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I would like to raise my Comanche up just a little. My goal would to be able to run 31 10.50's and gain a little more height. I do not plan on wheeling the comanche any at all. I would like to keep the ride as close to stock as possible. I have been looking at a few different ways of doing this. I have seen some coil spacers or longer coil springs for the front. I have have seen longer shackles or helper springs for the rear. I think I am just wanting to raise it up 2"-3". What do you guys think would be best / most cost effective for what I am looking for. And will 2"-3" we enough lift on the comanche to make it work with the 31's and look good?

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I would like to raise my Comanche up just a little. My goal would to be able to run 31 10.50's and gain a little more height. I do not plan on wheeling the comanche any at all. I would like to keep the ride as close to stock as possible. I have been looking at a few different ways of doing this. I have seen some coil spacers or longer coil springs for the front. I have have seen longer shackles or helper springs for the rear. I think I am just wanting to raise it up 2"-3". What do you guys think would be best / most cost effective for what I am looking for. And will 2"-3" we enough lift on the comanche to make it work with the 31's and look good?

 

You can run 31x10.50s with NO lift, and it looks good. In fact, I am currently doing so on the '88 XJ, and the rear wheel wells are bigger on the MJ. So, if you want to keep the ride height as close to stock as possible (which is always a good idea), don't do anything, just mount up the 31s (on factory Jeep rims) and drive it. That alone will give you about a 1-inch "lift."

 

If you need a touch more, you can get 3/4" spacers for the front coils. They'll pop right in without needing a lot of other mods, and since the rear of an MJ usually sits higher than the front, a 3/4" lift in the front only won't look stupid.

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1.75 pucks up front, chevy drop shackles in the rear. about as easy/cheap as a budget lift gets. :D

 

try to stick with Jeep rims. aftermarket rims can get 31s into the fenders when turning. 31s on Jeep rims can contact the lower control arms, but that's easily remedied with junkyard WJ LCAs.

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Comanche looks good jimoshel. Guys I have seen the coild spacers on ebay and even what appeared to be some pretty nice shackles to raise the rear a bit. I do think I want to bring it up some. Are the coil spacers dangerous at all? And are they hard to put in? Thanks guys for chimming in with some very helpful answers.

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Ok so I have found the coil spacers and shackles that I would like to use to lift my truck. I believe I have decided on a 2" coil spacer for the front and a 1.5" shackle for the rear. I am thinking this should make the truck about level. Will I be needing anything elese? Like longer shocks, extended links for the sway bar, or different pitman arm?

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MJ shackles are already longer than XJ shackles so verify before purchase how long they are. that's why I mentioned the Chevy ones. they are about as long as you can go with a shackle. and no, shackles aren't spacers. google "leaf spring lift blocks front" and you'll see what I mean by leaf spring spacers. :thumbsup:

 

you won't need anything more for a budget boost other than an alignment. 2" if the limit before needing other parts.

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MJ shackles are already longer than XJ shackles so verify before purchase how long they are. that's why I mentioned the Chevy ones. they are about as long as you can go with a shackle. and no, shackles aren't spacers. google "leaf spring lift blocks front" and you'll see what I mean by leaf spring spacers. :thumbsup:

 

you won't need anything more for a budget boost other than an alignment. 2" if the limit before needing other parts.

 

Thanks Pete. I have just found a Rough Country lift (http://4wdtruck.com/jeepparts/lift-kits-c-573/rough-country-c-573_577/rough-country-3-lift-kit-8693-mj-comanche-p-19582.html). It seems very reasonable. Does this appear to be a good deal? And how much will my ride quality be diminished?

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AALs will make your leaf pack stiffer and RC shocks aren't known for being the best.

 

that's like half a kit. I would add new U-bolts, longer brake lines, longer swaybar links, longer lower control arms, and personally I'd go with a longer track bar too.

 

as you go higher, the geometry of the suspension changes. the front tires get pulled backwards in the wheelwell, the sway bar can rub on the coils, the front axle gets pulled to the driver side, the brake lines get pulled tight, etc. the higher you go, the worse these things get and the more parts are needed in the kit to fix them. The cheap kits out there don't address all these areas and most guys find themselves having to fix the problems after installation. Now, there's a certain amount of "your experience may differ" when it comes to lifting old trucks. Some guys don't mind the drawbacks, others have found ways around them (adding shims behind the control arms for example). It's all up to you and what you want to try. But if you want to stay cheap and still get a quality ride, I recommend avoiding "inch-itis" if you can because each inch you go higher practically doubles the cost of doing the lift correctly. :thumbsup:

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  • 5 months later...

I'm wanting to do a 3" lift with f150 coils in front, and a bastard kit in the back... i know some people don't like them, but they work, i know ill have to change the shocks, and the break line will need to be extended... but what else is a necessity with a 3inch lift? i don't have a ton of money so the coils and leafs ill be junkyarding, as well as some swaybar links off an f350. also if ya have any ideas of how to make this easier or cheaper please help, no job, and waiting to go to boot camp on august 19th, and i wanna have this done before i leave...

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Jeepmarine - If you are strapped for cash, why not go cheap and smart with a 2" coil spacer up front and Chevy drop shackles in the rear? Although not optimum, you can run your stock shocks and brake lines while maintaining a decent ride. Plus the parts can be pulled and sold later on when the funds for a taller lift are available.

 

Those F150 coils will ride like a tank. At 3" of lift I would, at minimum, get longer brake lines, an adjustable trackbar and longer shocks.

 

Get an alignment regardless of which route you take.

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  • 3 months later...

think I'm about to order some parts and figured i'd handle this while I'm at it. since no one has specified years, and these are the most prominent that I have found, are these what you guys are referring to? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Adjustable-1-or-2-Rear-Drop-Shackles-1999-07-Chevrolet-GMC-Half-Ton-Truck-558-/111079963373?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&fits=Make%3AChevrolet&hash=item19dce1baed&vxp=mtr

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