99 XJ - Best Low $ Susp Lift kits ? 2.5" to 3.5" ?

Hi Folks - First time to this forum (or any forum). How much lift can I go SAFELY, keeping existing tires & shocks ? Currently have 30" BFGs & Bilstein 4600 shocks, in near stock height. So what also is the best TYPE of "set-up" for the $ value spent (add a leaf, shakles, just spacers ?) I don't care about the "looks" of the lift at all. I'm a hunter, and need to go further than just mild trails or fire roads. If it is "way better" to go the full NEW leafs in rear, i could spend the $ if needed. However, I'd rather put the extra $ into a lot of SKID PLATES, because I'm often alone when scouting. Getting up in years, so I don't want to get stranded in boonies. I for sure DON"T want to have to re-gear anything. Thanks for your opinions & suggestions.

you should ask this question in tech section for better results
this is the for sale section.

spacers up front work, blocks & AAL's will be all bad..well AAL's aren't all but but if you have crappy leafs to start with then ya the AAL will sag rather quickly & you will be back at square 1.
So do a full pack & be good for a long time, if not forever if they arent abused.! Do it once, do it right.

Roofer Brown said:

Hi Folks - First time to this forum (or any forum). How much lift can I go SAFELY, keeping existing tires & shocks ? Currently have 30" BFGs & Bilstein 4600 shocks, in near stock height. So what also is the best TYPE of "set-up" for the $ value spent (add a leaf, shakles, just spacers ?) I don't care about the "looks" of the lift at all. I'm a hunter, and need to go further than just mild trails or fire roads. If it is "way better" to go the full NEW leafs in rear, i could spend the $ if needed. However, I'd rather put the extra $ into a lot of SKID PLATES, because I'm often alone when scouting. Getting up in years, so I don't want to get stranded in boonies. I for sure DON"T want to have to re-gear anything. Thanks for your opinions & suggestions.

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If your at all mechanical I'd get yourself a leaf spring pack from an older 90's S-10, measure from the center pin to front eye and cut it off under your factory leaf do the same for the rear, the rest won't need cut. That will net you 4" with a full pack. So you'll only need maybe the large main leaf (but you'll have the extra leafs there for a taller lift later) At a junk yard it will cost you maybe $70 for a pair. For the front if you can either do 2" spacers and bundle up some isolator pads or you can do 2-3-4" coils for less than 150 a pair, you can get away with 3" on stock lower control arms but I wouldn't do much more.

Once you lift it, your axle up front won't be centered, so you'll need a track bar to fix that... Which is just another cost to a lift... Bare minimum if I were you I'd expect to pay between $400-800 for a complete lift. You can find lifts cheaper but your getting a half ass lift that's not complete.

Buy a lift kit with new full leaf springs, you'll be glad you did. They don't cost that much. No sense wasting time on piecing something together. Many of these guys are young and have to do everything super cheap, so be careful what advice you take. A kit can come with longer brake lines, longer sway bar links, raised bump stops, etc., all things that will be needed and without the kit will have to be pieced together. Can be done, but the kit is better.

And, this needs to get moved out of the for sale forum.

RC or RE front coils. OME rear leafs.