what will 31" tires w/ 3" lift on CJ7 look like?

[jermy01]

hey. i have a CJ7, and would like to get a bit more tire clearance as my 31's rub when articulated offroad. I will be sticking to the 31's because i just got them when i got my jeep, so they are still brand new and cant afford to regear. i was thinking of black diamond because i havn't heard anything bad about them, and arn't a bad price (yes im going through college, so saving some money helps, and i taken into consideration tje brake lines, and anything else i might need.) a body lift would probably do the job, but i figure ill have more travel if i get a suspension lift considering the stock springs are pretty flat. Its a daily driver and a weekend off roader. I dont do any hard core stuff, but do like to do challenging trails for the set up i have (i know 31's dont let you clear too much in the diffs). black diamond only has the 3" lift for the CJ7, anyone run this set up so i can see what it would look like, are the tires gonna look too small? any other ideas would be appreciated. thanks for your help!

[sully72]

tires

i have an 86 cj7 with a 2.5 suspension lift and the tires conver to about 30.5" here are some pics http://members.cardomain.com/sully25
Jim

[Davisrats]

I have 2.5 suspension and 1 inch body with 33s. Flat fendered up front, I rub the back of the back wheel opening with the wheel stuffed.

Ron

[nagal]

I would go with a 1" body lift. No need to dump money into a small suspension lift that won't cover 33s (which sounds like you want to go to).

[jermy01]

I would go with a 1" body lift. No need to dump money into a small suspension lift that won't cover 33s (which sounds like you want to go to).

but i figure when i do go to the 33's, i can just get a 1" body lift then, and they should be fine. I get what your sayin, but the springs should help out my flex...right?

[nagal]

Springs will give you better flex, I was going under the assumption you wanted to fix your rub. To fix the rub, the 1" BL is the cheapest way to fix the rub.

I'll let the CJ people chime in on what to do for springs.

[Sully]

You could get helper springs. I ran the 2.5inch rancho(stiffer than stiff) on 31's and I wish I would have skipped that and gone right to the 33's. If you want to stay on 31's and later move onto 33's do a 1 inch body lift to stay cheap. Or you could do TJ flares. Then when you have the money to do exactly what you want the first time, do it right. The new driveshaft, gears, and the lift/tire size you want. 31's work great and can get over tons of stuff 33's can. It just requires a little more skinny throttle! :wink:

Have fun with your build up.

[rick]

If you plan on keeping this Jeep (if you want to do it right), then don't bother with springs until you are ready to buy a good set. This will prevent you from buying a cheap (Rancho in particular) set that, as Sully points out, are very stiff. This is particularly important if you will be driving this all the time (sounds like that's the case). Another thing you may consider is switching to 2.5" wide (YJ style) springs up front. This makes a big difference in ride quality and front end flex. I started with Rancho 2.5" springs and with 33's they were not enough lift to keep from rubbing at even part flex until I installed some 1 3/8" lift shackles. This also greatly enhances flex. While this length shackle is not overly long, they did change the caster enough to notice a difference in return to center and wander on the road. You will want some additional shackle length with lift springs so that the longer arch of the spring can "grow" under compression (allows the spring to compress fully, improving flex). For 33s on a CJ, you need to slightly cut the rear fender well front and rear in order to fully stuff the tire, or add longer bump stops (I hate bump stops). With that in mind, buy the spring that fits what you plan to do. If you don't need a bunch of lift, get 2.5 or 3" springs and cut the fenders a bit. For a while, I had 35s with sagging 4" springs (probably at about 3" lift), 1" body lift, and some more extensive fender trimming and loved it. I now have a 2" BL with 4.5" Rubicon Express springs (haven't settled in to final height yet), and it is REALLY tall (probably too tall). I have very few issues with clearance or rubbing anymore, at least related to the lift/tire combination (I won't get into shackle reversal here...) Once you go to 35s a 1" or so bump stop extension is almost mandatory unless you run tube fenders up front and hack the hell out of the rear fenders.

Part of the "process" as many people say is to build a jeep in stages and learn as you go. While this is a good way to learn, you may not want to do that much work to the Jeep. This is also the most expensive way to do it, as you will buy many parts more than once. If you decide up front what you want the Jeep to DO, it will make life much easier and cheaper in the long run. Then the problem turns into what happens when you change your mind...

Oh, and 31s won't look bad, I think Evilpsych had 31's on his YJ with 4" springs and it only looked a little funny...

[jermy01]

If you plan on keeping this Jeep (if you want to do it right), then don't bother with springs until you are ready to buy a good set.

Another thing you may consider is switching to 2.5" wide (YJ style) springs up front. This makes a big difference in ride quality and front end flex.

Part of the "process" as many people say is to build a jeep in stages and learn as you go. While this is a good way to learn, you may not want to do that much work to the Jeep.

I do plan on keeping this jeep, i have fallin in love....hahah. so would you recommend i save up the extra 300 (or use 300 bucks of my college money) and go for the ruibicon lift? they have the 2.5" springs up front....right? would i be able to upgrade to the 33's later w/ the 2.5inch lift easily? (BL or shakles)

I love working on my jeep, i dont mind how much work i do, its all fun and lets me spend time w/ my pops w/ out the step mom if you know what i mean


a pic of how it currently sits

[jermy01]

i c how it is....no respond! hahah, just kidding, i know everyone was out 4xing this weekend while i was working. hahah. another question came to mind, i c the rubicon kits dont come with shocks.....any suggestions for shocks if i go that way (i seem to be leaning to the 2.5" RE lift)

[rick]

If on a budget, just buy some Ranchos and call it a (bumpy) day. If you want a decent ride, you get what you pay for. I have heard good things about the Bilstein 5150s, but some complain that they are too stiff.