Next Level: The Right Stance for JK, TJ, WJ and YJ Jeeps

Suspension. More often than not, it’s the most important upgrade when modifying any vehicle, particularly when building one for off-road use. Without a proper lift, many trails become unnecessarily hazardous, as difficult terrain can easily damage your vehicle’s undersides when riding at factory height. Also, without the proper lift, you wont be able to fit more capable tires under your rig. Jeep owners are fortunate in this regard. The aftermarket is teeming with lift kits for almost every application.

That said, we’re all too aware that it can be a daunting task selecting the right kit. In our opinion, the additional 4-inch ride height is a great starting point: it’s the most applicable for general trail use and also allows use of the popular 35-inch tire. The kits we collected all stay within that 4-inch range, along with offering several unique features. Hopefully, one of them points you in the right direction.

Old Man Emu

ARB 4X4 Accessories

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $1,523

Lift: 4”

The thing about a lift kit for a Jeep is that you want to maintain a certain amount of drivability on road, as well as have some flexibility off road, and that’s what the Old Man Emu kit by ARB provides. It’s a bolt-on kit that fits both the 2- and 4-door JKs, and includes an adjustable forged track bad and track bar relocation kit so your suspension geometry stays in line. Combine that with the included caster correction and driveline kit, and you’ll be sure that everything will ride and function well, on and off the trail.

LeDuc Series Coilover Front and Rear Kit

Skyjacker

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: TBD

Lift: 4” (add-on)

If you’ve got your lift kit already in place, you may want to look at an upgrade like this. These are LeDuc Series coilovers by Skyjacker, and they’ve been specially tuned by legendary racer Curt LeDuc to perform above and beyond the competition, both on and off the road. They even have optional air bump stops available. And, it’s completely bolt-on, so it’ll make for an easy installation.

4-inch Jeep Suspension Lift Kit (07-16 Jk Wrangler Unlimited)

Rough Country

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $500

Lift: 4”

Priced in the lower end of the lift kits, this model by Rough Country will allow you to run 35-inch tires without breaking a sweat. But it’s not a poorly equipped kit by any means; it comes with shocks, springs, sway bar end links and all of the other goodies you’ll need to get your Jeep up and running, plus it still manages to keep your alignment in check with coil correction plates for the rear springs so they function better. It’s a great balance of price and features, making it an excellent kit for beginners and experienced drivers alike.

All-Terrain Lift

Eibach

Year Range: 2007-2014

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $1,500

Lift: 3.5” front/3.0” rear

Eibach has been a huge name in the motorsport industry for decades, and now they’re stepping into the Jeep world with a series of kits for JKs. It incorporates the class-leading ride quality and road handling that the company is known for, but now also gives you excellent off-road capabilities, both at low and high speeds. The kit is completely bolt-on, and includes longer brake lines, bigger bump stops, shocks, coils and more — everything you need to get your Jeep a bit higher up while still being able to perform as you need.

Synergy Jeep JK Stage 3 Long Arm Suspension System

Synergy

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $4,485

Lift: 4-4.5”

Synergy has quite a few options for long-arm kits, and they start to get more interesting at Stage 3. On top of the springs, sway bar links and other accessories, here they add adjustable upper and lower control arms, which are necessary to adjust the pinion angles when working with aftermarket driveshafts, plus adjustable front and rear track bars. And if the 4-4.5-inches of lift isn’t enough for you, know that you can stuff a 37-inch tire under the stock fenders with this kit, or even 40s with high fenders.

2007-2016 Jeep Wrangler JK – 2 Door – 4″ Suspension Lift Kit

Superlift

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $500

Lift: 4”

Just because a kit is inexpensive, doesn’t mean that there hasn’t been a ton of R&D to get the package right. Superlift teamed up with OE engineers to get their coil springs perfect, and the end results are a killer ride and excellent handling unlike any other coil out there. And don’t worry about these springs settling, because they pre-set them to minimize that problem and keep your ride height the same instead of shrinking over time. It comes with a ton of other bonuses, including an adjustable front track bar, replacement rear sway bar links, cam-bolts for tweaking your alignment, and frame-mounted brake line relocation brackets.

