Looking for my first jeep(and want a lift)

[SKIHIGH975]

hi, im 17 years old and have a 90 honda prelude, i know you guys hate rice burners but it was my first car and it was a good deal, thats why im here, i need to get rid of it because i NEED a jeep cherokee. well i dont NEED one but i want one really really bad, im bored of my honda. now i have been looking all over the place and researching things, i have read the march 2003 JP magazine at the cherokee article a bunch of times and i found out that i want a 96 cherokee automatic 4.0 4x4 4-door. i will get the skyjacker 8"lift with their slipyoke eleiminator kit. what do you guys think about this model of the jeep. one thing i read in the JP magazine that got me paranoid was the part on page 28 where they talked about some welds that have doors popping off and roofs coming loose. is that only on the 84s throught like the 91's? or did they fix that by the 96 model year? it says check seams carefully before buying. what else would i need off the bat with the skyjacker 8" lift, new driveshafts, different axles for offroading? are there other slipyoke eliminator kits? or should i just buy the skyjacker one? i dont know what i missed but im sure ill be on here alot and you guys could help AND
i like the new body styles too, but if i got the older body style, i would want the last year of it, which was 96, which one do you like better over all, and what do people do about their august99-01 cherokees? on the skyjacker site, it says that the 8" kits wont work because of a bottom drive front axle, so what do they do? because what if i find, say a 2000, thats a really good deal, should i not get it because the skyjacker kit wont work? because i know no matter what i get, i want a skyjacker 8" RR system. is skyjacker the best suspension lift out there? i dont want to start off with a small lift, im not gonna spend all that money on a lift when im gonna get an 8" eventually anyways.

[dennisuello]

Originally posted by SKIHIGH975
hi, im 17 years old .....

because i know no matter what i get, i want a skyjacker 8" RR system. is skyjacker the best suspension lift out there?


why are you asking if skyjacker is good if "no matter what" you will get it? what if people told you skyjacker is crap (some do call it skycrapper)? are you going to do any fourwheeling or just mall crawling? what size tires do you want to run?

[BrianGibson]

a lot depends on how big of tires you want to run
there is a lot that goes into one with over 3" lift
steering set up,sye,cv driveshaft

8" lift= 35" tires+regearing both diffs

You can lift a 96 enough for 31s for about $300-$500 depending on what you get new or from a junk yard

For the same amount you can go high enough for 32s with a pre96

With 8" you have the cost of the lift+redoing the steering+sye+cv driveshaft+regearing the diffs
And now its time to buy tires and wheels

Are you sure your ready for all that
How much 4wheeling have you done, you may want to start small and develop a skill before you go all out. Your only 17. you've got all your life to go bigger. Think about when you are broke and you brake something on a trail, then you have to wait untill you fix it to drive it again. By not spending a lot right away you have money for repairs, upgrades, gas

Its not bad to start small, parts can be sold when you are ready to move on, or posibly even used with the next set up

[bgcntry72]

First Jeep.
Skycrapper 8".
No prior knowledge of the XJ or it's inherent offroading capabilities.
No idea what is involved with lifting a Jeep properly and all of the gremlins you WILL have to chase.
Nice knowin' ya.
You'll put your eye out.
Hasta.

[2xtreme]

We all stated somwhere. And we are more than willing to help where we can, and provide insite to our experiences where we can so that you can learn from them if you are interested.

A couple of thoughts.
Spend a lot of time on this forum, do not believe everything you read but take it all in so that you can have a good understanding of the basics (lift, gears, tires, trimming, what years what advantages).

A 8" lifted Cherokee is much more capable and safe if the person who built it started with a 3" lift and not a 8" lift.

Everyone has a opinion, get as many as you possibly can before you make a decision or spend any money!!

Michael

[xj92]

You have a lot of questions and I got tired of re-reading the post, so I'll just answer some of them and give some general information. First, as stated above, 8" is a huge chunk to bite off all at once when you're new to it. That said, the Skyjacker kit is fairly complete and addresses most of the major issues. Most of the guys here prefer the Rubicon Express (RE) stuff. The RE kits are fairly complete too. The newer Cherokees have worse angles for driveshafts and such, which is why you might not be able to go up to 8" without additional modifications on some model years that wouldn't be required on other years. There are only 2 versions of the slip-yoke eliminator kit really, ones that come with a HD shaft and you just swap it in, and the cheaper RE kit that you have to cut and tap. The brand of the SYE probably doesn't matter too much IMO. Don't stress too much about seams popping and all that, just make sure the doors shut properly on whatever you buy. Do you have a lot of money to throw at this? Because what you're planning will require A LOT. Try and find a Cherokee with an 8.25 rear (since you're looking at newer years) instead of a Dana 35.

