut and a 15 mm socket for the bolts. Make sure to keep the washer.
Step 9:
Then, remove the spring retainer using a 13 mm socket. Then, you can lower the axle. You can use 2-inch spacers or a new spring budget boost kit that is taller than the original spring. If you are having a difficult time getting the spring in, try to jack up the opposite side of the axle, which will lower the side you are working on. Then, finish the installation.
Conclusion
There are many upsides to learning how to lift a Jeep Wrangler or a Jeep Grand Cherokee. If you are mechanically inclined, I suggest letting professional mechanics do the installation for you. But if you want to, you should have an ideal place and a complete set of tools. It will also give you the chance to know your vehicle better and enhance your mechanical knowledge.