• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

wescam

wescam

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Alexandria VA
After many searches and mostly similar information. I am, as a potential owner, very curious about basic off-road modifications.

Looking at the late model Cherokee, I have formed up a few simple conclusions.

I'd like to find an "idiot FAQ" somewhere, or perhaps, with proper attribution construct my own so that I may learn.

General do's and don'ts for lifting, tire size, when to mod further into the drive trains, recovery items (various levels), protection items (skids, rails, etc) -- all that plus ball park costs (sticky issue due to mechanics and DIY folk).

It would be quite an undertaking for me, and I assume I could compile my own from posts, articles, tech discussions etc. Maybe someone's done it, but when I read them -- well there's various opinions that confuse me.

In general here are my starter questions. Again, I'm not standing in the yard with parts and tools scratching my head. I'm just looking into things to do and trying to increase what I know.

If any of these assumtions so far are wrong, please tell me.


- There are things called BB lifts (don't know what that stands for) that lift the XJ a few inches. They allow for 30" tires and require no drive train modifications. (200-500$ no idea on install costs)

- Various companies make lifts for the XJ that go 3.0-3.5 lift. These lifts could allow for 31" tires. There isn't a need for drive train modifications, however rubbing could be an issue. ($300-$600 no idea on install costs, assume $1,000? at a local shop).

- Going beyond say 4-5 inches on an XJ seems to mean lots of concerns. This is the point where you should modify various parts of the drivetrain. I assume you are well past diminishing returns if you fail to do so.

- NP231 slip yoke elimination -- I know it's a short shaft that a machine shop can handle -- they sell kits for it. You need a new drive shaft after it, but it "rights" the drive angle. (That's all I know).

- Gearing should be higher to compensate as your tire sizes grow beyond 33 as you lift higher. (no idea on the cost here, would like ideas)

- Steering concerns come into play, I assume the stock pump is ok, but I read much about types of arm conversions.

- You may want to install quick disconnects on swaybars (aftermarket kits with bars seem to have these) so that when offroad you can articulate more.

- Stock axles are out now?

- Is this the point when you swap into the popular DANA front and rear?

- Costs climb here to 5-7$K depending on what all you swap out, and who does the work.

Beyond 4-5 inches is the realm of the super modifications it seems.

- Nearly every suspension component is modified or replaced.
- People buy expensive low ratio transfer cases
- Stock axles and diffs are gone.
- Engine and brake mods are used to compensate for weight and get the offroad performance.
- Lifts up to 7-8 inches completely change the road dynamic of the vehicle so concern is in order for all driveline components.
- Most of these folk are considered hardcore off-roaders who break stuff.
- Costs with install can climb to 10K in aftermarket work.


Recovery and Protection.

- There is a point where an enthusiast off-roader wants to reach where his cost of modifications pay off for his enjoyment. For example, a small lift (2.5) and 30" tires pared with good protection and recovery all around and a sesnsable approach to off-road fun goes farther for his goals than a 3.5 " lift, bigger tires, with no attention paid to protection and recovery.

- Assumption is the basic off roader XJ guy is after the lift and tires, the factory bumpers can be replaced along with adding rock rails, and skid plates for sensative components in the drive train (front skid, transfer case, fuel tank, etc). Total costs of parts here can climb quickly to $2K with full set of recovery gear, and all the protection components. Assume best course is to enjoy the vehicle and see "what you need to go where you'd like to go".


OK, so I'm betting I got lots of stuff wrong. The above is just an idea of the things I'm trying to confirm.

What I had done is made notes in notepad while reading things in various internet articles.

The above is that stuff, in plain, language.

If anyone else is really bored, they can just chime in with opinions.
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

ok... BB stands for budget boost.. not sure what you want? a seriouse offroad machine. or a daily driver that you can wheel on the weekends and get to work on monday. ? a simple 3inch lift some 31s and protection.. even if its just some cheep square rock rails a class 3 receiver with a shackel .. and if you want to be really cheep you could even just get towhooks up front.. wheel it for a while see if you like it then go from there. then get the heavy duty front and rear bumpers. you can always go up a little more ( spacers and shackels) that you add to the top of your springs and between your leafs and mounts. ..

basicly depends on what you want and how much you plan on spending..

keith h
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

That's kind of the point.

But I wanted to read the ins and outs, or at least check myself on the ins and outs and costs of each "phase" of modification.

