Getting frustrated...

All this hooplah about SYE's, new driveshafts, rubbing and all the other problems people encounter on 97+ XJ's almost makes me want to just forego the whole lift idea....I love my XJ, but I'm starting to miss my TJ.

I'm just having trouble justifying dropping $1500 to get the look I want and the performance I'll probably never need.

By the way, will 30" fit without a lift for street use? I might just slap 30's on it and get a 2" BB later. I'm just swamped with options/potential problems/cost issues vs. what I want.

Anyone with a 3.5" lift and 31's with no vibes want to trade for a totally stock XJ

When I had my '90 XJ (sold it in March...) I had 30x9.50 Bridgestone Dueler ATs.... and I went to Tellico and didn't really rub, but I was connected (sway bar...) but probably would've been fine disconnected...

Dunno if that'll help ya any...

hey man i hear you on the vibes problem.... ive got a 2000 xj and im going to try going to a machine shop tomorow and getting the dual carden put on the pinion side of my driveshaft as well. ive worked on my stupid jeep for so long im almost done, but ive had everly friggin problem you can imingine with my xj. hang in there man.

Frustrated already,you havent done ahything yet!!!!!
I just hit 16k miles on mine.
2-SYE kits/driveshafts
3-sets of wheels
5-sets of tires
3-set of shocks
5-lift kits
3-sets of control arms
3-trackbars

J.ust E.mpty E.very P.ocket

For a small lift it might be cheaper to swap in a pre-96 t-case. That way no sye is needed untill 4.5"+. Some people run 31's with no lift on the street, but thats the pre '97 xj's.

Owning 2 of the late model XJ's...

Here's my opinion, based on personal experience.

You shouldn't have to spend that much money to get what you are looking for. On my '97, I made a SYE out of modified stock parts that essentially accomplishes the same thing as the RE cut and tap system, but retains a single cardan joint at each end of the shaft. I just had a slip joint put in the stock shaft, and made sure that the axle was shimmed such that the pinion was parallel to the T-case output. This setup lasted perfectly well with 32" mud tires on a locked D35 under a regularly thrashed vehicle at 5.5" lift.

Now, if you are not interested in engineering your own fix, I can attest that the RE setup will work perfectly well for you. The rest of your major expense will be in choosing a lift kit and tires/rims. I suggest buying used to save some dough. I pieced my lift together from used parts and home-brewed parts, and got my tires & rims used as well. I didn't have to trim anything, but I did make sure my bumpstops were properly extended.

My wife's '01 Upcountry fits 30" tires without a problem, on or offroad. It does have a slight vibration at 75 mph or above, but it only sees that speed when I drive, so I'm not in a rush to make another SYE.

You could probably put on a 1" or 2" budget boost, drop the transfer case a little, and shim the rear axle accordingly and be just fine, or make the 3.5" jump that sounds like what you really want, which will most likely require a SYE. Also consider that the bigger the tire you go with, the more it will affect your fuel economy and driveability without regearing. It is more annoying in a manual transmission than an automatic, BTW.

got pics??

Thanks for the input guys.....the way it looks right now, I think I'll head to my local tire hookup for some 30" BFG AT's tomorrow. I may go ahead and order the 2" BB as well.

Any suggestions for the BB? I hear Rusty's stuff tends to fall apart. I'd like to retain a factory like ride, so does that mean I should go with shackles as opposed to an AAL?

Did I read correctly that moving up to 30's without lifting can also cause vibes? Even so, I can't imagine that the vibes would be beyond a T Case drop solution, which I would probably have to do once I get the BB installed anyway....oh well....it won't be a 3.5" RE, but it will be a helluva lot cheaper...

I went with the 2" BB from Rocky road outfitters (Shaclkles and coil spacers) on my '97. I did not develop any vibes (or any other problems) whatsoever. I did have to trim the front bumper guards a little (utility knife and a little sandpaper), due to some rubbing during flex...but that was mainly due to the backspacing I went with (3.75") on the new wheels I put on.

I have never heard that putting 30's on with out a lift will cause vibes. On the stock rims you might rub on the LCA's at full lock though. A few washers at the steering stops will fix that though.

I have heard that '00 and '01 models can be even more sensitive to lifts than the '97-'99's, but some people have problems and others don't.

What I did was assume that I would need to drop the t-case and budgeted for it...so when I did not need it I came in under-budget.

Good Luck dude!

ThePhantum said:

I went with the 2" BB from Rocky road outfitters (Shaclkles and coil spacers) on my '97. I did not develop any vibes (or any other problems) whatsoever. I did have to trim the front bumper guards a little (utility knife and a little sandpaper), due to some rubbing during flex...but that was mainly due to the backspacing I went with (3.75") on the new wheels I put on.

