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New here just some questions.

Restruction

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Columbia TN
Hi all, (not sure where this belongs please move if necessary)

I'm new here to this forum I just wanted to say Hi and that I have some questions that perhaps this forum could answer, I recently got a new XJ a 89 Cherokee Pioneer. Now I want to lift it about 3-3.5" and put some bigger tires on it. I have some tires in mind its just that I do not currently have a lift in mind so perhaps someone could help me find a lift kit for my new XJ. If this helps any my jeep is a 5 speed. This is a beater Jeep.

The tire size I would like is 31x10.50R15 or 32x11.50R15.

These are the tire choices could someone please give me the pros and cons to the size tires and will the inch difference make much of a difference? Also could someone please tell me what will do better in the Mud and Snow/Ice/Rain.

M8060 Trepador - Maxxis (31x10.50R15)

Cooper Discoverer STT (31x10.50R15) or (32x11.50R15)

Wrangler MT/R With Kevlar (31x10.50R15) or (32x11.50R15)

Could someone also tell me what kind of Rims I should get and the Backspacing I should get? I've been told 15x8 with a 4" backspacing is this correct?

Thanks in advance.
 
Welcome. Imo you cannot beat the STT's as for size the narrower the better the mpg the wider the better they float if your not going to re gear the shorter the better I run 31*1050*15 and love them can't wait to try them in the snow good luck
 
I vote the coopers as well. 15x8 with 3.75-4" would be perfect I would also look at 265/75R15 or 285/75R16's same rim setup.
 
How well do the cooper do in the mud and snow compared to the MT/R's? Also what kind of lift should I go with I'm open to all suggestions. Thank you for your help 89xjdd and cdawall.
 
Welcome! To your new addiction, that is! haha Ok I cannot comment on any of those tires from personal experience but I can say I would recommend staying away from the MTRs as a good friend of mine had them on his XJ in 31x10.50r15 and hated them compared to the BFG KM1 that he had before the MTRs and then again after the MTRs.

Next I would recommend going with a Rubicon Express 3.5" lift for a few reasons. First, good track record (yes there will be some who will come out and say RE sucks they are a bunch of hype, yadda, yadda, yadda) I have their stuff and couldn't be happier and much happier than the BDS stuff I had before and much better than the Rustys stuff another friend of mine had on his, stiff enough to rattle your teeth out of your head. Second, RE under rates their lift heights, so the 3.5 will probably get you closer to 4" which is something you want especially if you are considering 32s. Older XJs can get by squeezing in a slightly larger tire per lift height compared to the 97+ XJs. So you could probably get away with a 32 with a RE 3.5" lift.

Another good thing about your Jeep is that since you have a 5-speed your axles should have come with 3.07 gears in them. Since your tire size goal is on the smaller side of the oversized XJ tire sizes a full re-gear is hard to warrant since power isn't terrible and mileage is bearable. BUT, you can swap axles from an XJ that came with the automatic transmission as those Jeeps came with 3.55 gears. This is a cheap way for you to get an axle re-gear! Used axles at a local junkyard can often be had for $400 or less for a good low pinion non-vacuum disconnect front Dana 30 from 91-99 XJs and rear 29 spline Chrysler 8.25 axle from a 96+ XJ. If you are thinking "woah, axle swap? Thats too much I can't do that. That takes a lot of technical know how" well it really isn't that bad and if you plan to do the lift yourself you are doing almost everything you would need to pull and axle when you install the lift components. The front axle you would only need to pull out the upper control arms, disconnect the brake lines, and disconnect the driveshaft to get it out beyond all that you would be removing to put the lift components on. On the rear it is simply a matter of disconnecting brake lines and the driveshaft and voila the rear axle can come out! It is really quite easy and there might be some guys near you that your can get in touch with in your local chapter that probably wouldn't mind lending a hand.

Probably overwhelmed you with information just now so sorry about that haha

Welcome again and good luck! Happy Jeeping!
 
Great information thank you Ben824.

Why did your friend hated the MT/R with Kevlar?

Please anyone who has input please tell me anything about a lift kit or tires. I'd go with a RE kit but my friend has the exact same one that Ben824 has mentioned. Trying to go cost effective and keep the jeep different from my friends.

Thanks in advance.
 
