Do you have questions about lifting a Jeep Cherokee, and what to pay for your Cherokee lift kit? Can you lift a Jeep Cherokee? We have the answers!
The Jeep Cherokee is one of the most popular Jeep models Americans are buying for Overlanding and off-roading, and this is the reason lifting a Jeep Cherokee has become a common practice. A simple lift kit can increase your Jeep Cherokee’s ground clearance by up to 2-3 inches easily, which will allow your Jeep Cherokee to traverse bigger objects when off-roading.
In this post, we will highlight what to expect when lifting a Jeep Cherokee, guide you on the various lift kit upgrade option, how much it costs to lift a Jeep Cherokee and answer some common questions you might have regarding lifting a Cherokee.
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Can you lift a Jeep Cherokee?
Yes! You can lift a Jeep Cherokee to improve its ground clearance, improve its looks, and enhance its style.
Other benefits of lifting your Jeep Cherokee include improving your Jeep Cherokee handling capabilities when off-roading, by smoothening your ride by improving your steering stability.
By lifting your Jeep Cherokee, you will also increase the space between your Cherokee body and tires, allowing your Cherokee tires to flex easily when the tires are in contact with an even surface, this will improve your Cherokee tire’s traction because all the tires will be in contact with the ground, and the Jeep Cherokee tires will not slip.
The major concerns with lifting a Jeep Cherokee are that it will stretch your Cherokee components such as the suspension system, so it’s recommended to have all components of your lift kit and suspension system compatible, and not cause stress to each other, some lift kits will force you to upgrade some components of your Jeep Cherokee to avoid stressing them out and wearing them out faster.
Before lifting your Jeep Cherokee, we recommend checking your local laws and regulations, because some lift kits can raise your Jeep Cherokee too high making them unroadworthy.
How much is it to lift a Jeep Cherokee?
For both installation and lifting a Jeep Cherokee, you can expect to pay $1,000 to $20,000, how much it will cost you to lift a Jeep Cherokee depends on the type of lift kit.
There are different brands of lift kits available for Jeep Cherokee that can affect the pricing of purchase and installation, another factor that can influence the cost of a Cherokee lift kit includes the suspension height of the lift kit.
There are different types of lift kits available for your Jeep Cherokee, you can opt for a simple body lift or heavy-duty lift kits which are designed for serious off-roaders. The cost of a lift kit will increase with the features and complexity of the lift kit.
Complex Jeep Cherokee lift kits have a higher suspension system and features that can improve the handling of your Jeep Cherokee, they also improve the exterior styling because you can install bigger tires, and have hydraulics, and attractive coil springs, but the functionality of complex lift kits is what drives Jeep Cherokee owners to choose this type of lift kits.
To summarize what you will need and the costs it involves, the more a lift kit has various components, and features, the more it will cost to purchase and install it on your Jeep Cherokee.
Can you install a 2.5-lift kit on a Jeep Cherokee?
Yes! You can install a 2.5-inch lift kit on a Jeep Cherokee, this will allow you to install bigger tires, improve its ground clearance, and overall improve its off-road capabilities.
Jeep Cherokee lift kits range from two to six inches, bigger lift kits are strictly meant for extreme off-roading or rock crawling. We don’t recommend installing bigger lift kits on a Jeep Cherokee for off-roading by beginners.
Half sizes lift kits for Jeep Cherokees such as 2.5 are sold by brands such as Rocky Ridge, installing a 2.5 lift kit will improve your Jeep Cherokee’s off-roading and Overlanding capabilities but will cost you more compared to simple lift kits or body lifts (Check out our post on lift kits costs).
We recommend having a certified professional install a Lift kit on a Jeep Cherokee, you should also buy a lift kit from reputable brands, this is because lift kits are a major component of your Jeep Cherokee suspension system and can influence your Jeep handling if not installed properly.
There are two ways to install a lift in your Jeep Cherokee when modifying your Jeep for offroading, a body lift and a Suspension lift, Jeep Cherokees with suspension systems are more comfortable and good on and off-road, while a body lift will lift your Cherokee but provide a stiffer ride. We recommend installing a suspension lift on a Jeep Cherokee over a body lift.
Types of suspension lifts | Best for: |
Spring over axle suspension lift kits | Rock crawlers |
Shackle reverse suspension lift kits | Daily drivers |
Coil suspension lift kits | Experienced off-road drivers |
Lifted spring suspension lift kits | First-time off-roaders |
Shackle suspension lift kits | Occasional off-roaders |
It’s also important to know that installing a suspension lift kit on a Jeep Cherokee is more expensive than body lifting, if you are on a tight budget a body lift will work out just fine and will improve your Jeep Cherokee’s ground clearance.
Does a lift Kit Void Jeep Cherokee Warranty?
If you lift your Jeep Cherokee through an approved Jeep dealership you will not void your Jeep Cherokee warranty, we recommend consulting with your Insurer on the type of lift kit you want to install on your Jeep Cherokee and confirm with them whether the brand and type of lift kit will void your warranty.
If you are using a third-party lift kit installer, your insurer might ask for their certification, we recommend looking for an experienced lift kit installer to work on your Cherokee lift kit, an experienced installer will know the right lift kits for your Jeep and also how to install the lift kit without any problems that will cause you to void your warranty.
Reputable brands will include a warranty on the lift kit itself, and any other part of your Jeep Cherokee that will be damaged by the lift kit, mainly the suspension system of your Cherokee. However, they will also demand you install the lift kit through a certified professional.
Some of the popular Jeep Cherokee lift kit brands include:
Superlift lift Kits | Skyjacker lift kits | Rough country lift kits |
Bulletproof lift kits | ReadyLIFT lift kits | Fabtech lift kits |
Pro Comp lift kits | Rancho Lift Kits | BDS Suspension lift kits |
Bilstein lift kits | Eibach lift kits | KW Suspensions |
Koni | GReddy | KYB |
The list contains some of the aftermarket lift kit brands that manufacture lift kits compatible with a Jeep Cherokee, please make sure you investigate each lift kit components and compatibility with your Jeep Cherokee year and Model.
Buying a lift kit from popular brands will ensure the lift kits will not fail you because the suspension system is one of the most stressed parts of your Jeeps, tested and popular lift kits last up to 3 to 5 years after installation, cheap and shiny lift kits are good on looks but are not trustworthy, and insurers might not cover them.
About the Author: James Ndungu
James Ndungu is a seasoned automotive professional with a deep passion for Jeeps. With 40 years of experience in owning, testing, and reviewing various Jeep models, James has gained extensive first-hand knowledge and expertise. He shares his insights, tips, and advice through his engaging writing, helping fellow Jeep enthusiasts navigate the exciting world of Jeeps.