Jeep CJ and YJ Suspension Lift Basics

While it's nice to have a factory CJ or YJ to drive around, at some point, if you take it offroad, you'll start getting the itch to lift the truck.

Basically, you'll get tired of the dragging noises from underneath every time you venture off the beaten path. There are a couple of ways to lift these body-on-frame Jeeps. In the end, the proven combination of both a suspension lift and body lift will make this project a success for you.

The suspension lift 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.

The body lift is included to ensure the larger tires can cycle through the full range of suspension movements without touching anything.

The nice thing is that lifting a Jeep CJ or Jeep YJ is easily done in stages:

• A 1 inch body lift will allow you to easily clear a slightly larger tire than stock, very inexpensively
  
• A 2 inch suspension lift would allow another tire-size upgrade, and increase ground clearance as dollars allow

In the end, a 1" body lift, combined with a 2" or 3" suspension lift will allow you to fit a 33" tire under these Jeeps. This not only increases your actual ground clearnace under the axle by almost 3 inches, but those new springs will flex a lot better than the old ones, so your Jeep will be much more capable offroad.

Combine this simple lifting strategy with aggressive fender trimming, and you could stuff 35" tires under that rig of yours - that would be good for almost 4 inches of extra clearance (over stock) under the axles - but you'd want to look at upgrading those axles if you're going with a tire over 33".

Other Lift Considerations

Running out and slapping on some pucks under your body tub might sound easy, but there is a bunch to consider before the wrenches start flying:

• Get replacement bolts ready - the old rusty ones will be tough to get out and you'll want new ones to install
  
• Make sure you use actual body lift components - some areas will not allow a Jeep equipped with hockey pucks as body mounts to pass inspections - don't laugh, it happenes every day
  
• Be ready to lengthen wires and control linkages as needed - going up 1 inch shouldn't pose a problem, any higher might. You'll need to fabricate longer shifter and t-case handles, and watch for any other items which need lengthening.
  
• DO NOT run a body lift any higher than 3 inches - even that's a bit much. All you are doing it raising the centre of gravity and rather than the lift blocks supporting the mass of the body (and you) vertially, the bolts now must carry the weight through the turns. Think of it - does it seem safe to have 6, 1/2" or so bolts holding roughly 2500 lbs worth of body tub and humans in place? Keep it to 1 inch if at all possible.

As for suspensions, don't cheap out here. Though Jeep CJs and Jeep YJs are not known for their limo-like rides, new springs, specifically designed for these applications, can dramtically improve both offroad handling and onroad ride-quality.

There are a bunch of suppliers who offer complete kits, and this truly is the best route to follow. Luckily, the kits generally include the major components which will need upgrading.

Don't forget, if you raise the suspension, you'll need to adjust or replace steering components to keep the angles of steering-related items within specs. A full, complete kit, will have everything you need. As with any suspension changes, go get an alignment when you're done.

CJ and YJ Lift Manufacturers