KL.... Does anyone lift these things and any real offroading

[jk_renegade01]

Coming from a long line of heavily modified JK's (and a couple of TK's), im finding that im not doing any hardcore offroading these days, but still want to do some decent tracks, so im interested in the capabilities of this little 4x4, what sort of lift/ tyre combos are people running and are they capable of anything above a gravel road?

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[SJetc]

They are a very capable 4x4 in Trailhawk guise.

I suggest you check out https://www.jeepcherokeeclub.com/index.php for lift options and to see just how capable they are.

[bigsutto]

I have a Cherokee Limited with 18" rims which posed quite a problem for height and the availability of decent AT tyres. To fix these problems, I installed a Hazard Sky 2.0 lift kit for $296 delivered from the States. This gives 2" at the front and 1.7" at the rear. They call it a levelling kit because the Cherokee has a lot of rake to it. Easy to fit and works a treat with no changes in behaviour from the vehicle. I believe the Trailhawk is the same and will be no different, you may want to check though with Hazard Sky for peace of mind

The tyres were a bit more complicated. SUV 18" rims have a very limited range for offroad tyres and sizes. So I went to the wreckers and got 5 Alfa Romeo 159 17" alloys for $300. They have the same 5x110 stud pattern and are 7.5" wide with a 41mm offset - perfect.
I then managed to get 5 Bridgestone Dueller AT 697's for $80 the lot off Gumtree, all with around 80% tread left. They are LT245/65R17 and are perfect for what I want. The size of the tyre is fairly critical if you don't want to do more mods. This size gives me a 1" lift and about a 3/4" increase in width. Importantly the inside of the tyre clears the front strutts by around 1/2", and no fouling on full lock.
So in total, I have near a 3" lift (maximum lift allowed in Qld), great off road tyres with no noticeable change in handling or driving characteristics. I only fit the bigger wheels when I go offroading for an extended period, and then put the stock wheels back on. Allow around 5% less for the speed limits with the bigger tyres. Hope this helps.