Yes, for myself, a simple 3" lift, 31" tires, recovery and protection would be fine.

I just wanted to get feedback on the "general" rules of going higher and the costs associated.

For example, some folks will re-gear a ride for even the most basic lifts (i've read that in various places) while some will go way over what everyone else is doing, in terms of lift and tire size on factory components.

I guess I'm trying to "draw lines" for myself -- you know jujst make sure it's right in my head.
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

I hate this saying but you might just want to start to do a "search" off key words you want info on right here on NAXJA.

There is alot of info here and most can be found. Then ask up some questions for more specifics, if needed.

HTH

hinkley
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

I'm doing that now.

Just takes quite a long time to find answers to one little part. But that's ok, trying to learn.

Gotta get used to how the search thing on here works. It's like digging for gold or something.

Google is ok, but I get way too much "advertisement" type results.

Thanks for comments.
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

- There are things called BB lifts (don't know what that stands for) that lift the XJ a few inches. They allow for 30" tires and require no drive train modifications. (200-500$ no idea on install costs)

Try Teraflex, their 1.5" is about $97 I think. Mine is from Rocky Road, but I wouldn't recommend them cuz of their sucky customer service and while the shackles are tough, they required coercion from a mallet and big frickin screwdriver.

- Various companies make lifts for the XJ that go 3.0-3.5 lift. These lifts could allow for 31" tires. There isn't a need for drive train modifications, however rubbing could be an issue. ($300-$600 no idea on install costs, assume $1,000? at a local shop).

Rubicon Express is the general consensus as the best here, although many also like Rusty's. Many dislike him as well, but I can attest that his customer service is great. He also has lower prices. In the end it comes down to if you want to pay extra for the security of knowing your parts are gonna last. Talk to people here and ask who's got what and what they've had, how satisfied they were and such.

- Going beyond say 4-5 inches on an XJ seems to mean lots of concerns. This is the point where you should modify various parts of the drivetrain. I assume you are well past diminishing returns if you fail to do so.

The next item is pretty much necessary at this level. You can a transfer case drop but that's regarded as a short term fix.

- NP231 slip yoke elimination -- I know it's a short shaft that a machine shop can handle -- they sell kits for it. You need a new drive shaft after it, but it "rights" the drive angle. (That's all I know).

You got the basics of it there. You'd also need it for the NP242.

- Gearing should be higher to compensate as your tire sizes grow beyond 33 as you lift higher. (no idea on the cost here, would like ideas)

Gearing actually gets lower as the numerical value gets higher. So a set of 4.88s are lower than the 3.55s that come stock. Many people say you should get lower gears for 31s, while others say you can keep the stock gearing even at 35". Its not optimum but some claim it works alright til you can afford the gears.

- Steering concerns come into play, I assume the stock pump is ok, but I read much about types of arm conversions.

- You may want to install quick disconnects on swaybars (aftermarket kits with bars seem to have these) so that when offroad you can articulate more.

Correct

- Stock axles are out now?

Stock axles (depending on your read axle) should be good to 33". The Chrysler 8.25 (non-ABS) is stronger than the Dana 35 (ABS) rear axle. The Dana 30 up front is supposed to be about equivalent to a low-pinion Dana 44, if you have the high-pinion model. I think the change was in 2000 to a low-pinion Dana 30.

- Is this the point when you swap into the popular DANA front and rear?

Most already have Dana axles, its just a matter of which one :) 30, 35, 44 are the ones found under Cherokees.

- Costs climb here to 5-7$K depending on what all you swap out, and who does the work.

Beyond 4-5 inches is the realm of the super modifications it seems.

- Nearly every suspension component is modified or replaced.
- People buy expensive low ratio transfer cases
- Stock axles and diffs are gone.
- Engine and brake mods are used to compensate for weight and get the offroad performance.
- Lifts up to 7-8 inches completely change the road dynamic of the vehicle so concern is in order for all driveline components.
- Most of these folk are considered hardcore off-roaders who break stuff.
- Costs with install can climb to 10K in aftermarket work.


Recovery and Protection.

- There is a point where an enthusiast off-roader wants to reach where his cost of modifications pay off for his enjoyment. For example, a small lift (2.5) and 30" tires pared with good protection and recovery all around and a sesnsable approach to off-road fun goes farther for his goals than a 3.5 " lift, bigger tires, with no attention paid to protection and recovery.