[SKIHIGH975]

ok guys thanks, i dont know what i was thinking. i wont do that much offroading, if any at that, i just want a lifted jeep because everybody around here has the imports and no modified jeeps, they are all lowrider trucks and imports. i just wanted something different. thanks for all the help, you guys really do care, your just trying to save me money and tell me whats best for me, i appreciate it. i just wanted the biggest right off the bat. i want a 96 cherokee sport 4wd 4.0 automatic, i finally decided on the RE 3.5" super-flex kit, that is in my price range and i will be more than happy with it, i wont even need to upgrade the wheels and tires. would you guys recomend getting new shocks with this lift? if so which ones and their part#'s. maybe in the future i can upgrade to the RE 5.5" XJLA extreme duty kit and get 33" tires. now im embarrassed, i sounded like a spoiled little brat. sorry guys, thanks again for everything
Ray

[xj92]

33" tires on a 3" lift will require a lot of cutting on the fenders. Stick with the 31" tires to start with. A 3" lift with 31" tires is cheap and doesn't require much modification. It will generally drive better on the road than a Cherokee with an 8" lift too. The SYE is still a good buy even with a 3" lift, but you can get away with a cheaper 1" transfer case drop until you get the money.

[SKIHIGH975]

is the 96 exactly the same as the 88 cherokees? if not whats different, and yes, i will stick with the 31" and get the 3.5" RE super-flex kit.,i dont want to cut anything. whats SYE? i have to lower my transfer case with this lift?

[SKIHIGH975]

and where can i get a bumper and brush guard like on the grand cherokee on Robicons express homepage? i really like that style, what other companies make bumpers and brushguards like that for the xj's?

[xj92]

SYE stands for Slip Yoke Eliminator. At 3.5", you MIGHT need an SYE or t-case drop. Try it without it first. If you get vibrations, then throw a drop or an SYE on.

[ChuckD]

I know your new to this whole thing, but if you do a search for bumpers, SYE, etc... You'll find tons of stuff that will keep you busy for days on end. When you get to specific products, then ask about the servicablity, instalation and what not. The information is already here. Have fun! :D

[bgcntry72]

Agreed.
Sorry to be harsh, but you would be in the poorhouse trying to go from a 90 Honda to an 8" lifted XJ, or the deadhouse.
Good luck and good choice on the 3.5" super flex.
Hasta.

[SKIHIGH975]

yeah i know, i could get $4K-$4500 for it because it is an Si and has a good honda 2.1L DOHC engine, but that will pay for tires, lift, shocks, intake an maybe exhaust on the jeep

[SKIHIGH975]

so, what, in your opinion, is THE BEST company out there for xj suspension lifts? there are so many, i just picked up the september 2003 issue of Petersons 4-wheel and Offroad mag and see a bunch of different companys, so far i like RE, but thought skyjacker seemed good but why do some people call it skycrapper? some companies that i saw were: Rough Country, Superlift, RE, Skyjacker, RockKrawler, but whats the best. and what are some of the places online that you guys like the most, and that carry RE lifts?

[BrianGibson]

it dosent matter what the best is you are not going offroad and your only putting 31 under it
justget the cheapest 1.5 shackle with a 2 inch adaleaf and some 3.5 coils. You are getting to involved for not being a 4 wheeler.
:mad:

[LawlessXJ]

This is good stuff!!! :bs: ;);) ;)

[roke40]

If you go with the RE 3.5" kit you'll definitely need new tires to fill up the wheel wells. If not you're gonna look like you're riding around on donut spares. My first lift was a 3" Skyjacker kit. It did ok but the leafs in the back sagged a bit in a couple of years. Their trackbar and disconnects are for sh*t. I replaced them both with JKS units and swapped out the rear springs for some RE 4.5" with ORGS shackles. I added ACOS to the front 3" skyjacker coils to level things out. As far as shocks go you can't beat Old Man Emu. When I swapped them from the Skyjackers the ride difference was incredible. You're making a good choice getting an XJ, just take some time and do the research before laying out the cash. Good luck.

