Advice on a 96 Country with 3" RC lift

I picked up this 96 with a 3" RC basic lift & Procomp 31's a few months ago for a DD. Looked good, drove fine since July (bit rough, needed wheel balance all around, but OK), no big problems. (4.0 AW4 242)

Using the 4x4 a few times in the last month and things are getting nasty. Sudden noise and vibration in the front end last week, replaced crumbling front axle u-joints, pinion bearings are shot too. I pulled the front DS and will be doing the diff bearings next week.

Sent the wife to get some good snow tires put on (even more important with only 2 wheel drive) and the guy puts it up on the hoist and then calls me saying "I can't put these tires on. They'll be done in 2 weeks!" He says that when on the hoist, the axle is at least 2" off center and that it looks like the alignment has been Macgyver'd to make it drive straight. Also that there was a strange wear pattern on the fronts. It seems to look fairly centered to me when it's on the ground. I take his word for it, because it means I didn't buy his tires.

It has a stock track bar, and it appears that the PO had drilled a hole to relocate it, but didn't.

Should a 3" lift have an adjustable track bar, new LC's (or LC drop brackets?) or some other add-ons to have good geometry? Does a 3" lift need a dropped TC or other fancy stuff? Could this have lead to tearing up the front end parts with excess stress?

I am fairly new to this lift stuff, I have had 2 previous XJ's and an MJ before that, but they were stock height. The extent of my fun is mainly off road in the ice and snow and some so-so trails in the off season (when it gets above freezing, that is.)

I'm really just wondering where to go from here.

My 3.5" lift came with new LCA's and also the instructions said to relocate the axle end of the stock track bar 3/4" toward the driver's side. I chose to buy an adjustable track bar instead.

BrokenSockets said:

Using the 4x4 a few times in the last month and things are getting nasty. Sudden noise and vibration in the front end last week, replaced crumbling front axle u-joints, pinion bearings are shot too. I pulled the front DS and will be doing the diff bearings next week.

Click to expand...

Normal wear and tear, Look for another front D-30 (91-99) (same ratio as the one you have) axle at the JY and swap it out, would be cheaper and easier than swapping the bearings

BrokenSockets said:

Sent the wife to get some good snow tires put on (even more important with only 2 wheel drive) and the guy puts it up on the hoist and then calls me saying "I can't put these tires on. They'll be done in 2 weeks!" He says that when on the hoist, the axle is at least 2" off center and that it looks like the alignment has been Macgyver'd to make it drive straight. Also that there was a strange wear pattern on the fronts. It seems to look fairly centered to me when it's on the ground. I take his word for it, because it means I didn't buy his tires.

Click to expand...

When the Jeep is on the lift, the front axle will droop out to one side thats the way a coil sprung axle does. I would call BS on the tire shop. Ball joints, poor alignment, bent "c" would be a more likely reason for the abnormal wear.

BrokenSockets said:

It has a stock track bar, and it appears that the PO had drilled a hole to relocate it, but didn't.

Click to expand...

BrokenSockets said:

Should a 3" lift have an adjustable track bar, new LC's (or LC drop brackets?) or some other add-ons to have good geometry? Does a 3" lift need a dropped TC or other fancy stuff? Could this have lead to tearing up the front end parts with excess stress

Click to expand...

It would be a good idea but the axle should only be off center by maybe 1/2-3/4" if it is truly just 3" lift. I'm running a 3" lift on my daily driver with a stock track bar with no relocation.

You will most likely need a TC drop with 3" lift and no slip yoke eliminator, Search around here and you will find some cheap solutions to accomplishing a decent drop and getting the rear driveshaft geometry set correctly.

BrokenSockets said:

It has a stock track bar, and it appears that the PO had drilled a hole to relocate it, but didn't.

Should a 3" lift have an adjustable track bar, new LC's (or LC drop brackets?) or some other add-ons to have good geometry? Does a 3" lift need a dropped TC or other fancy stuff? Could this have lead to tearing up the front end parts with excess stress?

I am fairly new to this lift stuff, I have had 2 previous XJ's and an MJ before that, but they were stock height. The extent of my fun is mainly off road in the ice and snow and some so-so trails in the off season (when it gets above freezing, that is.)

I'm really just wondering where to go from here.

Click to expand...

A 3" lift is within range of the stock suspension components. I have always run a stock track bar, and when I do the install, sometimes I relocate the hole slightly inboard if the axle isn't centered. My last one, which was an Upcountry Package to begin with, looked fine, so I didn't relocate the axle end. The only way to see if it is right, is to put the truck on level ground and to measure it out.

Toe in should be about 1/16" toe IN. As far as Caster, make sure the stock lower arms are as far out as they can be, which won't be much adjustment as most XJs only came with one shim in them, if any.

No you don't need drop suspension brackets with 3" of lift, or any other fancy stuff. A 1" TC drop, or shims may be needed, IF you have drive line vibrations. It doesn't sound like that is an issue to you. My 98' with 3" doesn't have one.

As a rule, you don't send your Wife down for tires, they will mess with their heads. Just take it down yourself.

i ran the rc 3" kit for over 2 years with the stock tracbar, the increased angles will make the frame side joint not last long... but my axle was centered.

i remember arguing with people who said i 100%, absolutely need a new tracbar.... which i didnt. that tracbar lasted 195,000 miles, including 2 years worth at 3". it never failed (just started to clunk).

but yeah, my rc 3 came with lower control arms... but i later found out they were the same size as stock... so 'NEEDED'? i doubt it, a lot of people dont run aftermarket lca's on smaller lifts.