2' Lift- Is it Worth it in the Long Run

[maddieh]

Hey Guys! I just got my BS and it has around 40K miles, with warranty until 100. The dealership said that a lift wouldn't affect it unless it can be proven, so I ordered a lift from FR Lifts and we tried putting it on yesterday (my bf works on cars and did a few lifts for friends and family) so is well experienced. We thought that the clearance from the CV boot is extremely small and actually punctured it in the instillation and had to replace it.

I love the lifted look and bought the vehicle with the intention of lifting it, but if the car isn't made to be lifted and it'll cause many other issues later down the line, I would rather just return it or not do it and ruin my car's longevity. Was wondering if anyone with the 2' has had any issues because the car's struts just dont seem to fit well with the lift and I don't want to force the vehicle into strain and cause damage.

I still am considering putting it on because it looks so great but wanted the real deal insight from yall! Thanks in advance.

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[Cursed Bronco]

Is it a true 2" lift? I have seen the 1.5" and the 3"+ lifts. Generally, anything over the 1.5" would require modifications to the CV with additional kits due to angle the CV will be under after a lift. A lot of the kinks have been worked out from the original 1.5" kit and a lot of users respond to having no issues. I would argue the lift probably puts unnecessary strain on those components given they weren't designed to incorporate a factory body lift.

I have not heard of fitment issues, but unless you have a wonky kit, then perhaps your BF may have done something wrong. That's my $0.02.

 

[Cursed Bronco]

After further investigation, it looks the kits are the same. Usually 2" in the front and 1.5" in the rear to level the ride height. You should be fine if properly installed. I don't think there is enough data on long term durability given the relative age of the vehicle and the product, so you do run a risk. The kits are mostly the same except for a different logo and color choice.

 

[maddieh]

yes it is the 2” kit. Thanks for the feedback!!

 

[jkeaton]

My personal opinion is altering the factory suspension geometry is going to eventually cause something to wear out sooner than if the suspension left alone.

 

[gatornek]

My personal opinion is altering the factory suspension geometry is going to eventually cause something to wear out sooner than if the suspension left alone.

I'm firmly on this team with my Bronco Sport. I just like the feel of the ride too much. Don't want to mess with it.

 

[bluebabybronc]

I have the "2"" lift from FRL on my badlands. We did get it around the CV OK. I am happy with it. For me, it was never about looks and more about function. I figured the time and money spent on a lift was better than repairs when I bottom out on trails. I am extremely impressed with the lifted BSBL offroad. It can chew through stuff you would never think such a vehicle could. However, there is some mild but annoying wheel sway on the highway even after 2 alignments (I may make a thread about this) If I was doing it just for looks, it wouldn't be worth it.

 

[Escape2Bronco]

My opinion is the juice isn’t worth the squeeze. I just don’t think it buys enough clearance for the potential issues. If you are doing for looks, you can do a drop on the subframe that should eliminate most of the geometry issues with the CV joints yet give you the body clearance over the tires.

It’s a personal choice. There are plenty of trails you can drive on with the stock lift. There are also plenty that you can’t and adding a couple of inches won’t give you a free pass on all trails. The under carriage on the Big Bend has little protection. You need to take the proper lines over obstacles and most likely straddle any ruts. Most ruts I’ve encountered these days are caused by 35” or larger tires. A 2 inch lift won’t help in those circumstances.

 

[NoOneHereYet]

The 2" leveling kit for the Badlands allows for moving up to a 245 65 tire which gives a substantial enough lift without having to modify core components. It's when you start swapping things out to make a lift viable where things start to cause issues. Honestly the BS with over 10"'s of clearance after the leveling kit and/or adding bigger tires is more than enough to do the off roading the vehicle is capable of doing. I would not however recommend doing any lift on the 1.5L versions instead just going to a bigger tire. The 1.5 is just not meant to be more than a soft roader if you try to use it for more it will cause problems.

 

[SgtT11B]

The 2" leveling kit for the Badlands allows for moving up to a 245 65 tire which gives a substantial enough lift without having to modify core components. It's when you start swapping things out to make a lift viable where things start to cause issues. Honestly the BS with over 10"'s of clearance after the leveling kit and/or adding bigger tires is more than enough to do the off roading the vehicle is capable of doing. I would not however recommend doing any lift on the 1.5L versions instead just going to a bigger tire. The 1.5 is just not meant to be more than a soft roader if you try to use it for more it will cause problems.

You can run a 245/65/17 tire w/o a lift.

 

[maddieh]

decided to do it! Here it is

 

[NoOneHereYet]

You can run a 245/65/17 tire w/o a lift.

You can but the second you take it off road and start actually flexing your suspension it rubs. On road not an issue, off road problem. The leveling kit eliminates that issue.

 

[NMhunter]

I don't really care about looks, but for function, even the 1.5" lift makes a big difference. At Moab Off Rodeo, the Badlands they provided scraped on the grass between the ruts. My old Jeep Liberty was the same way. A 1.5" lift on it made a huge difference.

My solution for between the ruts was to add skid plates on both the driver's side and the catalytic converter.

When these Wildpeaks wear out, I'm going to 235/70 R17 tires. That will make a slight height difference, and the extra rubber between me and the road will make off road rides much more comfortable, especially if I lower the tire pressure.

 

[AndyMac204]

You can but the second you take it off road and start actually flexing your suspension it rubs. On road not an issue, off road problem. The leveling kit eliminates that issue.

i've never rubbed under extreme flex.

 

[SgtT11B]

You can but the second you take it off road and start actually flexing your suspension it rubs. On road not an issue, off road problem. The leveling kit eliminates that issue.

I know several people who offroad with the 245/65/17 and had no issues.

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