Jeep Grand Cherokee Suspension Lift Basics

The Jeep Grand Cherokee is an outstanding onroad cruiser. For most folks, it's not an option, seen as too plush, to be used for offroading.

If you choose to build one of these great SUV's for use on the trails, you'll learn just how capable they really are, and you'll enjoy a level of comfort on the trail others could only dream of.

Grand Cherokees always left the factory with the best engine options and newest, smartest transfer cases. 4.0 litre six cylinder, 5.2 litre V8, 4.7 litre V8 - there's your engine choices. T-cases ranged from the rugged part-time 4WD units (Select-Trac) to sophisticated, actively-thinking full-time AWD options (Command-Trac). Combine the power options, with smart t-cases and limited slip differentials, and a Grand Cherokee will, and usually does, go pretty much anywhere.

Most folks shy away from building them due to cost. True it is more expensive to lift a Grand Cherokee than a regular Cherokee, but the rear suspensions are vastly different and require unique engineering solutions.

The front suspension designs are close enough to be a wash - different measurements mean parts won't interchange, but the basic design is the same - coils, live axles, trac bars - all the same type of gear, just different actual pieces.

In the rear, the Grand offers up, well, basically the same design of suspension as up front - coils, live axle and a trac bar.

The added expense comes from the extra engineering needed to build components which not only give greater lift, but also still work within the factory spaces allotted for each piece in the suspension system. I'm sure the added expense of purchasing a Grand Cherokee is not lost on retailers of these lifts either - if you can afford to buy it, you can probably afford to lift it.

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.

The great part of lifting a Grand Cherokee is the ride quality is retained and where leaf springs promise a ride-performance trade-off as lift increases in the rear, coils will allow you to increase the lift height without the tradeoffs in ride quality. This basically means your 6" lifted Grand can still pull duty as your daily driver without too many concerns.

Trimming fenders

Good news here for Grand Cherokee owners. Since the Grand came from the factory with much larger wheel openings than the Cherokee did, a simple 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 (over stock), but those new springs will flex a lot better than the old ones, so your Jeep will be much more capable offroad. The usual warnings apply - some trimming will be needed, but very little. Since the Grand comes with plastic cladding in the areas affected, trimming can be kept neat and clean looking without drama.

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 popping bigger springs under your Grand 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
  
• Be ready to lengthen brake lines and drive shafts as needed - going up 2" shouldn't pose a problem, any higher and you're looking at a front driveshaft rebuilt to lengthen it a bit.
  
• Keep a close eye on the trac bar bolts - they cannot be tight enough. if you hear clunking under the truck when you're done - re-tighten those bolts. Check them after every 2 or 3 trail rides, too. A trac bar's job is to located the axle under the Jeep from side-to-side. Pretty important task..

As for springs, don't cheap out here. A Grand Cherokee with new springs and a well designed suspension system, specifically designed for these applications, can enjoy dramtically improved 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. As usual, be ready to do some custom fabrication work if need-be.

As mentioned , if you raise the suspension enough, you'll need to install longer trac bars to locate the axles and adjust or replace steering components to keep the angles of steering-related items within specs. A full, complete kit, will have everything you need. Again, be sure to double and triple check those trac-bars - there's two in Grand Cherokees - one for each axle. As with any suspension changes, go get an alignment when you're done.

Grand Cherokee Lift Sources