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Hey guys, quick question. Building and restoring my 88 Wagoneer for my daughters fist vehicle. Lifting it three inches or so and could use your input on which lift is a good, safe lift? Going with springs on all corners, no blocks. Also plan on using factory rims, what is the widest tire you would feel safe running? Would like 32/12.5’s but worry that’s to wide on a 15x7 rim! This rig will see very light off road use I would assume...but I want to keep it safe and very reliable.

Thanks for any and all input. Pictures of your rig are always welcome!

I believe that you wont find any rear springs less than a 4" lift. Unless you go custom springs [expensive] from Alcan or Deaver. Rancho has a 2.5" front spring but you'll need blocks for the rear. A 32x11.5 tire on the stock rims is the largest that could fit.

Hud
Are you talking about the Rough Country 3” lift? I have it on my Wagoneer with leaf springs no blocks and the name explains it all. It is a rough ride. But for the price I am fine with it for now. Their site says 32/11.5 on stock wheels.

Thanks guys for the feed back! Yes, I was looking at the Rough Country lift as well as the Skyjacker soft ride, or the Hell Creek.

I have a Rough Country lift on my Wrangler, and yes, it beats the crap out of me!

Never been keen on blocks in the rear, however I’ve run them on a K5 with no issue. On the Wagoneer, my factory springs sag pretty bad so I’m not sure blocks would work out. Again, thank you for taking the time to help me out!

I am running Rusty's 4" lift on my Cherokee with 33x12.50s. But on a waggy, I think you would be limited to 31s or 32s if you don't plan to take it offroad. The narrowness of the real wheel openings will limit you on the waggy with a small lift. You could go with BJs 2" lift, but would only net you a 30-31" tire. A 4" lift would be a good sweet spot for a 31 on a waggy. But you do have to remember the door height difference. If your daughter is a little shorter, the inherent nature of the waggy and cherokee's makes it a little tougher to climb in with a lift. I am 6'0" and getting in the cherokee for me is not too hard, but I know it's a lot tougher for those that are shorter.

I've been a fan of my Skyjacker Softride. It is a comfortable drive, even in a J10 pickup. A little weight in the back to make it more like a Grand Wagoneer weight really makes it nice. If you have a swaybar on the Jeep, you'll want longer swaybar links. I went with Skyjacker extended links that were designed for a CJ but they fit on the truck perfectly and work great. They should work for the wagon as well.

As far as tires, I think 32x11.50 would be as big as I go with stock wheels and a 4" lift. Though I'd probably stay closer to a 31x10.50. They look good with a 4" lift, there's a bigger selection in that size, and they have less chance of rubbing on the fenders.

See below, double posted...

Again, thank you for the input! I learn a little from everyone I read so please, if anyone else has knowledge to share I would love to hear from you as well! Pics of your rig would be great too!

Can you get a skyjacker in 3-4”? I was looking at a Rough Country but after hearing you guys say it’s rough I’m not sure I want it. I’d rather pay a little more for a smooth ride.

Just chiming in on the 32x11.5 tires with a 3-4" suspension lift and no body lift: I agree with everything above. They will fit but the best deal I ever got on used tires was on a matched set of BFG All Terrains where one of the tires had a pretty significant gouge in the shoulder tread blocks because the tire got a little stuffed into the rear fender during some very light 'wheeling. The guy had them on a beautiful GW and didn't want any more body damage so he was moving to a 31.x10.50.

Also: the 31x10.50 looks great on a stock 15x7 Wagoneer wheel. They wear correctly that width and the sidewall looks perfect, in my opinion, whether aired up or down.

I'd probably stick to 31s for the reasons mentioned above. Yeah you COULD fit 32s, but, that extra inch won't make much difference in off road situations if you keep jamming them into the fenders anyway I have the Rough Country lift on my Cherokee. It rides like a truck, but its not too bad once you flex them out a bit. For the first couple months if you don't go flex them over rocks and stuff it is, well, rough. Plus its really a 2.5" lift once everything settles down. Not a bad thing, but more reason to go with a 31/10.50. Plus will save you some coin, lots more manufacturers for that size vs a 32. Good luck!

