Time to play . . .

Well, it's official. We picked up my wife's 2004 Grand Cherokee on Tuesday of this week and traded in her '92 Laredo.

So . . . that being nice and all . . . I've got a 98 Cherokee Sport.

ALL TO MYSELF

I'd like to turn it into a dual use vehicle for both on and off roading but I haven't the foggiest where to start.

Did I mention She'll never want to use mine again!!!!!!

sorry . . . . it's just that I'm happy about that somehow.

Anyhooooo . . . where do I start?????

Well, the first questions are.

How often will your rig see the trail? Will it see more mud than rocks? What?

Also, whats your budget? What tire size would you like to run? And how big do you want it?

Answer those, and Ill help ya out

Well, I live in Southwestern Ontario but I go up north regularly. It is a mix of both up there.

I'm thinking 31s will do me for tires, and I'd like to add the steps at the side and one of those front bull bar things.

Rack lighting would seem to be the best as I would expect to get a better dispersal of light from the roof rather than from waist or bumper level.

I also drive about 25 miles each way to and from work daily so I don't want it to be so tankish that it is uncomfortable.

I used to have a YJ with a four inch lift and 31s on it but that was about it. I bought that vehicle with the lift already done (and I wish I'd never gotten rid of it too, but that's another story.)

As silly as it sounds, I'd like it to look pretty cool as well, but not in a pimpish kinda way.

Budget isn't that much of a problem, but I'd like to start with the less expensive stuff first and work my way up to the most expensive stuff last . . . if that can be done.

Again, any advice would be appreciated.

Ok, Sounds good.

My first recommendation, is the lift

Rubicon Express 3.5" Super flex kit with rear leaf packs.
(it will net you right under 4.5")

Rubicon Express SYE

Tom Woods Driveshaft

With those three things, you can safely run 31's, no problem!!


As for looks, a Safari Rack with rackmount lights, and a roof rack spare tire carrier,

Anyone got leads on where I can procure some of this stuff north of your border . . . and how much I'm gonna need to buy it?

Also, how difficult is this for a neophyte mechanic??

The lift can be done yourself, if you get a short arm kit, and shouldnt be too bad, alone, 8-12 hours.

And IDK any places up there to get it.

Here, the RE 3.5" super flex with rear leafs is 595 , and then the DT 3000 shocks are 124.....

You can get Rubicon Express stuff from www.rubiconexpress.com and have it shipped to you. For dual-use and mild trails, 3-3.5 inches will be best. Personally, I think 4.5" is too high on short arms for a DD and makes for a stiff ride because of the angle of the control arms. I also notice a huge difference between 3.5 and 4.5 inches of lift with how much it leans in the corners. Steering gets worse along with track bar angle and starts to require more modifications. I've got a Skyjacker 3" kit that netted 3.5" and it's been good. I've taken it up to 4.5" and 5.25" in the past with spacers and shackles/blocks. I've heard that TeraFlex springs along with some others are pretty soft. Mine are a tiny bit stiff, but overall I like them. My only complaint about my Skyjacker kit is the lower control arms. They're straight and not offset, so they limit downward travel.

I have not found the same problems that XJ92 has had with a 4.5" kit.....the lean angle issue maybe, normally you are getting rid of the rear sway bar when getting up to 4.5" of lift.
But I think you will be very happy with the 3.5" kit from RE. I would suggest getting a better sway bar disconnect system than what comes with the RE kit. Maybe the JKS set up would work better.
But I tell you one thing.....these XJs will just blow your mind on what they can do with just simple mods like are being suggested to you.....no real need to spend the real big bucks to have fun with them!~!!

ROCK RAILS

Build or buy a decient set of rock rails. They will help stiffen the unibody to a certain extent, keep rocks off your body, and proide a solid place to jack up the Jeep with a HighLift. I run rock rails Just like the ones from Carolina Rock Shop and never have had any problems with them.

AARON

O ya, and get a solid mounting point for tow hooks or D-rings so you can get safely pulled out when you DO stuck and yes you will get stuck

If I were you, I would get a RE 3.5 lift first, emediately get a HD SYE from Tom Woods with a new CV driveshaft, then move on to protection like bumpers and rock rails. A class 3 hitch is a must as well as tow hooks up front. Don't forget transfer case skids. If you want swaybar quick disconnects, I would recommend JKS, no substitute.

Just thought I would throw out my thoughts.

Jump This said:

I have not found the same problems that XJ92 has had with a 4.5" kit.....the lean angle issue maybe, normally you are getting rid of the rear sway bar when getting up to 4.5" of lift.
But I think you will be very happy with the 3.5" kit from RE. I would suggest getting a better sway bar disconnect system than what comes with the RE kit. Maybe the JKS set up would work better.
But I tell you one thing.....these XJs will just blow your mind on what they can do with just simple mods like are being suggested to you.....no real need to spend the real big bucks to have fun with them!~!!

Click to expand...

I'd have to agree on the 4.5" ......Just go there and buy some 32" tires. Great daily driver, IMHO.

old man emu lift, cost alot but worth it, it and something like a daystar boost will give you 4" lift that is what i have and i like the ride and the way it looks.