[Flowers]

I know your intentions, but what is your budget?

In My Very Humble Opinion, there are currently three mfg's. out there that are worth doing business with when it comes to the XJ.

Rubicon
Rusty's
Off-Road General Store

If your doing it purely for form to pick up the ladies and make your homies jealous at the local "fast & furious" drag strip, go straight to a 4.5" lift with 31's mounted on an 8" rim with 4" backspacing. It will look good and still drive good on the highway. Lifting a XJ causes vibes, which a Slip Yoke Eliminator (SYE) will eliminate, most of the time. You may be able to get away with a transfer case lowering kit until you can afford to install a SYE. Do a search on SYE's and read up on the why's. You'll have to beat the tenderonies away and the boys will be hangin' their heads in shame with this set-up.

Ignore some of the juvenile posts your going to get about not wheelin' your XJ if your going to mod it. To each his own!


Flowers

[bgcntry72]

So you like Rusty's.....but Old Man Emu is not worth mentioning?
What color is the sky in your world?

[Beezil]

8" of lift right off the bat is ridiculous IMHO.....absolutly ridiculous.

[4ward]

Come awn B, all the "cool" kids are doin' it.

[SKIHIGH975]

thats why im not getting the 8", i came here asking questions and found out why i shouldnt get it, isnt that was these forums are for? maybe i did come in saying i was getting this and that, but im sorry for that, i guess im just another teen who thinks he knows it all but i really dont, so thats why im asking these things. so if i get either the RE 3.5 or 4.5, i am gonna get a SYE, but will i need driveshafts front or back? if im gonna get a lift for my jeep, why not get the good stuff. i hate buying cheap stuff, you get what you pay for. who cares if im gonna go offroading or not, as long as i get good stuff, i know it can handle the mild offroad or trails if i ever decide to do it. oh, and thanks for the info everybody

[Vug]

Originally posted by SKIHIGH975
...i am gonna get a SYE, but will i need driveshafts front or back?

A SYE requires a new rear shaft. The slip yoke eliminator removes the slip yoke from the rear output of the transfer case and replaces it with a flange. This means you need a new shaft with the slip spline. Just go to Tom Woods site and read up on this and it will all make sense.

BTW, I applaud you admitting you don't know everything and appologizing for coming off that way. Most people are to proud to do that. I think you are heading in a better direction now with your Jeep. Just keep reading these forums. This is truely the best place on the web for good, accurate Cherokee info.

Welcome to NAXJA

[Eagle]

A few thoughts, Skihigh --

First, welcome to our forum. If some comments sound abrasive, it's because many of us have seen or heard similar ideas many times before and we don't want you to make an expensive mistake, and result in killing yourself and/or your best pal.

Lifts are not to be undertaken lightly or blindly. Your post doesn't say where you are from, but for starters I'll just point out that an 8" lift is going to be illegal in almost every state. That's not a problem for an older person ("old fart" to save you the trouble) like me, living in the boonies and maybe using the Jeep primarily for off-roading. If you live in an urban area, use it as your daily driver, and you're 17 years old, you may be handing a cop a ready-made excuse to throw the book at you next time he sees you roll through a stop sign.

The cost of lifting an XJ is exponential. That is, if a 2" lift costs $100 a 4" lift doesn't cost twice as much, it costs four times as much because now more things need to be changed. At 8", almost everything needs to be changed. I'm glad to see you're thinking more toward the 4" range -- that's a much saner, more affordable way to get started.

Why are you so fixated on a '96? There are advantages and disadvantages. '96 was the first year for OBD-2, so if that's important to you go for it. However, OBD-2 means two oxygen sensors in the exhaust rather than one, and it means no Jet chip to boost performance. Many people prefer the older OBD-1 models because the ECU can be tweaked.

The '96 still only has one air bag, so you get no advantage over a '95 on that score.

More important to someone who wants a lift, '96 was the first year of the new "improved" transfer case output shaft. Prior to '96 you could generally lift up to 4" or so without driveline vibration problems. Starting in '96, any lift at all usually results in major vibration problems.

Between the on-board doagnostics and the transfer case output designs, IMHO you will be better served by a '95 rather than a '96. JMHO

[Flowers]

Originally posted by bgcntry72
So you like Rusty's.....but Old Man Emu is not worth mentioning?
What color is the sky in your world?

