Agree with all said. Its down to preferences, needs ,........... no single correct answer for this

Scavenger wrote:Ok here we go, as tin tin says it isnt really necessary if you already have good stock height clearance. If you choose to go for a lift, you have to go wider (spacers). And i recommend that you dont even consider about increasing more than 2.5 inches. Not needed.

For My Jeep Wrangler I Increased Tire Size So Had To Lift, Have A Mopar 2.5inch Lift Kit With Bilstein Shocks With 2yrs Warrantry From Jeep Dealer Ad Since September 2011. Cost Me A Pretty Penny With Installation 9k But Main Thing With Warranty. Very Comfortable Both On Off Road And Very Durable, Even With My Lift Kit, I Can Actually Take Corner Faster Than Alot Of stock 4x4.

For Fj, I See Alot Install Lovels, bilstein And King Suspension Kits And Spacers.
Btw - Ive Been Cruising In Desert With My Nissan patrol Lwb So Far At Stock Height. So Far So Good.

Thanks Scavenger, Tintin.

I'll add my two fils as well to this interesting thread 8)

I'm actually in favour of lifting, for many reasons - even though both my cars now are stock height LOL but I've lifted all the previous vehicles I've had.

Firstly, though, why not to lift.

At highway speeds you lose stability. If you drive highways often and at top legal speeds, your ride will be compromised. It's a fact. You might not feel it, but if you ever need to brake hard and swerve at the same time, you will definitely risk losing control. Imagine like you're at 120kph and there's suddenly a broken-down truck in front of you: you brake and swerve, and your lifted vehicle will lose balance and possibly topple over. (I wouldn't drive my 6-inch lifted GMC over 100kph because of that, also because it shook like a wet dog at those speeds!!!)

In the dunes, with a lift, you have a higher center of gravity, and so can roll sideways easier than without a lift. This hasn't worried me so far, as I hardly ever do stupid anymore LOL but it's a factor to consider, especially for the newer drivers who have not yet developed "feel" for the limits.

Now, given those two points, I do like lifting a desert car.

Lifting allows for bigger tyres - and this results in a much smoother, safer, more reliable, and cooler ride. At stock height with stock tyres, you sometimes drag and plough through the sand instead of floating on top, and you will pay for that with a ride that is bumpy, dangerous, higher revs, more stress, more repairs, etc. I feel this every time I take a stock testdrive into the sand - I need to fight the sand, it's like a battle... with larger tyres everything smoothens down, and you cruise the dunes like a pro. You get much more driving pleasure, and you get "into the zone" and can cover long distances crossing one crest after another smoothly, without banging the truck and reversing and revving like crazy all the time.

You go over crests smoothly.

A sudden bush? No worries, straight over it.

A dip a bit deeper than it appeared? In and out without drama.

Deep, churned up, soft sand? Stop in the middle, and pull right out with confidence.

So, to be precise, the lift that allows for larger tyres increases the performance - not the lift itself. A suspension lift does not lift the axles, but larger tyres is what you want to get for a real good lift and better flotation/traction. Plus, higher tyres are better than wider tyres (much bigger footprint when deflated, and less rolling resistance)

As for what lift and how - I've reached the conclusion that the minimal lift necessary to fit larger tyres is the best approach. Start by aiming for the tyres you want for your specific vehicle, and then calculate backwards how much lift you need to fit them. I wouldn't add more than 1.5" lift as with the larger tyres you actually go up 2-3", and that's plenty and just right to give you more ground clearance but also keep as much stability as possible.

So, if you now have 30" tyres, and you want to fit 33", calculate how much lift you will need to fit those tyres. Not lift first and after choose tyres.

The larger tyres will also be wider, so the risk of roll-over is somewhat compensated by the wider tyres.

Thanks PR. i bought Lovells suspensions 2.5 in the front and 2 in the rear for the FJ. I want to install 275 70 17 tyres. Would this affect my drive and will I have a pitch roll ride. I am also going to install spacers 1.25 inch on the tyres. Please advise.

What's your FJ stock tyre size now?