should i stay or should i go higher!??

i have an 88 xj with what i believe to be a rough country 3" lift and 31 10.5's pretty much stock other than that does have a slight vibration driving around which is to be expected was thinking about going up another inch or so, mainly for looks hitch does did in on the trail occasionally but nothing horrible it has already proved itself pretty capable want some opinions on whether its worth the $$

thanks!

Well past 3 inches you will need to replace more parts than just get springs, spacers, shackles, or however you intend to accomplish a taller stance. If you still have stock or fixed control arms then atleast the lower control arms will need to be replaced with adjustable to dial in the front end alignment. You most likely still have the stock track bar which is pretty much at its limits at this point so that will need to be replaced. The front brake lines will also need to be replaced as they are also at their limits with a 3" lift. You might be able to get away with the shocks but ssuming they are also Rough Country shocks then I would give them a call and see if they would recommend you being able to get another inch out of them seeing as they offer a 4.5 lift too and they may or may not be the same shocks offered in both kits. Driveline vibrations will get worse with a taller height so be prepared for that.

Now with all that being said, do you want more height for the looks of being taller and to say you have a higher lift? Or do you want a taller height solely to fit a larger tire?

If you want more height for the sake of having more height, then go for it.

If you want more height to fit bigger tires, then cut the fenders as that will cost you much less money! I did it that way and now I am running 33x12.50 tires with a 3.5" lift.

Hope that helps! Good Luck!

well i straightened out the brake lines which i think will give me enough there i was just going to do a drop shackle in the back with spacers in the front. besides the control arms would i need to do a tc drop to for vibrations? all im really looking for is a little more lift my hitch has been know to dig in a few times and i think it looks better too.

1slowxj said:

well i straightened out the brake lines which i think will give me enough there i was just going to do a drop shackle in the back with spacers in the front. besides the control arms would i need to do a tc drop to for vibrations? all im really looking for is a little more lift my hitch has been know to dig in a few times and i think it looks better too.

Click to expand...

If you don't already have a TC drop then yes that would help. Every Jeep is different, some can handle lots of lift with minimal driveline vibrations, and some get horrible vibs after even a 2 inch lift. The older TC rear output is not as bad with lift as the newer style after 96. I would still check in about the shocks since you don't want to blow out a shock or two because you over extended them. And I would be careful continuing to run a stock track bar. I remember mine was at it's limit when I still had it.

im pretty sure i have the np 242 transfer case is that the one you mean? and i planned on getting new shocks so that part doesnt really bother me just dont wanna spend a ton to gain a little. besides a track bar drop bracket would be the only other thing if the brake lines are long enough correct?

dont do the track bar drop braket. just get an adjustable one they arent that expensive and your steering geometry can be tuned

okay so track bar and lower arms i should plan on doing also anything else?

1slowxj said:

im pretty sure i have the np 242 transfer case is that the one you mean? and i planned on getting new shocks so that part doesnt really bother me just dont wanna spend a ton to gain a little. besides a track bar drop bracket would be the only other thing if the brake lines are long enough correct?

Click to expand...

The most common TC in 4x4 XJs is the NP231 which consists of the following options on the shifter 2wd hi, 4wd hi part-time, Neutral, and 4wd Lo part-time. This TC was used with some minor changes over the years one of which being to the rear output.

The NP242 was used on higher optioned XJs with the following options on the shifter 2wd hi, 4wd hi FULL-TIME, 4wd hi PART-TIME, Neutral, and 4wd Lo part-time.

Not sure what part you were looking at but there is no available track bar DROP bracket for a stock Jeep track bar. There are RELOCATION brackets that are installed at the axle end of the stock track bar but that is to simply relocate the hole that the track bar mounts to over about 1/2" so that the axle stays center underneath the Jeep. I actually ran a relocation mount myself for a while. The downside to this bracket is it increases the angle of the track bar even more than in the stock location. Part of the problem of running a stock track bar on a lifted Jeep is the mount on the frame side is a tie-rod end style mount. These mounts are weak and have limited movement range and the extreme angles of a lifted vehicle wear them out prematurely and are beyond their limits.

