Suggestions on running 38" or bigger...

[beast]

Lets see some pics

 

[BrettM]

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[Beezil]

my wheels are 15's with 3.75 bs......just make brake caliper brackets and run chevy 3/4 ton calipers, clears with no issues.

try that with ford dual piston calipers and those H U G E discs!

I went 17" rims because I didn't want the width.

track width of around 78-80 inches (rear is narrower) wheel bs of 5".

 

[xjaddiction]

Ashman, You must wheel close to home. How long of an air-hose do you have to run from your house to your favorite trail? :wave:

Lookin' Good!!

Greddy

 

[cccj]

Wow, you guys are really pushing the envelope on the XJ design. I like it.
My xj has 35's and 7-8" lift with re short arms and drop brackets. I'm most likely picking up a 87' xj with a waggy dana 44 5.13 gears 8 lug conv/14 bolt rear welded 5.13 gears and chevy leaf springs front and rear and it ran on 39.5" tsls. I plan on bringing the lift down from the 12" the guy says it has to 9" and run 37" mtrs or 38.5" tsl sx tires. The steering box area has alot of cracks in the frame that I need to address with the C-rok's inner and outer plates.

What are you guys doing to strengthen up the unibody frame rails with these huge axles and tires??? Are you sleeving the rails and especially the steering box area? Are many of you guys still running coils/leafs or did you convert to leafs all around to keep it simple with these extreme setups?
Troy

Essentially the same thing as Bigwoody described. 3/16x8 plate on both sides of the frame rail with holes sleeved to mount the box.

 

[Majo]

hmm 38's..... get ready to pretty much weld your body onto a frame or tube it out like beez, oneton, or ashman's ...errr XJ's.


want my advice, if you wanna get to the tire size fast and get wheeling, buy a rig with a frame.


XJ's are sick, they have their own spot in 4x4 world, one of them isn't running 38's without doing whatthe 3 previously mention guys have done.

 

[CW]

hmm 38's..... get ready to pretty much weld your body onto a frame or tube it out like beez, oneton, or ashman's ...errr XJ's.


want my advice, if you wanna get to the tire size fast and get wheeling, buy a rig with a frame.

.

Huh? There is no reason you can't run 38's with a sleeved unibody. You do not have to build an xj/buggy thing. It just takes a little welding and time, but not near as much as Beezil, Onetone or ashman have done.

 

[xjj33p3r]

Running 38's on an 8" lift would be fine. No body modification is really needed other than adding some rock rails for support

 

[xj_punk]

There is no way you can run 38's with only a sleeved unibody. You just have to build an xj/buggy thing. It just takes a lot of welding to the crappy uniframe and lots and lots of time, and it is not really worth it. and then you usually lose streetability and you should have just built a tube chassis and put xj skins on it and keep your xj for mild wheeling.

i filtered out the false stuff and added the necessary information. i've been on both sides of the fence, open your eyes.
let the grown-ups talk

 

[nate]

Someone asked why it is necessary to have anything more than 37's, as they are the ideal size, and anything bigger makes the trails too easy. Well, with all due respect to the individual who stated this, Im assuming you havent been wheeling out in ALASKA lately. The trails here are unlike any i have come across in the states. Many guys are running firestone and Goodyear Terra Flotation Tires up around here. It's a whole 'nother world, and 38"s are basically just getting you in the door to hit the extreme trails that AK has to offer.

It's just penis envy. hahaha. Seriously though the XJ will be pretty cool once it's done.

I've convinced myself to stick with 33s. Wonder how long it'll be before I "need" bigger?

 

[XJBill]

XJ on 38's = no stuff/all droop with some serious cutting and rewelding. And don't plan on having a very good turning radius either. Buy stock in bumpstops cause your gonna need them. 35's or 36's are the biggest I would run to keep it streetable.

 

[Beezil]

XJ on 38's = no stuff/all droop with some serious cutting and rewelding. And don't plan on having a very good turning radius either. Buy stock in bumpstops cause your gonna need them. 35's or 36's are the biggest I would run to keep it streetable.

My XJ on 37's with 7" = shocks configured for 6" of stuff, 8" of droop, and use it all. shocks are my limiting factor, and thats fine. i don't need more

what was that you were saying about no stuff?

 

[paul_xj04]

ashman what do you have for the rear suspension. what to know more and some flex pix.