JK 4 Door 4″ Elite LCG Long FlexArm Lift Kit w/ 9550 Shocks

Teraflex

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $3,284

Lift: 4”

Lifting your truck provides advantages and gives you a few disadvantages as well, but the Elite LCG Long FlexArm Lift Kit by Teraflex works to give you nothing but the best. Not only does it handle well, it gives you aggressive trail characteristics while still giving you performance gains. Plus, the lower center of gravity balances your JK nicely so that you can take on more

Synergy Jeep JK Stage 4 Long Arm Suspension System

Synergy

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $4,485

Lift: 4-4.5”

The Stage 3 kit from Synergy is pretty sweet, but if you want to go just a little bit further, then this is your best choice. It improves upon the adjustable stock-length control arms and instead uses adjustable long arms and the corresponding mounting brackets — and all this without needing a welder. The kit still maintains your ride quality, too, so you don’t have to stress about whether you want to use your Jeep on or off road. It will fit 37-inch tires with stock fenders or 40s with high fenders.

JK 4 Door 4″ Lift Kit with 8 FlexArms, Trackbar and 9550 Shocks

Teraflex

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $2,730

Lift: 4”

So you want to lift your JK four inches and do some crawling? This kit by Tereaflex not only does that, but also lets you crawl over all sorts of crazy obstacles by using adjustable FlexArms, a front adjustable track bar, front sway bar disconnects and 9550 VSS shocks. It’s a great combination of excellent handling with extreme off-road capabilities, and you still can maintain your ride quality. You want everything in one package? This might be your option.

97-02 Jeep TJ 4” Suspension Lift Kit

Rough Country

Year Range: 1997-2002

Make/Model: Jeep TJ

MSRP: $500

Lift: 4”

Want to have some fun on the weekends but only have one Jeep to play with? This kit by Rough Country for the Jeep TJs has your back, combining a smooth ride with off-road tricks. It uses lift coils to gain an extra 4 inches of height, and uses tubular lower control arms with Clevite bushings to dampen vibrations. It also has a tubular transfer case drop kit, extended sway bar links and it comes with the new N2.0 shocks that are specially made just for Jeep TJs.

2007-UP Jeep JK 4.5” Suspension System – Stage 4

Icon Vehicle Dynamics

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $5,733

Lift: 4.5”

Want to take your Jeep JK up just a bit taller than your buddy’s ride and still have some great advantages? This Icon Vehicle Dynamics Stage 4 kit has you covered, with all the fancy features you expect, plus 2.5 Series remote reservoir shocks with CDC Valve technology. The stability and drivability of this kit on all sorts of off-road applications is pretty spectacular, and you can still run a 35-inch tire with the stock fenders (or 37s with high-clearance fenders). Did we mention that it’s great on road, as well?

Jeep Long Arm Suspension Lift Kit

Rough Country

Year Range: 1999-2004

Make/Model: Jeep WJ

MSRP: $1,500

Lift: 4”

Give your Jeep WJ some love with this 4-inch lift from Rough Country. Able to take your Jeep up another 4 inches while still accommodating 31-inch tires, this kit has all sorts of goodies to make this lift functional including re-buildable X-Flex joints, front and rear coil springs, ¼-inch thick steel crossmember, skid plate and sway bar disconnects. And it’s a long arm kit, so you know you’ll be able to knock out some back road treks with no problem at all, while still handling the highway just fine.

2007-UP Jeep JK 1.75-4″ Coilover Conversion System – Stage 2

Icon Vehicle Dynamics

Year Range: 2007+

Make/Model: Jeep JK

MSRP: $6,836

Lift: 1.75-4”

If you want a great balance of ride quality and performance, this kit by Icon will be just right. It’s loaded with options for the seasoned driver, including adjustable ride height coilovers and variable compression valving so that you can tweak your ride the way you like. On top of that, it has front and rear adjustable track bars, front and rear link arms and everything else you’ll need to bolt it up and go. It’s not inexpensive, but as they say, you get what you pay for.

Editor’s note: A version of this article first appeared in the Fall 2016 print issue of Tread Magazine.