,May 30 2006, 08:14 AM]1) Would I be crazy to consider a mid 80's CJ as a daily driver?
2) Some sites talk about body lifts of over 1" as being "dangerous". Is this true?
3) How difficult are they to install yourself?
4) What cost is associated with a body lift... either DIY or outsourcing?
5) How much am I looking at for a set of 31-32" Tires? Do they fit on stock rims?
Two rides I'm looking at right now from "truck trader" are:
A) 1997 Wrangler - 6cyl - Auto - AC - CD - AirBags - Tow Package - KC Lights - Low Miles - $8700
B) 1984 CJ7 - 350 Rebuilt (30-40k miles) - Auto - Hard/Soft tops - $5k obo
My opinions:1.) Unless you want to become a mechanic, yes, you would be somewhat crazy to get an old CJ as a daily driver. Why would you go to a purely functional vehicle that is designed for something that you may only occassionally use? (trail driving)
2.) Dangerous? Only if it effects your steering or creates massive vibration.
3.) It really depends on how mechanical you are and how much work you are willing to do.
4.) Just look at Quadratec or JC Whitney for prices. I don't know what someone would charge for installation.
5.) You can get 31s that fit stock rims. They are typically a lot wider. I just put a set of 31x10.5x15 tires on my jeep. They would have fit on my stock wheels, but I bought a cheap set of craggar steel wheels that are a little wider. It will improve my ability to air down the tires.
I would take the 97 in a heartbeat over the CJ. This is going to be a daily driver and you are going to have to deal with problems that arise. Would you rather deal with a DC built jeep, or one that a shade tree mechanic has been wrenching on for years? Besides, it has AC!
Another point to consider. You can fit 31s under a stock suspension. You don't have a lot of room for articulation when you do take it offroading, but it would be fine for daily driving. If you really want a 1 or 2 inch lift, consider a suspension lift. When you put a small suspension lift in, you are not changing anything significantly in the steering. You are just giving yourself an extra inch or two of suspension travel.
This is exactly what I did this weekend. I put a 2" coil spacer lift in, with new shocks, and added a set of 31 inch tires. I added at least 3.5" of height it. It took four hours of pretty simple mechanical work. If I were you, I'd consider going that way.