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More Lift, help!

N

Nuthinfancy

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Michigan
Hey guys im new to the forum and somewhat new to lifting jeeps. I put a budget 3" lift from Rough Country on my XJ in June and now ive got inchitis and wat to go to 4.5" roughly. RC only gives you springs, add a leaf and shocks.


I hear Rustys off road can customize a lift for you is that true?


I need to know if I have to get Rustys shocks or am I set with the RCs? Wouldnt they be too short, or will they work?


Also, I currently have 30x9.5x15 tires running on my jeep. When I get my 4.5" lift I want to put on either 32x10.5 or 32x11.5. The 10.5s seem like they would fit better. But tire terminology gets my head spinning so I am actually unsure what will fit. I was just wondering if the current jeep rims I have now will fit inside my new 32" tires.

So I currently have 3" of lift and driveline vib is minimal. When I go 4.5" I know I will need a drop kit or do you think it is worth it to get the SYE or just experiment for myself what I will need?
 
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your profile doesn't have any info on it about what year your xj is. my '89 is at 4.5 inches and i didn't do a t-case drop or s.y.e. and i have no vibes. i think newer ones will and you'll at the very LEAST need the t-case drop but then you lose some clearance. at 4.5 inches you'll need a new trac bar. get an adjustable one that way if you lift again you'll be okay. at 4.5 inches you'll need new longer lca's too. your shocks won't work, you'll need longer ones. as for tires it will clear, what wheels you running? if you have stock wheels, that's 5.25 backspacing, so anything wider than the 10.5 wide tires will rub when turning and playing offroad. at 4.5 inches you can run 33's easily with minor trimming. you'll also need to extend your brakelines. so pretty much, going from 3 inches to 4.5 inches involves several things.
 
My jeep is a 98 classic, it already vibes at 3" between 30mph and 40mph, if that matters

Yes I have stock wheels, I like then so I dont want to get rid of them if I dont have to.

Oh yea I know the work involved and most of the parts I need. I just hate the idea of getting a SYE and custom CV for over $500 if I dont have to, but if I do, then hey what can I do ya know.
 
I went from a 3" to 4.5" by adding coil spring spacers and longer shackles. I also added t-case drop and shims (SYE is better, it's in the plans), adjustable track bar, longer control arms upper and lower (go one set adjustable, the other fixed). My shocks worked, but it's not optimal and I will be getting different ones that will fit the lift better. You will also want to look into longer brake lines, not sure what you currently have.

End results with 32x10.5 TSLs and only plastic trimming...

P1010063.jpg


P1010064.jpg


P1010062.jpg


P1010182.jpg


P1010178.jpg
 
How was driveline vibe at 3" and how it is currently at 4.5" just curious? if I do get the 4.5, I will put a tc drop for temporary fix until I get funds for the SYE.

Apparently the kit I wnt comes with brake line extensions so that is taken care of. It only comes with lower control arms but not upper, i wonder why that is. Anyways which control arms should be adjustable, and why? What exactly do the shims do for me?

Your jeep looks really good dude.

I know in the rear they have sway bars and end links like the front, must you lengthen those or can you remove them, or even leave them alone?
 
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:cheers: Thanks

I didn't have vibes at 3" and t-case drop, but when I went to 4.5 I had a u-joint vibe in the rear. Not bad, just enough to be annoying to me. I put a couple shims to rotate the pinion back down, and it went away. Now the only vibes I have are not related to lift components.

Its the general opinion to remove the rear swaybar, I did it at 3" and noticed absolutely no difference. The only other thing I did is extend the bumpstops front and rear, how much you do that will reflect how much actual lift you get, and how much you want to trim.
 
i have a 98 with a rustys 4.5 inch lift and the vibes were loud and annoyin as heck to listen to. get the sye.

there are ways to save money on the sye, like using a lengthened front shaft for the rear
 
At Rusty's they give you the option of Fixed or Adjustable Lower Control Arms. What is the difference between the two besides the said exta $60?
 
well for the adjustable ones you can adjust them to make them shorter or longer...fixed lca's doesn't give you that option
 
well...yea...but I want to know the purpose of lenghening or shortening them. How migh adjustable benefit me as opposed to fixed position arms?

See my jeep is 90% street and the other 10% is relatively moderate off roading so I dont need crazy expensive stuff.
 
Nuthinfancy said:
well...yea...but I want to know the purpose of lenghening or shortening them. How migh adjustable benefit me as opposed to fixed position arms?

See my jeep is 90% street and the other 10% is relatively moderate off roading so I dont need crazy expensive stuff.
Click to expand...

Lengthening or shortening them will allow you to adjust your caster which allows your axle to track down the road like it was when stock. If you got lower adjustables, you would be able to point the pinion down towards the ground, if you went with uppers you would be able to point the pinion upwards toward the t-case.
 
Hmmm, lets see, delay spending $500 now for SYE. do transfer drop for maybe $50(?). Hey, you "saved" $450!

Later; new header- $500, new motor mounts $100?, new trans mount $25?, then spend the $500 for SYE anyway.

Stop foolin yourself. Do the SYE and be done with it, smoother, quieter, mechanically correct. Just because it loses the $ for cool factor tradeoff doesnt mean you shouldnt do it. Hey, if you really want the bling, get the driveshaft painted yellow or something.
 
ok.I did the same thing i put in the 3.5 RC kit. Now what i found is the easiest way is to put in coil spring spacers and leaf spring shackle rops.At pep boys hey sell a universal coil spring spacer for 9.99 each(u only need 2) and they sell a lowering shakle ki that on jeeps oes the oposit and lifts it.(24.99 a pair) the front brake lines u can extend with YJ lines (as shown here) and the rear flex hose yo can make a little 1 inch raise shim.yes you are going to need to lower the trnsfer case and need at least new lower control arms.

hel thats my plan and i have most of the parts either in my xj or in my garage waitig to be put in. So i hope it works.
 
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