Just about everyone I have asked about what kind of lift kit to install on My yj has said do SOA. What all is required with SOA. I am wanting to clear a 33x12.50 or 14.50.
Shocks, Spring Perches, Brake line extensions, U-bolts, SYE(or tcase drop),etc. and if you want to do it correctly you will have to have some sort of steering setup and a traction bar.
But I still have yet to see any SUA lift kit (without gimmicky stuff added - i.e. revolvers, Z-bars, etc) that flexes anywhere near what a basic SOA lift will. To do a 4" lift "right" you need to do the same stuff as doing a SOA lift "right", so it all works out pretty much the same price-wise.
If you are going to have the job done professionally, a shop like Carolina Rock Shop is your best bet.
Yeah, but if he does SOA with 33's his jeep is gonna look silly and will be waaaay too tall. Or he could go SOA and get 35's or 36's and then get some beefier axles. Everyone gets bigger tires eventually!
if they are the original springs it probly won't look bad at all with 33's.
if you do a spring over you will need spring perches,shocks,u bolts,SYE and DS.
if you have a 4 cylinder then you MIGHT not need a traction bar. if you have a 6 then you probly would need a traction bar.
If you want a bolt on deal then i would go with the rubicon express 4.5 lift. it is an AWSOME lift and would fit 33's, flex just about as good as the SOA but doesn't sag, rides just as good, won't wear out springs,have bad axle wrap, no steering upgrade...
There are a lot of things involved in SOA that people forget. Getting the right spring combination, steering interference, and axle-wrap are all more serious with the SOA setup. For just 33s I would go shackle reversal and SUA. But only if you think you are staying with 33s. Don't listen to anybody who says shackle reversals suck. If you drive %80 street and %20 trails like anlmost everybody with a SUA YJ, do yourself a favor and move the shackle back. My shackle reversed SUA setup flexed about %90 as much as my SOA setup. It just kept getting hung up on the u-bolts hanging down.