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Daily Driver Lift Recomndetions?

michael_jnel

NAXJA Forum User
Location
San Saba Texas
First things first, I have a 97 sport that I picked up Back in September. This is my daily driver, I drive it to work and back, 560 miles 1 way. I am wanting to keep it driving comfy and dependable. It will be used for commuting and a little weekend camping, light wheeling. Nothing extreme. I am wanting to run 31's and do front and rear bumpers, not sure what type yet. I am looking for some advice on the lift. I have searched and gotten a lot of good advice, but not exactly what I am looking for. I don't want to go super big, I have done that before. My last 4x4 was an F-150 with a solid axle swap an 16" lift. What do you guys recommend? I want to do this 1 time and do it right. I have been looking at RC lifts, the 3" or the 4.5", what do you think? I don't want to trim the fenders. Do I need a sye, control arm drops, longer track bar, etc? Any and all advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks in advance.
 
3 or 4.5 should be fine. 31s will fit under a 3" lift without trimming but you may need to bumpstop or you might have slight rubbing when your wheels are turned all the way. I'd personally go with 4.5", those bumpers are going to weigh something. Since you have a 96 or later, you'll likely need an SYE but it's not guaranteed. Control arm drop won't be required at all, you could do it if you want a smoother ride but it'll work fine without. For the track bar you can either get an aftermarket one that will cover the lift height you end up with, or you can re-drill the hole on the axle end if you are on a budget. Obviously an aftermarket one will likely result in better steering angles, but it'll cost more.

Other stuff -
You'll need longer shocks and brake lines, for brake lines you can either get them with the lift kit or you can ask for ones to fit a 95 Wrangler or some Dodge trucks/vans (not sure which) at your favorite parts store and they'll cover a couple inches of lift fine. You might want to find out what rear axle you have and replace it with a Chrysler 8.25", a dana 44, or a Ford 8.8" if you currently have a dana 35, either the Chrysler or the Ford axle will be a fairly cheap swap. The Chrysler will be bolt-in, all you need is the bolts and such, the Ford will require fabrication and welding and driveline work etc.

I hope you aren't doing that 560 mile each way commute every day! :shocked:
 
for what you are doing, i don't think you could beat the rubicon express 3.5" lift. it will ride as good as stock, and flex awesome on the trails. it's a little more expensive, but i would say it's worth every penny. i'm not just saying this because i have it, either. i have ridden with friends who have it, and seen them on the trails over the years, and have been very impressed. i'm running a junkyard lift, and it rides pretty stiff, but i got all the parts for free, so that was worth every penny, too!:D
 
Why not trim? Trimming is the most effective way to run a bigger tire with minimal lift height. The trimming that needs to be done isn't even noticeable to someone who doesn't wheel an XJ, and it's better for overall driveability than more lift........which is what you say you're after.

Also, why the bumpers? If it's just for looks, fine, but otherwise you don't need to be carrying around the extra weight. If you want to carry the spare on a tire carrier bumper in back, that's understandable. However, you can keep the spare inside and forget the bumper. I don't remember if a 31" spare can fit inside, but if it can't a 30" spare will easily work and will fit inside. I wheeled the crap out of mione in the early days with stock bumpers, and you say you're going to stick to light wheeling.....other than looks there's no need for big bumpers.
 
I believe up to a 32 will fit inside if you cram it in there and don't mind the rear seat not quite latching into position on the left side. Pretty sure a 31 will fit no problem.
 
just did one with vato zone heavy duty springs (theyre progressive) 2.5" spacer and zj shocks netted 21.5" from center of hub to flare, less than 125$ in front end. fits 31's great and rides better than it did stock (or maybe thats just cause it's not hitting the bumpstops at every pothole???) :) my old lady drives this one everyday and has no complaints. my last RC 4" was pretty brutal in comparison. just my .02
 
Why not trim? Trimming is the most effective way to run a bigger tire with minimal lift height. The trimming that needs to be done isn't even noticeable to someone who doesn't wheel an XJ, and it's better for overall driveability than more lift........which is what you say you're after.

Also, why the bumpers? If it's just for looks, fine, but otherwise you don't need to be carrying around the extra weight. If you want to carry the spare on a tire carrier bumper in back, that's understandable. However, you can keep the spare inside and forget the bumper. I don't remember if a 31" spare can fit inside, but if it can't a 30" spare will easily work and will fit inside. I wheeled the crap out of mione in the early days with stock bumpers, and you say you're going to stick to light wheeling.....other than looks there's no need for big bumpers.

My 33" spare sits on the floor in the back of my XJ just fine... no room to "spare" of course.
 
I vote for an RE Super Ride 3.5" with rear leafs, then some good shocks, like a Bilstien 5150... it will ride nice, sit a bit higher, and if you're light on the pedal and geared right you could still pull 20mpg.
 
