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Newbie with an 01 XJ, needs lifted!!

bigpoppax2

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bluefield WV
I'm looking to lift an 01 XJ and am definately a newbie to Jeeps. I want to fit a 32x11.50. I have done some research and seen that people seem to like the Rubicon Express 3.5". Can the 32's be done on say 3.75" of backspacing?

Do people have vibration problems with 3.5" lifts? What are the drawbacks to said lift (Jeep specific) I know the typicals ball joints, brakes, power loss, gas milage....

I have about a 1200 dollar budget. Lift, tires, wheels, maybe some flares. And down the road I'll do some steel bumpers. All self installed.

Any and all advice is appreicated, thanks guys.
Joe
 
Joe,

You need to do a lot more research. $1200 is not going to buy you much. Untill you get a little more experience, make sure you have some good tow points front and rear, and some good skid plates and rock rails and go wheeling. Then after you have a better understanding of how you will be using your Jeep, you can start spending money on mods.

3.75" BS will work. Around 4.5" BS would be better.

Yes, you can have vibration issues with a 3.5" lift. Especially with an '01 model. Consider the cost of a Slip Yoke Eliminator when you budget for your mods. Also consider the cost of regearing and a locker.

Drawbacks? You just about covered them.
 
You will need major bumpstop extension, and likely a lot of trimming to run 32x11.5 on 3.5 of lift. I run 32's on 4.5 backspaced 15x8's on an RE 4.5 lift on my 99, and still had to do some trimming (minor) of the flares. I would definately recommend the RE lifts, great quality and cust. svc.

I agree, however, that you may have some front driveshaft vibe problems on a 01 at 4.5 inches, due to the low pinion.

good luck with your project.
 
Thanks for the quick replies.

Ok I just moved from wanting the 32's to getting a set of 31x10.50's I can't cut on this one yet. Supposedly 31's they will clear with the 3.5" lift. I don't plan on wheeling this truck hard. I have my Trail only 88 Trooper with 33's for that.

What I do want is to get it looking nice and trail capable.

Do you still have the driveline vibes at 3.5" lift?

I know I need to do more research, that's why I'm here. Talking to people that have the best info I know of, first hand experience. Some doofus on the end of the phone line will tell you sure those will clear, and no we never get any complaints on our lifts and vibration....Yada yada. BS BS....

I think 1200 is a decent starting point. If I can get my lift, tires, and wheels for that I'll be happy for now. What does the slip yoke eliminator cost and where can I get one? Or is it just one of those go to the dirveline shop and have him weld a shaft out of dm tubing?
 
I have a 2000 xj with the re 4.5" lift, 32x11.5 bfg m/t's and no cutting of the fenders. It will rub the inner black plastic fender liner on extreme flex but who cares. I don't know if the front axle is different from 00 to 01 but I have no vibration at all. The jeep rides as good as stock well over 90mph. You will spend over 1200 just on the lift/shocks/slip yoke eliminator/new drive shaft so save up and make sure you do it right the 1st time or you won't be happy. The lift is mechanically easy to put in, unbolt parts, replace and bolt back up. Nothing tricky except maybe the slip-yoke eliminator.

Mark
 
I would recommend a Heavy Duty Slip Yoke Eliminator from Tom Woods at www.4xshaft.com. Absolutely no complaints; awesome place to do business. With your model XJ, lifting it at all is going to give you driveline problems so its best to address those now. SO an SYE is a MUST.

My advice is to start with the 3.5 lift, go higher later when you have more experience with your Jeep.

Tow points are crucial and need to be budgeted. A simple class 3 hitch works really well in the back, and the factory tow hooks in the front are ideal; that is the ones that run along the frame rail and have 4-5 bolts (can't remember exactly) to attach it.

A transfer case skid plate keeps the worrying down when your wheeling as do rock rails. Oh, and don't get aftermarket flares; keep the stock ones, save money.

If you haven't noticed, there is also a search function on these forums. If you put in "lift", "sye", "towpoints", etc. you should come up with some useful threads.
 
I have heard that all Jeeps are different when concerning vibrations and lifts and that certainly holds true for me. I get a bad vibration from the rear end when on the gas heavy over 55mph. I have a HD RE SYE kit in my very near future. As far as 31's I have no problem fitting a set after the lift with no trimming and no rubbing. However I have taken off the stock flares and plan to chop up the fenders in a bit because I plan on going larger.

96' XJ with the RE 3.5 inch superide(which is acctually 3" in front and 2" in back according to the numbers in their catalog) and 31's.
 
I have a very small budget being in college and that is why I picked up a 12 hour shift every Saturday. I have been doing research for a long time now. You should make a table in MS Word and put what you want and the price next to it. When you get it check it off.


Currently I have an RE 4.5" complete lift in my garage bought for $823 including shipping that I got back in December. I just bought 4 degree shims for $25. I'm in a deal right now with JB Conversions, trying to do a group buy on the Super Short SYE for $275. If that falls through I'm going with the Standard that is $199. Both are HEAVY DUTY. I've got a quote for $232 on OME Nitrocharged shocks that I'm getting for my birthday. With the tax return, I'm getting 31x10.5 Interco TrXuS tires, quote for $101 a piece. A new wheel so I don't have a donut is $25. All that is left is the CV driveshaft, either from Tom Woods or A1 Driveshafts.

