recommended me an XJ lift

I'm currently in the market for an XJ, looking for a 91-99 with 8.25 rear.....I want to know what short arm lifts you guys recommend for street/trail use. I'm looking at running 32's or 33's. I like the RE 4.5 with SF CA's and rear springs. Also like the Clayton 4.5 kit. Anyone running these? Have issues with them? Recommend another brand? Don't like the set-up they have? Thanks

From what I understand they are both good kits. At the very least at that height I would run adjustable lower CA's if not Longarms.
You will probably be able to piece a kit together for cheaper.

RE4.5" kit with 32s looks pretty good - mild enough that with stock flares and all it looks like a stock cherokee but awesome.

I was going to go with a 3.5" kit but friends convinced me to go with the RE5.5" superflex kit with 33s. It comes with a few extra pieces than the 4.5" kit and gives you an extra inch to play with when loading down your vehicle with bumpers and skid plates. The only thing it was missing is a drop pitman arm but since I don't know what driving a similar xj WITH a drop pitman arm feels like, I don't know if I need one lol.

Just so you don't forget, you will need to get a SYE kit and a new driveshaft, new rims with backspacing, maybe new motor and trannie mounts if it's an older model (mine's a '93 and motor mounts were shot). Regearing? Locker? Don't forget about shocks...the kit doesn't come with those.

The one thing I wasn't happy with when I did my lift was the steering. Having bigger tires with stock steering sucks and I feel it is unsafe to drive on some roads just because it feels sluggish and there is a dead spot. I've read of stuff to fix that but a year later, and I'm finally getting new steering altogether.

Another issue with my RE leafs is they start splaying out to the side...a year after lifting my vehicle the bottom 1-2 leafs on each side were sticking out about an inch. This was solved by loosening the ubolt brackets slightly and hammering the leafs back in. Also when installing the drop brackets parts of my frame rail were out of shape so it made putting them on a pain...first drop bracket took me 4 hours over two days (frustrated n had to quit the first day) and second one went on in 30 minutes.

If you want the stronger (29 spline) 8.25 look for XJs '97-99, I believe. I like the look of the pre-'96 models however I bought an 8.25 from a newer model for the slight strength increase.

I am pleased with Rubicon Express' quality and their customer service is great...called them with a problem/clarification of the instructions and they were able to answer it quickly and professionally. Also the instructions were very clear since I was able to put the lift on mostly by myself with no previous experience. You'll just need a friend or two when reattaching the axles.

In a nutshell - two thumbs up for RE. If I were to do it again with the knowledge I have now, I would piece together my own kit for cheaper (used parts, too). For my first time lifting having a kit with instructions was nice. I just have 4 bolts left over in a sealed bag...still don't know where they go :shhh:

For reference - 5.5" RE kit with 33s and lots of trimming:

Forgot to mention that I use this for DDing now. I had a civic previously and this was a weekend toy so the steering did not worry me that much.

Now that this is my primary vehicle I don't like the steering (read: bad joints) so you may want to stick to smaller tires, 30s or 31s, if you don't plan on upgrading more than just the suspension.

I'm running the RE 5.5" short arm lift with drop brackets and 33x10.50 MT tires. Not much trimming required but you will need to lose the front bumper end caps (just get a new aftermarket bumper). Also, X2 on upgrading the tie rod. Stock is too weak and looks scary. Cheap options are available.

My kid is running the RE 4.5" short arm lift with drop brackets and 32x11.50 MT tires. He rubs much more than I do, but his LCAs are nearly flat (ideal) to the ground and states a superior ride quality (but I rarely let him drive my Jeep to properly compare).

I installed the RE 3.5" short arm lift with 31" AT tires on my first XJ. Love the lift, look, and performance, but I suggest you select the best lift and tires for your conditions. Yeah, I know...duh.

There should be no pitman arm changes required for any of the lifts mentioned. Drop brackets are great to improve ride quality but add another obstacle to scrape on rocks. 33" tires will enable you to tackle almost any obstacle, but you could save some $$ by going with a 4.5/32" combo and buying a front locker. I prefer a taller look and capabiltiy over superior ride quality since I built it to wheel. It's all about the variables...don't ya love it?