Off-road driving enthusiasts are usually people who seek adventure and love the challenges that come with driving on tough terrain.
Motorheads have been tackling treacherous tracks, driving their Jeep Wranglers to their limits, for years and years.
Even though nowadays we have many off-road capable SUVs and trucks, the Wrangler’s legacy lives on, and the Jeep is still touted as one of the greats in the off-roading community.
Why You Should Lift Your Wrangler
If you are a Jeep Wrangler owner and you are looking to step into the realm of adventure driving, then you must have a few questions.
One common question that is asked is, is the Jeep Wrangler capable of conquering rough terrains as a stock vehicle? The answer to that is yes and no. It all depends on the activity you are going to perform, whether you are driving over huge boulders, sliding over gravel and mud, or climbing hills.
Whatever the case might be, you must get lift your Jeep Wrangler so its undercarriage remains safe from damage, and you can drive without worrying too much about the SUV’s well-being. If you are going to lift the Wrangler, how much would that cost? Well, I am here to answer exactly that.
Jeep Wrangler Lift Cost
The amount of money you spend can vary since there are several lift kits in the market. The best one might cost you more, but that might not be the one you need.
You don’t want to be spending a fortune on a vehicle upgrade that is probably not necessary. A lift kit will include new springs and shocks for your Wrangler that are stronger and better suited to off-road abuse.
There is another kind of lift kit that increases the body height, but that is not recommended since more distance from the frame reduces the vehicle’s rigidity
Small Lift: Wrangler Lift Kits
If you want to fit bigger tires in your Wrangler and you don’t want to spend a lot of money, then you can opt for coil spacers that lift your Wrangler by 1 – 2.5 inches.
These rubber spacers are placed between the shocks and the frame to ‘lift’ the car a few inches above the stock height.
You can effortlessly increase ride height by not altering anything in your vehicle and that too by spending less than $200.
A spacer will maintain the integrity of your vehicle’s factory settings, meaning you won’t feel any change in the ride quality.
Furthermore, such an upgrade is an easy DIY job, which means you won’t need a mechanic to do it for you. And when you want to return your SUV to its original specifications, you would only have to remove the spacers.
Medium Lift: Suspension Change
This alternative is for those of you who are a bit more serious about off-roading and modifying the height of their Jeep Wrangler.
Suspension lifts cost a good chunk of money, so don’t expect anything less than $1000. These medium-priced lift kits offer excellent undercarriage protection and allow the Wrangler to proudly traverse through difficult terrain.
Since a suspension lift kit increases ride height by about 2.5 – 4 inches you are bound to buy extra adjustments parts. In total, you are going to spend $400 or more for decent short arm suspension lift kits.
Extreme Lift: Maximum Height
A long-arm suspension lift kit increases your Wrangler’s ride height by more than 5 inches, meaning you can install bigger tires and conquer even more difficult terrain.
However, long-arm suspension kits cost a lot of money, and they are for serious off-road enthusiasts. Due to the extra increase in height, you might need to install new performance parts such as a slip yoke eliminator, a CV driveshaft, exhaust spacers, fresh control arms, extended brake lines, and more.
Each of the mentioned parts cost several hundred dollars. You might not need all of them but keep in mind that a decent extreme-lift kit can be bought from $1000-$1800, add to that the cost of labor and additional parts, and you are standing somewhere in the $2000-$3000 range.
Conclusion on the cost to lift jeep wrangler
Increasing ride height is necessary if you intend to use your Jeep Wrangler solely for off-roading purposes. However, if you do more road driving and off-roading is just a hobby, then you should consider the cheap lift option that doesn’t cost too much money, which allows you to enjoy rough terrain driving and maintain road safety as well as the integrity of your Jeep Wrangler. Only serious professionals should go for 5+ inch lift kits.
