YJ Wrangler Lift Kit - Old Ride Out, Superide In

What do you do when the old stock suspension under your not-so-old-to-you 4x4 begins to falter? You replace it with something better. We were way past that point with a recently acquired '87 Jeep Wrangler YJ, which had been very inexpensively modified to fit 33-inch tires. Although we liked having 33s, we didn't like the extended shackles and 3-inch body lift that were in place to achieve this tire size. Eager to experience an improved ride while still maintaining use of taller-than-stock tires, we looked to Superlift and its 3.5-inch YJ lift system.

The Superlift 3.5-inch lift system is available with two different types of springs, depending on your vehicle application. The lighter-duty springs are designed for four-cylinder-equipped Wranglers with a soft top and lesser weight. The heavier-rated six-cylinder springs are offered for heavier Jeeps with a hardtop and winch bumper and spare-tire carrier. Each of the spring sets provides excellent ride quality and articulation on so-equipped vehicles. Also, lighter vehicles can use the heavy springs to obtain slightly more ride height. Superlift recommends use of 33x12.50 tires when installing its 3.5-inch YJ system, but we decided to push the envelope and see how big we could really go. A 1-inch body lift from Daystar would also be installed to help fit the taller tires, and the fender flares may also be trimmed.

The 3.5-inch Superlift system offers a very good blend of stability and flexibility and includes all of the necessary components for a clean installation. In addition to regular kit components, we also installed a Superlift steering stabilizer and Superlift's quick sway-bar disconnects, extended-length Bulletproof brake hoses, a pitman arm, and new urethane spring-eye bushings. Superlift also offers its TruSpeed speed sensor calibrator to correct the factory speedometer reading after larger-than-stock tires have been installed.

Topping off the Superlift 3.5-inch lift system, we acquired a set of 35x12.50R15 Mickey Thompson Baja Claw radials, which we'll mount on 15x10 Mickey Thompson Classic Lock wheels. It's a proven tire-and-wheel combo that has served us well on past vehicles and will provide an aggressive stance and look to a well-worn '87 Jeep YJ. The Baja Claw tires feature three-ply sidewalls and a full, six-ply tread combined with an advanced radial construction for high mileage and a smooth ride. Aggressive sidewall Sidebiters are also in place for added off-road traction and tire protection. The aluminum Classic Lock wheels feature a simulated beadlock ring and include valve stems and chrome center caps.