lift on a budget

YAEGER83

New member
so me and my family are new to the jeep scene, just purchased a used 10' wrangler unlim sport 3 days ago. i also just purchased a full set of 35inch goodyear duratracs to go with it. only problem is, i dont have a lift to fit them. im looking for a affordable lift that will fit my tires. im not looking to break my bank anymore than i already have either. but i do want something usefull. something i can take down a trail or two with some confidence. i have seen the budget boost kit and like the price but is it going to do me any justice on the trail? any info will help!
 
Hello and welcome to the Jeep Way Of Life!


I'm sure many more will chime in soon but here's my 2 cents worth. If you are looking to simply run 35s they will fit a stock height JK with no lift. All that is required is a fender trim and possibly a pinch seem trim depending on the actual size of the tire.

Most people will probably ask, what do you plan on doing with your JK? Lots of on or Offroad? Rock crawling or desert running. These answers can help you choose the perfect lift for your application.

A lot of folks will recommend a budget boost as these can help you gain some necessary clearance. Generally the limiting factor with this type of lift will be your shock length.

Congrats on new Jeep. Glad to have you aboard!
 
I have the Rough Country Budget Boost, and it has preformed fantastic for me. I dont do crazy stuff like WOL or EVO (not yet) but I do take her out and play around and they haven't let me down. The only problem I found with mine is when I added my winch the front end sagged which is normal but you cant counteract that sag by putting a leveling puck in there cus you already have one. Other than that the BB are a good economical way to lift your rig to fit bigger tires while you start saving for some EVO stuff! For 35s tho I personally wouldn't suggest the RC BB they say it wont fit 35s (very well) and I agree I dont know if its just that theirs is not a full 2.5 or what but maybe do a lil bit of research into that.

Welcome to Wayalife!! Its a great life! :beer:

Here are some pictures of mine with Flatsyle Fenders and a 2.5 BB and 33s

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welcome to wayalife and congratulations on your new jeep!! :thumb:

to answer your question, a 2.5" budget boost will work great for your needs and it's a setup that we've run in the past. you will have to do some trimming of your pinch seam and, you might find that you still have some fender rub at a full flex (can be fixed by trimming your fenders) but, it'll get the job done. you can totally run something like the rubicon with that setup. :yup:
 
Thanks RockIt Man for the input, and for now at least just simple trails, some mud, the small stuff for now. I do plan on purchasing something better down the road when funds are up again..

And to NAUJK: in the pictures on your reply, thats just the bb lift? no shock/springs upgrades?
 
Thanks RockIt Man for the input, and for now at least just simple trails, some mud, the small stuff for now. I do plan on purchasing something better down the road when funds are up again..

And to NAUJK: in the pictures on your reply, thats just the bb lift? no shock/springs upgrades?

No spring upgrades. The front does have new shocks I bought off a fellow forum member. But most BB kits come with shock extensions which help keep your shocks from over extending. I replaced my front shocks and took of the extensions the rear is still using the extensions. I ran the extensions for about 2-2.5 years no problems before getting the new shocks.

Heres a picture before I got the new shocks, tires and Fenders.

Moss wash.jpg
 
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And i might sound dumb but what's trimming the pinch seam?

if you look at the bottom edge of your rocker panel (edge of body under your doors), you should see where it's squared off where it ends by the rear fender well. this corner will dig into your tires unless you cut it in an angle. super easy to do even with a hack saw and just takes a couple of minutes to do.
 
YAEGER83 said:
P.s. Would i need a steering stabilizer with a basic boost Kit?

You already have a steering stabilizer... They come stock. It's that horizontal black shock in front of your axle under your front end.
 
Serg5000 said:
This area here.

Compare this picture to your rear seam. Serg's seam is trimmed so yours won't be rounded. Don't forget to hit the bare metal with a rattle can after cutting to prevent corrosion. I filled on my trimmed seam with JB Weld, sanded it, primered it, and then color matched it, but flat black works just as well.
 
So you say that the rough country bb might have trouble with 35s? Which brand should i consider?

Their website says that it will clear 35s, they recommend 33s, but like WOL said if you do a fender trim http://www.project-jk.com/jeep-jk-write-ups/jeep-jk-wrangler-factory-fender-chop and cut the pinch seem, then you would not have to many problems running 35s with it. Maybe some slight rub at flex but nothing bump stops couldn't fix.

Tera Flex has a good budget boost, but I like the RC shOck extension design better than the Tera Flex ones.
 
Prime8 : i meant aftermarket lol

No you wont need a new Stabilizer but the way they designed the JKs SS is stupid... and is hanging down there out there ready to get whacked by anything you drive over. Ive already smashed 2... they make relocation kits that are not to expensive that moves it above the axle.
 
YAEGER83 said:
Prime8 : i meant aftermarket lol

With your setup it won't be necessary. WoL will tell you that a SS shock isn't even necessary at all, but after going over my whole suspension and much of my drivetrain numerous times, the only thing that got rid of my wobble was the SS shock. The stock one works as well as my aftermarket one... Once you get bigger tires, like 37"+ you will want to start looking into hydraulic assist steering, but for 35's the stock SS shock is fine.
 
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