SO CONFUSED with this lift stuff

ok, im a moron.... (at least i can admit it)

i have an 89 XJ and im gonna do a 3" with 31's....

the 3 inch lift ive been looking at comes with front springs, shocks, and AAL.... thats all...

ive been reading that with the 3" lift you get vibration and have to get a TC drop kit. some say with a 3" you need that and some say you dont till you get a 4.5".

also read that you need lower control arms because with a 3" lift you need them 1/4-1/8" longer than the stock ones....

there are just so many conflicting stories i dont know what im getting myself into... with a 3" lift will i also need a new Pitman arm?

im just trying to plan this out before i loose driving my truck for days while getting parts i didnt know to finish the job. thanks everyone

JOe

every instance seems to be different.

I used to have an 88 XJ that I put a 3" lift on (coils, shocks, AAL) and I had no problems with vibes after I replaced the driveshaft ujoints. I even added a longer shackle so it's at about 3.5" in back. I still see it around town occasionally and it still has no SYE nearly 4 years later.

You won't need a drop pitman.

new control arms are nice, but not at all a necessity.

On the older xj's a TC drop is not needed at 3" or ever 5.5" if you need one you have axle angles off. Only use full lenthg aal's the short ones will fatigue your leaf packs. Id buy Rubicon express parts you wont be sorry. lower arms are not necessary at 3" but adjustable lower arms would be nice. again RE makes the best. a pitman arm will never be needed. I ran 7.5" without any problems

SYE? as in Slip Yoke Eliminator?

where is the best place to get it for a good price? and you say its not always necessary? but sometimes it is?

thanks

JOe

KingOfTheHill said:

SYE? as in Slip Yoke Eliminator?

where is the best place to get it for a good price? and you say its not always necessary? but sometimes it is?

thanks

JOe

Click to expand...

Its not erquired for 3" but a YJ slip yoke woudl be good Idea.

This was my experiance with my 91.
I did not need any modification to the drive shaft or a Xcase drop with my 3 inch lift. You will not need a drop pitman. If you do buy lower arms pay a little more and get adjustables so when you go higher you can adjust them out. A full length add a leaf is a good low cost solution and save your money for a full leaf pack when you lift it higher. It sounds like your new to this and if you realy get into using it off road you will problebly want more lift in the future even if you stay with 31s. Don't forget about a track bar bracket to get your front axle back to center.