If you do see a track bar DROP bracket it is most likely a whole new frame end mount and it is a double shear mount meant to ONLY be used with an aftermarket double shear track bar.

As Tacedaddy said, get an aftermarket adjustable track bar. I would stay away from the common cheap ones like the ones available from Rugged Ridge as they still maintain a tie-rod end style mount at the frame end, infact it is a tie-rod that is re-purposed to be used as the track bar mount, however, these often fail since this was not their intended use and they snap! Now often this happens on the trail, which is not fun, but can be fixed easily enough if you carry a spare. BUT I have seen pictures of horror stories where the tie-rod end snapped while the Jeep was driving down the highway, causing the front axle to wonder underneath the front end leaving the Jeep uncontrollable. As you can imagine this leads to a likely crash that you more than likely would not be able to walk away from. But its up to you, cheap or safe.

I personally run the IronMan 4x4 Fabrication track bar which for what it is, is very affordable. But it requires drilling out the stock frame in track bar mount and welding in a double shear conversion mount. It says bolt-in but it really isn't.

Rusty's makes an affordable double shear adjustable track bar that comes with a new frame end mount as well.

alot of info there!! thank you! i do have the 242, and i suppose i will go with ironman 4x4 if you've had good luck with it

1slowxj said:

alot of info there!! thank you! i do have the 242, and i suppose i will go with ironman 4x4 if you've had good luck with it

Click to expand...

Glad to help! I figured the info would serve you well since this thread was your first post. Which by the way, welcome to the forum! Biggest piece of advice I can give you for using the forum is try searching for your answer before posting a thread as there are alot of people who have already asked the same questions before and have received answers. Some of the veterans users can get kind of rude towards a frequently asked question since they have seen it so many times.

I have had wonderful luck so far with my IronMan4x4 track bar! It is pure beef! This thing dwarfed the JKS bar I had on my Jeep before the IronMan bar. It is not bolt-in though so be prepared for that. If you are looking for a bolt in option then something like the Rusty's track bar and bracket would be a better option. The IronMan track bar is the best bang for your buck for the DIY-er that can do more than just turn a wrench. But if you got a buddy with a welder and good drill or better a drill-press, then this can still be accomplished easily!

That shouldn't be a problem have access to welder plasma cutter and what ever else I need
Thanks again!!

PS dont buy rustys track bars.. they break and kill people

Tacedaddy said:

PS dont buy rustys track bars.. they break and kill people

Click to expand...

Absolutely! But it depends on which one. The one like I described with the tie-rod end at the frame end that is the common super cheap design is garbage!

The upgraded option they offer that come with a new frame end mount that converts the bar to a double shear isn't a bad bar. Combine that with their track bar reinforcement mount and it is a decently good setup. My buddy fell asleep at the wheel and rolled his Jeep off an embankment doing about 55 mph and totaled the Jeep but the track bar, frame end mount, and reinforcement mount all were salvageable! I was actually impressed that a Rusty's product survived something like that!

Lol that bad huh?

Ben824 said:

The NP242 was used on higher optioned XJs with the following options on the shifter 2wd hi, 4wd hi FULL-TIME, 4wd hi PART-TIME, Neutral, and 4wd Lo part-time.

Click to expand...

HA HA....my 88 pioneer, bare bones, no power anything, has one.

I just wish it could be eaily swapped to my 96 without swapping AW4's as well (the one in the 88 is very long in the tooth...as in over 350k on it, and she's starting to show her gray hairs).

I prefer the 242 over the 231 for the way I use it, and the conditiuons I, sometimes encounter.

TRCM said:

HA HA....my 88 pioneer, bare bones, no power anything, has one.

I just wish it could be eaily swapped to my 96 without swapping AW4's as well (the one in the 88 is very long in the tooth...as in over 350k on it, and she's starting to show her gray hairs).

I prefer the 242 over the 231 for the way I use it, and the conditiuons I, sometimes encounter.

Click to expand...

There were always those strange orders with unusual option combinations haha