I believe the young man would like more than a 2" lift. The sky in my world is a beautiful blue. With the tonality of many of your posts and reponses to other's, I'm starting to think it's a shade of red in your world. Aaaaand, I don't appreciate your tonality.


Flowers

[Beezil]

sorry about my tone...its usually the one you need when you are trying to help folks see the issues surrounding going from stock to 8" in one fell swoop....sounds like you are a smarter fellow than I pegged ya to be. If I ever see you at one of our events, I'll buy you a beer.

[Flowers]

Beezil,

I wasn't talking to you.

Flowers

[SKIHIGH975]

thanks guys, i have been on here all day and found a site that i would like to order my stuff from, Crawltech.com, they have the RE 4.5" super-flex kit for $870, and i would prefer a transfer case drop kit instead of a SYE and a new driveshaft(for now, i wont be doing any offroading anytime soon, but dont know where to find them, it would be nice if crawltech had them(do they) because i can order the RE lift and it at once. and thanks for telling me the diff between the 95 and 96, i will look for a 95 instead. i will get the rubicon express transfer case drop kit. will that work just as good as a SYE, ill just have less ground clearance? if thats the case ill be more than happy to lose a couple inches of ground clearance to save some effort and money.are there disadvantages to a transfer case drop kit? eventually i will get a SYE but not now. will the transfer case drop eliminate the vibes, or just decrease them. and the SYE eliminates them for sure right? i know there is a lot of questions, but this is gonna be my daily driver and dont want any problems. because i dont see if i get a 4.5" lift and only lower the transfer case by 1", that that could do much, but i guess it does.
hey, i was just looking, the 4.5" $870 super-flex kit comes with the transfer case lowering kit then i added pro-comp es9000 shocks for $150, and i can order everything directly from Rubicons homepage, they have the currie SYE and the RE SYE, which would you guys choose? and which of the 3 axles on there is the right one for either the currie or the RE SYE. im learning more each day, now i just need a jeep lol. soooo. to sum all of this up, the RE 4.5" $870 super-flex kit with the full leaf springs, with the transfer case drop that comes with it, and the procomp es9000 shocks is all i need to get my jeep going? how long do you think it will be before i should get a SYE, or do i even need one, THANKS GUYS!

[Vug]

Originally posted by Beezil
sorry about my tone...its usually the one you need when you are trying to help folks see the issues surrounding going from stock to 8" in one fell swoop....sounds like you are a smarter fellow than I pegged ya to be. If I ever see you at one of our events, I'll buy you a beer.

You didn't offer to buy me a beer when you got 'toney' with me with that 'bomb all tourists' comment.

So, brew me a beer? :)

[ChuckD]

Drop Tcases do not eliminate Vibes, like you said, it just reduces them. As far as an SYE, it can eliminate them but you have to get your angles squared away.

BTW, what's wrong with a 96' XJ? Sorry I haven't kept up with the thread.

[Beezil]

vug, you know you deserve to be treated like the bitch you are!

[BrianGibson]

Hey SKIHIGH975

check your PMs

[Vug]

Originally posted by Beezil
vug, you know you deserve to be treated like the bitch you are!

This place gives me the warm fuzzies...

[Eagle]

Originally posted by SKIHIGH975
i will get the rubicon express transfer case drop kit. will that work just as good as a SYE, ill just have less ground clearance? if thats the case ill be more than happy to lose a couple inches of ground clearance to save some effort and money.are there disadvantages to a transfer case drop kit? eventually i will get a SYE but not now. will the transfer case drop eliminate the vibes, or just decrease them. and the SYE eliminates them for sure right? i know there is a lot of questions, but this is gonna be my daily driver and dont want any problems. because i dont see if i get a 4.5" lift and only lower the transfer case by 1", that that could do much, but i guess it does.

The transfer case drop is essentially a 1" spacer between the crossmember and the chassis (frame). This lowers the crossmember and the transfer case.

IMHO the only "advantage" to a drop as opposed to a SYE is cost. The purpose is to correct high operating angles in the u-joints of the drive shaft. If you look at how this is set up, you can see that when you lift the chassis relative to the axle, the u-joint angles have to increase.

