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The
Jeep Cherokee, and spin-off pick-up truck version,
the Comanche, make very good starting points for your
offroading needs. Though Comanches are getting very
hard to find in good shape nowadays, both models offer
the same Jeep-go-anywhere ability as all other Jeep
models.
You'll
need to deal with different approach and departure
angles with these rigs, but it's a simple matter to
adjust your driving style, or in the case of the Comanche,
hack off a bit of the bed.
As
with any suspension lift, these will basically put
more space between the axles and the body of the Jeep.
This will then allow you to fit larger tires - and
this is where you get additional ground clearance.
This is also the only way to lift these rigs.
Since
the Cherokee, and thus Comanche, was build as a unit-body
(the body IS the frame), there's no way to install
a body lift. This makes it simple to work with, as
there is no need to lengthen anything other than brake
lines and driveshafts (and these, only when you exceed
about 3" of lift).
Front
End Lifting
When
you lift a Cherokee, it's helpful to know that 3"
is about the point where things change. Three inches
and under, you'll be fine with the factory trac bar
on the front axle and the factory lower & upper
control arms. Go over 3" of lift, though, and
those factory pieces will not cut it - they simply
weren't designed to include the new range of possible
motion you've built into the suspension system. Becasue
of this, the cost rises rapidly as you go over the
3" mark. This, naturally, would apply to the
front end of the Comanche, too.
Rear
End Lifting
The
back ends of these rigs differ, though, and this is
where a Comanche might be worth trying to locate.
The
Comanche has a spring-under set-up. This means the
spring pack is hung under the axle tubes. You can
easily achieve 5" - 6" of lift in the rear
of a Comanche by simply flipping this arrangement
to hold the spring pack on top of the axle tubes.
This will require some fabrication and a set of spring
perches to weld on top of the axle tube. Longer u-bolts
will be needed, too.
Cherokees
already come spring-over, so your options are basically
a new spring pack with increased lift built in, an
add-a-leaf spring, or lift blocks.
The
spring pack is the top dollar option - and worth every
penny if you've got them. They will ensure you don't
need a lift block, which you'd like to avoid if possible.
It's very tricky to drive a lifted vehicle if it spits
out the lift block on the trail - that said, if your
suspension is in good shape, this shouldn't happen.
If
you choose the Add-A-Leaf set-up, you'll get a long,
thick leaf with a higher-than-stock spring rate which
will, in effect, lift the rear spirngpack a bit. In
conjunction with a lift block, this combo is good
for about 3" overall in the rear of a Cherokee
over stock.
Using
lift blocks alone, with factory springs is an option,
as well, but be warned - lift blocks will fatigue
springs quicker than a factory spring-perch setup.
This means it'll sag faster than a full leaf pack
would. Great option, though, if the dollars are tight.
Though some swear AT add-a-leaf setups, others swear
BY them and have run them for years without problems.
Combine
a 3" lifting strategy with aggressive fender
trimming, and you could stuff 33" tires under
that rig of yours - that would be good for almost
3 inches of extra clearance (over stock) under the
axles.
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