What do I REALLY need? Newbie question

Newbie here, yes I have used the search funtion and looked on the net too. I've found a lot of half answers to my questions.

What I have:

1992 XJ, 4.0L, auto tranny with Select Trac transfer case, D30/35c axles, 3.55 gears.

What I want to use it for:

Driving up the local gravel logging roads in the winter to go snowshoeing to lakes and hiking trails with a better chance of getting there. During the wet seasons these roads can be slick and muddy but not usually a mud bog. The kind of stuff where open differentials can get you stuck.

In the summer exploring the old often abandoned forest roads, sometimes to old lookout towers. You know the type, often eroded with ruts, rocks sticking up etc.

I do not plan to climb big rocks and bolders or bogging through mud pits.

What I think I need:

31x9.5 Super Swampers or similar.

3" lift with new LCA and rear leafs.

Some type of selectable lockers, front and rear.

Where I'm confused:

How many steering and ride issues come with a 3" lift?

Are the stock axles strong enough for my kind of useage? Would heavy duty axle shafts be enough, or are D 44's the way to go?

And I am a guy so I err on the side of Testosterone and spending money. :laugh:

Get a 29 spline 8.25 or dana 44 for the rear.

4.10 gears front and rear

Look at a lift with lca's and uca's, as well as a trackbar and longer brake lines.

Do it right the first time.

People routinely run 31's on stock gearing, but upgrading to 4.10s is also common. The stock axles themselves should also be fine. If you are going to run swampers, I bet you'd be surprised where they'd go. I don't know exactly how challenging the terrain you are talking is, but swampers on open diffs WILL take you through a pretty goopy mud bog even with open diffs. I've seen open diffs with A/Ts and some decent wheelspeed go through some pretty thick stuff too, so I geuss it depends.

You should be fine with stock gearing unless you want 4.10s and stock axles. Unless you are going through some pretty hardcore stuff I don't think you'll need lockers either. You can upgrade all that stuff if you want, but its just gonna mean a lot of $$$.

Just my $.02

My opinion?

Sounds like this will be a street beater as well, so this is all based on REALLY handling well on the street still.

- Rear locker, really dont need a front one for your app, it would really help, sure, but just a rear locker will keep it's on road manners very close to stock (just dont punch it thru a turn).

- RE 3.5" Super Ride or SUper Flex kit, but as stated above, opt for the uppers as well, you CAN use the existing ones, but this can be a PITA to have to rip it all apart just to change UCA bushings. If you dont opt for uppers, replace the bushings while you're in there.

- Sway bar DIsco's for the front, home made or store bought, up to you.

- Remove rear sway bar altogether (Doesnt affect handling much at all, pretty useless item from the factory)

- M/T's, or SS's, a good tire will blow your mind.

And extra things, if you want to spend the money, 4.10's would be nice to get you back to stock ride, but 31's aren't really THAT bad (unless youve got the extra $$, although you're more than likely going to want to build that baby one day, and might just want to buy another one for your current use), I wouldnt personally spend money to regear unless I needed 4.55's or lower.

- DEFINITELY get a new ADJ HD track bar.

- replace all TRE's.

- replace ball joints (might as wel while you're in there, better to stop death wobble before it happens then to try to track it down (because each time DW happens it really puts a hurting to your front end, for lack of better words, and while youre chasing the cause, you'll be damaging other components)

- You'll be amazed what that 3.5" RE kit will do for you, and you'll never have to worry about it sagging, they make a VERY good kit that rides VERY well, and performs even better.

Be sure to get full leaf packs, stay away from blocks and AAL's.

And at 3" or higher, Just to be safe, you'll want a T-Case Drop (EASY, maybe $5) or an SYE and new rear driveshaft (about $500)

Not assuming you didn't know any of this, but I'd rather leave you overeducated than under.

Happy Jeepin!!

Oh, and BTW, here's a RE 3.5" superflex kit w/1 3/4" spacers, Full rear leaf pack, and 1" lift shackle. No trimming, 32x11.50 tires.



(Sorry it's a POSER!)

Thanks guys for the helpful info.

Off the top of my head I'm not sure what "TRE'S" are though?

tre's= tie rod ends
have fun with your new project

justin

Get skid plates and a winch. Call it done.

I'd follow Speed racers recommendation almost to a tee, but also add a new front bumper and Warn M8000 just in case you happen to get stuck some times. If you’re going to be out there by your self you need to bring a way to get yourself unstuck if the inevitable should happen.

it's amazing the difference a locker makes. use a selectable type, and then you can actually accelerate through corners on the street. Other than that, I agree with skids, and a winch. Stock ride height is just fine for 99% of dirt/gravel forrest roads.

I do have a Warn 8000 winch. This rig has been setup to be towed behind an RV so it has two receiver tubes on the front. I'm thinking of building some type of winch mount that will fit these two tubes. Also I want to be able to move the winch to the rear receiver.

Oh, since I'm planning to run narrow 31x9.5 tires how much backspace am I likely to need to keep the tires from rubbing the LCA? Since most people seem to run 10.5 wide tires I'm assuming I shouldn't have much issue with them rubbing the fenders? I don't want to trim them.

I'd suggest against super swampers like you mentioned in your first post. Especially if you're planning on driving it on the street, they wear pretty quick. Go with a tire that has a good tread pattern as well as a good tread life like MTR's or BFG Muds. Those are both really good tires that will last a long time with the wheeling you are planning on doing. As far as street use, keep them balanced and rotated (get SEARs to ballance them and take them back every oil change and say it threw a weight, they'll ballance them again for free if you have your recepit). I've got about 16,000 miles on my BFG's and about 50-60% tread left and I wheel it pretty hard.

xjfreak40 said:

it's amazing the difference a locker makes. use a selectable type, and then you can actually accelerate through corners on the street. Other than that, I agree with skids, and a winch. Stock ride height is just fine for 99% of dirt/gravel forrest roads.

Click to expand...

But a stock ride height doesn't involve spending money! :laugh:

I would really like the Detroit Electrac locker but it doesn't seem to be available for the D35 so that means an uprgrade to the D44.