I would ALWAYS recommend against any spacer lift. You are fundamentally changing the geometry of the suspension. The small leveling kits of maybe 1/2 to 1 inch may have a negligible effect but 2 inches is a lot. Take a look at what comes with the Mopar 2 inch lift. It even includes a driveshaft in order to maintain correct angles and engagement. Like was mentioned a Rubicon doesn't NEED a lift to run 35s. Now it may help with articulation during heavy off roading but that will circle around to my point above, don't get a spacer lift for serious off roading. If it is a financial thing, find some patience and put some money aside every month until you can afford a proper lift.
Looks like I stand corrected. Seems I saw a generic picture for the Mopar lift. The JK version comes with a new front driveshaft. But the Gladiator kit does come with new lower control arms to correct the geometry.
Hmmm, maybe I have been out of the game too long but this isn't what I would have called a spacer lift. To me a spacer lift is just some pucks you put under the springs to make it sit higher. Anything that includes trackbar relocation brackets and control arms goes beyond what I would consider a spacer lift. If this is what is out there now then it may not be too bad but I still say that putting spacers on springs and shocks is not the way to go if you off road at all. All it is doing is making room for some tires and not addressing the suspension aspect.
Daystar doesn’t seem to actually call it a spacer lift, but essentially is it just that with the addition of lower control arms.
I will admit that I have no JL experience so there may be more flexibility in the suspension system to get away with more. One of my coworkers with a lifted JK just went to tire Kingdom for an alignment and left with problems. That is the other side of this, once you change things the factory "settings" are likely to be wrong for the new set up.
It just makes more sense to me to sell the factory tires and wheels while they are new, and go ahead with the tire size I plan to use (already have the new wheels sitting in my garage). I realize that the spacer lift won’t increase suspension performance, but it should maintain it, while also allowing for the larger tires. I can then upgrade when better options are available. I bought a Teraflex system for one of my JKs right when they came out in late 2006. They didn’t have things worked out yet and I regretted the early purchase. As cheap as I’m getting the Daystar kit, I can write it off or recover some of that when I upgrade. Not saying it’s ultimately the best plan...
A lift shouldn't affect a wheel alignment. The alignment has to do with getting your caster, camber, and toe set. Take Camber, that is to do with how far off vertical a wheel is. Doesn't matter about lift, or size of tire. Toe is very similar, are your tires pointing towards each other, away, or are they parallel. Lift doesn't effect either of these.
What you have said is all correct. However when you lift without correcting geometry on a solid axle you shift the axle due to the track bar. It affects the toe and steering wheel adjustment. I have always set my own toe in the driveway but it seems that a tire shop that doesnt understand lifts sets the vehicle back to stock and usually messes up the toe setting which is what happend to my friends JK. They also screwed up his steering wheel center which causes problems with the stability control system.