Ben824 gave you some good advice, I agree with virtually everything he said. with one one exception. You'll want to look for a High pinion Dana 30 (if you WERE to do an axle swap) as they have better clearance and can be found on all 97+ XJ's. If you're mechanically inclined enough to tackle the lift your self than you can handle an axle swap with ease. The Rubicon Express 3.5" kits are a great platform to build off of, a great starting point, a very complete kit thats strong and capable, and wont knock the fillings out of your teeth driving down the road. A lot of guys swear by the Rough Country kits as well, but use a higher end shock as their springs (like Rusty's - just not as bad) tend to be on the stiff side.There's a TON of junkyard parts that you can Frankenstein together to get a decent amount of lift. Bastard packs for the rear (regardless of what you do, swap your rear leafs out- dont do an "Add-A-Leaf"... chances are your rear leafs are already sagging and you just barely be putting a band-aid over them instead of doing it the right way.) For the front you have a ton of options, ZJ coils, Lincoln Mark 5 coils (I think), and several others to get you over stock, add a spacer, and you'll be at 3" before you know it and have plenty of money left over for axles, armor (this is important) and/or tires. If your new to XJ's and offroading I would highly recommend getting the High Performance Jeep Cherokee XJ Builders Guide - http://www.ericsxj.com/book.htm, its an invaluable source of information from a well respected XJ Builder/wheeler in the Jeep community. I have one, and i STILL read it just to refresh myself on some things here and there. You're right on the money with the wheel spacing 3.75-4" is perfect, any more than that and you might as well go full widths, or get out the sawzall, as you'll be rubbing all over the place. -Keep doing a lot of research, you'll find the direction you'll want to go. And dont be afraid of Craigslist. You'll be surprised what you can find.
 
Ben824 gave you some good advice, I agree with virtually everything he said. with one one exception. You'll want to look for a High pinion Dana 30 (if you WERE to do an axle swap) as they have better clearance and can be found on all 97+ XJ's. If you're mechanically inclined enough to tackle the lift your self than you can handle an axle swap with ease. The Rubicon Express 3.5" kits are a great platform to build off of, a great starting point, a very complete kit thats strong and capable, and wont knock the fillings out of your teeth driving down the road. A lot of guys swear by the Rough Country kits as well, but use a higher end shock as their springs (like Rusty's - just not as bad) tend to be on the stiff side.There's a TON of junkyard parts that you can Frankenstein together to get a decent amount of lift. Bastard packs for the rear (regardless of what you do, swap your rear leafs out- dont do an "Add-A-Leaf"... chances are your rear leafs are already sagging and you just barely be putting a band-aid over them instead of doing it the right way.) For the front you have a ton of options, ZJ coils, Lincoln Mark 5 coils (I think), and several others to get you over stock, add a spacer, and you'll be at 3" before you know it and have plenty of money left over for axles, armor (this is important) and/or tires. If your new to XJ's and offroading I would highly recommend getting the High Performance Jeep Cherokee XJ Builders Guide - http://www.ericsxj.com/book.htm, its an invaluable source of information from a well respected XJ Builder/wheeler in the Jeep community. I have one, and i STILL read it just to refresh myself on some things here and there. You're right on the money with the wheel spacing 3.75-4" is perfect, any more than that and you might as well go full widths, or get out the sawzall, as you'll be rubbing all over the place. -Keep doing a lot of research, you'll find the direction you'll want to go. And dont be afraid of Craigslist. You'll be surprised what you can find.

I meant to say high pinion I have no idea why I said low.
 
Great information thank you Ben824.

Why did your friend hated the MT/R with Kevlar?

Please anyone who has input please tell me anything about a lift kit or tires. I'd go with a RE kit but my friend has the exact same one that Ben824 has mentioned. Trying to go cost effective and keep the jeep different from my friends.

Thanks in advance.

His experience was with the older non-kevlar MTR so I can't say much for the new one but I haven't heard much about the new ones. I am running the BFG KM2 and absolutely love them couldn't have picked a better tire and will definitely be buying another set after these wear out.

I know you don't want to copy your buddy but at the same time you definitely want to buy the best kit and you can make yours different in other ways with other accessories. Even if you go with another kit giving the similar amount of lift it will still look the same.
 
Ben824 gave you some good advice, I agree with virtually everything he said. with one one exception. You'll want to look for a High pinion Dana 30 (if you WERE to do an axle swap) as they have better clearance and can be found on all 97+ XJ's. .

This isn't true, 00-01 use the LP
 
This isn't true, 00-01 use the LP

I included the year range for the high pinion Dana 30 axles in my first post here except for some reason I typed "low pinion" instead of "high pinion" which I still don't know why I did that. But just to reiterate the OP would want a High Pinion Dana 30 out of any automatic XJ from 91-99.
 
*thumbs up*
Just so the OP knows, it sure would suck to go out to the jy and pull the wrong one.

and to add relevance, I'd recommend the new kevlars to anyone. surprisingly good road manners too
 
Thank you everyone for helping this new Jeeper out. I think I am out of my element when you talk about doing an axle swap. I'm good with my hands but not that good when it comes to car mechanics lol.

I'm a little surprised that no one recommended the Maxxis Trepadors I thought that they would be a good candidate with the other tires mentioned, Now that I've narrowed it down to the two tires the Cooper STT and the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R K's I've just some questions that goes for both tires, here are the questions.

Which one is better for on road driving as in rain and snow?

What tire is better for mud and snow?

What is the tread life on both tires?

If pitted against one another in a mud test what tire would come out on top?

