3" lift probs? shocks?

[bellingham]

So i recently bought a 97 XJ, i found some 3" rough country coils and blocks on craigslist. All the reading i have done says i wont need drop brackets, maybe just extended brake cables. Can anyone tell me what to expect from this lift. I am also looking to buy shocks, i am looking at some skyjacker hydro's. I have heard that the nitrogen charged shocks are to stiff for how light the XJ is as a daily driver and not an offroad intense vehicle. Advice??

 

[mojojojo]

I can't comment to much on most of this cause ive never used rough country stuff. However i will say from experience - GET RID OF THE BLOCKS !!!!!!!

if its just a daily driver weekend warrior, you should be fine, but if you plan to do anything beyond that i would invest in full spring lift, or even shackles. Blocks can and will eventually grenade !

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

at 3" you need the following components

3" lift coils
Lower control arms for 3" lift
NO BLOCKS.. an add-a-leaf will be okay, but i advise full 3" lift leaf packs
shocks for 3" lift
and an extended rear brake line. you can get away with straightening out your front hard lines and re-screwing them into the frame rail about 2" lower
edit: Adjustable trac bar is a must!

the best thing you can do is start doing some research. spend sometime in the Modified tech section.

 

[2xtreme]

Wait just a minute.
Let's take this 1 step at a time.

3" lift (generic).
Coils: 3" lift coils (pick your brand or bastard from other vehicle).

Brake lines: extend your brake lines if you need to (many will work the way they are stock), this applies both front and rear (all 3 lines).

Shocks: Check your shocks to make sure you have enough travel (most 3" lift shocks are the same as stock). There is nothing wrong with most shocks being your limiting strap (particularly for on road use). In other words probably nothing wrong with leaving the stock shocks in place if they work ok. Measure for up and down travel to properly fit a new set of shocks. You could also use a BPE or alternative as a shock extender and provide a better solution for the bushings anyway.

Rear springs: Blocks are not normally advised for several reasons (you can search this for pages and pages of debates) but the primary reason for me is because without anything else done to your springs it will weeken them VERY quickly. It would be a much better solution to get a AAL (preferably long) to help support your current springs and get better handleing on the road and more load capacity. The other alternative is longer shackles which again will weeken the current springs.

Track Bar: at 3" of lift, leave it stock. Most people will never even know. If you have to replace it for other reasons an Adj version is better.

Control Arms: stock are fine. The weekness of the stock arms is not the length but the physical strength of them. For a 3" lift on the road, nothing wrong with the stock arms. In fact, stock arms will work fine for MOST XJ's up to 4.5" of lift.

Michael

 

[cob'sxj]

I can speak from expereince that yo do need a new trac bar for a 3" lift. I just received mine in the mail after riding for a little while without it. You dont have to get one, but you can tell that you need it. When I installed my 3" kit I had to disconnect the tracbar in order to get it in there. So when we went to put the tracbar back on it was at least 1/4 inch shy of fitting. To close for me to drill a new spot and too far for things to run perfect. So i ordered a new one and Im installing it this weekend (but im also installing 4" coils and a shackle in the back to go up to 4" lift)

You dont have to have the brake lines (on mine), but you might break one when you flex(ive heard of people doing it)

 

[BenDiesel]

i did a 3 inch on my 85 and used a track bar relocation bracket.

 

[Bdiddy11]

LCA short arms on a 4.5" lift w/out any kind of aftermarket ones or drop bracket is murder... that is, unless you enjoy the feeling of riding a brick over any kind of bump.

My first 87 XJ had 4.5" RC lift on it... LCA's were at such a poor angle that you felt EVERYTHING!!

I myself just got a 3" lift in a trade and will be installing it sometime in the future...It's a mixed lift so we'll see how it rides.

From what i've read, you'll want a new tracbar. Some people will just drill a new hole and move it over a little which works. Just depends if you plan on wheeling it at all or just DDing it.

For shocks i'd love to get some Bilsteins if they'll work for a 3" lift because i've heard nothing but great things about em'.

And go with full leaf pack or AAL if you have to. Blocks are teh sux!

 

[2xtreme]

LCA short arms on a 4.5" lift w/out any kind of aftermarket ones or drop bracket is murder... that is, unless you enjoy the feeling of riding a brick over any kind of bump.

Try a different pair of springs, bushings, shocks, etc.
There is NOTHING wrong with 4.5" of lift and stock length CA's.

I will say it again:
3" of lift doesn't need new CA's.
3" of lift doesn't need a TB.

