Good JT 2.5" lift for 35's and shock setup for a JT overland?

[Pdog3232]

I have talked to some shops but have not been fully satisfied. I was wondering if I could get some suggestions on a good (road use only) 2.5" lift kit, shocks, and any other necessary part to have a good ride that lasts a while. (I don't want to mess with any re-gearing so going with 35's on Dana 44's and 3.73 gears).

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[coastiej171]

Just from a personal experience POV. I have the Mopar 2” lift with 35’s on a 21 JT sport. Installed with synergy front track bar. Great lift, easy install if you do it yourself…. Only small issue I have is that over time,l the front springs settle and get that front “rake” look. Eventually would like to upgrade to synergy control arms and evo 2.5 springs with overland drop brackets.

 

[TheOpa]

I have the Clayton 2.5” overland plus kit with fox 2.0 shocks and love it. I don’t have experience with anything other than stock suspension and the Clayton lift with RPM steering gear so I can’t say how it compares to any other lift but what I can say is that I’m very happy with what I have and if I had to do it over again this is what I would do. The on-road ride is an amazing upgrade over stock and it works just as well off road should you go there in the future.

 

[badger719]

If you're mostly going to be on pavement, the Clayton 2.5 inch ride right kit with the Bilstein 5100 shocks is probably what you're looking for.

 

[Readyt]

I did a Mopar 2" lift, 35 inch Nittos on an Overland and was able to run 6 Badge of Honor Trails with one of them being a 2000 mile plus trip and it handled the trails well, and rode great. Plus because it was a Mopar Lift, I didn't void my Warranty!

 

[mdyucca]

I have been happy with the ride quality of the Mopar lift. I have the Mopar steel bumper with winch and the front is about one inch lower. The lift has been on over one year with about 12k miles on it.

 

[svc707]

Your goal is to load up the rear with gear. Running the rsi cap, rack, awning, water tank, gear in bed….. you’ll want to piece your kit together. Go through my post of spacers and now running Clayton front springs, dobinson rear 600# springs, teraflex forged ST rear sway bar and falcon 3.3.

 

[Chief_jeep]

AEV or Clayton

 

[obrianmcc]

Take your pick ... there are a ton of good options. I would only advise at a minimum to also include adjustable front/rear track bars and front lower / rear upper control arms so you can adjust camber and pinion angles.

 

[Jclayc]

Heads up if you don’t regear, I had 35’s on mine for two weeks, mostly highway driving, went straight back to 33’s b/c I hardly saw 7th and 8th

 

[PackMule]

You say your are doing pretty much strictly on-road, but you don't mention your plans on what weight you will be loading normally.

If you are not carrying much gear, and just wanting to get a little lift to "clear" 35's ... (which by the way I ran 35's with no lift, no problem)... then the Mopar lift might be fine.

If you are planning to load the truck down, then take the advice above in piecing together what you are going to do, and targeting that build.

I run the Clayton 2.5", with 37's, with a SmartCap, and tow a 19' travel trailer... and run Moderate Moab trails.

@Clayton now has a pretty wide selection of spring height and loads.. from 1.5" "Leveling" front springs, to Diesel specific spring rates for the front on 2.5 & 3.5", and now HD springs for the rears. If you talk with them directly they will dial in specifically what you need. Very good customer support.

 

[Pdog3232]

I have the Clayton 2.5” overland plus kit with fox 2.0 shocks and love it. I don’t have experience with anything other than stock suspension and the Clayton lift with RPM steering gear so I can’t say how it compares to any other lift but what I can say is that I’m very happy with what I have and if I had to do it over again this is what I would do. The on-road ride is an amazing upgrade over stock and it works just as well off road should you go there in the future.

Thank you so much for responding! I currently have Fox 2.0 shocks with stock suspension. I don’t know much about them but was told they wouldn’t work with a 2.5” lift. Do you have shock extenders if so what kind and do you like them? Thanks again!

 

[Pdog3232]

Heads up if you don’t regear, I had 35’s on mine for two weeks, mostly highway driving, went straight back to 33’s b/c I hardly saw 7th and 8th

Do you carry and heavy gear and how much (if you know) did you rim and tire combo weigh? Also do you know your gear ratio.

 

[TheOpa]

Thank you so much for responding! I currently have Fox 2.0 shocks with stock suspension. I don’t know much about them but was told they wouldn’t work with a 2.5” lift. Do you have shock extenders if so what kind and do you like them? Thanks again!

Whoever gave you that advice likely meant those specific shocks would not work because of the length. I’m sure there is good advice on this forum somewhere (can’t take the time to search at the moment) but the quick answer is that as you raise the Jeep, you need to account for that height by making different suspension and steering adjustments. The higher you raise it, the more complex it gets but 2 to 2.5” isn’t too crazy. You can still use Fox 2.0 shocks, you will just need longer ones to match the additional height of your lift.

 

[Pdog3232]

You say your are doing pretty much strictly on-road, but you don't mention your plans on what weight you will be loading normally.

If you are not carrying much gear, and just wanting to get a little lift to "clear" 35's ... (which by the way I ran 35's with no lift, no problem)... then the Mopar lift might be fine.

If you are planning to load the truck down, then take the advice above in piecing together what you are going to do, and targeting that build.

I run the Clayton 2.5", with 37's, with a SmartCap, and tow a 19' travel trailer... and run Moderate Moab trails.

@Clayton now has a pretty wide selection of spring height and loads.. from 1.5" "Leveling" front springs, to Diesel specific spring rates for the front on 2.5 & 3.5", and now HD springs for the rears. If you talk with them directly they will dial in specifically what you need. Very good customer support.

Thank you for your input! Do you know what gearing your running with 37s i want them but don’t really want to deal with regearing. At most i will have 300 pounds in the bed.

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