• Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

going from 3" to 4.5"-5"

Djmack

Djmack

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Travis AFB
I currently have a rustys 3" lift kit

i was smart and made sure to get the full spring packs for the rear cause i heard so much crap about add'a'leafs... which never made sense to me to add a brand new leaf to a 230,xxx mile leaf pack.

anyway... im gonna be getting 31" tires on cragar 15x8 wheels.. and for this i dont want any clearance issues....

im gonna buy some spacers for the front. and drop shackles for the rear.

Is there anything else i need to upgrade if im going to be at 4.5 to 5 inches? such as trac-bar, axle shims, control arms, ect.
i need to know what to get, and some advice choosing where to get it.
 
Trackbar,brakelines,sye kit,LA's or DB's,Adj CA's,shocks,better steering,etc,etc!
 
JRW7072009 said:
At least start with track bar, brakelines, shocks and lower CAs. Unless you have the cash to spend on the rest this would get you by.
Click to expand...

well.. the kit came with shocks and i havent even had them for a year yet... are they made just for the 3 inches of extend? or can i keep them?

and im doing this to fit tires, which is already gonna kill my pocket.. so i cant do sye yet.
 
I had 31s on a crappy 3.5" lift, you don't need that much lift for em. Buy the tires, trim a bit if necessary, save your cash.
 
Going from 3 inches of lift to 4.5 is a huge difference. Your control arm angle is going to be horrible and no matter what shocks you get its still gona be a sh!ty ride because your frame is going to be absorbing the majority of the impacts. Also if you go to a bigger tire then your gona want to go with different gears probably 4.56's for 32's or 33's. Their is much more to consider as previously stated brake lines, bumpstops,gears,shocks,sye,D/S etc. Im not trying to scare you, just be aware that its not all about lifting it. Their is much more to factor into the equation if you still want to maintain a comfortable/reliable ride. And dont forget about axles Hopefully you dont have a dana 35! good luck man
 
Last edited:
What do you have now? 3" full kit? are you using the stock Track-bar?

Your brake lines can be re-located to save money (im at 5" with 33"s and factory front brake lines.. )

If your doing a 2" spacer upfront on top of 3" coils, i advise get some CA drop brackets.. that will help ride quality.

For the rear, at 4.5-5" your getting into SYE zone.. you might need one, you might not and you wont know till you drive on it..

also, with 5" of lift, i've trimmed so much that 33"s look small IMO.. i really dont think you need to go more then 3" for 31"s.. even without trimming. specially if your going with aftermarket wheels.

and XJ=fun.. stop reminding me about gearing. i keep lookin at 35"s.. and gearing kills my buzz everytime..
 
Sorry Scott LoL , jeeps can be a money pit for sure, im finding out the hard way and spending plenty of nights in the dog house without any tail.LoL
 
ok.. 1. it is a full spring/shock 3" lift
2. still the stock trac bar.
3. its an ax-15 which, by its self is geared differently than an auto, which means that my front and rear are 3.07 gears and my rear is an 8.25
4. ill probably just made it to 4.25" in the rear and 4.25" in the front. basicly because i like my fender flares.. and im not ready to lay down any sort of cash for a new wider set.
5. i do intend on replacing trac bar with adj. one. and i will also buy adj. C/A's


is that everything?

and thanks for the info about the brake lines... ill just hold off on getting my steel braided set for a while, and just reposition them. as for the rear... i just un-clipped it.
 
Or I could lift it like I wanted to.. Problem solved.
 
if you find that the shocks are lacking in length, try installing some BPE's, that will give them an extra inch -/+
 
You can run 31's with the AX-15 and 3.07's. It sucks, but you can do it. Just don't expect to ever use 5th gear unless you're going down hill with a tail wind. Also, it will be okay for mild trails but it won't crawl worth a crap and you'll have to brake heavily going down steep hills eveh in 4-lo. I say run your current lift with the 31's and do some trimming if money is tight.
 
Ok how about this. I'll go ahead and get the tires and wheels.. And fit them on. If I have any issues rubbing then I'll be forced to take action. It's just that I don't want to trim my fenders just yet.
 
If you keep the sway bars on, you won't need to trim. Your flex will suck, but they won't rub.
 
then what happened after "months." ?
 
MtnBkr said:
If you keep the sway bars on, you won't need to trim. Your flex will suck, but they won't rub.
Click to expand...

this is why i want to lift... so i have decent flex.
 
Djmack said:
which is already gonna kill my pocket.. so i cant do sye yet.
Click to expand...

I know you might not want to hear this but take some advice from someone that is on his 2nd XJ. Save your money and buy a nice kit, SYE, driveshaft etc...

When ever I hear someone say "I need the cheap way" it makes me laugh. Going from 3" of lift to 5" is a big difference not just in the looks and ride of your Jeep but in cost too, everything cost more. Save you money and do the lift right the first time.

You're gonna need longer break lines, go get 95' YJ brake lines. Plenty long for the 5" you wanna go.
 
im probably not going 5" its gonna be about 4.25" as previously corrected.. and the reason im doing this is because i want good clearance for my tires im getting... not minimal clearance.

the reason im getting tires is because mine are going very quickly. and i hear alot of people say that 31's are PERFECT for an XJ that hasnt been drastically lifted.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

blondejoncherokee
Looking for parts for a mostly stock rig
Replies
11
Views
1K
migue978
M
T
XJ shackle with custom springs question.
Replies
11
Views
206
XJlimitedx99
X
R
Going from 6.5" lift down to 4-4.5
Replies
3
Views
3K
Evan03
E
L
Manual to Auto transmission swap
Replies
9
Views
203
lvcanyoneer1
L
R
thinking about getting an XJ again
Replies
9
Views
281
XJI6191
X
Back
Top