I'd recommend starting small and taking it out 4-wheeling just to get used to its capabilities. You'd be surprised where a stocker can go. Protection is very important though with the unibody construction we have.

- Assumption is the basic off roader XJ guy is after the lift and tires, the factory bumpers can be replaced along with adding rock rails, and skid plates for sensative components in the drive train (front skid, transfer case, fuel tank, etc). Total costs of parts here can climb quickly to $2K with full set of recovery gear, and all the protection components. Assume best course is to enjoy the vehicle and see "what you need to go where you'd like to go".

Rock rails, gas tank, engine, and transmission/transfer case skid and solid recovery points a good place to start.

I've gone through the Rubicon Express catalog before and after adding up everything I wanted I hit an easy $14k. And that doesn't include everything else (Ford 8.8 rear axle amongst other things). There's lots of stuff out there.

P.S: Check around NAXJA for help installing. If you supply beer and food most are more than willing to lend a helping hand.
 
Last edited:
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

Well, I think you are looking for a definitive guide on when to do what. You're not going to find it. The outline you made isn't half bad, but only if you're rich and planning on going all the way. For me, I started with stock and went from there. Whatever needed to be replaced I upgraded. Exhuast went, it got an upgrade. Same with the headers. My shackles went, it justified a budget boost (mine was a Daystar for $85, its a good place to start). Wiring fried, upgraded it to welding cable. I think you get the picture. I also keep an eye out for good deals. That's how I got a bored out throttle body for $66 and a set of TJ fender flares for well less than that.

I think you need to take a hard look at your XJ and ask yourself, what does it need to be able to do what you want right now? And if you're planning on off roading, I'll second the notion that you need to protect your investment. I'm kicking myself for not having done it sooner!
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

Wescam keep searching. I'm a 2 year old newbie to 4wd and XJ's and I'm still learning.

Search is your friend (and enemy). Both here and on the net in general. There's a lot of info to wade through, a lot of it BS, but every know and then you'll find the piece of info that sets off the light bulb in your head and you'll say to yourself, "Now I understand."

One of the best things you can to do is hook up with a local chapter or club and look at things and ask questions in person. The net will only get you so far.

If your XJ is not a daily driver (DD) don't be afraid to try things out. Yeah you may to change it, but then you get the satisfaction of knowing you did the work and figured it out vs. someone telling you that this was the 'best' mod to do.

As far as 'faq's go, Ed Stevens, here on Naxja, has a good 'basics's page as does Gojeep. A lot of manufactures and vendors have good tech pages on the websites also. Just look around.
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

BlackSport96 said:
P.S: Check around NAXJA for help installing. If you supply beer and food most are more than willing to lend a helping hand.
Click to expand...

Only got a couple of MGD's left :sunshine:
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

wescam said:
After many searches and mostly similar information. I am, as a potential owner, very curious about basic off-road modifications.

Looking at the late model Cherokee, I have formed up a few simple conclusions.

I'd like to find an "idiot FAQ" somewhere, or perhaps, with proper attribution construct my own so that I may learn.

General do's and don'ts for lifting, tire size, when to mod further into the drive trains, recovery items (various levels), protection items (skids, rails, etc) -- all that plus ball park costs (sticky issue due to mechanics and DIY folk).

It would be quite an undertaking for me, and I assume I could compile my own from posts, articles, tech discussions etc. Maybe someone's done it, but when I read them -- well there's various opinions that confuse me.

In general here are my starter questions. Again, I'm not standing in the yard with parts and tools scratching my head. I'm just looking into things to do and trying to increase what I know.

If any of these assumtions so far are wrong, please tell me.


- There are things called BB lifts (don't know what that stands for) that lift the XJ a few inches. They allow for 30" tires and require no drive train modifications. (200-500$ no idea on install costs)

- Various companies make lifts for the XJ that go 3.0-3.5 lift. These lifts could allow for 31" tires. There isn't a need for drive train modifications, however rubbing could be an issue. ($300-$600 no idea on install costs, assume $1,000? at a local shop).

- Going beyond say 4-5 inches on an XJ seems to mean lots of concerns. This is the point where you should modify various parts of the drivetrain. I assume you are well past diminishing returns if you fail to do so.

