[bicosan]

I have some property on a mountain here in the Pacific NW that is accessible by gravel road, and in the winter (our rainy season) the road can get washed out and potholed. I don't need to tell anyone here that the Pacifica has a really, really low ride height, especially if you're used to SUVs and trucks like I am. I find that I regularly bottom out, even sometimes on paved mountain roads (the Northeast access road to Mt St Helens comes to mind). The traction is fine offload, so although I'd love to have an AWD Pacifica Hybrid, the killer is the ground clearance.

So, I'm interested in the opposite of what is usually talked about on the forums. I want to go up 1-2", not down. Ideally, I could increase the ride height pneumatically with the flick of a switch before heading up mountain roads. I don't really want to have it higher on the highway, since that would increase drag quite significantly. That said, I'd be willing to go up 1" statically if wouldn't effect anything else.

Does anyone know of any options for this? I figure some of y'all who lower vehicles might know about what's possible with pneumatic kits. I know that strut spacers (example not for Pacifica) work well on some vehicles. If they don't exist, I guess I could machine some myself and try them out.

 

[toradora]

I would be extremely impressed if someone were to 'overland' a Pacifica. Then I'd emulate everything they did lol.

 

[Nikbrewer]

you could bave some spacers machined for the top of the struts and coils in the rear. 5/8" spacer may give you close to 1" lift

 

[spicedham]

I don't know how compatible they would be, but folks have finally figured out how to lift the new Cherokees. You can poke around the forum here:
https://jeepcherokeeclub.com/4-2014-jeep-cherokee-general-discussion/228273-hazard-sky-lift-stock-th-tires.html

 

[IamVan]

Even though air suspension setups are mostly used for lowering a car, you should actually also be able to use them to ride higher than stock. Since they are designed to lower a car, you'd end up having to run extra air pressure in the bags to lift the car up, which would lead to a harsh/jarring ride. But if it's a kit that uses threaded front coilover strut replacements, you can adjust the lower perches and/or the air spring mounts...and in the rear, you could use shims to space the rear bags up, eliminating the need to run extra air pressure.

 

[terraformer]

I hit a speed bump in a parking lot last week, and I heard a scrape. When I washed the van today, I noticed that the rocker panel aft of the L front wheel has a larger gap than the R front wheel. I haven't yet looked at it close enough to determine whether a tightening of the screw that's underneath the rocker panel at that location would bring it back to par.



Has anyone else had this happen? It wasn't like it was a huge speed bump, either. Standard size, and I wasn't going fast...

 

[StayTrue28]

Just came back from a 1400 mile trip and I would almost certainly go for a 2" lift on this van. Not so much to off-road but to have clearance on dirt roads hiking camping etc..

 

[Voltdriver&PacHylurker]

Me also for exactly the same reason.

 

[StayTrue28]

I reached out to a company (tema4x4) who is willing to fab some 2" spacers for the Pacifica. Can someone take some measurements? I just can't find the time...

They are asking "Could you measure between center of studs on the front strut mount place (see the attachment). It should be three lengths."

I'm assuming the rear is not a strut assembly? I have not personally looked.

Thanks

 

[[email protected]]

Pacifica lift kit

Hi there,

The Pacifica is built of the Fiat Compact Platform which includes the Jeep Cherokee and Dodge Dart. The Company I work for manufactures a leveling(small lift) kit for those vehicles. We need someone with better than average mechanical skills to install one and check for fitment.

Any takers?

Let me know.

 

[Teejay1959]

Amber -

Could you provide the installation manual for us to review? That would give us a handle on how easy/moderate/difficult this installation might be for the average home mechanic.

 

[StayTrue28]

Hi there,

The Pacifica is built of the Fiat Compact Platform which includes the Jeep Cherokee and Dodge Dart. The Company I work for manufactures a leveling(small lift) kit for those vehicles. We need someone with better than average mechanical skills to install one and check for fitment.

Any takers?

Let me know.

I'm actually the one who called you recently inquiring about it. I'll give you a call again.

 

[bw41s]

Hi all, just wondering if anyone figured out a way to lift their van? I am interested in a couple more inches of clearance as well.

 

[cphDude]

I'm wondering the same thing as bw41s. I will very likely be buying a 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid this month, and I'm concerned about the road clearance because I'm going to use it as a camper van for road trips including national parks and other areas where the roads are dirt or gravel. I'm not expecting anything like off-road 4wd capabilities. I just want to drive down some bumpy roads without damaging the underside.


Has anyone actually lifted one of these things, hybrid or gas only? If so, where did you get the kit? Did you do the work yourself or have a shop do it? Did it impact your mileage? Your ride?


Thank you for any information.

 

[martinause]

I have a Pacifica with modified air suspensions (wheelstair modification)
I can lower the whole chassis 3" and lift it up for 3".
It works great when you drive over a road with dirt and gravel.
I can lift/lower the chassis by pressing a knob during I drive.

 

[cphDude]

There are shops here that modify Pacificas for handicap access, but the one I called said they wouldn't lift mine. Where did you get air suspensions? I wonder if they do that in the states. Thank you for your input.

 

[r8ingbull]

I would also love a 2" lift for our pacifica. our drivewa and country roads are destroing the front end

 

[cphDude]

I am seriously considering the air suspension lift mentioned by martinause. It would seem to solve the problem of lower mpg with a lift, which is especially important to me with a plug-in hybrid. It looks like there are shops in my area that do this. I will post the results here if I go ahead with this.

 

[bettendorf]

Any update on lifting options?

 

[cphDude]

Any update on lifting options?

I was very frustrated searching for a shop that could do this. Apparently there is no kit for the Pacifica so any shop that would be willing to do this - some weren't willing - has to jerry-rig something. The most likely place to get this done would seem to be shops that specialize in installing lifts for disabled people. There are many that offer Pacificas especially remodeled for this purpose. Unfortunately, the ones I contacted in the Portland, Oregon area only want to sell the ones they rebuild rather than install custom lifting options. After searching quite a bit I found a company - somewhere in the midwest, I think - that referred me to someplace in Wilsonville, Oregon. They made me feel optimistic that they could do this, but then I never got a call back, didn't follow-up, and eventually lost the information I'd written down.

My wife and I took a trip in our 2019 Pacifica plug-in hybrid to New Mexico last fall. We drove up a gravel road to about 8,000 feet near San Cristobal - very slowly in some parts - and made it up and back without a problem, despite the rocks and potholes. The road was dry, which helped a bit.

Good luck in your search. If you find a place that will do this for you, please post it.

Michael