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3" and 31's capable for expedition type vehicle?

USAF007

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Red Oak, Iowa
Hey all, So I am SO torn on 31's and 3" or going up to a 4.5" lift and say 32's or 33's.

The role of this jeep is a DD that will be used for weekend wheeling/camping trips. I really like the idea of an expedition type rig, and plan on putting a front winch bumper and rear bumper with tire carrier, along with cooling upgrades, dual battery kit, upgraded alternator and wiring, etc. just stuck on how high and what size tires to go with.

I currently have BRAND new 235 duratracs on her, and i absolutely love them, so this is my tire of choice, and if I could get away with the lift and these tires until I can get new tires and sell these, that would be perfect.

Thanks for the help guys!
 
3" and 31's is perfect for an expo rig. Most expo wheeling is done on trails etc. that are easily doable on moderate lift and tire options.
 
Edit: reading comprehension seems to have eluded me

Get the 3.5 leaf pack, you can always add shackle relocators and longer.shackles to gain.lift and.improve ride.later
 
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Hey all, So I am SO torn on 31's and 3" or going up to a 4.5" lift and say 32's or 33's.

The role of this jeep is a DD that will be used for weekend wheeling/camping trips. I really like the idea of an expedition type rig, and plan on putting a front winch bumper and rear bumper with tire carrier, along with cooling upgrades, dual battery kit, upgraded alternator and wiring, etc. just stuck on how high and what size tires to go with.

I currently have BRAND new 235 duratracs on her, and i absolutely love them, so this is my tire of choice, and if I could get away with the lift and these tires until I can get new tires and sell these, that would be perfect.

Thanks for the help guys!

3" and 33's work good for what you've described... :D

20130818_173023_zps6806198f.jpg
 
Hi there, my Xj is a DD and a weekend warrior, love to go out camping, do long range off road trips and some prerunning over at Baja, I have a 4.5 LA lift and run 31" BFG all terrain on my 97 std trans Xj, and it works great, have a set of Fox bypass piggy back 2.0 up front, and a set of Fox 2.0 RR on the back, don't relay need bigger tires, that size and lift height work fine, you have lot's of wheel travel so tiers don't rub on the fender wells.
 
Here is mine that is 4.5" currently on 31's but I built it for for the 33's it will get later, if you care to look.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1080904
I could not be any happier with my setup.

I have wheeled with FlexdXJ and his rig performs well so either height would suit your needs well IMO. (not helping I know)
 
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3" and 31s or 33s for expo is great. Honestly, if you were to add a locker or two or locker and a posi you would be amazed what the thing would do on 31s and 3". Add some skids and sliders, stronger steering, and call it done. You could even do selectables f/r and a 4:1 and then you would have a sleeper for sure.
 
If you go with a 3" lift you can run the 235's still. That is what I did for a while before I got bigger tires. Nice thing about using the smaller tires for meow, is that you do not need to re-gear.
Do take note, whether you re-gear or not, going above 30s will take a hit on your mileage.
Definitely consider frame stiffeners before anything else, especially since you already want to go higher.
 
You can do 31s" pretty easy with stock wheels, you will probably need a SYE to make sure your drive line angle does not cause vibrations. New motor mounts to stablize exhaust. Several height adustment/spring technics.

Larger than 31's, and I sometmes wish I hadn't gone to 33s, will rquire regearing. Probably new wheels, trimming of fenders, inaddition to new springs, shocks, exterior spare tire, and steering.

How much do you want to spend and how radical do you want to end-up with??
 
Screw the lift and tires... fill the fuel tank and get out there.

Dude your rig is one of the ones that has inspired me lol.

The big thing im torn with going up to 4.5" is from what I have seen/read, it adds ALOT of extra stuff you need to do vs a 3", and i havnt had anyone tell me that there are any huge gains other than the looks and if your rock crawling, which i dont do.

Thanks again guys! my biggest goal is for reliability. I know wiht the 6" on my f150, i was almost always having some sort of issue, the last straw being it wouldnt hold an alignment and was eating through tires like no one's business and 35's arnt cheap lol.

Im starting to realise there are some routine maintenance things I need to do with her as well that I wasn't aware of until recently. Never thought of the frame stiffners, will have to look into that, and I know the cooling and stearing are known weak points in our rigs, so I will look into the easiest way to strengthen those areas as well.
 
Here is mine that is 4.5" currently on 31's but I built it for for the 33's it will get later, if you care to look.
http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1080904
I could not be any happier with my setup.

I have wheeled with FlexdXJ and his rig performs well so either height would suit your needs well IMO. (not helping I know)

Im looking through your thread right now. Holy hell it is gorgeous man. Exactly what I want mine to look like. Your sitting at 4.5" with no SYE and no vibes? Thats where I keep getting hung up on the 4.5" is having to get a SYE, New driveshaft, etc.
 
Hey all, So I am SO torn on 31's and 3" or going up to a 4.5" lift and say 32's or 33's.

3", 31's, rock rails, skids, good bumper and winch. Use quality parts, keep on top of maintenance, keep the weight of the rig as low as possible, drive it for 300k miles.
 
3", 31's, rock rails, skids, good bumper and winch. Use quality parts, keep on top of maintenance, keep the weight of the rig as low as possible, drive it for 300k miles.

Thanks man. I really like the RC 3" series II kit, but i've heard nothing but great things about the EMO kits as well. Decisions decisions lmao
 
i've heard nothing but great things about the EMO kits as well.

I think you might be talking about Old Man Emu (OME). I had their 3" springs on my WJ paired with Bilstien 5100's. Rode amazing!

I am planning on running their coils and leafs on my 98.
 
I have my XJ set up for the same thing, DD and expedition rig. I'm running about 2.5" lift and 31's. It goes just about anywhere I want without tearing it up too much.
1275630_10100492701833487_1487050748_o.jpg
 
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