Best lift for under 500
- Thread starter Rishi3
- Start date
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I know you said you don't want to do a spacer lift, but I'm pretty happy with my Daystar 2.5/1.5 lift. It cost $130 and I did the installation myself. No need to touch the XREAS, assuming it's still working. Looks good, rides like before, and works well for moderate off-road trails.
Spacer lifts are not for the hard-core offroaders, or for people who drive hard and bottom out their suspension regularly. For the rest of us, they can work well.
If you go as high as 3" up front, you'll likely need aftermarket UCA's to get your caster back to where the vehicle drives well on the highway. That will add another $400 to your cost right there, so stopping at 2-2.5 will help keep costs down.
Spacer lifts are not for the hard-core offroaders, or for people who drive hard and bottom out their suspension regularly. For the rest of us, they can work well.
If you go as high as 3" up front, you'll likely need aftermarket UCA's to get your caster back to where the vehicle drives well on the highway. That will add another $400 to your cost right there, so stopping at 2-2.5 will help keep costs down.
Powder_Hound
New member
Spacers are fine for your application. You can prob purchase and have a Daystar 3/2 installed for under $500. I ran spacers for a little over 100,000 and had no issues at all.
Otherwise, stretch the wallet to 800-1000 and you will add a couple options: before install.
Otherwise, stretch the wallet to 800-1000 and you will add a couple options: before install.
Not necessarily. The Daystar lift is a "tophat" lift and will actually increase down travel. That's not necessarily good, if down travel increases to the point of locking up the CV joints. About 2.5 inches of lift is the limit for keeping the CV's out of trouble.
Up travel is also slightly increased, and is limited by the shock compression instead of the bump stop. This isn't a problem unless you are in the habit of bottoming out hard, in which case you can bend the shock.
For these reasons, hardcore offroaders are better served with achieving lift with aftermarket shocks and springs - the suspension will be more robust and take more abuse. However, if you are willing to drive gently, the spacer lift will take you most places you would want to go. I've been on "5 rated" roads (Traildamage.com scale of 1 to 10) without problems, but I drive slow and easy.
Three50Bowtie
New member
Spacers is probably your only option. Unless you go with a Bilstein set-up with a spacer only in the back.
4runnin4mylife
New member
That's not under $500! You can do springs front and rear no problem for that price and stay away from spacers!