Without the driveshaft that is $1800-$2000. Your $1200 budget is not going to cut it, as a few others have said. DO RESEARCH and call people all over the US. You will find deals, it just takes time. And make sure you don't buy crap. Buying something cheap now because you are in a hurry will only put you back more in the future.

Did I begin to mention anything about tow-hooks, skids and rockrails, with my budget? Nope.
 
evilpresence said:
I have a very small budget being in college and that is why I picked up a 12 hour shift every Saturday. I have been doing research for a long time now. You should make a table in MS Word and put what you want and the price next to it. When you get it check it off.


Currently I have an RE 4.5" complete lift in my garage bought for $823 including shipping that I got back in December. I just bought 4 degree shims for $25. I'm in a deal right now with JB Conversions, trying to do a group buy on the Super Short SYE for $275. If that falls through I'm going with the Standard that is $199. Both are HEAVY DUTY. I've got a quote for $232 on OME Nitrocharged shocks that I'm getting for my birthday. With the tax return, I'm getting 31x10.5 Interco TrXuS tires, quote for $101 a piece. A new wheel so I don't have a donut is $25. All that is left is the CV driveshaft, either from Tom Woods or A1 Driveshafts.



Without the driveshaft that is $1800-$2000. Your $1200 budget is not going to cut it, as a few others have said. DO RESEARCH and call people all over the US. You will find deals, it just takes time. And make sure you don't buy crap. Buying something cheap now because you are in a hurry will only put you back more in the future.

Did I begin to mention anything about tow-hooks, skids and rockrails, with my budget? Nope.

dang this is one expensive hobby :( ... good idea on the MS word for the table check off list.
 
My advice:

spend your money on your trail only trooper. If it already has 33's and is trail comitted, why even bother with the xj? (from a purley financial standpoint, of course...we all know that the xj is WAY cooler) This way, you'll have your badass trail rig, and a nice DD to get your butt around. Otherwise, you could do what I did: Sell your pristine DD, get a 87 xj, cut the snot out of the fenders and go wheeling.
 
01 XJ will DEFINATELY need a AA HD SYE and driveshaft. To run 32s you will want a 4.5" lift. I would keep saving up till you got a good $3k for 4.5",32s, SYE, ds, gears.
 
xjblaine said:
My advice:

cut the snot out of the fenders and go wheeling.

Or you could be like me and do it to your DD 2000 XJ, well it is paid off. :laugh3:
 
bigpoppax2 said:
I'm looking to lift an 01 XJ and am definately a newbie to Jeeps. I want to fit a 32x11.50. I have done some research and seen that people seem to like the Rubicon Express 3.5". Can the 32's be done on say 3.75" of backspacing?
Short answer... nope. Long answer, maybe. It depends on how much fender trimming you're willing to do. If you want it to look relatively stock, probably not, but if you're will to cut away a good portion of the fender including the stock mounting holes, then you might get 32s to tuck in there.

The XJ wants to have wheels with a backspacing of 4.5". My wheels are 3.75" and they stick out too much and they rub where they shouldn't. The good news is that Rockrawler steel wheels only cost about $45ea.

Suggestion... buy used parts. I bought RE rear leaves, front springs and could have bought RE control arms if I wasn't in a hurry to get the heep fixed up for Moab last year. Shop around. People are always getting inchitis and selling their old lift parts. What you can't find used, buy new.

Second suggestion... get your lift installed first. Then trim your fenders. Only then go shopping for tires. Go to a good tire store that will work with you and see what size tires actually fit on your already lifted and trimmed rig.


Do people have vibration problems with 3.5" lifts?
Yes. Emphatically YES! Especially on the newer XJs. Plan on adding a SYE into your budget. If you're doing all the labor yourself, an RE hack n' tap kit and driveshaft will only cost you $330. While it's nice to have a heavy duty tailshaft, if you have a NP242 transfer case, there is no heavy duty tailshaft available.


What are the drawbacks to said lift
You have a low pinion D30 on your '01. The more you lift it, the more you might run into front vibe or driveshaft problems. You might want to consider getting a HP D30 in there.

You WILL need a SYE. Stop asking for opinions on whether or not you will experience driveline vibrations. YOU WILL. The only question is to what degree and how long will your driveline tolerate the vibrations before critical components begin to break.


I have about a 1200 dollar budget.
Have you factored in rock rails, front & rear tow points and skid plates into your budget? If you plan on wheeling this rig, you are going to need the protection. With luck, you can find factory tow hooks and hitches in a junk yard. Maybe even a factory gas tank skid plate, but you will need rocker panel and transfer case protection.


Lift, tires, wheels, maybe some flares. And down the road I'll do some steel bumpers. All self installed.
Bravo on being able to self install everything. You'll save a lot on labor costs.

Oh, by the way... you do realize that when you fit the 32s on that your heep will run like a pig? Have you considered the fact that with those new shoes you're going to need new gears?


