3" lift, where to go from here?

I recently bought a '98 XJ with 144k miles. It has D30 front and 8.25 limited slip rear. The previous owner installed a 3" Old Man Emu lift about 10-12 yrs ago, and maybe 80k miles ago. It has 31x10.50 A/Ts with quite a bit of age, but still usable tread on them.

This is my first Jeep, so I'm not too sure what to expect out of it, in terms of road manners. It seems to do fairly well, considering the lift, but does leave a little to be desired in the daily driver department. It also has a bit of the 50mph front end wobble.

Ive read alot of the tech regarding 31's being the largest size without much modification needed to the supporting drivetrain, But before I plop down cash on some new tires, I want to make sure I should jump to 33's in size.

Ideally, I'd like to stick with 31's and avoid regearing it, but how much offroad capability can be had out of a short arm setup with my current tire size?


So a few questions...


-Should I consider aftermarket control arms with heim joints?

-Should I freshen up the suspension by going through the ball joints, maybe new shocks?

-I'm assuming the suspension is stock besides the OME lift, so I don't know whats going on with my track bar and steering, whether its stock, if it should be upgraded, etc?

-Where should I start on this, keeping in mind that I've got some money to spend on it, but would rather go the route of getting as much offroad capability as I can out of the current lift it already has.

-Should I get sway bar disconnects, new tires, and trim the fenders a little?

Where should I start?? All advice is welcome, thanks guys!!

Have you wheeled it yet to see what is going to restrict you?
Seems like you need to learn a decent bit more about the rig before anything.

I have aired the tires down and taken it through an ORV park. I've had IFS Toyota pickups prior to this, so I was pretty impressed the difference a solid axle makes.

I guess I should probably stick with my current lift height and tire size, just wondering what I can do to make it more capable, given what I have.

first id give it a tune up, o2 sensors, tps, iac valve, oil pressure sending unit. these are the items ive had to change during the first year of owning my current xj. after adressing those important items make an honest assessment of what you intend on using your rig for? then re post the question

that is a nice looking xj, and the lift looks just fine to me.

you can easily add 33s w/a little trim and bumpstops. 3" is kind of the highest lift before opening a can of worms, ie: track bar, steering, SYE, driveshafts, control arms, brake lines... etc.

quick discos are nice to have with any height, so get those. armor also is a good investment regardless of lift height. recovery points & frame stiffeners also. you can do some junkyard mods, like a 99+ intake, bored throttle body. also look into correcting the crappy shackle angle for better ride/flex with shackle relocation brackets.

other than that, wheel it, and replace/upgrade suspension parts as needed. i'd do lockers before a lift anyday.

this is my 4th xj ive built and also the smallest. it's locked, armored, recovery points, winch, 3" on 31s.

if it were me: as long as the suspension isnt worn out and doesnt have anything wrong with it, I would leave it alone. buy some newer tires suitable for the wheeling you plan to do (aka thicker sidewalls if you're playin in rocks) add some armor and a locker or 2 and let it ride.

it sounds like the jeep is already a bit more capable than you realize. wheel it as it is and learn the rig first. then modify as you find its limitations