some shock length help

alright well im buying a 3'' lift kit for now, my plan is to do a b-boost along with the kit shortly. my question is can i run a 4.5" lift shock on a 3" lift?....prolly a stupid one but i am seeing if i can save some money and just buy the bigger shock now with the kit instead of having to swap out shocks once i buy the b-boost kit.

thanks
Sean

I ran 8" shocks on my XJ before I added the rest of my lift and they worked fine, only problem is the back ones bottomed out a lot. If you're going to take it wheeling before putting the BB on I would get the 3" shocks first and then upgrade.

Most of the 3" lifts recommend stock length shocks.

Adding bar pin eliminators will extend the mount to mount length of stock shocks to fit a mildly lifted XJ.

Cutting or raising the rear axle shock mounts (those brackets that stick down below the axle and snag rocks) will also allow use of the stock length shocks while providing more ground clearance.

Stock YJ Wrangler front shocks will add a little length if you find the XJ shocks too short and want a budget alternative (before spending $$$ for high quality 4.5+ height shocks).

A well tuned XJ on stock shocks will still ramp 650 to 740, so for a 3" lift they can work good enough to get you over most trails where the limited tire height will take you.