- NP231 slip yoke elimination -- I know it's a short shaft that a machine shop can handle -- they sell kits for it. You need a new drive shaft after it, but it "rights" the drive angle. (That's all I know).

- Gearing should be higher to compensate as your tire sizes grow beyond 33 as you lift higher. (no idea on the cost here, would like ideas)

- Steering concerns come into play, I assume the stock pump is ok, but I read much about types of arm conversions.

- You may want to install quick disconnects on swaybars (aftermarket kits with bars seem to have these) so that when offroad you can articulate more.

- Stock axles are out now?

- Is this the point when you swap into the popular DANA front and rear?

- Costs climb here to 5-7$K depending on what all you swap out, and who does the work.

Beyond 4-5 inches is the realm of the super modifications it seems.

- Nearly every suspension component is modified or replaced.
- People buy expensive low ratio transfer cases
- Stock axles and diffs are gone.
- Engine and brake mods are used to compensate for weight and get the offroad performance.
- Lifts up to 7-8 inches completely change the road dynamic of the vehicle so concern is in order for all driveline components.
- Most of these folk are considered hardcore off-roaders who break stuff.
- Costs with install can climb to 10K in aftermarket work.


Recovery and Protection.

- There is a point where an enthusiast off-roader wants to reach where his cost of modifications pay off for his enjoyment. For example, a small lift (2.5) and 30" tires pared with good protection and recovery all around and a sesnsable approach to off-road fun goes farther for his goals than a 3.5 " lift, bigger tires, with no attention paid to protection and recovery.

- Assumption is the basic off roader XJ guy is after the lift and tires, the factory bumpers can be replaced along with adding rock rails, and skid plates for sensative components in the drive train (front skid, transfer case, fuel tank, etc). Total costs of parts here can climb quickly to $2K with full set of recovery gear, and all the protection components. Assume best course is to enjoy the vehicle and see "what you need to go where you'd like to go".


OK, so I'm betting I got lots of stuff wrong. The above is just an idea of the things I'm trying to confirm.

What I had done is made notes in notepad while reading things in various internet articles.

The above is that stuff, in plain, language.

If anyone else is really bored, they can just chime in with opinions.
Click to expand...


You have an excelent grasp of the basics and your obviously have already done your homework to find what you have. The above posts are correct about searching, however to find the basics it is very difficult to search and find just what you need.

The biggest determining factors in my mind are these simple things:
Is your xj going to be a daily driver or trailer queen (or somewhere inbetween)?
What kind of trails do you want to be able to handle?
Do you do your own work or have it done?
Do you buy off the shelf parts or make your own?

In my personal opinion the xj is reasonably easy to build up to 33's. The axles and drivetrain can usually handle them basically stock. After that you need more power, bigger gears, bigger breaks, bigger axles, etc etc etc $$$ to make it work well.

A 3" lift and 31's can be incredibly more capable than most people think!! I would plan on starting here and work on protection, you can always add from there.

As with all of these threads everyone has their opinions this is just mine, hope it helps,

Michael
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

I have a belly button.
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

I'm fairly new to all this myself. Mosty just wanted a daily driver that was fairly capable off road as well. I have a 2000 xj and wanted to get a decent lift without having any drive line mods. Mostly wanted to avoid the expence of making the driveline mods.
I purchased a 3.5" lift from Rubicon. Most of the advice I've been given had lead me to beleive that I could get buy with 3-4" max without making any driveshaft/sye mods. Boy was I wrong! Don't get me wrong, I love the RE lift kit. I've never done suspension work before and I was able to do the install myself without any problems.
However, once installed, the lift in the rear (full leaf packs) turned out to be closer to 5.5". I was able to tame some of the vibrationsafter playing with three or for different shim combinations on the rear axle, but can only get up to about 30mph before vibrations take over again. Needless to say I was pretty disapointed.
Just did the sye and new cv shaft two day ago. Was not able to bring the pinion agle up yet. Bad weather in the SE last few days (got rained out). Hopefully my problem is now corrected. I'll find out this weekend. In the long run that is the best way to do it anyway.
I guess my point is that if I had known I was going to have to buy a cv driveshaft and do the sye conversion anyway, I would have gone ahead and purchased a lift that was taller. There is a lot of good, helpful information out there (especially in this forum), but look out for the misinformation. It seems to me that the only sure thing is that all xj's are not created equal. They all have there own little quirks. Good luck with your project!
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

