if you had $2000 to modify a stock XJ, where would you put it?

Hey Guys,

If you only had $2000 to put into a daily driver/weekend wheeler, where would you put your $$$?

My wife and I are going to be buying a used XJ (95ish) pretty soon and we should have a couple grand to play with after we buy it if all goes well. This will mostly be her vehicle and she wants something relatively trail worthy, but most importantly bad a$$ looking, so my "hack the crap out of the body to fit the big meats" policy won't work here

She wants about 6" of lift, I'm thinking 3". She wants 33" tires, I'm thinking 31". BFG All Terrains will probably be fine for her since it will see a lot of highway miles compared to dirt/rocks. Road manners are definitely important.

Anyone know of decent, cheap (relatively speaking) bumpers, roof rack and fog/trial lights?

Thanks guys,
Rob

Be advised that the cost of lifts increases exponentially as you go higher. I'e. you can get a 2" budget boost for $99, to go 3" costs $300 to $500, and going beyond 3" you'll have to research on your own ... but when you do, you'll see what I mean. And the cost of the lift kit is only the beginning. You said a 95"ish" XJ, and that's critical. With a 95 or older you can do a 3" lift without needing a SYE on the transfer case (probably). With a 96 or newer, you WILL need a SYE to go even to 3", and likely to go even 2".

Is your wife really looking for a trail machine, or is she looking for a street poseur? If she's looking for a real trail machine, rather than go for max height with a $2000 budget, I'd recommend first pricing out the necessary armor she should have: transfer case and gas tank skid plates for sure, rock rails, front hooks or receiver, rear hitch or hitch bumper.

Next, think about gears. If she gets 33" tires she'll definitely need gears, and for a real trail machine even 31" tires deserve 4.10 gears. There's two axles, don't forget, so you're looking at $500 or more in gears (might as well replace bearings and seals while the diffs are open). And what about lockers? She'll need at least a rear locker to be a serious trail machine. There's another few hundred.

If she wants a trail machine, spend the money where it counts and forget about bling-bling like lights, racks and bumpers. You don't have a big enough budget to do the bling-bling if you build the machine as a real trail machine. Sorry to be a wet blanket, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

A daily driver on 33s is certainly doable - but you'll very quickly be ready to sell your first born for lower gears. Plus at 6 inches lift, you're inviting trouble from steering and driveshaft angles that will take more money to make function properly.
For your budget, I'd suggest you take your time and buy pieces second-hand on the for-sale board here. The first things you need (not want, I know, but need) are rocker protection and skids (starting with the transfer case). Then you need strengthened recovery points front and rear (either through bumpers or more inexpensively via brackets or a hitch). With a 3.5 to 4.5 inch lift and 31s, you can have a lot of fun wheeling whithout breaking the bank, and have a rig your wife can drive on the road without coming to fear and/or hate it.
Good luck!

You're preaching to the choir Eagle I want a little underbelly protection and enough lift to fit 31" tires (seems like 3" is the going rate for 31" tires). That's about it. I figure I can avoid re-gearing, steering problems, extending driveshafts, etc, with this kind of setup. Thanks for the info on the SYE, didn't realize I'd need one. That will have to factor in too.....
We have two dedicated trail rigs so we really don't need anything extreme with the XJ, it will be a daily driver that takes us camping and does some easy trails, that's about it. She wants most of the "bling-bling" for the "look" definitely. I just needed a couple of you guys to repeat what I've been saying about increasing costs she doesn't listen to me anymore

ArmStrong: totally agree, ~3" lift and 31s will be the best way to go.

Thanks for giving me ammo guys

If she's going to want a NICE ride on the road with the 33s, then the RE 5.5" kit is the only way to go. And TRUST ME when I say there is NO WAY to do it, with tires and wheels, for less than $3000 (maybe $2500 but don't tell her that) when all is said and done. And that is JUST the lift and tires/wheels. No skid plates, you're going to have to trim the fenders quite a bit and/or remove the flares.

But it does drive oh so nice!

I'll take the cheerleader point of view: You can do it for $2000 easy. 3" lift with 31's and basic armor for what you mentioned is definately do-able and it will look good doing it... buy one that has tow hooks and factory armor and your that much ahead for some lights and a couple other goodies.

I ran my '97 for the last 5 years with a 3" lift, 31" AT's on stock rims, no SYE (1" t-case drop instead) and, god forbid... open diffs and stock 3:55 gears and did lots of pretty difficult wheeling (we're not talking sledgehammer here) with it including all the camping, hunting, fishing I could muster through the Sierra Nevadas and it hauled two kids in car seats pretty well and safely too. I've dropped $15K into building another extreme trail rig before and the cherokee could hold its own with that rig on all but the nastiest.

Have fun and good luck! It's fantastic your wife loves to wheel... so does mine.

If i had 2000 bucks to spend on my jeep......