I have heard that '00 and '01 models can be even more sensitive to lifts than the '97-'99's, but some people have problems and others don't.

What I did was assume that I would need to drop the t-case and budgeted for it...so when I did not need it I came in under-budget.

Good Luck dude!

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Thanks....I'm gonna order the BB tomorrow after I get the 30's

Sorry about the confusion...

The vibes in our '01 came from the factory that way... tire size has nothing to do with them. We only run 30's offroad on that truck anyway (and not very often)... stock tires the rest of the time. They aren't bad, either, just barely noticeable.

The first lift on my '97 was a rear 3" block and spacers in the front to clear 31's, and I didn't need a SYE nor did I get vibes. Blocks are bad... they quickly killed my springs, they sagged to 2", and it was a continuous upward spiral from there. I then built my own rear spring pack and used a pair of 1.5" progressive coils in the front with spacers on top for about 4"... that was when I engineered the home brew SYE, added a rear locker and regeared to 3.73. It was a fun truck at that point, but I rolled it in Tellico and had to go further.

So I replaced the roof, built an internal cage, and got some 4" coils with a smaller spacer and added a shackle to the same leaf springs to get 5.5" lift and ran 32's. Now I had enough height to try the hardcore stuff, but tended to get high-centered ALOT.

So now it sits at around 8", Clayton longarms, Skyjacker springs, RockKrawler shocks, 4.56 locked D30 w/ Warn hubs, 4.56 spooled D44 w/ Warn FF, AA SYE and Tera 2-low, Tom Woods driveshafts on 35" tires. I'm still working on finishing that setup, so I haven't wheeled it yet.

The moral of the story is to learn from others' experiences so you can save yourself alot of time, money and headaches. I learned alot through trial and error in a time when there was less knowledge available.

Your plan sounds good, starting out with the 30's, adding the 2" BB and T-case drop. I think a good setup would be a full-length AAL, a MJ shackle and a spacer in the front. Or maybe a pair of Upcountry or Moog progressive rate coils with a smaller spacer. If you plan on wheeling it, now is the time to invest in armor (skids & rails.)

I still have the 1.5" Moog progressive coils and a pair of MJ shackles and some 3/4" spacers I could send you if you are interested. All you would have to do then is get the AAL of your choice (Rancho, RE, Rusty, etc.) or a leaf from a Dakota or MJ pack. Then install the T-case drop if necessary, and shim the rear axle to equalize the driveshaft U-joint operating angles.

sell the xj and get a tj

Hunter

Hunter-Lynchburg said:

sell the xj and get a tj

Hunter

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That's funny....I sold the TJ and got an XJ

My 97UC 4.0l 5spd is running 31s with no lift. I have no problems with vibes, and I get some rub. I wheeled in the Colorado Spings area on trails marked "D", dealt with some rubbing but had no problems, even when on 3 wheels. I ran 80-90+ thru Colorado and Nebraska on the way home. I did beat down a few spots on the wheel wells so that they wouldn't dig into my tires. I get a little rub on the bumper endcaps when turning into a driveway. I had 30.9.5s on it before with no rubbing except for on the LCA's. The 31s have really aggressive sidewall lugs and sound horrid when they hit the LCA's, but it is all bark and no bite. Actually, I had more vibration probs with the old tires.

My 97UC 4.0l 5spd is running 31s with no lift. I have no problems with vibes, and I get some rub. I wheeled in the Colorado Spings area on trails marked "D", dealt with some rubbing but had no problems, even when on 3 wheels. I ran 80-90+ thru Colorado and Nebraska on the way home. I did beat down a few spots on the wheel wells so that they wouldn't dig into my tires. I get a little rub on the bumper endcaps when turning into a driveway. I had 30.9.5s on it before with no rubbing except for on the LCA's. The 31s have really aggressive sidewall lugs and sound horrid when they hit the LCA's, but it is all bark and no bite. Actually, I had more vibration probs with the old tires.

I just had 30x9.5 BFG AT's put on this morning. Looks like I could have fit 31's, but whatever. I think it'll look pretty well balanced with the 2" BB....I think I'm also gonna get a Yakima Load Warrior and put a full size spare up top...

2KXJ...... I felt the same way when I installed my BB and 30's, until I disconected and ran the trails. The 30's stuff pretty good and I have some very minor and rare rubbing up in the wells. I'm sure the 31's would be rubbing hard in the wells and on the flairs. A full 3 inches is a must for 31's.

philsxj said:

2KXJ...... I felt the same way when I installed my BB and 30's, until I disconected and ran the trails. The 30's stuff pretty good and I have some very minor and rare rubbing up in the wells. I'm sure the 31's would be rubbing hard in the wells and on the flairs. A full 3 inches is a must for 31's.

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Thanks philsxj....I'm feeling a little more confident in my setup choice....