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How much lift??? The question the wallet doesn't want to know the answer to?

JARaney7186

NAXJA Forum User
I have a 97' XJ Sport. I have installed Rusty's Flares. I cut the front's out up to the washer bottle and installed the rear's just south of the door crease. I have a set of 33x12.5x15 General Grabber M/T's on 15x8's with 4.5 BS. I don't rock crawl and mud only during deer season. How much lift do I need? Advice would be nice!!
 
However much you want! With 33s and trimmed fenders you could probably get by with a 2" lift minimum for semi decent up travel. I'd do a 3 or 4" because there really isn't a need to go any higher and a lower Center of gravity is always good. If your on a budget I'd do a 3" because there's less things you'll have to change to get that high.
 
If you are on a budget I would run a Superior automotive shackle (part # 13-4100) costs about $35, can be found at most any autoparts store on it's tallest setting it is good for 2.6" of lift

for the front you could build a coil spacer ($10 in materials) or run 80s-90s v-6 thunderbird front coils

well this is what mine looks like on 3" lift, cut fenders and 33s

DSCF3193.jpg


DSCF3201.jpg


DSCF3210.jpg


DSCF3212.jpg

trimmed it a little more since this... it now has NO lip and I rewelded the inner and outter fender

made these flares, great for guys like us that want small lift and 'big' tires

DSCF3330.jpg


DSCF3331.jpg
 
might wanna consider piecing together a lift.... or consider a different kit than the rusty's. generally i've seen people have bad experiences with rusty's products. i've never run a rustys product, but i would do some research and decide for yourself.

IMO piecing together a 2-3" lift would be the best and cheapest option. you can usually find 3" coils pretty cheap on craigslist, and there are many "bastard pack" options for the rear. and for shocks, JK shocks are plentifull, cheap and work well. your stock control arms will suffice, and so will your trackbar, although an adjustable unit is recommended.
 
I have been towing with the idea of Rusty's 3" with new spring packs. I assume the new coils and leafs will give me more than the advertised 3"?

maybe, maybe not

the big problem with Add A Leafs in the rear is that if they are sagging to begin with you will get less than the advertised lift... they DO NOT wear out quickly as long as your springs are in good shape to begin with
 
With a 97, an SYE becomes almost a guarantee, if you're looking to maintain good reliability. 97+ are much more sensitive than 95-. 96's are confused and some use the new style tailcone, some use the old. Mine uses the new. I was ok at 1.5", but 5" caused horrible vibes. Mind you, I never ran anything in between. Factor in at least a hack and tap SYE. That's what I'm running and including new driveshaft and shipping, it was under $500. If you run a stock front shaft you could get it much cheaper. The SYE was only $100.

I'd say, figure out how the tires fit and how much more clearance you need to achieve the travel and performance you want, then lift it to that height and bumpstop accordingly.
 
might wanna consider piecing together a lift.... or consider a different kit than the rusty's. generally i've seen people have bad experiences with rusty's products. i've never run a rustys product, but i would do some research and decide for yourself.

IMO piecing together a 2-3" lift would be the best and cheapest option. you can usually find 3" coils pretty cheap on craigslist, and there are many "bastard pack" options for the rear. and for shocks, JK shocks are plentifull, cheap and work well. your stock control arms will suffice, and so will your trackbar, although an adjustable unit is recommended.

I found a guy who just put a lift on his Rubicon and offered me his shocks. He only has 3 because he had to cut the other off. Will all three be the same or is it different for the front and the rear? Also, how much lift can I had using those OEM JK shocks? Thanks
 
I found a guy who just put a lift on his Rubicon and offered me his shocks. He only has 3 because he had to cut the other off. Will all three be the same or is it different for the front and the rear? Also, how much lift can I had using those OEM JK shocks? Thanks

the front and rear are different...

just install the 2 that match and get 2 new cheapo shocks, best not to mix and match shocks
 
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