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New to lifting, getting overwhelmed.

D

drew23

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Southern, KY
Basics
99 Cherokee, AW4, NP231, Chrysler 8.25, D30
142,xxx miles
Rear leafs are inverting, need shocks too.

Daily driver back and forth to work, Emergency response to the scene (Assistant Chief of Volunteer Fire Dept) mostly road driving with occasional off road trips, hauling my gear and some tools.

I have decided to piece together a kit. I was originally going to buy a Zone kit but, I think I can piece something together a little better for close to the same money. I can get the Zone 3" for $485 to my door.

So far looking at the following:
RE 3.5" Full rear leaf packs $100 each
RE 3.5" Front Coils $100 set

Where I am getting stuck is,

Shocks Which shocks? Rubicon takeoffs? Monroe somethings?
Trackbar (Required or nice to have)
LCA (Required or nice to have)

I know I need Ubolts, RE $40 or ?
I know I need a longer brake line for the rear (YJ right?)
relocate the front or Longer there too?

I have been researching but, it is all starting to run together.

Sorry for beating a dead horse.
 
I like my RE monotubes, they are rebranded bilsteins 5100s. They ride very nice.

At 3.5 you will need an adjustable track bar and new lower control arms. I suggest getting adjustable lower control arms with a a flex joint.

I added longer brake lines to the front and rear. I also added a new steering stabilizer since mine was shot.

You may want to consider sway bar disconnects. Disconnects add a lot of capability.

Your new lift will also throw your pinion angle off which may result in some driveline vibrations. You won't know until after you lift and drive. That will require either a TC drop or a SYE and shims. The latter the better.
 
jchas5 said:
Your new lift will also throw your pinion angle off which may result in some driveline vibrations. You won't know until after you lift and drive. That will require either a TC drop or a SYE and shims. The latter the better.
Click to expand...

I wish I went the SYE route much quicker than I did.... Just food for thought.
 
I believe techna fit still makes a custon set for a reasonable price. Russ P also makes stainless lines.
Don't waste time with TC drop.
Bilstein 5100 shocks at a minimum.
 
You can get away with stock track bar at that lift. I ran it like that for years, and for your intentions you'll be fine. Good shocks will really improve the ride,but if its not that important you can go with something cheaper. You can find a lot of shock kits for 3.5 lift. Control arms are kind of a gray area for DD duty but something basic like the Rubicon express super ride arms work fine. Ive had those and in 10 years I've done the bushings once (the updated the rubber too). Honestly you can piece together a kit but sometimes it's just easier to buy the kit.
 
What is the thought on the Rubicon Red/Black shocks? Would they get me through for a while till I can afford better?



Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
You will need an adjustable track bar. You will likely need an SYE, but may be able to get by for some time with a TC drop, and then SYE later. Bilstien 4600, DoetschTech DT3000, and BDS are also good choices for shocks. YJ brake lines, it is probably due for new ones anyway.

RE makes good stuff, I would Look at Iron Rock Off Road also.
 
Echoing what Vernicious said - go SYE if you can. I was at 3" with T-case drop and there were vibrations at specific speeds, which was annoying. Went to 3.5" with a new setup and added a SYE, Tom Wood's front and rear, and now have no vibrations at any speed. Very smooth. Costly, but is a permanent fix...that is, until you lift again.
 
If you are using this as a daily driver and an emergency response vehicle, I would recommend no lift.

Lifted Jeeps are great!! But it takes a lot of money and time to make a lifted XJ drive, stop, steer, and ride properly/comfortably.

If you have a limited budget, I'd suggest getting new leaf springs to replace the old ones .... then spending the extra money on reliability upgrades. The ignition, cooling, and electrical systems on an XJ can leave you stranded with no warning. You don't want that if you are a first responder to an emergency.
 
MrSimon said:
If you are using this as a daily driver and an emergency response vehicle, I would recommend no lift.

Lifted Jeeps are great!! But it takes a lot of money and time to make a lifted XJ drive, stop, steer, and ride properly/comfortably.

