Hello I have a 2016 Jeep renegade trailhawk. With 225/65/17 bf Goodrich Ko2 no lift. I’m interested in lifting it but not sure what the best route it. I’ve seen people do just the eibach lift springs or day star lift kit. I’ve also seen people do eibach springs with bilstein b8 5100 struts but have seen issue with the strut bending. I want the avid lift but it’s been out of stock for months now. Also have seen people having alignment issues with day star lift and it being extremely stiff. Not sure what the best route is. If you guys can comment you setups. I’d appreciate it. Thanks
If I were to do it all over again and wanted to do a simple, reliable, good looking lift... I would go with the AVID 2.5 Lift System. It is very complete kit, quality parts, and easy to install (relatively easy to install (just as easy as any other suspension lift kit). my 2¢.
I am kinda in the same boat as you. I have a 2018 Trailhawk I still has the stock tires on it(215/65/17) I was looking into a lift and what I could do to really get the best combo that won't screw up the Jeep, look good, and perform good. Where I have ended up is that less is more. I am putting on a set of 235/65/17's (probably Atturo Trailblade XT's) along with a 1" spacer (which are already on the Jeep). After I get the tires on I will do the pinch seam mod if it is necessary. I have read enough bad things about CV joint issues with the lifts that I'm going to steer away from that. I do believe that the performance improvements a lift provides over a stock Trailhawk are marginal at best and don't outweigh the possible negatives. That's my take anyway...for what it's worth. All that said I agree with Mr. IDoMyOwnRacing that the Avid 2.5 Lift is the one to go with if you so choose.
Is the avid 2 or 2.5 kit better then daystar/ Teraflex kit with the eibach springs? is it more reliable for the Jeep or the CV joints? I’m also In the market for a lift and new tires.
The Teraflex kit will not change any of the suspension geometry. Actually the Eibach springs will impact the suspension geometry more.
I would not go more than 4 inch on a non-Trailhawk, 4.5 inches on a Trailhawk. If all of the components are installed that come with the lift kit the suspension geometry will NOT be affected enough to hurt the Ball Joints, CV Joints etc. any more than doing a simple 2 inch lift. If you after reliability, do not do the lift it. Leave it stock the way Jeep intended it to be. On my Trailhawk, I went with a 4.5 inch lift (which gave ne a total of 4 inch over stock), AVDI 2.5 lift system and the ATP 2 inch springs. I had 245/65R17 BFG KO2's, AVID front and rear bumpers with a Warn 8k winch and mounted and the spare tire on the rear bumper, Rock sliders and lights. I added almost 1000 pounds to the Trailhawk and I drove it hard without any drivetrain or suspension issues. ... drove it hard; I had the 2.4l with 9 speed automatic and added a turbo which put me right at 234.8 hp at the wheels @ 7 psi of boost. It will spin all four tires effortlessly. I drove this Trailhawk 74 miles to work (mountain driving) one way, every work day. Played on logging roads and crossed streams. for 8 months (nearly 18000 miles). The only issue that I had was trying to perfect the tune for the turbo. My point is: Don't be afraid to play. If a half-shaft (CV Joint) or a lower ball joint happens to fail, replace it and move on. It is a Jeep and wants you to play with it. Make it your own, personalize it and HAVE FUN.
Thanks for the reply! I ended up ordering a rough country 2 inch lift. I wanted the avid but it’s been sold out for months. Still Waiting on it to be delivered but what do you think about 1 inch spacers? Are they safe? People I’ve heard have been telling me it will mess up the geometry and stuff. I want 235/65/17s after the lift and I want a little more stance
How are the spacers? Are they safe? Even for off roading? I want to get 1 inch spacers but I’ve been told it will mess up the geometry and it will ride pretty bad. What brand did you go with?
As long as they are Hub Centric and have wheel studs included (pressed in) you won't have any issues. I went with Supreme Engineering Technologies and Titan Wheel Accessories on my last Jeep without any issues.
I just put them on about 2 weeks ago. Atturo trailblade XT's. They definitely rub. Turning in one direction more than the other, but I will be doing the pinch weld mod for sure. I'm 99% sure that will eliminate the rub issue. I am considering the Eibach springs as well, but that won't happen soon. I've been bumping around on some trails in and around north Phoenix and it does great.
Funny you say that... I traded in the ol' Renegade about a year ago. The dealership wasn't going to give me anymore for the turbo set up. So I brought the jeep home and took the turbo kit off, went back the next day and completed the trade. I still have it sitting in the shed with a ton of extra parts. 2 turbos, 2 inner coolers, 2 exhaust manifolds, 2 down pipes, 2 computers (1 for the Renegade, 1 for a Dart or Cherokee (2.4L), all the piping, oil pan, and the air filter assembly that I used (plus a bunch of extras (pipes, hoses, clamp etc.). I would love to sell it, but I an afraid the shipping would be ridiculous.
I had to replace the front driver side axle. The Boot ripped and the CV joint was getting loud. Ordered a 99$ OEM Axle. It was good until I hit a deep puddle @ 45 MPH that I didn't accelerate out of properly. It kinda caught me off guard, but then the car sounded like I blew a strut. A couple weeks, after several inspections, I noticed the boot was leaking near the transmission. The axle needed replaced again, so I went with the 250$ OEM one they recommended at the shop. The strut sound was still there, so I thought I had a blown strut. After about a month, no off-roading, it started making a loud whine/wobble sound when I accelerated hard. I took it in because they stripped my lug nuts, so I could take off my wheel to investigate myself. They said the axle was coming out of the transmission, they had put an OEM axle in that wasn't the same length as the stock one, apparently. With the 4.5 lift, etc. it needs every centimeter it an get on the shaft. This time they compressed the suspension and made sure to get it in real nice and tight, after ordering another axle during their install process. I had them put the stock tires/wheels on as well.. Driving home, it hasn't been this quiet in a long time. It wasn't a blown strut, they just weren't getting the axle installed properly/using the correct axle all along... I am a little nervous now about putting back on the 16" steel wheels with 1" spacers though. That extra weight, and extending out the pressure point another inch on the lift.. I am gonna just put 225/65R17s on at this point or trade it in for a Wrangler LOL...
