Finally Lifted....

Discussion in 'Renegade Show & Tell' started by Dan Hamilton, Aug 15, 2019.

  1. Dan Hamilton

    Dan Hamilton New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 5, 2019
    Messages:
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    Location:
    Ohio
    Hello all! I’ve been in toaster jeeps for a while now. Chimed in here and there. Asked and answered a few questions. The time finally came and I decided to lift the Rene (aka Harry).

    Decided to go with the eibach springs as I heard a few bad things about the ATP brand even though I’m pretty sure they are the same. Dimension wise anyways. Besides, who wants to wait two months to get a shipping confirmation on a product? It’s 2019!!!!! Very happy with the eibachs. No noise whatsoever. Did stiffen up the ride a little bit but not enough that I really cared.

    For the spacer/lift parts, I went with the Rough Country 2” lift. Again, shipping was great. Had it to my doorstep in two days. Read one bad review about RC lift but usually the bad reviews are the few people that actually had a bad experience. Most of the time you never hear the success stories. Checked with another TJ member about the RC lift and they said it was relatively easy to install and they have had no issues. One main concern I had that I noticed was an issue with a lot of other companies and their lifts was the sway bar links. I will Tell you, RC didn’t spare any expenses when it came to the sway bar links. They are solid. I did have to remove tires and give them a little tightening after 40 miles, but that was expected with brand new components. Had a couple clunks, re-tightened the sway bar links and we were good to go. All components were solid, installed relatively easy and what a difference it made. I give Rough Country a 5/5 on their lift kit.

    Now for the tricky part. What wheel spacers to use with what tires? I’ve read a lot of reviews on the max tire size you should go with and why you shouldn’t go over 1” on the wheel spacers. A LOT of mixed reviews. Instead of taking the mixed reviews and running with it, I had to do a little math. Glad I did because everything turned out perfect with no rubbing and clearance at all angles. I’ve always loved the look of tires sticking well out past the wheel wells. I knew I was only going to be able to get away with so much and I didnt want to overly stress the drivetrain components. I decided that 1.5” wheel spacers would be my sweet spot. The brand is Supreme engineering and they are based in California. Before buying, I searched their products and found nothing but good reviews and what looked like a solid product specifically for the renegade. Product arrived in two days and what a difference they made. Not too little but not too much. Just right.

    For the tires. I wanted something that was knobby but had good tread ware. Something that was nice and meaty but wouldn’t look out of balance with my stocks 18” rims. Another member turned me onto the brand and size. It took a heavy pinch seam mod and the lift definitely helped make these tires look right in place. I went with the Nitto Ridge Grappler 255/55R-18 Tire’s. Boy do I love them. The difference is insane and the pictures don’t do justice. Ran through some heavy puddles on the way back from alignment and they did awesome! Can’t wait to hit the trails and find some mud pits.

    Alignment. We all know that when you heavily change something from factory that you run the risk of not being able to hit dead on numbers again. Sadly, this is the case with a heavy lift and big tires on the renegade. Don’t be discouraged though. Although the alignment wasn’t back to perfect, all numbers were within a degree or two. The service rep told me to rotate all the tires every 3k miles or so and I wont have too much to worry about. So that’s the plan! Not going to sweat it with how Harry now looks.

    To top the cake, I went with some Lumen H13 G7S LED headlights. They are bright and match the color of my Pod LED’s. No problem with visibility at all.

    If you’ve stuck around this long, I do Appreciate it as I am super stoked to finally have my Renegade how I think it should have come from the factory. At least an option. Without further waste, here are the pictures. (Still don’t think they do it justice.). If you have any questions, feel free to ask and I will be happy to help. Happy Jeepin!
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Mrsig

    Mrsig Active Member

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    Cool! Thanks for posting.
     
    Dan Hamilton likes this.
  3. Dgr401

    Dgr401 Well-Known Member

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    Rhode Island, USA
    Looks good, enjoy it. Keep us posted on how it handles the trails.
     
    Newadventurer and Dan Hamilton like this.
  4. IDoMy0wnRacing

    IDoMy0wnRacing Well-Known Member

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    Pioneer, California
    NICE!!!
    Looks real good. Good write-up.
     
  5. chartied

    chartied Member

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    Jul 2, 2017
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    Location:
    Stillwater, Oklahoma
    Looks good!!
     
  6. Newadventurer

    Newadventurer Member

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    How hard was it to swap out the front springs?
     
  7. indovinavi

    indovinavi Active Member

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    Sep 13, 2019
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    Location:
    Los Angeles
    looks good! crazy how a few little adjustments can make such a big change on the look of the vehicle! I don’t know how much I can trust from the alignment guy I used but mine came back all green on specs- might need to get another opinion..

    Love that color too!
    Mike
     
  8. Joshpc_rene18

    Joshpc_rene18 New Member

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    Aug 9, 2020
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    Location:
    Portsmouth, VA
    Hi there. New to this forum but looking to do the same set up on my 4x4 Sport. Have you had any issues so far? Or has everything been good with it? Also how long did it take overall to do the springs and lift kit install?
     
  9. Dgr401

    Dgr401 Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Rhode Island, USA
    Welcome to the forum. Hopefully you will get a reply, the op hasn't posted for a year. There are others here who have done lifts and springs and are quite knowledgeable. Perhaps the op will reply or someone else can give you the info you are looking for. Good luck.
     
  10. Joshpc_rene18

    Joshpc_rene18 New Member

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    Aug 9, 2020
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    Location:
    Portsmouth, VA
    Yeah I at least tried to see if he would reply lol. This was the only one i could find with this combo of lift kit and springs. Hoping someone can give me some insight. Thanks!
     
  11. IDoMy0wnRacing

    IDoMy0wnRacing Well-Known Member

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    Location:
    Pioneer, California
    IF you have the correct tools for taking apart the strut assemblies SAFELY, it really isn't that hard to do.
    @Dan Hamilton has a good set of spring compressors (as seen in pictures 2 & 3), and an Air Compressor, and an Impact Gun... lol
     
    zuke likes this.
  12. babelhoo

    babelhoo New Member

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    Location:
    Buenos Aires, Arg
    Looks great! Nice write up.
     
    IDoMy0wnRacing likes this.
  13. Joe McKenzie

    Joe McKenzie New Member

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    Nov 20, 2021
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    Location:
    Wabash IN
    Can I just use springs to get the tires you have to work?
     

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