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35s, LAs, and a DD?

Locrdup

NAXJA Forum User
Well its almost time. Now everyone who has read some (ok alot) of my post in the past know I tend to be wishy washy about buying Jeep stuff. Well I've always wanted my Jeep to be big and now I almost have the funds, but I need some opinions, yes opinions

Heres the story on my Jeep, Its a dd that gets about 18k-20k miles a yr. put on her, almost all hwy miles (90%). Now I have been working my butt off and I sold my car I had. (2 insurance bills were more than I could handle) Anyways I have never been serious offroading, I've tested the limits of my Jeep and been stuck many a time. But as much as I drive on the hwy I would love to get a newer car or a Vette with lower miles to cruise the hwy.

The only thing holding me back from building the XJ is the fact that I worked my butt off to get the $$, but now I am having a hard time seeing myself putting $5k into mods on my Jeep and $5k is just the begining. It would kinda be wasting money because you never get what you put into it. Plus I do sooo much hwy. driving it seems like a bad idea.

Then again my Jeep is a 00 w/ 57k and it will be paid off in Dec. Also when I graduate College in Sept. I could buy a Civic or something as a 2nd car. I've just always had this picture of what my Jeep needs to look like and perform like. I love offroading and I really want a Jeep that can work for me offroad.

Anyone ever been in a position like this or have an opinion? and Yes, I will break down and get pics asap if/when I do build.

ohh hears my list:

- RE LA 5.5" w/ 1" bb
- fender cutting w/ no fenders
- 35" KMs on 15x8 Tech 1 RC 4.25 bs
- 4.56s w/ rear PowerTrax no-slip

This doesn't even incude upgrading axles or anything, man this hobby is expensive!
 
yes your right this hobby is expensive.

what you have for starters is pretty good.
I dont know how you wheel but with 35" tires after a while of wheeling you have to do something to the unibody or else it will start falling apart. first thing. get rid of the budget boost. Why the fawk would you need a budget boost if you dont even have a lift on. thats for people that dont want to spend $ on lifts or want extra lift AFTER they put in a lift. if you want more lift. get taller coils. Second. get rid of that powercrap no slip, waist of money. What do you have for the rear a D35 or a D44? if you got a D44 then go with either a Detriot or ARB, if you dont have a D44, junk whatever you have and get one. no sence in spending 500 dollars on a locker to put in a shit pile axle that you 'WILL' trash especially with 35s. this should set you off to a good start.:)

Locrdup said:

The only thing holding me back from building the XJ is putting $5k into mods on my Jeep and $5k is just the begining. It would kinda be wasting money because you never get what you put into it.

LETS GET DOWN TO THE POINT. IF YOUR WORRIED ABOUT THIS.... YOUR IN THE WRONG SPORT BUDDY :rolleyes:
 
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I have an 8inch lift and 35s with the 8.25 rearend and a powertrax no slip and love it I couldnt afford the d44 at the time and now I dont even see a reason to change it...yet
 
Re: Re: 35s, LAs, and a DD?

KarmirXJ said:
yes your right this hobby is expensive.

what you have for starters is pretty good.
I dont know how you wheel but with 35" tires after a while of wheeling you have to do something to the unibody or else it will start falling apart.


My best friends a welder and I've already gone over plans for this.


[/QUOTE] first thing. get rid of the budget boost. Why the fawk would you need a budget boost if you dont even have a lift on.[/QUOTE]

I have a lift and a bb right now w/ 31s. I need the bb for extra clearance, thats its other use. When I say cutting the fenders I mean I am taking the actual fender off and I am cutting the mounting tabs off to where its smooth. Now of course If I get 7" of lift out of the kit I'm not adding a thing.

[/QUOTE] Second. get rid of that powercrap no slip, waist of money. What do you have for the rear a D35 or a D44?[/QUOTE]

I have a 2000 XJ. That means a 29 spline 8.25. Yes your right kinda, I've told people for the 8.25 and lp d30 that I don't want to upgrade shafts or put ARBs in because it will be a waste.

