3inch lift

[MattK]

Hey guys, just wondering if an sye is necessary when doing a 3” lift on a long bed Comanche. And how big of lift can you get away with if you can go higher

[Pete M]

SYEs are common place in TJs and XJs, but MJs have a much longer wheelbase and so the angles of the driveshaft are much more tame.    guys have been known to go 6-7 in lift and still run the stock setup.  although at that much lift you start to run into the driveshaft not being quite long enough. 

[MattK]

So I could do a 4.5” lift with 32” tires on stock drive shafts? That’s the highest I wanted to lift

[Pete M]

yup.    be prepared that Ujoints don't like changes to their operating angles, so you might get vibrations if you don't swap in new ones.

[MattK]

@Pete M I will definitely put in new u joints. Do you recommend the add a leaf or leaf over axle?

[Pete M]

got a link to what you're looking at? 

 

4.5 is right in the middle.  going spring-over nets 5-6" over your current height.  meaning if your springs are really tired this might be a good match for a 4.5" up front. but if they are in good shape, you'll get too much.  most AALs give 3". 

[MattK]

@Pete M haven’t looked yet but my springs are tired and will get replaced. Thought about getting the stiffer springs instead of the 1250lbs capacity. What do you think?

[Pete M]

all depends on your plans for the truck.  brand new springs are going to be stiffer than what you have right now.  unless you plan on carrying heavy loads all the time, the heavy duty springs are likely to be too stiff.

 

how much choice is there for 4.5" lift springs?

[MattK]

@Pete M I meant choosing between the lift kit options probably just go with the rough country with the add a leaf. Unless you have a recommendation on one that provides better ride quality. I’ll just do the factory leaf springs when I replace them.

[Pete M]

AALs will stiffen the leafs up as they force them into a different arch.  new springs will have more stiffness to them vs old springs.  hopefully you can get some opinions from someone that has tried this combo, but it sounds like a harsh ride to me. 

[89 MJ]

I would steer clear from Rough Country, personally. I also think the way you want to use your truck is important here. If you are going to use it as a truck, go for a quality add a leaf or a new spring pack. If it is going to be an off road toy that won't ever really haul anything, it might be worth looking at going SOA and then removing one of the leaf springs. 

[derf]

I've done AALs before.  They're cheaper than replacement spring packs.  And that's their only upside.

 

They do make the ride much more stiff.

 

Rough country tends to be stiffer across the board compared to other brands too.

[MattK]

It will still be used as a truck. It won’t be a rock crawler or anything like that. I’m aware it won’t ride like a Cadillac, but I’m curious what kit provides the best on road handling and around town ride.

[derf]

Spring over axle gets you the most comfortable ride.  You need 4.5-5.5" lift in the front and that means a long arm kit if you want comfort.

 

For 3", a short arm front with a 3" full leaf pack rear from some place like hell creek suspension is your best bet.

[Pete M]

2 hours ago, MattK said:

It will still be used as a truck. It won’t be a rock crawler or anything like that. I’m aware it won’t ride like a Cadillac, but I’m curious what kit provides the best on road handling and around town ride.

 

 

what size tires?  are you going to regear?

[ghetdjc320]

I see you referenced 1250lb springs. If you’re considering General Spring, that’s an option but don’t use SOA less you are ok with 7+ inches of lift. There is no lift difference between the 4 leaf and 5 leaf pack with general spring, it is only the load capacity which is different, and 1250 is plenty for most MJs. 
 

My current springs have full length BDS add a leafs in them. You’ll see varying info on add a leafs as there isn’t a one size fits all approach here.

 

if you’re running original 4WD leaf springs, most full length add a leafs (which tend to be for Cherokee's) will have about the same free arch meaning they are only really adding load capacity. This does however, still net out a small lift. From my bds setup I saw about 1.5” after driving it around the block a few times. Also consider that the Comanche has a factory rake to it. So if you’re aiming for a level stance, the front needs to be approx 2” higher than the rear. 
 

One perfectly viable option is to run the General Spring 4 leaf (1250) pack along with 3” front coils (metal cloak is a nice option but there are many others). That has a very nice stance. After some settling, you may decide to add a little bit of rear shackle lift and or front puck lift to adjust further or dial in the stance exactly how you want it. 

Add a leaf is another option albeit a lot more work. Disassembling the leaf pack can be a pain. In my case I wanted a very custom spring setup so I disassembled and measured each leaf free arch then rebuilt the pack to get a perfectly even match. The center pin for XJ add a leafs also needs to be redrilled for MJ’s if done properly.
 

3” of lift is fine on short arms as mentioned though I wouldn’t go any higher on short arms. 

This lift level is really a sweet spot overall. 
 

If budget allows, the absolute best setup is a custom leaf pack from Alcan or similar. Ruff stuff and Rusty’s have…issues…

 

 

[coheed]

As @ghetdjc320 mentioned the general spring metric ton replacements are an option for that amount of lift. My truck has the metric ton replacements from them, a very small lift shackle (I think maybe 1/2" or there abouts of lift), and some old sagging rubicon express 3.5" on the front. It worked out to 3.25" in the front and a little taller in the rear unloaded. With the right shackle you could get it to 4". It's still on short arms from CORE4x4 and the ride is fine. It just rides like an old truck.

 

[MattK]

@Pete M currently have 3.55 gears, wondering if 32” tires are too much with that ratio

[Pete M]

having the automatic trans will mask it a bit, but you'll notice the change. 

 

each inch more doubles the headaches.  this goes for lifts and tires.   but it all depends on what you want in the end. might be worth it to you.  I managed to stuff 265/70s (roughly 31s) under my stock Liberty.  it wasn't at all easy, but I am happy with the results.

[MattK]

@ghetdjc320 I planned on replacing my leafs with the 1250 capacity and doing an AAL. Mine sag and the truck squats when I haul stuff. Going for a 4.5” lift I think unless you just recommend 3”

[derf]

Yeah, you may be able to live with 3.55s and 32s with an automatic.  I start to look at regearing at 31s.  To get back to stock performance, 4.10s are probably good with 32s.

 

3.55s and a manual are probably OK with 32s since the stock ratio with a manual is 3.08.

[MattK]

I guess my thought behind it is if I do some mild wheeling I don’t want to hang up on the bed with it being a long bed. But it will be driven weekly atleast and won’t be wheeled aggressively. Mainly just trips to the mountains for scenery and camping.

[ghetdjc320]

4.5 lift will be a bit dificult to accomplish with the GS springs. 3” will keep better control arm and steering geometry overall. An AAL will likely not change the free arch of the 1250 springs. Those leaves are thick. 

[MattK]

So do you recommend an AAL to my old springs?

[Eagle_SX4]

Finding an add a leaf to get you 3 inches of lift on a Comanche is a tall order. I added an XJ full length add a leaf and got only about 1/2" of lift. The add a leaf had nearly the same free arch as the Comanche leaf's when the truck was on the ground.

 

Also just to put my experience in, I got the General Springs 1250 springs and saw absolutely no lift. After about a month of driving they had settled just below factory height of about 9 inches axle to frame (which is why i added an extra leaf to try and get some extra lift in the rear).

 

I am the only one I can find that didn't see any lift from the General Springs springs. It is very infuriating. I really wanted some extra lift in the back. Don't expect lift with the General Springs springs but be happy if you get it.