If you have a limited budget, I'd suggest getting new leaf springs to replace the old ones .... then spending the extra money on reliability upgrades. The ignition, cooling, and electrical systems on an XJ can leave you stranded with no warning. You don't want that if you are a first responder to an emergency.
Click to expand...
I had considered this too. Any certain leafs better than the other if I stick to stock?

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Dorman 929-301 are stock replacement and work fine. Do NOT get the Dorman shackles as they are junk, particularly the hardware kit. I think their "10.9 bolts" are made out of Chinese pot metal. You can get the leafs on Rock Auto.

Lifts are great, but by the time you put all the parts together, including the SYE & double cardan driveshaft, and start running larger tires... your Jeep will start becoming a big doggy and fuel economy will drop, and then you may want to regear your axles, and while you're doing that you might decide to throw some lockers in, so the cost goes up and up.
 
I'd go probably no more than 3". Dpgoffroad/ome hybrid kit and 235/75 tires, iro or other double shear trackbar, Fixed LCA, and adjustable UCA.
 
drew23 said:
I have been researching but, it is all starting to run together.

Sorry for beating a dead horse.
Click to expand...

LOL! I know the feeling.
I spent a year on the forums here researching before I lifted my XJ in 2002. I learned not only about what it was I initially wanted but also how to factor in my long term wants/needs. As a result I avoided a lot of redundant spending, oversights and common mistakes. What works best for my needs is not what may work for someone else but I had to learn enough to be able to understand why.
All I have to offer is don't half-ass things. It's better to put a little money aside for awhile than it is to throw it away in a rush. I think the smartest thing I did when I started was to factor in a SYE as the first stage of my (still ongoing) modifications.

There are A LOT of knowledgeable people hear and they will bend over backward to help you. When someone tells you to use the search function, use it. Its best for you be able to answer your own question(s). There are idiots here too. They're not too hard to spot, they usually talk the loudest.

Good luck..have fun!

Welcome to NAXJA.
:wave:
 
Or if you have to lift it look at the old man emu kit I have heard it rides better than an Xj new from the factory


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I know right now I have the 1.75" Old Man Emu coils and got heavy duty upcountry or whatever leafs and it has given me basically 2 inches of lift and the OME coils are amazing. I also upgraded to the zj tie rod and slightly bigger tires and it was great. Looked a bit better and rides amazing and didn't really kill mpgs much at all. I am now upgrading to a bigger lift and tires and all that crap but the 2 in lift was great for giving me a little lift and great ride while not being so high that I needed to upgrade anything else. As long as you aren't flexing it out 2 or maybe 3 inches would be fine but the lower the lift the less likely you are to look at it and desire bigger tires which opens up another can of worms in gearing, fuel loss, and steering.
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0gxWn2tDdI
this go for broke video shows how capable these cars are even without all the crazy upgrades. Just fix up that engine really well and it will go most places even stock. the more you upgrade the better it will perform but there is nothing wrong with keeping stock control arms and height if you are not flexing and crawling.
 
For your purposes, a simple budget boost 2" RE lift would get you where you need to be. I think what you're mainly looking for (if I am reading your intentions correctly) is the ability to load up the jeep with gear, and still be offroad capable without rubbing wheel wells...etc.

If that is the case, I ran this kit for 5 years before lifting higher. Gave me plenty of room to run 30x9.5 all terrain tires, load up ~200lbs of dogs and stuff in the back and barely see any sag. If you get this, as well as OEM replacement springs you will be well on your way to a capable jeep. The benefit to this is tire clearance and rear suspension stiffness without needing the driveline upgrades like the SYE others have mentioned (which is a good idea if you go 3.5 like you wanted). I ran this kit with the slip yoke TC, driveshaft...etc for many years. The brake line upgrade is worth it though, especially on the rear. On the front, you can just straighten out the hard line slightly and get more length.

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/Suspe...NOMY KIT&Manufacturer_PQ=Rubicon Express#tab5
 
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