The SYE is a better solution first because it shortens the output shaft, thereby reducing operating angles directly. It also reduces vibrations because the shorter shaft has a bearing closer to the end of it, which reduces flex, or "lateral runout" at the tip of the output shaft. Most people also chnage from two single u-joints to a "double cardan" style drive shaft (also often erronoeously referred to as a CV style, although it isn't a true constant velocity joint) that can operate at larger angles.

The disadvantages to the drop are (a) loss of ground clearance, and (b) in some cases people have reported that the drop messed up the transfer case shift linkage. It's a personal decision -- many folks on these forums are happily cruising around with drops. Personally, although the factory would have had the dealer install one in my Jeep for free, I refused. I prefer to go with a SYE, which is what I consider the "right" way to do it. The downside is that, without a job, I can't afford the new driveshaft so I have an SYE kit sitting in the garage and a Jeep with vibrations when I drive it. :(

The transfer case drop doesn't have to be a "kit." You can make it up with some washers or some 1" square tubing from Home Depot. On each end of the transfer case you should have one stud, and one bolt. The bolt is easy -- buy a longer bolt. For the stud, you can either remove the stud and replace with a long bolt, or replace with a longer stud.

Or you can buy a custom cross member (Rusty's???) that drops the transfer case but doesn't reduce ground clearance.

[4ward]

Ski, my comments that follow Beezil's comments are typically pretty dumb and intended as jokes. If you hang out here often you'll figure out that he and I can't seem to get any tech in lately and only poke fun at each other and then throw in a few inside jokes here and there.

I haven't followed this thread really, but if you're concerned about an SYE for less than 5" you must be dealing with a post 96 XJ. I ran without an SYE or a tcase drop on my 88 w/ 4.5" for appx. 1.5 yrs without a single problem. It sounds like you're not building it to wheel it so keeping it on the cheap so you can blow your money on the honey's would be my priority. You really won't know if you're going to be dealing with vibe's and what not until after your lift is on and settled in. So, my advice would be to get what lift and tires you want, and not stress over the extras. Make sure you can swing it if you need them though.

Sean

[Fore Wheeler]

Don't look past the 91 to 93 XJ's either. Because they're older, they're cheaper. I have two 93's, one that my wife drives daily with 32" tires and 5.5" of lift, the other is my trail rig, that has 11" of custom lift and now 38" tires. I'd buy another 91/93 XJ any day, and you can find them for $1500 that are clean (you have to look alot, but they're there).

I'd hold off on the SYE for now, put the lift on and see what happens, if you get the vibes, then do it. I was running 6" of lift with only Rusty's drop cross member (yes, it's Rusty's that has this) and it worked just fine, especially with this being a non-off road Jeep. My wife's XJ at 5.5" doesn't have an SYE.

Look at Rusty's 4.5" kit, it's a nice complete kit, comes with shocks, lower controll arms, full spring packs and coils, it even has brackets to lower the brake lines (although I've never used them on the three 4.5 kit's that I've put on different Jeeps). You 'may' hear bad things about Rusty's springs, but every spring will sag over time, less if it's not wheeled off road.

You asked about the 88 to 96's, the major differance is the pre 91's have a different engine (same 4.0 ltr, just not the HO), cooling system and electrical, I'd stay with the 91 to 93's myself.

You made the best decision by comming here first, if we sound gruff, it's cuz like what's been said, we've been there and we know that it doesn't work, or would work better later. don't let us get you down, keep comming back and NEVER go to JeepsUnlimited for advice, JU is a good place to get a few laughs.

Good luck, and remember Vug really is a bitch. :D

[Beezil]

I'm "teched-out" at this point.....I can't do it anymore......I've lost the edge.......I've become.............a total........asshole!

[SKIHIGH975]

ok ill just get the RE 4.5" lift $870 for now and start looking for a 91-95 cherokee, is there a diff between the 91-93 and the 94's and 95's?, thanks a bunch guys

[Fore Wheeler]

Originally posted by Beezil
I've become.............a total........asshole!


This is just recent, or just recently you've become aware of it???


Sky, I have the AA SYE kit (Advanced Adapters), it too is a great kit.

Check Rusty's site before buying, and/or call him, if he doesn't answer the phone, you usually end up talking to him when you ask tech questions. Don't forget to tell him you heard about him from this site. www.rustysoffroad.com

[CW]

The axle under the jeep will work fine for 31's, and the SYE driveshaft will work with your axle. If you get a pre-'96 xj you probably won't need either an sye or a t-case drop, but you won't know till you lift it. If you are gonna keep it on the street, don't even worry about axles, save your money for some nice 4" backspaced wheels.