 

[BIGWOODY]

XJ on 38's = no stuff/all droop with some serious cutting and rewelding. And don't plan on having a very good turning radius either. Buy stock in bumpstops cause your gonna need them. 35's or 36's are the biggest I would run to keep it streetable.

STUFF....38.5's and turns as well as stock.

 

[XJoachim]

XJ on 38's = no stuff/all droop with some serious cutting and rewelding. And don't plan on having a very good turning radius either. Buy stock in bumpstops cause your gonna need them. 35's or 36's are the biggest I would run to keep it streetable.

:laugh3: Never used bumpstops, not with 35s, not with 38s and not with the 39.5s now and i have a better turning radius than some SWBs. :wave:

 

[XJBill]

STUFF....38.5's and turns as well as stock.

Do me a favor and take a picture turned hard right and hard left in that pose without rubbing the front and the back of your front fenders. Nice looking MJ buggy though.

and i have a better turning radius than some SWBs

Impossible....XJ's have a lesser turning radius stock than the SWB's. It isn't going to get any better when modified.

 

[ArcticXJ]

Im honestly surprised to hear that some folks are running the 38's on like 7 and 8" of lift "without rubbing"...
My 35's on 10" up front still make contact into the upper part of the fender well where it molds into the spring perch during full compression. Granted, Im running basically NO bumpstops, but i like the up travel... the XJ has seen airtime of 4 to 5' off the terra.

The comment about running the Ranger main on top of the XJ leaf pack definitely has my interest. Im going to check that out for sure.

I can finally get started on the front axle bracketry after the 1st of the month, as I just picked up a new AX-15 to replace my blown one yesterday. Spent 9 freaking hours getting the thing in (stupid complications and mistakes) and now that step is complete. Phase 1 is finally finished. Phase 2 starts with the front axle build. That'll be 4 to 6 weeks, then comes Phase 2(b) in which the coilovers are ordered. That will tack on an extra 2 weeks. Phase 3 will be the rear axle (gears are in, bearings and seals are in, spring perches are on) which now needs 35 spline shafts, a spool, and discs. That will be another 4 weeks roughly. That will take care of the drivetrain for good hopefully, and ill start the 4 week process of acquiring tires/rims. So im shooting for April. Along the way, the frame (ha ha, frame) will get some sleeving, and my winch should finally get mounted.

Thanks a million to every one so far who's been sharing their ideas and thoughts and opinions. This is more than likely the most valuable information anywhere that you can actually get for free. Thanks again, and keep posting as im basing a lot of the next 16 or so weeks on this and other feedback. Cheers!
(yeah, i said cheers! Sorry, I just turned of drinking age recently and im still jaded, lol!)

 

[BajaXJ92]

This thread is SOILED with those that "just don't get it".

I personally, take care in knowing that most of you kids will just lift your rig to fit 38s, only to take it out wheeling once, get bored, and sell your junk for a pontiac firebird. At least you're off the trails.

 

[XJoachim]

Impossible....XJ's have a lesser turning radius stock than the SWB's. It isn't going to get any better when modified.

Seems you don't believe anything what other people say Turning radius is not just a matter of wheelbase, many thigs count into this like WMS difference f/r, ackermann angle and the steering angle thew knuckle produces i.e.

Take it or not and believe me, the only thing rubbing on my rig are the rear tires at full stuff because i just bent over the seam and was too lazy to cut them out.

 

[Harvo]

There is an XJ in my garage right now with 38's and no rubbing. It belongs to a friend of mine. It has a D60 rear and D44 front, full width from a Ford Truck. He has about 10" of custom lift and super trimmed fenders. He used long radius arms and really tall Alcans in the rear. He doesn't rub.

Personally I think 35's are all you'd ever need on an XJ but to each his own. I do agree that you need to wheel the snot out of what you have before you build it huge. Too many wheelers are coming out of the gate built like what they see in the mags or on the boards... only to drive like a dope because they have no experience.

You can ride shotgun for years and not get he experience you need in your rig. Heck... sometimes if I don't go riding for a couple of months, It takes a full day to get used to the ol' girl again myself.

Watching the "build it humongo before you run it" guys is entertaining... but they jam up the trails.

I'd post a pic of the xj on 38's, but I don't think I can.