Quick Help! 31x10.5s ..what lift??

:helpme: Ok, I know I'm gonna get yelled at for not searching....But I did search!! The results are just overwhelming and without too much time to search through them all....I figured someone could give me some quicker advice. I'm goin on a camping/offroading trip in less than 2 weeks and need time to buy/have shipped/and install a lift on my '90 4 door 5 spd Pioneer XJ. My Buddy is givvin me a good deal on his used wheels and tires (31x10.50 Dunlop radial mud rovers on stock '97 TJ 15x8 rims) And I need to know what lift I need to comfortably put it through some more-than-moderate abuse!

As my buds all say, my XJ is "less than stock". Made all the mods I can w/o spendin much money. But now it's time to finally and quickly put a small lift on eit before we get around to custom building a long arm kit in a few months! Don't need anything fancy for now, just CHEAP and able to clear 31s. This is also my dail driver (as rough and abused as it is".

Soooo....I've heard on here that a 2'' budget boost will clear 31s, but i'm gonna disconnect my sway bar and am not looking to rip a lug off a tire! Do I need more than 2''? My budget is pretty much only around $200 at the moment. I don't think AALs are much of an option as my packs are about completely shot IMHO and almost bow in the oposite direction. So I was thinking coil spacers and shackles would be my best option. Any better ideas? Also, where besides ebay would be my cheapest place to find somehtin?

Any help is GREATLY appreciated. Last thing...my bud has a set of Skyjacker shocks from his TJ w/2'' budget boost, can I reuse these? Thanks alot guys!!! (I'm really not as dumb about this as you may think....Just lookin for some quick help!!!!) :helpme:

i have rustys 3.5" full spring pack it clears them fine if u want cheap u can get rustys 3.5" in AAl for around $280 mine rides really good dunno about the AAL version

I have a 2 in BB and am running 31s if u plan or flexing alot and the back is sagging trim the back but you can do it fine with a 2in i am clearing it huge i could probably clear 33 ( i did a good bit of trimming) Get the Rough country lift it was $100 of ebay you get spacers and shackles which is the best way to go forget aal and blocks.... extended shackles. its really easy to do yourself also. That what i would do. Mine works great!( oh and pull out that rear sway bar youll be glad you did)

Shackles are more designed for modified leafs, I wouldnt put shackles on stock leafs. It will do nothing but make your current problem worse. It puts the leaf out of the location it is supposed to be in and increases stress and wear. They are designed more for stronger aftermarket suspension. If I were you I would look around for a cheaper kit with AAL (as much as I hate sayign it becuase I agree, with shot leafs they are not great) and do that until you can afford to get actual spring packs. So my advice is to steer clear of the shackles for now. Spacers up front I dont mind so much, so I got no input there.

As for sway bars... get the rear out asap, its pointless. The front on the other hand, if you have a decent suspension its fine w/o it. Currently I have discos and they are disconnected most of the time. Only when I dont plan on going out any time soon or on long highway trips I may connect them. with just spacers I would recomend getting discos as have a feeling the stock suspension would give much more roll and such with no sway bars than my kit.

Ok but shackles give you a factory ride aal with give you a rougher ride and block i dont think anyone would reccomend. so thats all your call

well if your looking to make this quick and cheap and are upgrading in a few months to a proper long arm setup, I would assume with proper springs and such... why not just grab a few leafs from an S10, the front coil from an F150 I think it is or a ZJ, I think both will give 2" of lift ZJ softer ride tho.

Give a search on here for 'bastard pack' or "S10 leafs" I think they will bring up some options. "Cheap lifts" or "F150 coils" may work too.
Either way if you have access to some old trucks you could probably make a quick lift, and if you don't mind trimming the wheel wells you'll clear the 31's just fine.

0 lift. just trim.

you got to go rustys. i paid under 3 for mine including shipping for an add a leaf. its a great lift they specialize in cherokees

I'm running the same tire/wheel combo on my DD that you're looking to run. I have 2" spacers in front with a set of ZJ 6 cyl coils, and an MJ main leaf with the eyes cut off in the rear. It gives me about this much lift

2-3" should clear 31's, 3" being best.

how sagged is your stock springs?? Adding a 2 BB might not get you 2" over stock, just 2" over what you got. A AAL does add some stiffness, but adds some load capacity and helps the leaf from sagging, but again if your leafs are trashed a AAL is going to sag quickly....Its been my experience that AAL's should only be used with good leaf packs. AAL can add need stiffness to combat roll in corners, especially on taller lifts and/or no rear sway bar. Shackles are a good way to add lift to lift springs, but most will recommend not to do it to stock leaf packs.