It would be nice to have a list of the various lift configs available from the manufacturers and a brief outline of what each one is or what it is composed of. I'll start the ball rolling with a few line items:

  • Rubicon Express BB
  • Rubicon Express 3.5"
  • Rubicon Express 4.5"
  • Rubicon Express 5.5" (short arm)
  • Rubicon Express 5.5 (long arm)
  • DPG Off-Road / Rubicon Express Hybrid 4"
  • DPG Off-Road / Rubicon Express Hybrid 5"
  • RoughCountry 1.5"
  • RoughCountry 3"
  • RoughCountry 4.5"
  • RoughCountry 6.5"
  • Rusty's BB
  • Rusty's 3"
  • Rusty's 4.5"
  • Rusty's 6.5"
  • Rusty's 8"
  • Skyjacker 3"
  • Skyjacker 6"
  • Skyjacker 8"
  • Superlift 3"
  • Tuff Country 3.5"

What other lifts are there? Feel like I'm forgetting an obvious one (or two).

r@m
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

dphillips said:
I'm fairly new to all this myself. Mosty just wanted a daily driver that was fairly capable off road as well. I have a 2000 xj and wanted to get a decent lift without having any drive line mods. Mostly wanted to avoid the expence of making the driveline mods.
I purchased a 3.5" lift from Rubicon. Most of the advice I've been given had lead me to beleive that I could get buy with 3-4" max without making any driveshaft/sye mods. Boy was I wrong! Don't get me wrong, I love the RE lift kit. I've never done suspension work before and I was able to do the install myself without any problems.
However, once installed, the lift in the rear (full leaf packs) turned out to be closer to 5.5". I was able to tame some of the vibrationsafter playing with three or for different shim combinations on the rear axle, but can only get up to about 30mph before vibrations take over again. Needless to say I was pretty disapointed.
Just did the sye and new cv shaft two day ago. Was not able to bring the pinion agle up yet. Bad weather in the SE last few days (got rained out). Hopefully my problem is now corrected. I'll find out this weekend. In the long run that is the best way to do it anyway.
I guess my point is that if I had known I was going to have to buy a cv driveshaft and do the sye conversion anyway, I would have gone ahead and purchased a lift that was taller. There is a lot of good, helpful information out there (especially in this forum), but look out for the misinformation. It seems to me that the only sure thing is that all xj's are not created equal. They all have there own little quirks. Good luck with your project!
Click to expand...

Many others have gone through the same frustration.
I think that you would find that most people would agree that with a post 96 xj you should plan on a SYE with anything over a 3" lift and might need it with no lift at all!!
RE lifts usually are significantly taller than advertised.
with a pre 96 xj many people get away with a SYE up to as much as 8" of lift.

Hope that helps,
Michael
 
wescam said:
- Most of these folk are considered hardcore off-roaders who break stuff.
Click to expand...
fastest newbie learner - stick around bud - according to that - you'll be hardcore seen enough

that one line has to sum up 4x4 driving completely...

Green for ya
 
Root Moose said:
What other lifts are there? Feel like I'm forgetting an obvious one (or two).

r@m
Click to expand...
black diamond
BDS
rock krawler?
 
Re: Is there a simple mod faq that has general consensus of the XJ community? (newbie)

Here's a few more for the list:

Full Traction
Tomken
DayStar
Rancho
TeraFlex
 
dphillips, thanks for your account of what happened with your 3.5 -- that's the kind of think I'm looking to bring out and think through....

also found a few other examples digging through "reader rides" sections of various sites then clicking on their home pages, bios, etc.

the "rig" in question looks like it's shaping up to be a 2001 XJ -- depending on the bank, I'm borrowing half the money and yes, it will be a DD with a 6 mile each way commute.

with that in mind yes -- it's just a budget and peace of mind thing for me -- i know what I want in terms of "looks" but will have to go on cream puff newbie rides with a local club to know what I want in terms of lift --

Based on what I now know, I'm considering the following:

- Do recovery and protection mods on the 2001. Front bumper with hooks, rear bumper, rock rails, hell maybe even a roof rack (I love the "safari look" and the idea of having the plastic OFF), good tow straps, some plates here and there

- Do the lift and tires -- but honestly when I go for this, I want to just do the SYE and gearing -- and the killer is if I go that FAR why not go higher, at least I'd have a base to go higher.

