Unsure what to do ???

[Butterball]

Hello peeps! I have a good question for ya's .I have an 03 tj with a 4 inch rough country lift including the non adjustable control arms,what i would like to know is can i take off the lift coils and go back down to a 2 inch lift but keep everything except the shocks without any problems.In the front for the trackbar i have the hole that is drilled because of the lift and in the back i have the trackbar bracket that comes with the lift.Can i keep the rc control arms on or will it affect the castor angles?? The reason i ask is because of the daily driver curse.My jeep is my only vehicule and it never stops,like i've put 35000 kms in a year on it .My wife drives it also .I find that the rc lift is really rough and would like it to be a little more road friendly,plus i'm like 5 foot nothin haha kinda hard to get in and out for us and my little boy.I do have the bushwacker flat flares so no prob for tires,i'm running 33's now but considering 31 to 32's with the 2 inch lift. Oh yeah can i also keep the tcase drop brackets on with the 2 inch lift,should no probs with vibs like that right???Anyway sorry to keep rambling on i guess my question turned into a couple.Please any info or help would be greatly appreciated.....THANKS

[C3LJK]

|I personnally would stay with 33 even with 2 inch lift and I would diss the trans drop cause it will affect the rear driveshaft angle and reduce the ground clearance too much with the flat flares you could run 35 if you put a 1 inch body lift in the futur and 33 fit on a stock TJ with flat flare so to keep a good ride i would check the shock as the rough country 4 inch shock are sometime only for 2inch lift so measure the lenght of the shock compress and extended and see the difference with a stock one and the difference will show.

[Butterball]

Thanks Charles,but i'm still not sure about the rc control arms do i go back to stock or stay with the rc as they are much stonger than the original ones.And can i leave the trackbar bracket alone or go back to stock.And the only reason that i was thinking 31's is for a little better gas milege.See i really like your set up low centre of gravity lift ,keep your factory ride and run some good size meats underneath.I would just like to make it as friendly as possible but trail worthy as well.Or i might just keep it as it sits and get some new meats before the snow.....MMMMMMM SNOW WHEELIN :) Probably by next spring we might buy a car anyway for the daily driver and mostly wifey wants her own set of wheels.

[C3LJK]

well Jeff, its all a matter of geometry that needs consideration you have to make sure that the track bar is not going to hit anything under the jeep and try to see when the suspension is going to bottom out that nothing is in the way, you want it at an angle similar as the front track bar as that is whats keeping it centered when driving down the road and as the suspension compresses, the shocks like I said in my other post if they do not bottom out well they give you better droop on the suspension thus better articulation, next the control arm well if the are not messing your pinion angle well I think it would be find, and if they are longer than stock well longer arms will give a better levering efect in the suspension thus better feel and drive just about every where.

if you want my opinion well the best daily, driver week end warrior, jeep tj on 33 with 4.10 when std and 4.56 auto, 2 inch suspension lift and 1 inch body or flat flares, and 2 to 4 inch shocks and adjust the bump-stops accordingly so you get no rub, flat belly skid qith a slip yoke in the back for strength and put some good skid plates and bumpers.

just go step by step and evaluate what you need depending on the wheeling you do.

[Butterball]

Thanks again Charles, I had also found a good write up about something like this by 2XS not to long ago about low centre of gravity lifts he had some good pointers as well .I'll try to find out the length of my shocks and control arms to see if any difference but ya know alot less work to leave as is and maybe go 35's gas sucks anyway 33 to 35 not much difference just all depends on the mystical money tree ,I still haven't found it yet..

[C3LJK]

Thanks again Charles, I had also found a good write up about something like this by 2XS not to long ago about low centre of gravity lifts he had some good pointers as well .I'll try to find out the length of my shocks and control arms to see if any difference but ya know alot less work to leave as is and maybe go 35's gas sucks anyway 33 to 35 not much difference just all depends on the mystical money tree ,I still haven't found it yet..
no prob if you go 35 well eventually try to get some 4.88 and you will find back a bit of gas mileage with the jeep but dont expect miracle there after all its a square box pushing against the wind, but a sexy one...

[2XS]

hey butterball, your not the only one with a Rough (riding) Country lift. I was in one today that is worse then a yj i think... sorry steve.... if I was in your place, and wanting to go down in size i would get a 2" spacer kit, and go back to the stock springs. as charles said, he has really good info, measure the shocks because you can probably bumpstop it so you can still use them, and you will gain more droop. because you are lowering your lift, the driveshaft angles will get better, so you should be able to get rid of the transfercase drop, which is equal to adding the same amount of lift. 33's can be run easily with your flat flares with no rub issues, so the bumpstop will be there to keep from completely compressing your shock, and using it to stop uptravel. If you wanted to take it even one step better, go back to stock springs, no lift, you will get your ride back, do a belly up skid, and keep the 33's. stock ride quality, exceptional off camber control but still about the same clearance in the center of the jeep, and the same clearance under the axle as you have now. keep the new control arms so that you have more solid ones then the stockers and sell what is left over, you wont regret it.

[Scorpion King]

Hey you're not lying I told you ride was ROUGH! Big thick coil springs so stiff they won't even compress to the extended bump stops unless the full weight of the Jeep is on them lol.

Good info from these guys here butterball for sure lot of experience..... lower it.... your choice how much... 2" or stock both have options to still have great off road performance.

Good luck dude.

[Butterball]

Thank you very much guys you've been helpfull now its just to decide what to do as i do already have a 2 inch spacer lift from when i bought the jeep ,now do i go 2 inch or stock ? i've never driven a stock tj well as stock as you can with a 2 inch lift anyway .It would be alot easier to get in and out just ask Charles i'm vertically challenged i'm shorter than he is....hehe! Thanks again guys

[C3LJK]

Thank you very much guys you've been helpfull now its just to decide what to do as i do already have a 2 inch spacer lift from when i bought the jeep ,now do i go 2 inch or stock ? i've never driven a stock tj well as stock as you can with a 2 inch lift anyway .It would be alot easier to get in and out just ask Charles i'm vertically challenged i'm shorter than he is....hehe! Thanks again guys

Hey Jeff we are a lot in the same personnal height dillema as you or close enough I have a wife that is 5 foot something close to you so I have to weep it low enough for her to still get in ( side steps are there for that) but what ever you do think about what you want really . we can give you a lot of information but in the end its going to be you driving your jeep and enjoying it to the max of its potential .

[2XS]

im running stock suspension/no suspension lift and 35's currently, and it works good, also belly up skid

[C3LJK]

im running stock suspension/no suspension lift and 35's currently, and it works good, also belly up skid

nice Tim love those Rockmonsters and the jeep too...

[Butterball]

Yeah i seen the pic of your rims.....NICE. How do find your jeep handles with that set up

[2XS]

personally i love it. i dont play in deep mud so i dont worry about getting water over the tub, and it goes anywhere i really want to go. you just need to concentrate on down travel, not up. flat skid is as good as lifting. bumpstop so you dont overcompress for the shocks, and then the longer shock gives more travel, so essentially you have the same working jeep as a lifted one of the same amount, but without the extra height, control arm angles, and expense. anytime you want to come to moncton ill take you for a ride, and you can see for yourself how it works