[SKIHIGH975]

what size tires are stock on a cherokee, about 29-30"? and what about a long travel yoke(i saw one on rustys site) instead of a transfer case drop and a SYE?

[xj92]

The long travel yoke doesn't help with vibes at all, it just allows more movement of the joint.

[SKIHIGH975]

Originally posted by Eagle
A few thoughts, Skihigh --

First, welcome to our forum. If some comments sound abrasive, it's because many of us have seen or heard similar ideas many times before and we don't want you to make an expensive mistake, and result in killing yourself and/or your best pal.

Lifts are not to be undertaken lightly or blindly. Your post doesn't say where you are from, but for starters I'll just point out that an 8" lift is going to be illegal in almost every state. That's not a problem for an older person ("old fart" to save you the trouble) like me, living in the boonies and maybe using the Jeep primarily for off-roading. If you live in an urban area, use it as your daily driver, and you're 17 years old, you may be handing a cop a ready-made excuse to throw the book at you next time he sees you roll through a stop sign.

The cost of lifting an XJ is exponential. That is, if a 2" lift costs $100 a 4" lift doesn't cost twice as much, it costs four times as much because now more things need to be changed. At 8", almost everything needs to be changed. I'm glad to see you're thinking more toward the 4" range -- that's a much saner, more affordable way to get started.

Why are you so fixated on a '96? There are advantages and disadvantages. '96 was the first year for OBD-2, so if that's important to you go for it. However, OBD-2 means two oxygen sensors in the exhaust rather than one, and it means no Jet chip to boost performance. Many people prefer the older OBD-1 models because the ECU can be tweaked.

The '96 still only has one air bag, so you get no advantage over a '95 on that score.

More important to someone who wants a lift, '96 was the first year of the new "improved" transfer case output shaft. Prior to '96 you could generally lift up to 4" or so without driveline vibration problems. Starting in '96, any lift at all usually results in major vibration problems.

Between the on-board doagnostics and the transfer case output designs, IMHO you will be better served by a '95 rather than a '96. JMHO how come in the march 2003 issue of JP magazine it says in the cherokee timeline: 1994-OBD II diagnostics system added, you said 94 was the first year, so im going to look for a 94-95 cherokee, thanks

[Lucas]

I would go Rustys if I were you. Its pretty much common knowledge that his springs and shocks are are soft rate/valved which lends to a nice road ride. Additionally his stuff is pretty cheap.
If you ever do decide to do some harder offroading, or decide to go up higher, you can reuse most of the components of the kit too.

[Eagle]

Originally posted by Beezil
I'm "teched-out" at this point.....I can't do it anymore......I've lost the edge.......I've become.............a total........asshole!

"Become"?

Doesn't that imply that there was a time before a$$hole-ness?

[Eagle]

Originally posted by SKIHIGH975
how come in the march 2003 issue of JP magazine it says in the cherokee timeline: 1994-OBD II diagnostics system added, you said 94 was the first year, so im going to look for a 94-95 cherokee, thanks

I once worked for a man who often said "Everything you read in print is true ... unless you have first-hand knowledge of the facts."

I said '96 was the first year for OBD-2 and I stand by that statement unless/until MJR or one of the other Jeep professionals chimes in to tell me I'm wrong. IMHO JP magazine is almost as unreliable for tech information as JU.

BTW -- "stock" tire size has varied over the years. The early XJs generally had 205/75R15 or 215/75R15 tires. In the range you are looking at, the stock tires were usually 225/75R15. Without referring to a tire manufacturer's chart, I'd guess that's about a 28-1/2" tire.

[Eagle]

Originally posted by SKIHIGH975
how come in the march 2003 issue of JP magazine it says in the cherokee timeline: 1994-OBD II diagnostics system added, you said 94 was the first year, so im going to look for a 94-95 cherokee, thanks

They said it again. In the new issue, in discussing Cherokees in the "Top 10" article, they stated that '93 was the last year for OBD-1. The fact that they've said it twice doesn't make it correct (I only wish it were that easy to be correct ... sigh!).

