I need advice on a Jeep with a 3" suspension lift

Maintenance/Repairs
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1

I’m looking at a 97 Jeep Wrangler with a 3" suspension lift and 33" tires.

A friend of mine told me that the suspension lift and the large tires “do work on the shocks, inner and outer tire rod ends, all the bushings, ball joints, axles, brakes, gas milage, and the transmission”

Is this true, and if so will it even be worth it to buy this car if I’ll be putting so much money back into it?

2

Nobody has any clue about any of this stuff?

3 
I am not a Jeep fan so I don't know the specifics as they apply to Jeeps.  However, In general you can expect some bad things when you start going very far from the factory specs.  That said, if the modifications were properly done, (I suspect that would be rather expensive) there should be less potential for problems.  On the other hand if someone just slapped some parts on there, you should expect problems. 

Sorry I can't really answer your question.
4

I would avoid this Jeep like the plague especially if you expect to return it to original specs. The condition of the Jeep will only get worse if you plan on driving it as it is now.

5

I’d avoid it. These type of modifications place a lot of extra load on various chassis and drivetrain parts, and chances are that parts of this 13-year old vehhicle have already been overstressed.

Oversize tires have considerable more rotating mass and rolling resistence (both) than the stock tires. Try spinning a mountainbike wheel and then a road bike wheel and you’ll find it takes a lot more effort to get the heavier one spinning…and to stop it. That same principle applies to car wheels & tires.

Then there’s the universal joints. As U-joints become more articulated (operate at higher angles), they turn less smoothly and they wear more (both). Combined with the fact that the oversize wheels and tires have added more load on them, they wear a lot faster. As do also the differential gears and tranny gears.

We could get into details on how raised suspension places more loads on spring brackets, steering systems (which also have articulating joints), wheel bearings, etc., but I think you’ve probably gotten the idea by now.

Knowledgable people that modify vehicles like this replace high stress parts with more robust replacements, reinforce brackets, etc. etc. Most people who raise Jeeps do not. Unless you can tell the difference, you’d be wise to “pass” on this Jeep.