​LIFTING THE 2007 WRANGLER

     Early this year I put 33s on an un-lifted Wrangler and I asked the question, can you put 33s on a wrangler with no lift? Well yes you can and they fit without too many issues, but…
      I have to ask this question, can we ever learn to leave things alone? When I was a teenager and I had my 71 Nova I put a 4 inch shackle extension on the back so it would lift the back end up. On my 1981 CJ7 I put a body lift made from deck rollers on turf mowers. We also did a spring over on the 82 CJ when we scrapped the 81 due to a very rusted frame and tub. I put new springs on the 95 YJ to make room for the 33” tires. So let’s just say I have done some lifts in the past. I was confident that this would be a task that could be done in around 6-8 hours… 3 days later… I still have to adjust the tie rod to get the steering wheel aligned.
 
  Recently we took a trip through Green swamp and some places on the center grade road were way deeper then I have ever seen. Like up to the top of the hood deep. That makes me want a snorkel.  Just to be safe. This was a good reason to get the motivation and start the install. Rain has been happening almost every day this summer starting in May. On occasion there would be a sunny day in the forecast, but we took those days to go out and trail ride. The day finally came in October that there was only a 10% chance of rain, it still rained on me while doing the install. 
    The job started off simple enough, jack it up and removes the wheels. Pull this pull that put this here stuff.  Half my time was spent figuring out what the instructions were try to tell me and sifting through bags to find the right bolt. It was only at the end that my wife informed that the instructions had paired the bag numbers with the parts.  Not to mention all the odd tools needed. Who would have thought that  a 18 MM wrench was not common.  
FIRST: WHY A LIFT?
A lift is needed to fit larger tires and keep the tires away from the wheel wells. 
A lift is needed when driving in uneven areas.
A lift is needed when driving through water.
 
Wrenching skills required.   3.5 out of 5
Special tools required. 33mm socket, Pitman puller, 18MM sockets and wrenches. Drill bits.
 
End thoughts:
The lift improved the driving experience on and off road. I would suggest that you take the time to pair up the bolt bags with the parts and find images to how they look when mounted. Also double check all tools needed so that you are ready. Have a helper to get the tools needed when you are under the Jeep. Even better have a lift. A lift would make this task 300% easier. If I had all the tools and a mechanically inclined helper it could be done in 4 – 5 hours.  Bottom line, I did it myself. I feel as though I accomplished a major upgrade and saved over $1000. If you have any questions ask away.

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