All this weight of bumpers, rock rails, rocker panels vs lift kit

Double Down · Apr 14, 2004

If you are going to get a full blown custom front and rear steel bumper and rock rails and cover the quarters in steel diamond plate...plus I want to lift my 97 XJ 5" or so...how do I need to think?

Meaning, if I am grabbing that extra weight and then wanting to lift it 5" do I need to get different shocks, different springs, etc to maintain a good driving/offroading vehicle? From what I have been told, I was looking at doing the RE 4.5 lift which should net about 5" but do I need to buy spacers, different shocks, or anything else to compensate for the extra weight?

Thanks,

Chris (Double Down)

Planetcat · Apr 14, 2004

After I installed the RE 4.5" lift on an otherwise stock XJ, I then went from OEM front bumper to Olympic rock/winch bumper + warn M8000. This totaled about 150 lbs. of added weight in the front and I had to add 1" spring spacer to compensate from the now sagging front end. The 150 lbs dropped the front almost exactly 1". I can't speak for the rears, since I use add a leaf's and 2" lift blocks and haven't added any new weight to the rear. My engineering on spring rates is a little stale, but you should be able to take that weight-to-drop distance ratio and use it for front spring adjustment. '96 XJ Countly, 4.0L, AW4 Tranny, etc.

Goatman · Apr 14, 2004

We're all in the same situation.....just do it. Every lift has the potential to need a little leveling out based on the particular vehicle it's going on. Shocks don't carry weight, so they aren't an issue.

zjmikey · Apr 14, 2004

Put some ACOS in the front...

jeo · Apr 14, 2004

Planetcat said:
After I installed the RE 4.5" lift on an otherwise stock XJ, I then went from OEM front bumper to Olympic rock/winch bumper + warn M8000. This totaled about 150 lbs. of added weight in the front and I had to add 1" spring spacer to compensate from the now sagging front end. The 150 lbs dropped the front almost exactly 1". I can't speak for the rears, since I use add a leaf's and 2" lift blocks and haven't added any new weight to the rear. My engineering on spring rates is a little stale, but you should be able to take that weight-to-drop distance ratio and use it for front spring adjustment. '96 XJ Countly, 4.0L, AW4 Tranny, etc.

If you do a 1 inch spring spacer, do you need to realign the front geometry, or should that little bit not make a difference?

Buck Jackson · Apr 14, 2004

jeo said:
If you do a 1 inch spring spacer, do you need to realign the front geometry, or should that little bit not make a difference?

Maybe not, but its easy enough to do, so in my book its worth checking.
Buck

Planetcat · Apr 14, 2004

The 1" spacer did not change the front end geometry. It was a pretty straight forward install.

All this weight of bumpers, rock rails, rocker panels vs lift kit

Double Down

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Planetcat

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Goatman

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zjmikey

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jeo

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Buck Jackson

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Planetcat

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