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87 XJ Daily driver Good lift????

I

Irbys19

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Murfreesboro TN
I recently bought an 87 xj 4wd and its still stock. Im wanting to get a good lift on it to start playing in it. But it is still my daily driver. I want to get some opinions on a good lift and tires, nothing too extreme yet, but something that will be reliable on and off road. PLEASE give me some ideas of which way to go. Ive been looking at alot of different ones but figured id get some opinions first. And if anyone has a lift set for sale let me know. Thanks for your time and advice.
 
a good 3-4.5 inch lift would be good for you. If you want to go kinda cheap but still get quality I'd go with Rough country.
 
Irbys19 said:
I recently bought an 87 xj 4wd and its still stock. Im wanting to get a good lift on it to start playing in it. But it is still my daily driver. I want to get some opinions on a good lift and tires, nothing too extreme yet, but something that will be reliable on and off road. PLEASE give me some ideas of which way to go. Ive been looking at alot of different ones but figured id get some opinions first. And if anyone has a lift set for sale let me know. Thanks for your time and advice.
Click to expand...

I agree, 3.5-4.5 is a good lift for a DD, and a good platform hight. Meaning it would be easy to go from say a 3.5" and 31" tires to a 4.5-5" lift with 33-35" tires. And i think it's enough hight to wheel fun stuff while not hating it monday morning on your way to work. :D I have some parts i won't need soon i sent you a pm if you're interested in buying them, nothin fancy but it might be a start. Depending on your budget you might want something totally different haha but hey, worth asking.
 
thanks for the help guys, I deff need a kit with new leafs cause mine are sagging kinda bad and would rather just replace them then do the add a leaf, im sure there is someone out there that may have a se to get rid of. Id hate to spend 700 to a grand to put it on there then realize i just want it higher
 
Have you wheeled it as is yet? That'd be my advice. Wheel it stock for a little while. They do great stock, then lift later once you decide if you really do need a lift for the stuff you want to run, and how much you need to get where you want to be. While getting to know your Jeep, get to know the forums. Search for answers to your questions, read the FAQs, cruise mod-tech, etc. Almost any question you can come up with, chances are someone has already asked it. :)
 
Daily driver leave it stock. I have two XJ. 2000 in 35s rubicon long arm 5.5 lift. And a 1989 stock. My 1989 stock jeep drive so much better specially in the freeway. Plus its my daily driver now with a 40 mile commute one way. I cruise like a cadillac. My 2000 is drives more like a tank. Has bumpsteer and wanders on the road.
 
Or you can do what I'm going to do. Kinda a "super stock" build. I'm going to try and upgrade only the things that need upgrading.

-beefy control arms in front (adjustable for better flex)
-engine, diff cover, tcase, gas tank, control arm mount skid plates
-upgraded steering (currie correctlynk)
-winch bumper/winch (for winching, protection and front recovery points)
-small 2" lift w/ new rear leafs (to compensate for all the heavy gear added)
-tougher tires around 30-31" (BFGs, treadwrights, etc)
-Airlift airbags in rear for heavy loads/towing
-Snorkel (I love puddles)
-rocksliders (Aj's probably)

My truck is a daily driver that needs to be comfy, tough, useful, and reliable most of all, as I DD 40miles roundtrip. I tow a utility trailer often, and have a wife and 3 kids, so I might end up adding a roofrack out of necessity, but we'll see.

As far as lift, my opinion is that the OME full leaf kit is the best setup for a stockish sized truck. others have pucks and shackles, but the "right" way is new springs, shocks and leafs. Again, just my opinion. Check out www.DPGoffroad.com for some idea on pricing. Dirk is a good guy.
 
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I'd say what has already been mentioned, 3.5"-4.5". However I like to keep the lift low and the tires a little bigger, I plan on 4.5" with 33s.
I'd suggest for you though, 3" or 3.5" would be great, with 31" tires, perhaps all-terrains, and lockers. You'll do whatever you want off-road generally, and it will still ride comfortable enough to actually want to drive it daily. Not to mention I don't think you'll need to regear or upgrade your axles, and gas mileage will still be decent. I loved my Jeep with 31" A/Ts on it and didn't really feel a power loss. However this was in MI, flat roads.
 
2-3" OME coils in front, bastard pack in rear, 31's w. 3.5"backspacing, tubular LCA's, Hack and Tap sye w. xj front shaft, set pinion angle properly. Cheap, effective, and would drive well
 
mbennett said:
2-3" OME coils in front, bastard pack in rear, 31's w. 3.5"backspacing, tubular LCA's, Hack and Tap sye w. xj front shaft, set pinion angle properly. Cheap, effective, and would drive well
Click to expand...
I don't even think he would need an SYE with that setup, which would be good to keep the cost down even more. Just shim the rear axle.
 
that's exactly what I was going to say, Cody.

MAYYYBE if it was a 97 and up, but with a pre-97 with the longer output np231, he shouldn't have any issues. Possibly some shims or a few washers under the tcase mount.
 
I have a Rough Country 4.5" with 33s, its not the best for a DD, but certainly doable. I get some vibrations from the unbalanced tires around 45mph. My sister has a 3" with 31s, and feels MUCH better on the road. Wouldnt hesitate to drive hers anywhere. Mine may have some trouble on the highways
 
Irbys19 said:
yeah so far im looking at the ome kit and probably 31's but i like doing a little research before i jump into anything
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good idea. the fun thing about jeeps is the multitude of choices when looking at modifications.

There are some definite no-no's(rocky-road, Rusty's, rear blocks, etc), but kits like OME , Rough Country, Rubicon Express, as well as some smaller outfits will generally serve you well.

good luck!
 
4.5 inch lift zone suspenchion lift comes with everything very clear directions comes with transpherecase drop i put that on my 1992 jeep cherokee. looks great and also would recomend buying all new leafs so you dont have to worry about sag.
 
I know most on here don't like them, but I have a rusty's 3" full kit on my 96, PO put it on, and I tell ya what, it rides nicer than my brand new Silverado.

I was gonna take it off and put it on my 88, but as nice as it rides, I ain't changing a thing !!! 20+ mpg don't hurt either.
 
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