This has been discussed before:

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=3879&highlight=OBD%2A

[XJEEPER04]

Rustysoffroad.com.....3inch lift 31's and no other suspension mods on my jeep and i dont have any problems. the lift is only 418.00+shipping

[woody]

HAH 90 Prelude :D I have a 89 Si that needs a motor, which is a good thing cause that rascal got me two fierce speeding tix within 6 months after 7 years of none. It was a 'between Jeeps' thing and I still don't understand.

Personally I'd try to hunt down a 91-94 Pre-OBDII HO 4.0 that was original owner, original paint, low miles with service records, and 'never off-road'. The front door hinges are welded to the 'frame' and these welds are bad for cracking...unclear if this aree got reinforced in newer years?

I think a 3-4.5" kit with 31" will do you fine... I used Rustys 3" coils and 1.75" spacer, adj track bar and it worked great (even with stock control arms.)

No matter what lift brand & height you settle on, I'd advise spending $$$ on some armor and basic safety/recovery gear if off-road adventures are in the plans. Heres a quick list off the top of my head:

Tow points F & R
Rocker armor
T case skid
Fuel tank skid
1st Aid Kit
CB Radio with flexible antenna
Water, food,
Tarp, rope
Hi Lift and bottle jacks
3t Hand Winch
2 shackles, 2 snatch straps, tree-saver strap
Tool kit

The important thing is having fun and building your driving skills to suit the vehicle and the conditions. Before going to town on lifting & other mods, I'd also advise going through all the basic systems and correcting any weak spots.

[BrianGibson]

he is not offroading, and needs another honda

[SKIHIGH975]

why are you being such an ass briangibson, so what if im not offroading, i still have the right to buy a jeep and do whatever i want to it. and thank you Eagle for telling me the tires sizes and about the OBD. yea woody, i already settled on a RE 4.5" superflex kit for $870, hopefully the transfer case drop will be enough, do you guys think that my linkage will bind?

[CW]

Youre linkage should be fine, it may get a little harder to shift but you will probably not be able to tell.

[SKIHIGH975]

ok guys, i found a 2000 cherokee sport 4.0 4dr 4wd with 35K miles, if i get the RE 4.5" kit ($870) will i need a SYE, because you guys said that the newer jeep have steeper angles or something.

[BrianGibson]

im not trying to be an ass
Im trying to tell you if your not going offroading that you are getting to involved. I even(if you checked your PM) tried to get you in touch with a guy who could help you with getting that lift at a better price.
In your case, you dont need a $870 lift kit that was developed for the offroad industry. Your getting to involved.
I 4wheel once a month and I only paid $450 for my kit.
Wouldent you rather spend your money on expensive lighting and show stuff. i mean if I didnt 4 wheel than I would want it to just turn heads. thus nobody is going to drive down the road and say that guy has this kit. They are going to say look at that lifted xj and notice the outside stuff(lights, bumpers, grill guards, roofracks, things like that) You dont need a $870 lift.

And yes, 3 is largest you can go with a 96 or newer without needing a sye. But if your only going to run 31 and not going offroad than 3" is all you need.

this is the assman sighning off

[SKIHIGH975]

hey i owe you an apology brian gibson, lol, to tell the truth, i didnt know about the PM's, before when you said check your PMs, i thought you mean check your PMS and just forgot to capitalize the last letter, so i figured you were being a jerk, but i was wrong again. well first i will have to get the jeep, and i think i finally found one i like, heres the link: http://www.autotrader.com/findacar/vdetail.jtmpl?car_id=138658128&dealer_id=619405&car_year=2000&make=JEEP&distance=25&max_price=11000&model=CHER&end_year=2004&advcd_on=n&min_price=1&address=44056&search_type=used&advanced=n&start_year=1997&color=&cardist=19 so maybe then ill call the guy you told me about in the PM and work something out, ill get the RE 4.5, and get the currie SYE, but dont know what do do with the driveshaft, and for you STONEY, i am located in NE ohio, northwest summit county.

[BrianGibson]

If you grt the sye then you have th get a cv style driveshaft also
http://www.4xshaft.com/
thats the site you need to read up on that

[RCP Phx]

Here's what I recommend !!!!!!

1-Find and buy a Jeep that you like and deal with the differences later.
2-Get your head out of those magazines and tune in here for a couple of weeks.Youll learn alot more about XJ's
3-Slow down,relax,and think all this thru.It will save you time and money.