4.5 RE w/33 inch tires, Good daily driver

I am getting the RE 4.5 with 33's. I use this vehicle for a DD already. what type of problems, gas milage and other stuff do I need to look for?

Also getting a Rear tire carrier and possible a ARB bumper. Thanks for the replies in advance.

540ismiley said:

I am getting the RE 4.5 with 33's. I use this vehicle for a DD already. what type of problems, gas milage and other stuff do I need to look for?

Also getting a Rear tire carrier and possible a ARB bumper. Thanks for the replies in advance.

Click to expand...

Are you only lifting it and putting bigger tires on? You might want to consider regearing to help with the extra weight, air resistance and so on. This should improve your mileage. Also look into SYE as vibes might rear their ugly head making it not streat worthy (other potential "solutions" include dropping tcase a bit and shimming the rear: search for those and you should find plenty discussions as to how and why and where ).

540ismiley said:

I am getting the RE 4.5 with 33's. I use this vehicle for a DD already. what type of problems, gas milage and other stuff do I need to look for?

Also getting a Rear tire carrier and possible a ARB bumper. Thanks for the replies in advance.

Click to expand...

don't look to ask questions about how to get better MPG 3 months from now :laugh3:


he pretty much covered it. you're adding weight and height.

so the things you'll want to address are the same things anyone lifting will want to look out for and kejtar pretty much summed it up.

for what it's worth, i dd with 4.5" of lift and 32's and the only thing i don't like is the gas mileage. but i realize it's the price i gotta pay to play

My XJ is 4.5" and 33's.....I get about 16-17mpg on the highway at 65mph, I get about 13mpg around town....but I drive very light on the gas AND have 4.56 gears.

I have the RE 4.5" system with 2" of spacing. Its sitting at around 6" of lift right now and I have 32" tires. I'm going to 35" tires and regearing.

Other than gas mileage, does anybody think I'll have a problem with that size of tire? And yes, I've done quite a bit of cutting on the fenders already. I know I might have to do more.

Thanks guys, i am not complaining about gas milage. My wife will though.
So next question. With 4.5 RE lift everything should be included in the kit right? So nothing else except for the SYE and t case drop?

Kejtar said:

Are you only lifting it and putting bigger tires on? You might want to consider regearing to help with the extra weight, air resistance and so on. This should improve your mileage. Also look into SYE as vibes might rear their ugly head making it not streat worthy (other potential "solutions" include dropping tcase a bit and shimming the rear: search for those and you should find plenty discussions as to how and why and where ).

Click to expand...

Rami,

I will add that it would depend on what year XJ it is because my 94 did great for about 7 months without a t-case drop or shimming of the axle. I did get the longer slip yoke for the t-case and that help out. I would certainly re-gear.

Joe said:

I will add that it would depend on what year XJ it is because my 94 did great for about 7 months without a t-case drop or shimming of the axle. I did get the longer slip yoke for the t-case and that help out. I would certainly re-gear.

Click to expand...

While that is somewhat true, the longer slip yoke is there more to help with potential binding issues on the ujoint then length as it offers abotu 1/4" (if even) of extra length.

ive got 4.5 with 33s. YOU WILL NEED 4.56s, sye, cv driveshaft for it to become a reliable daily driver. i get around 15 highway and 12 around town, which isnt bad for an 89 with 191,000 miles. u can get by without doing any of this but it wont be reliable and will tear itself and ur wallet apart.

I found some RE 3 inch coils and adjustable LCA's for $220. I was wondering if I started with this set up, what I would need to achieve 4.5 inches and would i save any money by piecing it together. Instead of buying the RE 4.5 lift or something comparable.

you would need a Budget boost of about 2 inches to atleast to get maybe 4.5. a set of new springs in the rear.

Ok, so I need shocks (probaly OME EXTENDEND TRAVEL), rear springs (thinking RE 4.5's), SYE and drive shaft, brake lines and front shakles 1.5s. that should be it right? :repair:

If your gonna wheel on 33's, It would be a good idea to check all your tierod ends and balljoints out. A steeering box brace would also be nice, but you could add that any time.

