On the previous blog post, I shared how I was lucky enough to spend time with the crew at Dixie 4-Wheel Drive in Moab, Utah, take six bone-stock Jeep Wranglers and install six different lift kits so we could se how they performed and share the results with you.
In this post, I'll let you know how the different lift kits performed both on and off the road and then I'll let you know which one was the best.
As you read on, keep in mind all of the kits were tested on 2020 Jeep Wrangler Rubicons, all with a 3.6 liter engines, and the performance may not translate exactly to other models.
When we set out to do this comparison, I was a little concerned that I wouldn't be able tell the difference from one Jeep and lift kit to the next. But I didn't need to worry because I absolutely could tell the difference between them.
Here’s a quick recap of the six lift kits we used in this comparison:
Rock Krawler 3.5” X-Factor “No Limits” Mid Arm System (Retail: $3876)
Rock Jock Pro Edition 4” Suspension Lift w/ Fox Shocks (Retail: $3914 – excludes shocks at $676 – total: $4590)
Teraflex 3.5” Sport ST3 Suspension System w/ Falcon SP2 3.3 Shocks (Retail: $2819)
American Expedition Vehicles 2.5” Dualsport RT Suspension (Retail: $1379)
Icon Vehicle Dynamics 2.5” Stage 1 Suspension Lift (Retail: $1222)
Dynatrac Endurosport 2” Suspension Lift Kit (Retail: $1199)
Opinions about On & Off-Road Performance
On the road, driving this Jeep was a great experience but the ride was slightly firmer than the others in this test. Not harsh by any means but definitely more firm than the others. At high speeds and going around corners, this Jeep and lift kit combo handled better than the others in this comparison and I actually preferred it over the stock suspension. The steering maintained a good, solid feel and really enjoyed driving it.
Off-road, though, that "slight" firmness I mentioned when testing the performance on the road was immediately noticeable. It handled well on smooth sections of the trail but when increasing the speed over rocky terrain and long washboard roads, there was an obvious increase in stiffness that I could have done without.
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