I recently bought an '02 2-door 4x4 Tracker.  It is my daily driver, but I want it to be somewhat off-road capable, too.  I've been looking around and have seen the Rocksteady 4.5" lift and the Calmini 2.5" kit.  (I would add a body lift to the Calmini kit.)  Which one is going to serve my purpose best?  Any help would be appreciated.

Scan through the recent posts.  Unless you're dead set on spending money, the consensus is generally to go with a mild spring-spacer-based suspension lift and 29" tires.  Again, scan the recent posts or give the "search" function a try or two.

Body lifts, unless you're going for looks or larger tires than "somewhat off-road capable" requires, don't need to be on your radar.

I tried the search and didn't really find what I was looking for.  Thanks for your reply.

Turtle12, I make coil and strut spacers for the 02. I sell the complete kit minus rear shocks for $155 shipped to you in US or $170 to Canada. It will give you a full 2" of lift and allow the use of 30" tires. PM me if interested.

Hey Turtle12, just go page by page on here. There are all kinds of posts about different lifts on here. For the money, and for what you want, talk to Jeff. I still want to go with all spring and no spacer at some point, maybe next year.


http://www.zukiworld.com/forum/index.php?topic=23175.0

Thanks for all the replies guys! 

X2 Jeff's lift kit.  If money is an issue, you won't go wrong with Jeff's parts.   Install a new pair of struts along with new longer rear shocks and you will be surprised how much better your truck rides and handles with the new components, even with 2" of additional height.  These will set you back about another $200.  After about 50-60K the original stock struts and shocks are tired and smoked.  New ones will get the "spring" back into you truck's ride. 

If you have $350 laying around for a set of OME springs, and $70 for Jeff's strut spacer, you'll enjoy a little smoother ride.

If you have $750 to invest, add the OME struts to their springs and gain the additional wheel travel for your front end.  The OME set-up is probably as good as these trucks can get for an actual 1.5 inches of additional front wheel travel.  This is the "more better" set-up. The stock sway bar will still bolt right back up if you drive on road more than off-road as well.

In either case, a set of Monroe shocks from a Ford Crown Victoria (90ish model) in the back will handle the rear end very smoothly and won't set you back more than $40 for a set.  If you go with the Crown Vic model shocks, you will either have to reuse the metal sleeve bushing from the bottom of the factory shocks
(cut the metal holding the bushing to remove the bushing, then cut the sleeve out with a razor) OR buy a set of poly bushings to snug up the bolt in the shock sleeve.