Best lift for 80 series

[land bruiser80]

Im looking to get a 3-4" lift and was wondering what the best choice for the money was. let me know what you guys think!

 

[kdxman]

Hello, Land Bruiser80
I guess the first question every one is going to ask is DETAILS what are your plans for your rig mall warrior, fire road explorer, Zombie apocalypse war wagon, rock crawler or driveway ornament. The guys on this sight are going to want to know what you are planing to do with it before they can recommend one set up or the other.
I am certainly in no way an expert I am just learning all this my self There are a ton of discussions on suspension on this sight I suggest reading as many as you can. I myself will be installing an OME when I get home in January, sorry Im not a lot of help But I don't feel I know enough to start pointing you in one direction or another Good luck the guys on here certainly know there stuff and you have come the the right place.

 

[erymer]

KDX is right. Really need to know what your overall goal with the truck is going to be.

 

[Brunt Force Trauma]

All that info is well and good, but honestly, in regards to the 80, the brand of lift you choose doesn't make that much of a difference. The real difference come from the height, and the shocks you run. I've now run OME, FOR, IRONMAN, and TJM coils, along with combinations of them. The FOR coils had a bit of an edge because they were progressive, but not enough to make a big difference. Just pick a height you can live with, see which kit is the most complete and uses castor adjustment you like, and go for it. That being said, if money isn't an issue, the SLEE 4" kit is a nice set up and has EVERYTHING. If youre on a tighter budget, I'd piece together a 4" IRONMAN kit and run some quality shocks. like i said, the shocks make the biggest difference in how the truck performs.

Personally ive found a 4" lift is a sweet spot for the 80 as far as not too tall, but just tall enough. If your running a 35" (315) tire or above I'd go with 4".

 

[TexasJack]

Given your current setup, I am guessing you have been wheeling a while and know you want a lift this tall. Keep in mind that when you raise your vehicle that high you may eventually want to regear to 4.88 (assuming you are planning on going to 35 inch tires). You may also get vibration in your front drive shaft and need to go to a double cardan shaft. There are a number of other things that change about your vehicle when you raise it over 2.5. inches. I'd recommend that you thoroughly read the FAQ for 80s.

When I first did my lift, I simply did the OME J springs with the OME L shocks. It lifted my truck 3.5 inches and allowed me to run 35 inch tires. I immedialy got to wheel my truck where I couldn't previously. Over time, I added a front and rear bumper, sliders, skid plate and very heavy drawer system with very heavy tools. My suspension became a bit spongy with all of the weight. I did my research and chose Slee's 4 inch lift. It contains all of the components you need to get your truck set up correctly for a lift of this height.

See: http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/80_suspension.htm

I am very happy with this setup....it is much better than the J spring L shock set up. With that said, I don't aggressively rock climb. I rock climb but only when it is required to get to my destination. I did all of the "Red" trails around Ouray and Silverton this summer with this lift and didn't get a scratch on my sliders or bumpers. Yeah, the lift is that good. Some of these trails require you to drive with your truck tilted pretty far to one side and my truck never felt top heavy.

 

[Tapage]

Personally ive found a 4" lift is a sweet spot for the 80 as far as not too tall, but just tall enough. If your running a 35" (315) tire or above I'd go with 4".

X2 .. I found 4" it's nice to keep 80 well balance as off roader and DD .. I have 4" front and J in the rear that combo makes me real happy along with 315 ..

 

[bhicks]

I'm on the OME Heavies with the 30mm spacers which puts me just a hair under the 4" lift height. Am running 35's with the stock driveshafts and pan hards with no issues so far. I have the OME sport shocks which are ok. I am happy with my set up. I can run most trails and it's still a decent DD.

 

[thatcabledude]

I'm on the OME Heavies with the 30mm spacers which puts me just a hair under the 4" lift height. Am running 35's with the stock driveshafts and pan hards with no issues so far. I have the OME sport shocks which are ok. I am happy with my set up. I can run most trails and it's still a decent DD.

What are you using for castor correction?

 

[land bruiser80]

thanks for the help guys, and i plan on making it a weekend warrior.

 

[land bruiser80]

Given your current setup, I am guessing you have been wheeling a while and know you want a lift this tall. Keep in mind that when you raise your vehicle that high you may eventually want to regear to 4.88 (assuming you are planning on going to 35 inch tires). You may also get vibration in your front drive shaft and need to go to a double cardan shaft. There are a number of other things that change about your vehicle when you raise it over 2.5. inches. I'd recommend that you thoroughly read the FAQ for 80s.

When I first did my lift, I simply did the OME J springs with the OME L shocks. It lifted my truck 3.5 inches and allowed me to run 35 inch tires. I immedialy got to wheel my truck where I couldn't previously. Over time, I added a front and rear bumper, sliders, skid plate and very heavy drawer system with very heavy tools. My suspension became a bit spongy with all of the weight. I did my research and chose Slee's 4 inch lift. It contains all of the components you need to get your truck set up correctly for a lift of this height.

See: http://www.sleeoffroad.com/products/80_suspension.htm

I am very happy with this setup....it is much better than the J spring L shock set up. With that said, I don't aggressively rock climb. I rock climb but only when it is required to get to my destination. I did all of the "Red" trails around Ouray and Silverton this summer with this lift and didn't get a scratch on my sliders or bumpers. Yeah, the lift is that good. Some of these trails require you to drive with your truck tilted pretty far to one side and my truck never felt top heavy.

wow! that sounds like the way too go, thanks a lot man!

 

[TexasJack]

I haven't heard too many complaints about the Slee 4" lift. I think it is widely considered the most comprehensive in the industry. These guys really understand the 80 series and their lift reflects their knowledge.

 

[land bruiser80]

i think ill try to get a slee, thanks texasjack!