Groundhog Lift Is In - Finally!!!

[Groundhog]

Took some time, since November, but it's in.  Had to replace a ton of stuff while I was under there.

Now for tires. Do I gamble on 32's and trim -  or go safe with 31's??

Here is the finished product : http://www.ardvrk.com/images/PICT0505.JPG   


                                      : http://www.ardvrk.com/images/PICT0511.JPG

 

[gorilla_skater]

I see from your profile that it was an RE 3.5 kit. How much lift did it actually net from stock?

 

[Groundhog]

Most who get the RE3.5 claim 4 inches or more.. I didn't see that. 
It looks to be right around the 3.5 inch mark. I didn't really document any "before" measurements as she has over 159,000 miles and the springs were shot anyway. I'm happy with the ride as well, much more mild than I expected. She gets a lot of attention on the street now, especially when I pull up next to a stock ZJ.

 

[gorilla_skater]

It looks good. I don't have any experience with a ZJ, but according to the JP Magazine lift chart, a 4 inch lift will require minor trimming for 32's, so at 3.5 I would think that you will need to trim. But, another important thing is whether you're going to wheel it or not? With my XJ I have 2.5" of lift and I'm running 30's because I wheel it. Sitting level, it looks like the tires are way too small, but when that rear wheel is stuffed, it barely makes it. If I didn't wheel it, I could run 31's easily.

http://jpmagazine.com/techarticles/wheels/154_0512_fitt/index1.html

 

[Groundhog]

That's the delimma.  To wheel it or not.  I had such a good time with you guys that I couldn't wait to lift it. Now, it came out so nice that I'm sort of torn as to how hard to hammer her.  32's on the street would look great, but what's the point?  I'd really like to use it, even if it's only mild wheeling.  We'll see.

 

[cjshloman]

Wheel it, once yo get that first dent, its hard, but Then youll love it.  Wheel it.  Bull.

 

[beaker]

It's not just how big in diameter your tires are, it's also how wide.  I run 32 x ~ 9.5 (235-85-16).  I can stuff the wheels no problem on my cherokee.  Wider tires would not though.

Besides, what's a little trimming.  :twisted: :twisted:

 

[Groundhog]

KevinC says he runs 32's without a problem on 3.5" lifted ZJs, at least that is what I remember reading. I'll have to go back and check the old posts.

My concern is the wheels offset.
I'm thinking I should stick to the 4 - 4.5 inch offset that most run - instead of the 3.5 inch offset wheels I bought last year.
The 32 inch Goodyear MTR's sit at around 31 inches. we run them on our trucks at work and I really like them, but like Beaker just posted, I'm concerned about the 11.5 inch width on the 3.5 inch offset wheel.

I'm going to have to do a test fit before I decide on tires. 
Don't forget, I still have to regear as well and I don't have the rock sliders on yet.

 

[KLank]

Looks good.  Saw it sitting out in the driveway the other day.

 

[Groundhog]

You should have stopped by KLank.  I was going to drive it over to your house but I'm still fighting with the tie rod adjustment. Toe-In is a little off - about 1 inch!
One tire is scrubbing pretty bad. Just a few bugs to work out. I love it though.

 

[xjmark]

I'd recommend running the 31's if you're going to wheel it, and not do a lot of sawzalling. The 31's will give you plenty of good wheeling opportunities.
When I did my first lift, it was the 4.5". RE recommended 32's for tires, but even the 31's rubbed without a little trimming.

I think RE's max tire recommendations are for people that drive their rigs mostly on the street. Kind of confusing since their kits flex really well, and are some of the most offroad capable out there. 

 

[Groundhog]

One of the options I considered was going to a 16" rim and running metric tires. I'll definately be looking into the 265/75's before I lay out cash.

 

[beaker]

235-85-16 works pretty good on my xj

it's also about 32" tall.

There's also 255-85-16

which is almost 33" tall.

 

[kevinc]

it's 32s on a well worn RE 4.5 with lots of extra weight.  i only rub on the ARB bumper, but that's because when i replaced the D30 for a HP version, i didn't add the bumpstop extensions. The mtrs run small, so i would go wth 32s and make sure you have bumpstop extensions.  as for backspacing, ii run 3.75 BS on a 15x8 wheel.  the tires tuck into the fenders nicely.  BUT........every ZJ or jeep for that matter seems to respond different to lifts and such, so what works for some might not work for others.  good luck, any ?s ask. 
:cheers:

Kevin C.

 

[Groundhog]

Thanks guys.

Worked today on getting the steering perfect. Almost there. Adjusted the toe-in and caster so that they are in the ballpark - drives almost like stock except it wanders a little more than it used to.

Does that mean I need more toe-in or caster?  At present, caster is at around 7 degrees, toe-in is set at about 1/8".

Town Fair Tire took a quick look at the ride height. They don't think 32s are gonna clear the front plastic.  As a matter of fact, they think the 31's are gonna rub - and I agree.  I may have to pull the front axle back, but I don't really want to mess with it. It drives pretty damn good and the axles are centered( with the track bars) dead nuts.

Also, I don't think I got a full 3.5 inches above where she sat before, but I can't verify that. Looks more like 3 inches max, to me.

In any case, I have adjustable everything so I shouldn't have any problems that I can't dial out.

As far as tires, I'm completely stumped. I really like the Mickey Thompson MTZ's and the Firestone Destination MTs  - but I don't know if I should go with a mud tire if I'm not going to use them. Plus, buying a tire on looks alone is kind of foolish, No?( They do look sweet though!)

The Firestone Destinations are getting rave reviews - what do you guys think? The Good Year MTR's were my first thought, but boy, are they pricey.

 

[xjmark]

Ron and I have been running the Destination MT's for a while. Mandy bought mine since I went with a bigger tire.
They worked great on and off road. I didn't even balance mine, and they were good at all speeds up to 85. (max speed of my xj)
I'd recommend them anyday.
Too bad the biggest tire they offer is a 33". If they made a 36, I'd have them on my rig now.

 

[Groundhog]

That's good to hear because I really like the way they look.  The MTZ's have a little siping so I figured they might be better for all season use, but the Firestones really caught my eye.

 

[beaker]

I've gone cheap on my last two sets of tires, Kumho mt's and pep boys futura mud tires.  They've both worked great for me.

Get some cheap MT's and have fun.  Specific tire brands work better for certain conditions.  On any wheeling run, you'll run into a lot of different conditions, wet rock, try rock, muddy rock, smooth rock, deep mud, shallow mud, soupy mud, thin mud, wet tree's, dry tree's.  What ever you buy is going to be better on some then others.  Don't sweat the choice to much.  They all work. 

 

[Groundhog]

What concerns me is buying a mud tire, not having time to wheel and then being stuck with tires I don't like on my daily driver. That's why I'm leaning toward the all terrains at this point.

I think what I'm going to do is run two sets of wheels and tires - cheap steelies with muds and all terrains on some bling wheel for the street. I already have the rims. More money I know, but I'm in no hurry to get it all done because all my weekends are booked up anyway. Sometimes work really sucks - but it pays for the Jeep!