Thanks for the words of wisdom and y’all taking the time to explain your reasoning. It is appreciated!

I have an ‘89 on 31s. The lift is rancho front and general spring rear, which seems to be a new stock spring with an add a leaf. The shocks are rancho adjustable. Going this route is not cost effective, you could probably get better pricing buying one of the 3”-4” kits and quality shocks. The on street ride is great in my opinion. I like adjustable shocks for that exact reason; however, these shocks probably wouldn’t be the top choice for serious wheeling.

- added front sway bar disconnects but haven’t flexed it out yet.
- added track bar extensions and while this made the ride and cornering/lane changing somewhat smoother; I suspect the righting arm movement by changing the mounting points is actually worse (ie: the Jeep does not ‘snap’ back and is now more leisurely). Extensions probably aren’t needed for the lift height of this particular configuration.

So I have new to me '89 GW with stock rims that have 31x10.5 tires. I will be working on the GW over the next few years, getting it road and trail ready (not hard 4x4 or mudding). I know the body lifts need to be replaced, and would like to add a small lift so that the 31's fit the wheel wells better. However I still want a comfortable ride. What do you all suggest for a cost effective suspension 2"-4" lift that provides for a nice ride without having to modify other equipment (drive link, steering, trans shift linkage, etc.)?

Thanks.

MReno wrote:So I have new to me '89 GW with stock rims that have 31x10.5 tires. I will be working on the GW over the next few years, getting it road and trail ready (not hard 4x4 or mudding). I know the body lifts need to be replaced, and would like to add a small lift so that the 31's fit the wheel wells better. However I still want a comfortable ride. What do you all suggest for a cost effective suspension 2"-4" lift that provides for a nice ride without having to modify other equipment (drive link, steering, trans shift linkage, etc.)?

Thanks.

Easiest way to fit 31's with minimal effort is to trim the rear fenders where they rub. No other modifications are necessary.

If you don't want to cut sheet metal, you can do a spring lift, a body lift, or both.

A body lift looks inexpensive. But when you're installing it you end up discovering that the transmission linkage has to be modified. And the steering shaft from the column to the front may rub where it didn't before. And the brake lines from the master cylinder are now too short and need to be modified. And the bumpers sit low so they look weird. No one makes a relocation bracket so you have to figure that one out yourself. And... And... And...

The other option is a suspension modification. Spring lifts work without a whole lot of drama. But their quality can vary a lot. The cheaper ones tend to not ride as comfortably. More comfort is less budget friendly. You do need to change out shocks with the taller springs. it's a good idea on a vehicle as old as a GW to replace the rubber brake lines anyway so installing a set of extended brake lines is, in my book, a must with a spring lift. You may need to install a drop pitman arm (from the steering gear box to the drag link). But once you do that and get an alignment, you're done. I personally only have experience with the Skyjacker Softride 4" full spring kit (no blocks in the back), along with a drop pitman arm and extended brake lines. It's a very comfortable ride and worth the extra money you pay for it.

Looking for an opinion on a Skyjacker 6" suspension lift for my '89GW running 31x10.5 tires. I see there is one used on craigslist and are considering this, but want to make sure it does not look silly with a 6" lift. Can members share any pictures of a '89 GW with a 6" lift so I can see what the result would look like?

I just put a 4” skyjacker on and it sits high now I have 30’s on it, am 6’ and have to jump a little to get inside. It made a big difference. My setup looks good but I’m betting a 6” and 31’s will look disproportionate, and you’ll need a ladder to get in.

Hanger, thanks for replying. Can you share any photos of your setup?

Derf, thanks for the reply. Thinking 4" suspension lift now...

Rule of thumb with narrow tracks is 31s with 4" lift, and 33s with 6" lift (no trimming). But Skyjacker doesn't make a 6" lift, only a 3.5-4" lift.

You can also do 33x10.5 on stock wheels with a 4" lift and minor trimming/folding of lips, as they tuck better than the wider 33x12.5" tires.