[/QUOTE] if you got a D44 then go with either a Detriot or ARB, if you dont have a D44, junk whatever you have and get one. no sence in spending 500 dollars on a locker to put in a shit pile axle that you 'WILL' trash especially with 35s.[/QUOTE]

I see 9" rear in the future, Why waste money on a shitty d44? Its only advantage to my current axle is its non- c-clip.

[/QUOTE] LETS GET DOWN TO THE POINT. IF YOUR WORRIED ABOUT THIS.... YOUR IN THE WRONG SPORT BUDD [/QUOTE]

Thats why I said I would loved to have a newer car. Sorry I'm a 21 college student on a budget.:rolleyes: :mad:
 
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Alright, I'm going to spend a little time on this.

I've done the same thing that you speak of on my daily driver. I've had my jeep for 3.5 years now, and it's been lifted the entire time I've had it. I drive about 50 miles a day to work, and weekends have put as much as 400 miles on it. I've taken a trip to Florida which was about a 1400 mile round trip. I tow a 10 foot trailer often, i've pulled boats, RV, and a 4 horse trailer with it.

The specs; '96 with auto, 4 liter, 4:56's, SYE, TW rear drive-shaft with CV, Local front drive-shaft with CV (stronger and longer than stock), 118,000 miles on the OD. The lift is about 7"s (with adj control arms and RE hd drop trac bar, ZJ pit, Currie steering) with TJ flares (minus about 4"s of sheet metal), 8.25 rear (have a no-slip, still not in it), 30 front with lock-rite and warn hubs. I have th RE drop brackets, extended brake lines including the parking brake lines. It has MT 15 x 10's with 3.5 bs, 35" trxus swampers. I've had bfg at's, and LTB swampers.

Thats just the basic list, the total weight of my XJ went from stock 4000 lbs. to 4350 with all the acces.

My gas milleage is 12 to 15 mpgs depending on trailer weight ( lowest was about 10 mpg)

ONE THING IS FOR SURE, THIS WILL NOT EVER DRIVE LIKE A CAR.

I've done some things to make driving safer and bearable. These are the things that made the XJ more drive-able as a DD.

-drop RE CA brackets (or long arms as you've mentioned) will improve the ride and rid you of DW (some will argue with that, but I spent a year and a half getting rid of DW, since the drop brackets, I've never had it again. This has also been done to 3 of my friends jeeps with the same results)

-Currie steering, BEEFY, just looking at it will make you feel safer running 35's. Increases articulation and improves steering on road. Plus it's Safer than a taxed stock set-up.

-4:56 gears, set's it to stock like performance with the auto. I think I'm going to a 4:1 in the transfer case for off-road gearing. 4:88's would give you more pulling power for trailers, and steep hills... BUT, then your RPMs are higher, gas milleage is lower, and drive-shafts need to be set-up perfectly to keep vibrations and CV wear to a minimum.

-Warn selectable hubs, these will get rid of front end vibes, steering drag from lockers, improve MPG. Really made the steering feel better on the road.

-3 core radiator, keeps things cool, and an external tranny cooler, much deserved help to the awesome AW-4.

-Rancho 9000 shocks for there adjustability. help stabilize jeep on windy days and when trailering.

-tereflex quick DC's. Don't drive with out front sway bar hooked up on the road. Don't drive with one off road.

I've driven many trucks and cars over the years. I like the way lifted jeeps feel. That is something you will have to decide if your going to do this. With 35's, there is give with the 15" rim that makes driving a concerted effort. On windy days it's a two handed effort, and most people won't want to be in either lane next to you. This is not a vehicle that you can set on cruise and fall-asleep with. It takes an effort to keep her going. You are going to learn to maintain it too, because the dealers don't like to touch them (besides they are way too expensive), and on the trail you need to fix it to get it home. Maintenence is key to longevity. I change the tranny oil once a year, engine oil every 3000 miles, diffs (depends on wheelin, water involved, every time I get her home), Coolant once a year, I take the d-shaft off every 3000 miles to grease the CV's completely (they are expensive and wear quickly if not maintained), I don't rotate tires because mine seem to wear in and changing them takes 3000 miles to get them worn back in. Besides, when the fronts wear out I can replace two insted of 4. You will need a same size spare too, because with lockers you can't run different size tires (and gears, and safety, etc...) Then you'll need to decide where to put that big spare. inside takes alot of room, on top adds to tippiness, and decreased MPG, on the back requires duckets for a tire carrier (that's where I have mine).

