I just bought a 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited AWD and want to lift it 4 inches. I’m new to this and not sure what I need to do. I noticed that some Rough Country (RC) lift kits say they won’t fit AWD models. Why is that? I also saw that Iron Rock Offroad (IRO) lift kits don’t say anything about not fitting AWD models. I’ve read on forums that some people change their front drive shaft to a double cardan. Would I need to do this? How can I lift my Jeep without causing problems later on? What lift kits do you recommend? I’ll mainly use it for daily driving and maybe some light off-roading on the weekends. Thanks.
How many miles are on the Jeep? What’s your budget? Based on what you’re saying, you should go with a 2 or maybe 3-inch lift at most. No need to go for 4 inches.
I think the issue with “AWD” models (are you talking about Quadradrive?) is that they might have a front driveshaft that doesn’t work with a lift. If your driveshaft has a CV joint on both ends, you shouldn’t lift it unless you replace the driveshaft too.
Other than that, there’s no reason the lift kit wouldn’t fit.
I highly recommend reading the pinned suspension thread.
It has just over 180,000 miles. My budget for the lift kit is $1,200. I wanted to lift it a lot, but now I’m thinking a 3-inch lift would be fine.
Yes its a quadradrive2 I’m pretty sure. As for the DS I’m not 100% sure on what I have.
What do you mean by “light” off-roading?
What’s your budget?
When you start lifting a vehicle, it can lead to a lot of other changes you’ll need to make, so it’s important to decide early how much you want to modify. Check the suspension guide to understand what changes you might need as you lift it higher.
If you’re just driving on forest service roads or similar trails, you might be able to get by with a budget lift and good all-terrain tires, especially if your vehicle has the Quadradrive system with gerotors in the axles.
Whatever option you choose, plan on replacing all 8 coil spring isolators (around $100). You might also need to work on the front axle’s spring perches.
A budget lift and new isolators can cost less than $200, assuming the rest of the suspension is in good shape and you have the double-cardan front driveshaft (since you have a 2004 Limited, likely with the 4.7, you probably have the DC shaft).
You’ll probably need new shocks if your current ones are still the original factory shocks. My vehicle had the Upcountry suspension, and after 102,000 miles and 15 years, 2 out of 4 shocks were worn out.
There’s a lot of info here about lifting. Generally, 3 inches is the most you can lift before needing to change other parts like control arms. I often suggest driving your vehicle in stock condition on the type of trails you plan to use. You’ll probably find that you don’t need a 4-inch lift for “light” off-roading.
As mentioned, plan to replace the coil spring isolators. You should also plan on new control arm bushings and tie rod ends (TREs). Lifts can make any hidden suspension problems more noticeable.
For AWD, the lift kit doesn’t care about your drivetrain. The front driveshaft swap is needed because rzeppa joints (ball-in-socket) on one or both ends of the front driveshaft don’t handle lifts well and won’t last long. The solution is to switch to a double cardan (double u-joint) driveshaft, which was also a factory option.
I agree with Williamson—don’t lift a vehicle with a worn suspension. At the very least, replace all the control arm and track bar bushings, as well as the tie rod ends (TREs).
You’ll need to get under your WJ and check your front driveshaft. If you see u-joints at both ends, that’s good. If not, you should replace the driveshaft when you lift the vehicle; otherwise, you’ll regret it later.
I agree with everything mentioned above. In my opinion, the first thing you should do is make sure you have a double cardan driveshaft. Any other type won’t handle a lift. If you don’t have one and still want to lift your vehicle, get a double cardan driveshaft and the yokes from the axle and transfer case. You can find these at a junkyard.
As others have said, you need to replace all the bushings so that the suspension is in good condition before lifting. If you skip this step, you’ll likely experience death wobble, which is something you won’t forget once it happens.
Also, a 2-inch lift with good tires on a Quadra Drive Jeep is very capable and will surprise you with where it can go.