1982 J10 Lift suggestions?

[Redneck_Raider]

Hello all! Brand new to the forum here.

Long story short: I'm in high school and working on a 1982 Jeep J10 that has been a lawn decoration for about 20 years. Just got it running again and am looking into getting a lift for it.. the sag is just plain depressing. I hope to use it as a daily at least for a bit but also want the capability to do some off-roading every now and then. I should probably mention I do not have a bottomless wallet, hence the sub 1k lift kit options..

Currently trying to decide between a Rough Country 3" Spring Lift System and a Rusty's Off-Road 6" Lift Kit. Also considering a 2" body lift (more seriously if I go the 3" route) and tire choices.

Interested to hear opinions regarding different lift heights/tire combinations, somewhere around 33" or 35" depending on how much they would affect MPG and acceleration. Thanks for your time!

[Stuka]

Welcome to the forum!

Is your J10 a manual or auto, and is it an i6 or a V8? All 80's FSJs have poor gearing options (Stock gears are 2.73s, or optional 3.31s), which makes larger tires painful without regearing. If you have a manual, anything over a 31" tire is going to hurt, and your clutch will hate you. Regardless of you having a 258 or 360. And even 3.31s are marginal with 31s. If you have a V8 and an automatic, 33s are more livable. But not ideal. To give an example, my old '81 J10 was a 4sp, and with 31's and 2.73s, starting out on a hill was rough on the clutch. When I moved to 34's, I literally had to shift into low range to drive up my driveway, which was only a mild hill. I ultimately regeared to 4.56s and it was night and day better.

As for lifts, I would stay far away from body lifts. They cause more issues than they solve.

As for suspension lifts, the Rough Country 3" lift uses blocks in back, which makes it more affordable. The springs are stiff, but again, they are affordable.

I have run a Rusty's 6", which in back uses 4" springs and 2" blocks. Its fairly stiff. But, it may require more mods. Such as drive shafts, steering, and potentially a custom cross member depending on your engine/trans setup. So from a cost perspective, I would stay in the 3-4" range. 33's work well and look good with this size lift.

[Redneck_Raider]

Welcome to the forum!

Is your J10 a manual or auto, and is it an i6 or a V8? All 80's FSJs have poor gearing options (Stock gears are 2.73s, or optional 3.31s), which makes larger tires painful without regearing. If you have a manual, anything over a 31" tire is going to hurt, and your clutch will hate you. Regardless of you having a 258 or 360. And even 3.31s are marginal with 31s. If you have a V8 and an automatic, 33s are more livable. But not ideal. To give an example, my old '81 J10 was a 4sp, and with 31's and 2.73s, starting out on a hill was rough on the clutch. When I moved to 34's, I literally had to shift into low range to drive up my driveway, which was only a mild hill. I ultimately regeared to 4.56s and it was night and day better.

As for lifts, I would stay far away from body lifts. They cause more issues than they solve.

As for suspension lifts, the Rough Country 3" lift uses blocks in back, which makes it more affordable. The springs are stiff, but again, they are affordable.

I have run a Rusty's 6", which in back uses 4" springs and 2" blocks. Its fairly stiff. But, it may require more mods. Such as drive shafts, steering, and potentially a custom cross member depending on your engine/trans setup. So from a cost perspective, I would stay in the 3-4" range. 33's work well and look good with this size lift.

Thanks for the welcome and reply!

It is a manual 258, and I am unsure of the gears... I will try and find out what it has. Do you recall how much it cost to regear?

Regarding the Rough Country kit, the one I was considering was the 4 spring kit (no blocks).. More expensive, but I feel like it would be best to start over with new springs considering the current ones are literally flat lol

Again, thanks for the input!

[Stuka]

I regeared my truck in 2007, and also put in a detroit and such.

But, you will need new carriers for both axles if you have 2.73. If you have 3.31, you only need a carrier for the front axle. The most recent vehicle I geared was my '08 JK about 6 years ago, and it was just over $1500 out the door. That was all new gears, bearings, seals, a front carrier, and labor. I think the labor was like $650 or so of that $1500.