What has stronger side walls?

What will offer the most traction?

Sorry for the elementary school questions I am just to new to this whole Jeeping thing and off roading thing. I just want to make sure that I do this right and that I don't miss anything along the way to when I start building my new XJ up to what I want it to be.

Thanks in advance.
 
Thank you everyone for helping this new Jeeper out. I think I am out of my element when you talk about doing an axle swap. I'm good with my hands but not that good when it comes to car mechanics lol.

I'm a little surprised that no one recommended the Maxxis Trepadors I thought that they would be a good candidate with the other tires mentioned, Now that I've narrowed it down to the two tires the Cooper STT and the Goodyear Wrangler MT/R K's I've just some questions that goes for both tires, here are the questions.

The Maxxis are a good tire, but no one here really uses them and for the money I wouldn't get them.
Which one is better for on road driving as in rain and snow?
On the road the MT/R should a be a better tire
What tire is better for mud and snow?
Mud=Cooper, Snow=MT/R
What is the tread life on both tires?
30-50K area on both.
If pitted against one another in a mud test what tire would come out on top?
Cooper
What has stronger side walls?
Up for grabs I personally see the Kevlar as a gimmick, as does Pitbull. Both tires have a strong sidewall.
What will offer the most traction?
Depends on the surface. MT/R does stand for maximum traction/reinforced sidewall. That being said I have seen both on similar rigs with the same tire size on the same rocks and both did about the same. Oh and neither ate a sidewall.
Sorry for the elementary school questions I am just to new to this whole Jeeping thing and off roading thing. I just want to make sure that I do this right and that I don't miss anything along the way to when I start building my new XJ up to what I want it to be.

Thanks in advance.

No problem gotta learn somewhere.
 
Thank you for all your help everyone. I think I have a mini build list. When I mean Mini I mean a really small build list. Correct me if I'm wrong with the wheels and back spacing.

XJ 3.5in SUPERRIDE KIT


http://www.seriousoffroadproducts.c...=86098&zenid=3f84d6b455cb10f03a6c5a8e9d36dd7f

Cherokee XJ 84-01, Front, 3.5-4" Lift (Shocks)


http://www.seriousoffroadproducts.c...fo&cPath=419_1326_1335_1336&products_id=87780

Cherokee XJ 84-01, Rear, 3.5-4" Lift (Shocks)


http://www.seriousoffroadproducts.c...fo&cPath=419_1326_1335_1336&products_id=87781

Alloy USA Differential Cable Lock System (A permanent 4wd fix for me)

http://www.quadratec.com/products/52435_0101.htm



Black Rock Series 950 Lobo Steel Wheel in Matte Black

15x8 with a 4" Backspacing <--- Tell me if that is good enough for my tires.


Item # 92613.0512
950581240

http://www.quadratec.com/products/92613_05XX_B_PG.htm



Wrangler MT/R with Kevlar



32x11.50R15


http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Goodyear&tireModel=Wrangler+MT%2FR+with+Kevlar&sidewall=Blackwall&partnum=215QR5WMTRK&tab=Sizes


Daylighter - 6" Rnd Long Range - Chrome


http://www.kchilites.com/lights/daylighter/daylighter-100-watt-long-range-chrome



That's my "mini" build list tell me what you think. Maybe you can improve it, I'm open to any suggestions. If I did something wrong please let me know, but I think I got everything right.

Thank you for all your help.
 
there's tons of information to be had by searching through the forums and reading the faqs. a lot of the questions you're asking have no definite answer, mostly opinion based.

Companies pay out a lot of money to convince you that their product is the "best". whats best for you might not be best for someone else. hypothetically, is best for you to spend top dollar on a huge lift and beefy tires, and then not being able to afford gas and payments?

sidewall is measured in ply. every tire has advertised ply amounts
tread life varies by cut and brand(a/t, mud, etc)

the best thing you can do is read and research and when you come to something that doesn't make sense, ask away. but at least put in the effort first. a lot of your questions would be answered by going to the manufacturer's site and looking at that specific product. Its all right there, so you might as well go look for yourself.
 
A quick question. Do I need a sye kit for my XJ if I lift it 3.5"s?

Every Jeep is different when it comes to this subject. Some Jeeps can be lifted 6 inches without harsh vibes and some put a 2 inch budget boost and cant hardly make it down the road over 40 mph without having their teeth rattled out of their heads. The rear output design for the transfercase was redesigned in 96 and that design is more sensitive to steep driveline angles but still no guarantee that is will happen. I have installed lifts ranging from 2" budget boost to 4.5" on atleast 12 Jeeps over the past 9 years and only one has had serious driveline vibes to the point where it absolutely needed an SYE kit and CV driveshaft installed.
 
If I may..... I'd recommend switching to the superFLEX kit vs. the superRIDE... the difference is going to be a set of quick disconnects that you'll find invaluable when you're off road.
Just my suggestion.
 
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