Any and all advice is appreicated, thanks guys.
I hate to be blunt, these are the real life lessons that I learned the hard way. Based on my experience and those of my friends with 97+ XJs if you want 32" tires you will need at least 4 1/2" of lift and trimming to get the rires to properly tuck inside. If you're going to try to do the same with only 3 1/2" of lift, you have your work (and your fenders) cut out for you.
 
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I'm not looking to build a moab capable rig. Just something to get me to my favorite fishing hole. So as far as the rock bars and the undercarraige protection I'd say I'll protect the transfer case and the gas tank but that'll be about it.

The regearing will not happen. 31's and a straight 6 will feel like a indy car as opposed to my four cylinder Trooper that runs 33's and it's not regeared. I went from 235/70/15's to 33's. I was really surprised that it didn't bog it down very much.

I will get the hack and tap and have a shaft made. I can get a guy to make a shaft for about 120. I can live with 3.5" and 31's. It'll make for a better DD that way anyway.
 
bigpoppax2 said:
I'm not looking to build a moab capable rig. Just something to get me to my favorite fishing hole. So as far as the rock bars and the undercarraige protection I'd say I'll protect the transfer case and the gas tank but that'll be about it.

The regearing will not happen. 31's and a straight 6 will feel like a indy car as opposed to my four cylinder Trooper that runs 33's and it's not regeared. I went from 235/70/15's to 33's. I was really surprised that it didn't bog it down very much.

I will get the hack and tap and have a shaft made. I can get a guy to make a shaft for about 120. I can live with 3.5" and 31's. It'll make for a better DD that way anyway.

You are going to protect the gas tank over your engine? And with that uni-body, no rocker guards?
 
bigpoppax2 said:
I'm not looking to build a moab capable rig. Just something to get me to my favorite fishing hole.
Ah! Well that puts a different spin on the matter. It's always helpful to know how you plan to use your vehicle when asking for advice.


So as far as the rock bars and the undercarraige protection I'd say I'll protect the transfer case and the gas tank but that'll be about it.
I tend to agree with you, but please keep in mind that the XJ is a unibody vehicle. The rocker panels are easily damaged on the trail and if damaged enough, you might not be able to open or shut a door. Rock rails are cheap insurance. Gas tanks are a dime a dozen in any junk yard. You can buy another TC for few hundred, but f*ck up your rocker panel sufficiently and you either lose some functionality of your vehicle or your insurance company totals it. Your choice.


The regearing will not happen.
Oakyfinebyme.


I will get the hack and tap and have a shaft made. I can get a guy to make a shaft for about 120. I can live with 3.5" and 31's. It'll make for a better DD that way anyway.
Good choice.
 
My 6" with 33's vibrates a little and I have no sye kit although I have a 1" transfer case drop kit. Would I like the sye? Yes but I can't fit it in the budget yet. I can still take my xj up to 100 and not be bothered by the vibrations. So I doubt the vibrations from a 3.5 with 31's is even going to be noticed. Everybody is making it sound like he has to do everything at once. Just give the guy some time and money and he'll have it how it should be.
 
I'm going to resurect this one to ask, just exactly what is the Hack and tap everyone talks about? I know it's involved with the SYE but can I use my stock driveshaft using the hack and tap?

Please help a newbie out.

I'm still looking at a 3.5" kit 31's and a driveshaft solution. All for around 1200. I think I can do it. Then when funds allow some underbody protection.
 
bigpoppax2 said:
I'm going to resurect this one to ask, just exactly what is the Hack and tap everyone talks about? I know it's involved with the SYE but can I use my stock driveshaft using the hack and tap?
The hack-n-tap is what we call the adapter plate from RE and a number of other manufatcturers. We cut (hack) a few inches off the tailshaft from the transfer case and tap a bolt into the remaining bit of the shaft. After whacking the adapter on, it's bolted down and a new driveshaft needs to be connected.
right_one_th.jpg

That's the hack-n-tap adapter on the left, and the new driveshaft on the right. Read up on the whole installation at http://www.yuccaman.com/jeep/sye.html
 
bigpoppax2 said:
I'm going to resurect this one to ask, just exactly what is the Hack and tap everyone talks about?

It's a slang term for this Rubicon Express SYE kit:

RE1807 SYE Kit CV TJ/XJ 96+ - Slip yoke eliminator kit for post-1996 Wranglers and Cherokees.

http://www.rubiconexpress.com/dynamic/mainpage.asp?folderid=208


I know it's involved with the SYE but can I use my stock driveshaft using the hack and tap?

Nope. The whole idea of the SYE kit is to soften the acute angle of the rear driveshaft by shortening the tailshaft of the transfer case, using a LONGER CV style driveshaft and moving the slip yoke into the middle of the driveshaft.


I'm still looking at a 3.5" kit 31's and a driveshaft solution. All for around 1200. I think I can do it.

I think you can too. If you shop around for used parts and visit some junkyards.


Then when funds allow some underbody protection.

I'm sure enough people have warned you about wheeling an XJ without minimal protection. If you choose to do so, you might want to keep your stock suspension parts so that you can swap them back on in case the need arises.
 
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