Help with lifting a 92 XJ

I'm kinda new to this whole Jeep thing and thought I'd seek some advice before I jumped in. I just picked up a 92 XJ, 4.0L manual, and was looking at making a DD/wheeler outta it. I want to run 33's on the stock wheels, and can't really spend a whole lot. What I wanna know is ..

1. How much lift do I need?
2. What does everyone mean by "minor trimming" ??
3. What brand of lift does everyone suggest, keep in mind the budget .. /grin!

I'm not a novice at building off roaders at all, just sold my '79 full size Chev to make room for the "family truckster" (wife already named it).

Thanks in advance!

1, 2. 33s on stock wheels is not a good combo. Stock backspacing is 5.25" but you need something closer to 4" BS instead. Lfting the Jeep enough to fit 33s isn't a cheap combo either; you can expect to spend a goodly amount of money for 5.5" lift, rims, tires, axles, driveshaft, SYE, etc... If you have a D35 rear it's definitely ripe for an upgrade. You need to regear both axles, 4.56 is a good recommendation there, and you might want to save some money on labor to throw a locker in while the axles are getting regeared.

3. 2" Rubicon Express Budget Boost with long AALs; 30" tires and it's a good daily driver/offroad combo for a low price. If you decide to budget for a bigger lift, RE is still definitely a way to go.

Took a look at the RE 2" kit, what about the 3.5" Super-Flex w/31's, any troubles there (SYE needed etc) ?? I'm really looking to go bigger than 30's right away as I know I won't be happy with em at all. I tend to spend more time on rocks/logs than on dunes and what-not and would like a little more ground clearance.

Thanks again

That's 2" and 30s, with the front swaybar connected. I liked it, but eventually gave in and did the 4.5" lift, axle swap, etc

There are quite a few folks here running the RE 3.5" with 31s and from what I hear they certainly like it. You can still run stock rims with that as well, which definitely helps the budget.

Don't forget that with all the RE kits you can customize and upgrade them with other parts as desired. JKS Quicker Disconnects are light years ahead of the original RE Discos. I haven't seen enough of the new RE Gen II Discos to know if they're comparable. You will probably not need an SYE with the 92 XJ, but be aware that the lift may have vibrations that require an SYE and driveshaft.

get the sye now........b/c you will need it when you go bigger






and you will go bigger...........you know it

Forgot to add - armor. Protect the oilpan, t-case, rockers, gas tank...

I'm taking armor as a given at this point, I know I'll need it. As far as me going bigger, yes, I can see it, just not in the near future ..

big lift + short wife = bad idea ;P

Also, any suggestions on a decent tire choice ?? Don't wanna give up too much on road for off road.

Thanks again )

Edit: Where is a good place to pick up the armor from? Still compiling my list of websites and unfortunately, it's still rather short

Who says you have to go bigger?
I'm happy with my stock height...make that budget boost....wait, 3 inches now....uh oh, I've already planned my piecework 5.5" lift!

For a good DD, 3" and 31's works well. RE makes great products. If you want to save some money, Teraflex actually makes a nice 3" kit. I was planning on getting an RE lift, but I had the Teraflex bought for me as a surprise and I'm not stupid enough to pass up a free lift! It actually rides really well for what it is (3" coils, add-a-leaf, and Rancho RS5000 shocks). Sams Offroad has it for $387.95 with free shipping. That's where mine was purchased and so far they've had excellent customer service. I also got JKS disco's at the same time.

The cheapest way to get skids is a junkyard if you can't make your own. The stock ones can hold up pretty well and found for not too much money.

Edit: Keep an eye on the For Sale section in here for some good deals on skids and lift parts. When people upgrade, their old parts turn up for pretty cheap and you can get together what you want.

Stay away from the factory front skid. It may work with stock height vehicles but with three inches of lift I had nothing but trouble with rocks getting wedged between it & the axle. First thing you should do is install rocker panel protection. Never ever go offroad in a Cherokee or Grand Cherokee without them. It costs big bucks to have a body shop cut them out & replace them when they get whacked. They are secondary structure.

Before lifting your XJ, figure out exactly what you want to do with it & how much body damage you want to subject it to. With more capability comes the powerful temptation to run more challenging trails, thus exposing your XJ to a greater potential for damage, rollovers & breakage.

From what I've seen the tallest practical buy & bolt on lift is about 5 - 6 inches. That will let you run about 33 inch tires- 35s with careful trimming. At that height, you'll need to address problems arising from steeper drive line angles, durability problems from running stock axles with big tires, re-gearing, and cost.

Of course, with a couple of lunchbox lockers and a budget boost with 30 inch tires and skillful driving you can go plenty of places with the family.

Tall XJ- short wife? No prob. You know those rocker guards you ARE gonna get? Fasten a chain loop to the inside. She can use that to step up into the rig and it'll be flexible enough to glide over most rocks. And you can make it easy to remove for when you need to

Thanks for the help guys, I decided to go with the RE 3.5" super flex and a set of 31's. Might have to throw in a t-case drop depending on vibe.

1

I had some 31 tires on my old ranger (which I sold when I saw the light of JEEP)

they were some wal-mart tires, the SUPERSPORT HT Radial, really its a mud terrain tire, but they call it a highway terrain (i still don't know why)

they were a good tire for the time I had them, they didn't sound like a P-51 mustang taking off while you're accelerating down the road, and they got a real good bite in most any kind of obstacle you could imagine.

and I got a lifetime service warranty

I liked them, some people didn't. but you couldn't beat the price for em, $100 for 31x10.5 mounted on my 15x8 rims - and the 33's only cost about $110 - the 33's were more aggressive than the 31's, but I didn't have the room for the 33's in my ol 83 ranger - so I didn't get them.

you should definitely look into them.

Im running 33x10.5 swampers with about 3.5 inches of lift but i trimmed the fender and made my own flares I dont rub too much hardly at all.
http://www.cardomain.com/ride/843054