Jeep Lift Guide - Choosing the Right Suspension Lift Kit

Making Your Jeep Your Own

Whether you’re hitting the trail in a Jeep Wrangler or hitting the mall in a Jeep Gladiator, there is nothing like the Jeep life. A key part of the Jeep ownership experience is customizing the vehicle to fit your lifestyle. A popular upgrade for many Jeep owners is adding a lift kit.

Once you’ve decided to lift your vehicle, the next question is how high? Picking the right lift kit for your Jeep is an important decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Adding a lift kit can alter the way your Jeep handles and performs; it should be matched to how you use your vehicle. Read on to learn what factors you should take into consideration when lifting your vehicle and how a Rancho lift kit is the ideal way to take your Jeep from stock to custom.

How to Choose a Lift Kit for Your Jeep

When picking a suspension lift kit for your Jeep, considering these factors can help you make the right decision. A suspension lift is an involved installation that you only want to do once – the last thing you want is to regret your choice and wish you had put a different lift kit on your vehicle. Taking the time to think through what you’re looking to get out of a suspension lift ensures that you’re making an informed decision.

Vehicle Usage How do you use your Jeep? Is the vehicle used for off-roading and rock crawling? Or is it mainly used for commuting and driving around town? Or is it a combination – driving around town during the week and hitting the trail on weekends? Lift kits aren’t one size fits all; each of these scenarios calls for a different lift kit to achieve the performance and appearance goals you have for your Jeep.
Amount of Lift How much lift do you want? Think about why you want to lift your Jeep. Installing bigger tires might not require as much lift as wanting extra ground clearance for off-roading and rock crawling. Remember, higher doesn’t always mean better. You want to match the amount of lift to the reason that you’re lifting your vehicle.
Access Climbing in and out of a high vehicle can be hard, especially for children. If your Jeep is a family vehicle or if the driver or any of the passengers have limited mobility, a shorter lift height will make it easier for everyone to enjoy riding.
Tire Size What size tires do you want to run? The size of tires and the amount of lift work together to create the desired overall vehicle lift. If there is a size of tire that you’re committed to, it can dictate the amount of height you can add to your vehicle. Similarly, if there is a lift height that you want to put on your vehicle, it can limit what size of tire you put on your Jeep. Often times with a larger tire, drivers like to regear to regain the lost power in the axles from the larger rolling mass of the tire going down the road.
New Parts/Modifications Are you okay with putting additional parts on your Jeep? Some lift kits redesign the Jeep’s geometry making it necessary to install additional parts like control arms, longer shocks and longer brake lines. Adding these parts can increase the cost and make the installation more involved.
Impact to OE Design Be aware that installing a lift kit along with larger tires can change how your Jeep handles on- and off-road. Depending on the amount of lift, the vehicle’s center of gravity can change, making it more susceptible to rolling over. The tires could rub against the wheel well while turning or negotiating a tight corner. You could also experience increased road noise while traveling at highway speed.

Rancho Suspension Lift Kits

Whether you have a Jeep Wrangler or a Jeep Gladiator, Rancho has a suspension lift kit for you. Rancho lift kits for the Jeep Wrangler JK & JL and Jeep Gladiator are tested to comply with NHTSA FMVSS126 standards.

Jeep Wrangler JL

Rancho RS66125B CRAWLER Short Arm Suspension System Designed for four-door models (non-Rubicon models will net taller lift height versus Rubicon), this kit fits up to 37-in. tires and includes corner-specific progressive rate coil springs and fully adjustable control arms with Rancho’s innovative D2 bushings. Add Rancho shocks to complete your upgrade.

Rancho 2-in. to 3.5-In. Sport Suspension System Fits up to 35-in. tires and provides 2-in. to 3.5-in. of additional ground clearance needed for trail riding or on-road driving. For four-door models, choose RS66124BR5 for system with front and rear RS5000®X shocks or select RS66124BR9 for system with front and rear RS9000®XL shocks. For two-door models, choose RS66121BR5 for system with front and rear RS5000X shocks or select RS66121BR9 for system with front and rear RS9000XL shocks.

Jeep Gladiator JT

Rancho RS66128B 3-In. X-Lander RS3 Suspension System Designed to fit up to 38-in. tires, kit includes adjustable front control arms, heavy-duty track bar and front and rear progressive rate coil springs. Control arms and track bar feature Rancho’s innovative D2 bushings for reduced noise, vibration and harshness. Add Rancho shocks to complete your upgrade.

Rancho 1.5-In. LEVEL IT System Level out the front of your Gladiator by 1.5-in. with this kit that includes two front corner-specific progressive rate coil springs, two front 2-in. bump stops and two front extended length sway bar end links. Choose RS66127BR5 for system with front RS5000X shocks or select RS66127BR9 for system with front RS9000XL shocks (rear shocks sold separately).

Jeep Wrangler JK and JK Unlimited

Rancho RS66114B CRAWLER Short Arm Suspension System – This 4-in. short arm lift kit for both two- and four-door models delivers the ultimate on- and off-road experience for the Jeep Wrangler JK while accommodating 37-in. tires. The kit comes with front and rear control arms that feature Rancho’s D2 maintenance-free bushings and front and rear track bars. Add Rancho shocks to complete your upgrade.

Rancho RS66102B 4-In. Sport System – Designed for both two-door and four-door models, this kit fits up to 37-in. tires and gives 4-in. of additional ground clearance needed for rock crawling or trail riding. Features a geometry correction bracket, adjustable front track bar and front and rear progressive rate coil springs specifically tuned to deliver superior on-road comfort and off-road performance. Add Rancho shocks to complete your upgrade.

Rancho 2-In. Progressive Sport Suspension System Fits up to 33-in. tires and provides 2-in. of additional ground clearance needed for trail riding or on-road driving. For four-door models, choose RS66119BR5 for system with front and rear RS5000®X shocks or select RS66119BR9 for system with front and rear RS9000®XL shocks. For two-door models, choose RS66118BR5 for system with front and rear RS5000X shocks or select RS66118BR9 for system with front and rear RS9000XL shocks.

Jeep Wrangler TJ/LJ

Rancho RS6503B 2.5-In. Sport Suspension System - Features lower control arms and front and rear coil springs that deliver 2.5-in. of clearance to accommodate up to 33-in. tires. Complete your performance upgrade by adding Rancho shocks, Rancho upper control arms (front RS66160B; rear RS66162B) and front adjustable track bar (RS62109); all sold separately.

Learn more about performance shocks, find your performance suspension part, or find where to buy your shock or suspension part today.

The content in this article is for informational purposes only. You should consult with a certified technician or mechanic if you have questions relating to any of the topics covered herein. Tenneco will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any content.