I really like what folks have been doing with some of these home-built lifts.... your short on time but some zj v-8 coils, 1 inch spacer and a 'bastard pack' (how ever you want to make it, s-10, durango, mj). Go over to Jeepforum and search the xj forum for carquest coils.... friend of my runs some sort of HD carquest coils and got 2-2.5 lift on his 98 xj.

Otherwise a basic lift with rear packs is best. Be careful too much lift and your rear shaft will be too steep, LCA's will need attention, and track bar will need replacement/relocation. Also make sure you get good shocks...proper length and I always recommend heavy duty.

its a can o' worms... but have fun!

im running 3" in the rear and 4.5 in the front.

i have about 2 inches trimmed front and rear and i still rub....

save the $$ if ur planning on doing a LA set up. just do it all right the first time....

ranrusbal said:

you got to go rustys. i paid under 3 for mine including shipping for an add a leaf. its a great lift they specialize in cherokees

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A lot of companies specialize in cherokees. Others cover all jeeps but give cherokee's their due attention.

Every one of them does it with better quality and customer service than Rusty. All he has going for him is price .. and well, you get what you pay for.

See sig. I will admit that they look a little small, but you're love the; 1) articulation, 2) no bump steer, 3) no steering stops, 4) and no rubbing with, 5) no trimming. I have 3:55's and I did not want to re-gear so I decided to go with 31's because of this fact and those listed previously.

cal said:

A lot of companies specialize in cherokees. Others cover all jeeps but give cherokee's their due attention.

Every one of them does it with better quality and customer service than Rusty. All he has going for him is price .. and well, you get what you pay for.

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Ok, I dont know any of these companies, and have no preference. List a couple good companies that have pricing that a working stiff can swing. I want good stuff, low dough.

wall04 said:

See sig. I will admit that they look a little small, but you're love the; 1) articulation, 2) no bump steer, 3) no steering stops, 4) and no rubbing with, 5) no trimming. I have 3:55's and I did not want to re-gear so I decided to go with 31's because of this fact and those listed previously.

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I run 35's. No rubbing, no bumpsteer, no steering stops, and i trimmed very lightly.. and i do get crazy articulation. Everything you listed minus the regear has nothing to do with tire size at all, and with 31's you still really want to regear 4.10ish so you don't overheat your transmission, not to mention the difference in gas mileage pays for the regear right quickly.

NighthawkXJ said:

Ok, I dont know any of these companies, and have no preference. List a couple good companies that have pricing that a working stiff can swing. I want good stuff, low dough.

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Rubicon Express. Expensive on paper, but talk to your vendors. Asking around you can usually get 25% off of the listed price. On budget lifts they compete with rusty's prices, but are better quality parts usually.

BDS (black diamond suspension). Again, cheap and a company who's reputation isn't almost always followed up by "that guy ripped me off!"

Naxja and the junkyard. $100 in any decent junkyard and I can peice together a 2-3" lift from OEM parts.

Rough Country. Same price range as the others. Their springs tend to ride a little harsh but if your going with less lift, thats not always a bad thing - saves on tearing up your bumpstops.

Daystar. Ultra cheap budget boosts, fairly well built parts. Look for them on ebay for the best deals.


Thats just off the top of my head, without doing any quick research. Look at skyjacker (expensive), SuperLift (not as expensive), rancho (expensive) .. there are dozens that give the cherokee its due credit.

I've installed several vendors lifts, and have never been as pleased with anything as I have Rubicon Express. I have a procomp 3" lift sitting in my garage going on a friends rig when I get home, I'm not really happy with how it was built, but its better than the Rusty's 4" lift I've seen thats compatible.

*shrug*

-C

Thank you for the info. :worship: I have a 3" Rusty's lift, spring paks, coils, shocks, and damp.
However, i dont have quick disco swaybar, and i have stock lower control arms.
I have been thinking of running this 3" for a season or two, and then going to maybe 4.5 or something, but wanted to get just the discos and the lower control arms, but did not want to spend as much as a whole lift kit right now.

I will do some searching on just the parts i want, then i dont have to buy them over again if if buy smart when i go to the taller lift.

When you go taller, seriously consider the RE 4.5" with leaf packs. It's a little spendy, but its worth what you pay for it. I'd get the ugpraded trackbar with it, the one they supply in that kit works at 4.5" but if you go taller will not suffice.

PM me next week late and I may have some quick disco's i'll give you a good deal on. I picked a set up to make some rear swaybar disco's and am not sure I want to go through with that project or not.

-Cal

cal said:

PM me next week late and I may have some quick disco's i'll give you a good deal on. I picked a set up to make some rear swaybar disco's and am not sure I want to go through with that project or not.

-Cal

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Cool thanks man.

i like 4 inches with rusty's 1in drop xmember and someones adjustable control arms.