I suppose the sane thing to do is do them in the order above. Get the recovery, protection stuff, join a local club and tool around in the woods once or twice a month.

But part of every off roader, I think, wants big meats on their ride ASAP. :D

Thanks again for all the pointers, adivce, etc.
 
Don't forget:

Old Man Emu: 2"-3"
Jeep Up-Country springs: 1"

-Copperhead
 
wescam said:
also found a few other examples digging through "reader rides" sections of various sites then clicking on their home pages, bios, etc.

the "rig" in question looks like it's shaping up to be a 2001 XJ -- depending on the bank, I'm borrowing half the money and yes, it will be a DD with a 6 mile each way commute.

- Do recovery and protection mods on the 2001. Front bumper with hooks, rear bumper, rock rails, hell maybe even a roof rack (I love the "safari look" and the idea of having the plastic OFF), good tow straps, some plates here and there

- Do the lift and tires -- but honestly when I go for this, I want to just do the SYE and gearing -- and the killer is if I go that FAR why not go higher, at least I'd have a base to go higher.

I suppose the sane thing to do is do them in the order above. Get the recovery, protection stuff, join a local club and tool around in the woods once or twice a month.

But part of every off roader, I think, wants big meats on their ride ASAP. :D
Click to expand...

Kinda funny, sounds like me and you had a very similar thought process.

I came to the XJ after doing a bunch of research on what I wanted to do with the vehicle and what I wanted it to be capable of doing.

After developing a short list (K5 Blazer, Nissan Xterra, LR Discovery, XJ, ZJ) and researching the snot out of them over about 6-9 months I finally settled on the XJ. Before I bought I did a lot of surfing/searching here and when I finally started to get commited to the XJ getting selected as the final "winner" I posted a message here looking for a sanity check of what I have in mind.

This forum is an excellent resource.

Anyway, the point of this post was going to be about the lift size.

Originally, I was going to go with the 3.5" lift. The idea being that it won't screw up the suspension geometry as much as a higher lift, I can run 31s, I can get OEM 4.10 axles out of the wrecker, etc., etc.

Then I started looking at the BW flares. Started to think about 33s with those and the flares. Figured I should step up to 4.5" of lift to make sure everything fits.

Then reality of using this Jeep as "Dad's bus" and commuting fairly long distances every day as well as going on long road trips for summer vacations set in. I wanted to keep the suspension geometry as stockish as possible while still getting enough lift to wheel/explore and still not have the Jeep be a burden gas-wise (speaking relative 33s-35 tires) or loading kidlets. That led to drop brackets and a ~32" tire. The desire for a larger than 31" tires also led to 4.56 gears and not using the wrecker axles. I figure with changing the gears out for 4.56 and adding a full case locker I might as well build an axle from the ground up and have zero fatigue cycles on what is being slung under the Jeep. For the sake of a couple hundred bucks per axle it made more sense to me to go this route for the axles. Also made it easy to justify swapping in a high pion 30 for my MY '01.

I plan to keep this Jeep for at least 10 years so spending the money makes sense to me.

I ended up with the DPG 5" hybrid lift and 32s as my target for my daily driver "bus". I had a moment of weakness earlier in the week when I started thinking about larger tires again but I think I have killed it for now. The beauty of the 5" lift is that 32" - 35" tires are possible provided gearing is there.

In my case since the truck is also a daily driver I wanted it to be as innocuous as possible, that is, be a sleeper. I'm hoping that the selection of a smallish tire and the stock, small fender opening of an XJ will make it look unlifted to anyone that doesn't really pay attention to vehicle specifics. (i.e. traffic police that aren't "car people").

Anyway, just another opinion/datapoint for you. I started out thinking I wanted a 3.5" lift but ended up going with 5" and smallish tires relative to the lift height.

r@m
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

W
Newbie with an XJ
Replies
8
Views
174
RCP Phx
R
D
XJ Rear Hatch Lift Or Power Glass?
Replies
11
Views
138
Veeb0rg
Veeb0rg
T
XJ shackle with custom springs question.
Replies
11
Views
192
XJlimitedx99
X
Anak
How to Slot the CPS
Replies
2
Views
84
Rob Mayercik
R
Z
Swapping a 2wd AW4 out of a 2000 xj into a 2wd xj from 1996
Replies
6
Views
136
Z.m4v
Z
Back
Top