2.5" Lift

[borgy76]

G'day All,
I will be doing a Teraflex 2.5" Lift on my Jk 4 door very soon. I am just not sure on two things. One, will I need wheel spacers to complete the job? As I have heard two different stories. Two, will I need to have the exhaust lowered near the tail shaft. I read in Jeep Action that this may be the case. I had a look under the Jeep yesterday. There seems to be plenty of room between the tail shaft and exhaust. Any finer details on a lift would be most appreciated.

Thanks

[Paul-JK]

The need for wheel spacers will be governed by your wheels & tyres more than your lift. If you're running stock wheels then the largest tyres you can fit are 285's. These might rub slightly on the sway bar and full flex and full lock (a washer under the steering stops will stop that) and on the upper coil mounts (make sure the front axle is properly centred and you shouldn't have any issues). With tyres any wider than 285's you will rub a lot more and therefore need need spacers. I believe spacers aren't legal though so if that bothers you then the legal option is new wheels with a different offset.

I'm guessing by the exhaust spacer question that you have the 3.6l V6 as I'm pretty sure the 3.8l and the CRD don't need this. Assuming you do have the 3.6l then from memory the exhaust design gives enough clearance to the front drive shaft to allow for a 2" lift on full droop. Any more than that (which you are) and you need the spacers. If you go onto youtube and look at the Teraflex page they have a video on this. I remember seeing it ages ago and they demonstrate how the drive shaft hits the exhaust and then how to fit the spacers.

[Jeep'ers]

wheel spacers are illegal, and I have 285's on my JKU and I am now planning a better offset rim, I dont have any rubbing that I can see or feel but I can see more so in the rear how this is possible on the rear sway bar...... You only need the exhaust spacer for a 3.6l to clear the front driveshaft as it moves the cross piece backwards.... I have the spacer kit but as yet to find the time to put it in!

[borgy76]

Thanks for the input. I do have the 3.6l. I am planimg on going up the cape next year, so the lift and flex will be required. With the spacers; on the teraflex Web site they say spacers are a requirement with the kit. A quick trip to the exhaust shop may be in order after the fit. I was also thinking of changing tyre sizes to a 16 inch. The bloke at ARB was a bit shocked when I asked him about going down a size. I was thinking along the lines of having a more common size tyre while up at the cape. Just a thought

[Paul-JK]

Fitting 16's might be a challenge. They'll likely need to be very wide (in terms of offset, not actual wheel width) to clear the brake calipers on the front. Then with wheels that wide you'll need wider flares to keep the tyres covered. Easier to stay with 17's. It's not like 17's are uncommon these days.

If you're only doing it for the sake of tyre availability on one trip then it'd be easier and cheaper to buy an extra tyre now and carry it with you rather than buy new wheels and new tyres and new flares.

[borgy76]

I was thinking it maybe a challenge aswell, the more I think about it. If things work out, camp Coffs will be a test run before the cape. Plus a few local drives once I get in on the sceen

[Fruju]

Unless these are long travel shocks you will not need the exhaust spacer.

The need for wheel spacers is because of possible contact with the rear swaybar and links if using stock wheels. To get around this use rear swaybar drop brackets.