I vote for an RE Super Ride 3.5" with rear leafs, then some good shocks, like a Bilstien 5150... it will ride nice, sit a bit higher, and if you're light on the pedal and geared right you could still pull 20mpg.

X2- 31's with no trim and 33's with it, no problems.
 
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I used this idea from Go-Jeep to modify the rear seat lock so a 31" would fit in the stock position. A 32" will now easily fit.
http://www.go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoSpareWheel32inch.htm

The lower you can keep your XJ, the less modifications will be required to regain the proper geometry and to align the various u-joints.
Odds are, with a 97 XJ, you will need an SYE and new drive shaft with a lift over 2-3".
A small amount of trimming is almost invisible and very recommended when trying to keep the COG down.
My 2001 XJ rides on 33 X10.50 with only 3-1/2" (used to be 4") of lift. It has 5-1/2" of up travel in the front. This can be done with trimming and massaging the inner fenders and has resulted in no rubbing. Naturally, adjusting the bump stops is required.
To get every working together perfectly can take many hours of head scratching and adjusting but the end product should be worth it.[/FONT]
 
X2- 31's with no trim and 33's with it, no problems.

X3 I am sitting at around 2 inches with the front fenders trimmed on 31's and it rides near stock and looks mean IMO!
 
IMO at least 2-3" of lift will be good. I cant image running without any lift with only 31's on trails will be good because stock suspension-wise the bumpers' pretty low to start with so they will get hit on everything. For the bumpers part, Keep the ones you have if you can, but please get a hitch in the rear and a quality tow hooks in the front so you have some tow points if you get stuck. I am so tired to see many XJs on the trails that I went out with dont have anything up front so we pulled them out with straps go around their front axle instead.

I'd say should just buy a quality kit from a vendor like Rubicon Express with full pack spring, because you get everything you need and the stock leaf springs sucks. Otherwise add some "LONG" Add-A-Leaf in the stock leaf spring pack to help it out a little with the lift and increased carrying capacity without excessive sagging from your camping gears.
 
For a track bar, I'd recommend this one:http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merc...en=PROD&Store_Code=IROR&Product_Code=IR-STBCK
Iron Rock is developing a good name for themselves, and I like the new bracket for the trackbar mount. Beefier than the stock one and with double shear mounting for the track up top. At some point I will be replacing my JKS trackbar with this.

For the height you want, I'd look up OME - Old Man Emu. I'm running RE 3.5" leafs in the rear of mine and coupled with a 1.5" shackle, they rode level with (if not a tad higher than) my 4.5" RE coils coupled with 1.5" spacer. Plus OME, while expensive, will give you an excellent ride. Everyone on here that runs OME loves the ride. Could be a good choice for an XJ that sees a lot of highway miles.

Also, for a sturdier bumper that looks good and doesn't weigh a ton, look at JCR and their stage 3 or 4 bumpers. Not to expensive and they come with good recovery points. The Prerunner is a god one as well. I got the prerunner winch bumper for mine.
 
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I'll offer up an Old Man Emu 3" as an option.
Not sure about the suspension, heard good things. I run OME shocks and love them.

My 01 is on the OME HD suspension system ( springs and shocks), and I love it. I am running 31 in MTs, with no trim and just a little rubbing. Net lift is about 2.5 in. My Jeep looks nearly stock and rides great. Go with OME, you will not be disapointed, and you can always add spacers/shackles for more height
 
Thanks for the input guys! It really helps out alot when people give advice before a big purchase like this. I will more than likely go with the 3.5" RE kit, I was surprised no one recommended the 4.5" RC kit. That is the one that I was leaning toward. I will go with full springs and a hack-n-tap with front drive shaft. I want the bumpers because they look good and mine need replacing anyway. Also for recovery points. Thanks again.
 
For recovery points I would recommend a set of tow hooks and brackets for the front and a Class III receiver for the rear.
 
Thanks for the input guys! It really helps out alot when people give advice before a big purchase like this. I will more than likely go with the 3.5" RE kit, I was surprised no one recommended the 4.5" RC kit. That is the one that I was leaning toward. I will go with full springs and a hack-n-tap with front drive shaft. I want the bumpers because they look good and mine need replacing anyway. Also for recovery points. Thanks again.
Don't get the shocks if you go with the RE lift. They won't last you. Invest in some Bilstein 5150s for a good shock, or even some 7100s for a shock you'll never replace. The Bilstein 7100s are rebuildable and revalveable, and available with or without reservoirs. With a 97 and the RE 3.5" lift, you'll probably need an SYE and double-cardan driveshaft. Especially since the RE 3.5 will probably sit more like 4.5-5".
 
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