I'd buy a trailer.

of course, that's as long as you have something to tow with......

but truly, it is something to think about.....

has this thought ever crossed your mind?

If you already have trail rigs, I would personally get a 2" OME kit and add MJ shackles and a half inch spacer up front. I would do 30" tires and buy some nice rims in 4.5" backspace style. The bling-bling is gonna be getting new rims with less backspace. A 2" XJ with 30" tires on 4.5" backspace looks a lot more "bad ass" than a 3" XJ on stock rims with 31's. 30's will be better with stock gears and do just fine for light to moderate trails.

And she will still love commuting with OME, as it will drive and handle better than a brand new stock XJ (not that you can get one). Put a prerunner bumper on the front and the 4" Garvin racks look very nice, but not too cheap.

So think $700 for suspension, $300 for tires, $400 for rims, $300 for rack, and $300 for front bumper and she'll have a really nice looking XJ that will be very functional for camping and just as functional for commuting.

Nay

I would have ot go with the 3" and no more idea, it will get way to expensive after that height. The 31's will go, maybe a little inner fender trimming, nothing ot nasty and maybe some disco's to get the offroading a little more Flex. As far as a roof rack goes, Garvin is a great way to go, and the rack looks great, that is what i have, also holds a hell of a lot for those camping trips. I live at Holloman AFB, NM and i have my jeep righ tnow in Alb, and i am going to be selling my rack, i am going to attach some pics, let me know if you like it and i will be more than willing to sell it.
http://www.99jeep.com/album/index.php?cat=jeep&img=Rack01.jpg&action=step1
http://www.99jeep.com/album/index.php?cat=jeep&img=Rack02.jpg&action=step1
Take care, Daniel

Us$ 2000

- 8000 lbs or more winch (a must)
- 3,5 RE lift kit but with JKS Quick discos
- Sport package if not stock (tank protection, limited slip differential)
- Front and rear towing hooks

BFG AT or Cooper Discoverer LT

Considering your wife will drive the XJ, making lots of Highway miles, would never go over 3,5 inches.

Mike

I'd sell the XJ and buy a tow rig with that money and the 2G's. She can already have something that will accomodate 33's with no lift and you have gobs of power.

I know that's not what you're asking, but it's the smarter move to me

Sean

daily driver? Well the way to go would be the 3" lift, a shackle in the back. Off Road General Store, sells a shackle for the XJ. Really nice and allows the springs to cycle through there motion. I had the ZJ Rancho springs on mine for along time, 3.5" lift. Rubicon Fixed lower arms, Stock ups, JKS Discos, Rancho Leaf springs and ORGS Shackle. Cleared 31x10.5 no problem, rode great on the highway, and off road. I think I paid 150 for the springs, 125 for the coils, 140 for the lower arms, 118 for the Discos, 210 for the shocks, buy three get one free Rancho RSX's. I think that deal is going on now. Check it out. Juice

Re: Us$ 2000

Mike from Chile said:

Considering your wife will drive the XJ, making lots of Highway miles, would never go over 3,5 inches.

Mike

Click to expand...

Look who is talking! I thought your XJ was supposed to be Andrea's daily driver, so what's all this about adding more luft? Does she approve of what you are doing to "her" Cherokee? :anon:

I got caught!

hahahah
You are right, but she drives very slow and carefully but loves to have a better view of the road. By the way Andrea can`t even imagine how much money the set up of her XJ has required.

In the case of Rob, I still wonder what kind of off roading he wants to practice. I guess his wife just like to drive a Monster, but can not think about all the headackes (and "pocket$ackes")associated with it.

Mike.

Thanks guys,
I like all your under 3" suggestions. I'll check them all out. I want this thing to be safe you know? precious cargo and all that.
I'll shoot you some pics once we get this project rolling! I'm ammassing tools right now to fab up roll cages for the trail rigs. (just bought a new Milwaukee metal cut off wheel and Millermatic 175, just need a pipe bender at this point) Depending on how my fab work looks on these projects i might try to make her a set of bumpers and some belly armor. I have more tow hooks than I can shake a stick at, so they'll go on first thing too. Anyway, thanks for all the input!
Rob

well if your interested in getting the "bling bling" into your jeep without spending a whole lotta cash, just buy a cheap welder and make your own stuff for cheap. thats what i did, and im the king of ghetto-rigging stuff. it may take you a little longer and require more work, but hey you'll learn a new skill and can tell all your friends that you made that rack or light bar. Thats being truly bada$$ isnt it? as for the rest of the stuff id say get the locker before you get the lift, but hey thats just my two cents, what do i know.
thanks,
adam

Hey Daniel, what's your e-mail so I can talk to you about that roof rack? I tried the one on your site and it came back with errors....

freewithfire - making her bumpers and some other misc. stuff has crossed my mind. I've got most of what I'd need to do so, but I have THREE roll cages (my two rigs and a Scout I'm fixing up for my old man) I need to make before anything else, what's another project on the list though right