Michael

 

[Bdiddy11]

Just sayin from my experience with the 4.5" lift and stock LCAs it was murder to ride in =)

The LCAs were at like a 45degree angle.

 

[fubar XJ]

Just sayin from my experience with the 4.5" lift and stock LCAs it was murder to ride in =)

The LCAs were at like a 45degree angle.

Considering that they sit flat at stock height, you had way more than 3" of lift if they appeared to be at 45 degrees.

I've heard what Michael is saying for years, at 3" or less lift stock LCAs and track bar are just fine. He runs a pretty low lift on his, so I'd take his word on this.

 

[bellingham]

Thanks for the advice so far. I have heard that blocks are better then aal becuase aal are murder on your remaining leafs. So yes a whole new pack would be sweet, but this will be 80% DD 15% camping 5% throwin mud and climbing hills. My biggest question ATM is shocks. I need new ones so leaving stock is not an option. My question is HYdro or Nitro? I know all about bubbles and heat so we can forget that, but is anyone running nitros and finding them stiff as a board? FOr 20 extra bucks nitro's seemed worth it, but again this is a DD so i dont want it too stiff

 

[Bdiddy11]

If you can't afford aftermarket leaf springs... go with a bastard pack. Mate S10 or Dakota leafs with your XJ leafs.

Do it right with a full pack so a year down the road you're not like WTF is my leaf all saggin waggin and you're not going around a corner and your blocks bust one of your leaf packs at the perch =)

 

[cob'sxj]

I got a new lift and went with the hydro 9000 shocks (i think) that was a month ago and they are amazingly stiff... so stiff that I all ready ordered a set of bilsteins. I cant vouch for the new shocks cause Im still waiting on them to arrive. But i can tell you that you dont want the RC 9000 shocks.

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

But i can tell you that you dont want the RC 9000 shocks.

x2

 

[2xtreme]

The LCAs were at like a 45degree angle.

I just measured. 4.5" lift LCA's are at a 10deg angle. IF you have issues with ride quality change your springs, bushings, shocks, joints, tire pressure, alignment.

I have heard that blocks are better then aal becuase aal are murder on your remaining leafs

This is completely wrong. AAL's will be a MUCH better solution for your build for many reasons including supporting the springs that are there.


As for shocks. If you are not going to buy a mono tube style shock (bilsteins, OME, etc) then just by your favorite cheap shock, they will last a couple years at best and you can buy new ones again then. What is wrong with your stock shocks? You sure it isn't the bushings. XJ's EAT bushings and the ride quality can be compromised by this also.

Websters definition of Murder: unlawful killing of a person. I think you might be looking for another word to describe the ride quality.

Michael

 

[NW-ZJ-SCOTT]

Websters definition of Murder: unlawful killing of a person. I think you might be looking for another word to describe the ride quality.

Michael

:roflmao::laugh:

 

[bellingham]

one shock in the rear shows signs of oil leaking as well as one in the front. I realize i could do the research on this next question but like hearing you all comment so much that i will ask anywayz What diameter are the stock sway bars? i found a cheap set of bushings for 90-95 Cherokee (they say) and it says they are 25mm. Yes murder may have been the wrong word, but someone told me the short add leaf they put in caused there other leafs to bend out of shape

 

[bellingham]

And my XJ is a 97

 

[2xtreme]

one shock in the rear shows signs of oil leaking as well as one in the front. I realize i could do the research on this next question but like hearing you all comment so much that i will ask anywayz What diameter are the stock sway bars? i found a cheap set of bushings for 90-95 Cherokee (they say) and it says they are 25mm. Yes murder may have been the wrong word, but someone told me the short add leaf they put in caused there other leafs to bend out of shape

I can't help you with the sway bar size. Sorry.

The Short AAL doesn't "Cause" the pack to bend out of shape. It adds support in ONLY a short part of the pack which adds additional stress in other parts of the pack. The Short AAL would not be as hard on a old set of springs as a lift block or a shackle, but it can help promote issues with an older pack that is already stressed. A Long AAL would help provide support to the entire leaf pack (which is what you really want) outside of spending the big bucks on a new pack, or building a new "bastard" pack.

Michael

 

[vortex]

Back to the Hydro shocks i have skyjacker 7000 hydros and i really like them....I do not have sway nars on my 89 XJ so the stif valving reall helps with handling. As for off-road i drive remotley slow so its not a big deal. tho the hydros i have are killer on bumps.
Just my $.02

-PJ-