What Should I Do?

I'm a noob so be easy on me,

I just bought a 2000 XJ as my DD. I have a 1970 Nova that i'm gonna start buying Parts for/ Rebuild. But I want to lift this Jeep some. Knowing that I probably won't go off roading very often. I want to put a lift that will be reliable. And not give me problems as a DD.

I was thinking 3-4" with 31's. I need some advice on which brands to go with.

Any Suggestions would be great

budget?

3-4" is way overkill for 31s IMO... I would put a 2" lift on it max. You also will be happier with the ride (control arm angle) and can keep your brake lines and many other OEM parts at 2".

4 inch is overkill yes, but 3 inch isn't. its actually whats recommended.

recommended by who? :dunno:

I ran 32s on 3.5" for a while. Could have run it on 3" with a tiny bit of trimming. 3" is overkill for 31s IMO, as I said before... note I said IMO, your opinion obviously differs.

its recommended by manufacturers. I guess it depends how much space you want in the wheel wells for flex. I've seen some low riders on here.

I run 31s on 3 inch and i find it perfect.

edit: Example.



Found on this board. Thats 4.5 inch lift and 31s btw.

Don't do it, keep it stock and you will never have any problems with it. Build the nova and forget about the jeep. On the jeep you build it break it build it break it....... On the Nova you build it and enjoy it.

jwtrapper said:

Don't do it, keep it stock and you will never have any problems with it. Build the nova and forget about the jeep. On the jeep you build it break it build it break it....... On the Nova you build it and enjoy it.

Click to expand...

he makes probably the best sense of whats been said so far. use the site for the oem tech discussion when something(and i mean when not if) something starts to act up. if you really get into wheeling this thing, then come on over to the mod tech and we'll help straighten you out.

DUMP ALL THE MONEY INTO THE NOVA!!!



If theres nothing wrong with the stock suspension, dont bother throwing more money into it. Buy fancy go fast parts for the Chevy. The last thing you wanna do is end up with TWO jeeps and a car that all wanna have money put into them. Its a pain in the ass having multiple builds going on at the same time. Words of experience.

I dunno, I have 5 builds (dirty pos, 98, 96, m54a2, house) going at once and it's actually pretty fun.

that being said, you should get a third vehicle if you are gonna turn the DD into a project... because there WILL come a time when you break something on it and can't even get parts to fix it, nevermind getting to work tomorrow. A broken leaf eye bolt would really suck if it was on a DD.

So really I'd agree. Finish the nova, get it to the kind of condition where you can drive it to work if you have to, THEN start modding the jeep. You gotta have a reliable vehicle - or enough project vehicles that one of em will always get you where you need to go.

Budget boost with some 30's. You would be surprised at where these can go in relatively stock form.

I would spend my money on the Nova, restoration is big bucks and once you start modifying the Jeep the Nova project is likely to suffer.


But, to answer your question:


As far as lift brand, I like my Rubicon Express parts. For tires, I would go with Goodyear Duratracs, they are relatively inexpensive, relatively quiet, and have excellent on and off road capabilities. You might want to consider installing a set of JKS sway bar disconnects as they work well, and are as silent as the factory links, and will allow more articulation.

Since you mentioned that you don't intend to go off road very often, I would purchase a set of 29" tires, and perform some mild fender trimming. If you don't want to trim the fenders, then a set of coil spacers sized 2" or less, and a set leaf spring blocks of the same height will provide you with the space you need for slightly bigger tires. I would also recommend removing your rear sway bar, you don't really need it, and it inhibits rear articulation.

These mods are easy to perform, easy to reverse, light on the wallet, and will provide a substantial improvement over a stock XJ.

If you go bigger, keep in mind that you will need to install a slip yoke eliminator and a custom rear drive shaft, and if you plan on running taller tires you will need gears, especially since it's your daily driver, and and and....What I am trying to say is that it's a vicious cycle; a slippery slope, and a steep one at that. Keep your lift small, and if you decide to go bigger, then you can always sell your old parts as you upgrade to bigger and better things later on.

As for ordering parts, I have had good luck with Quadratec, and they will send you a free catalog tailored specifically to XJ/ZJs.
Quadratec
Goodyear Duratrac 235/75/15 (28.8")

Cheers

i dont know why i love them so much, but those duratracks are a sexy tire.

i run a budget boost from IRO (Iron Rock Offroad) using 2" coil spacers and a 2.5" AAL and 31's on my beater cost me like $120 shipped, i'll be going to 33's on the same lift once i get my 4.56 gears installed

my brother is running an RC (Rough Country) 3" Series II lift with 31s on his dd, if you get this get the full replacement packs tho, def worth it

budget boost w/ light trimming on 31's


3" RC kit on the old 30" Cooper ST's:

Dont use blocks to lift it. I had 2" blocks on the back of mine, and they sucked caused way to much axle wrap with stick springs and I ate up drive lines.
I would do a small budget boost, teraflex has a 2"ish lift for 140 pucks in front shackles in the back.
Then run 30s-31s with little to no trimming. I run 30s on my 93 with no lift and very little trimming

I ran 31 bfg km1s with a 3" and rubbed flares

4- to 4.5" is a little high for a DD. As lightly touched on before, lift heights above 3" on the Cherokee start to cause ride issues because of the increased front control arm angles. If you're not planning on wheeling much, and just light wheeling/trail-riding, keep it low for better street performance.

Most kit manufacturers say 3" to fit 31" tires because if some idiot can make a tire rub they'll probably be hearing from a lawyer. You can do 31"s with 2", and until you get into big rocks, you'll be wondering what the big deal is. Actually, you can run 31"s on the street at stock height and never have a problem.

Any good at scrounging? Try this:
http://www.rocklizardfabrications.com/home_brew_budget_boost.htm

Might also want to consider the 30x9.50s instead of the 31"s. If you're only into light wheeling, the 30"s will work just fine.
Don't worry too much if the tires contact the flares a little. I managed to blow both front flares off my '00 wit 225-75x15s.(no damage, just had to re-install the flares) If you try hard enough, anything can be made to rub.

Here's 30" tires, no lift.(at least until the last few pics)
2000 Cherokee, 30" tires
The lift in the last 4 pics is Old Man Emu, medium duty rear springs(stockers were shot) and Grand chero.,V-8,upcountry front springs. I'm going to put about an inch spacer up front to level it out.

BB and 31's like said before its pretty close to stock, and give ya enough room to have some fun in it