540ismiley said:

I found some RE 3 inch coils and adjustable LCA's for $220. I was wondering if I started with this set up, what I would need to achieve 4.5 inches and would i save any money by piecing it together. Instead of buying the RE 4.5 lift or something comparable.

Click to expand...

I recommend doing once, doing it right. I am in the middle of gathering all of my pieces to grow from an RE 3.5" to around 5". I had several people tell me to wait and buy the 4.5", but I was too eager and bought the 3.5". I do like it and it flexes like crazy, but I am usually one of the smallest XJ's in the bunch when I go wheelin, not to mention I have several scrapes on my skids plates that would not be there if I were a little taller.

Like everyone has said, you will want to re-gear when you get over 31" tires. I run 31's on my 2000 and it does OK with gas mileage. I will be regearing to 4.56's and running 32's or 33's.

You may be able to find the used parts you need to do a 4+" lift and save a little money there. Maybe look for a set of 4" leafs, and some 3.5" ZJ front coils. You can always use a spacer and a shackle to get a little more lift. You will need to do soemthing with your trac bar, either buy a nicer, adj one or re-drill for your factory (depends on how high you go). You will need U-bolts, sway-bar end links or disconnects, shocks fit to the lift, SYE & driveshaft, and maybe upper and lower control arms. The good thing with the kits, is that you will get almost everything you need. RE is one of the best on market, IMHO. Check with the vendors, they all have good pricing.

Good luck!

Robert

I would like a RE kit. But after much contemplation and disccusions, I think I will get the Rusty's 4.5 inch lift. From everything I have read and questions asked it seems they are very comparable. I have found several sources that have had the Rusty's 4.5 inch kit for 3 years or more without problems. Which is great news considering it is 3 bills cheaper than RE.

Thanks for the input.

540ismiley said:

I would like a RE kit. But after much contemplation and disccusions, I think I will get the Rusty's 4.5 inch lift. From everything I have read and questions asked it seems they are very comparable. I have found several sources that have had the Rusty's 4.5 inch kit for 3 years or more without problems. Which is great news considering it is 3 bills cheaper than RE.

Thanks for the input.

Click to expand...

Rusty's doesn't come with free shipping, shocks, UCS'a or discos. Add it up and the RE kit is a lot cheaper.

I just put on a RE4.5 with the add-a-leaf and block (building my own rear leaf pack so I thought I would save a bit) with shock from PORC in Georgia shipped to my door in Portland, Oregon for $702. It came with everything needed including a 1" TC drop. I don't have a SYE and have pretty much no vibes other than from the tires. I am running 34x9.5 TSL's and for the time being I only have 3.55 gears and a rear locker. With the automatic it has worked well as long as you don't have to pass someone going 65. It will do it, it just takes alittle time. Also, I'm not to concerned about my gas milage, I went from a built V8 truck with 6 MPG to whatever this thing is getting, but I know it is more than double that in the city.

HammsBoy said:

V8 truck with 6 MPG to whatever this thing is getting, but I know it is more than double that in the city.

Click to expand...

Double???? You have a very light foot

34's with stock gears usaully get you about 8-10 mpg around town...still beats 6 though!!!!

Before you buy Rustys, call Dirk at DPGoffroad.com! Once you get HIS price, factor in shipping etc, you will want RE if your gonna wheel it.

If its a mall crawler, get the rustys if it saves you a little.

in the big pic, even if you save $500 on the lift, but then replace it all out of disappoinment, is that really saving money? NO! Or worse, you don't like your jeep anymore and sell it......


Think,
Jason

I bought the 4.5 kit a couple years ago and upgraded to the ome & HD trackbar and it was a nice kit but the control arm angles were getting pretty steep. I just bought some drop brackets and now it rides really nice....I also discovered 2 weeks ago that one of my leaves broke in half in one of my leaf packs. I ended up putting leaf from an MJ and 1 from a s10 and it bumped the rear up nicely....

so basically I'm saying buy the 5.5" kit