I've got a total of $20,000 plus in it, including $10,000 dollar purchase price. I wasted about 4 grand on 4x4 shops with the first two lifts (I've had 5 different lifts trying to get perfection for a DD) AND I"M NOT FINISHED YET!! SO... this is a serious financial commitment... NOT AN INVESTMENT. That drives me NUTS when someone says they've invested money in their 4x4. Your throwing cash out unless you can justify it with the fact that you ENJOY it. There have been plenty days when I wished I could sell it... BUT many more days that I enjoy driving it.

SAFETY... I have a 4 year old daughter and wife that ride in my XJ. Safety is very important to me. These things can be safely daily driven if you pay attention to some of the important mods ( I think I listed them up top), and drive the thing within reasonable speeds (like th speed limit) and minimize lane changeing etc. Even at the 70 mph speed limit, some days require 60 to 65 MPH due to wind and traffic. IF YOU ARE PRONE TO ROAD RAGE... get something else... an acident with excessive speed and lack of brain will get you killed and most likely some innocent bystander.

Safety Off-road... I think I need a cage inside to keep the jeep together in a roll, and damaging body flex to a minimum. An external cage to protect some of the sheet metal too... I've got 20 plus grand onto this thing. Soon to be more.

Now, my biggest concern with the cage is on the road. In an accident it could save my life, but it could also take it in a minimal collision. I work in surgery, and I've seen what the "A" pillar and roof edge can do to a head. If your cage isn't properly constructed and padded, this thing will take a rather large bite out of your noggin. That spells gork, or death to us humans.

Tires, BFG at's are the best on raod, I got 50,000 miles out of them and sold them with plenty of tread left. Off-road mud kills the at's. I live in the south, mud is an issue so I run some trxus swampers radials. They aren't bad on the road, of road they are excellent. The LTB bias swampers are awefull on the road, wande


That's my thoughts on that subject with 3.5 years of XJ experience. i hope this helps ya, but doesn't scare you away from the XJ if you really want it. I've had three jeeps and the XJ is my favorite. Careful planning will enable you to save money, and may even save your life.

Happy Jeepin' Greddy
:) :)
 
Greddy,

Thanks, I think you said it all. I really think I am going to get a car after that. There are a few reasons:

1. I love going fast, just not in my Jeep.
2. I do get road rage. :( :angel:
3. I keep my Jeep maintained, but Im not as on top as you.
4. The windy days and 18 wheelers are a big factor when driving.
5. I don't like wasting money, especially money I've worked really really hard to get. (Forklift operator in a warehouse)
6. Maybe the hobby is not for me. :cool: :rolleyes:
7. I feel nervous just thinking of having 7" lift and 35s on the hwy. (especially around here):eek:
8. Gas prices suck now, they will really suck w/ 12 mpg.

C5 Corvettes are sooo nice. :D

I've really gotten to where I enjoy driving on the road too. Everytime I think this is nice, I think what it would be like in a Vette. Then I want a Vette, but see this only happens when I'm on-road, which is only 90% of the time. ;)
 
Patience grasshopper. :flipoff:
Something else that XJaddiction implied but didn't say outright; you don't have to do it all at once. A locker here, some tires there and a lift when you can do it right can hurt a lot less than 5K all at once. Maybe wait until you've paid it off. You can really have it all, it just takes a while sometimes.
 
Mattk is right.

You don't have to do all that lift first. Do the important things first for daily driving. I would do the Warn hubs and Lock-rite, or selectable locker like ARB up front. No-slip in rear works great. Do a mild budget boost lift, move the shocks up with bar pin elims, and the rears can easily be re=drilled an inch above stock in the stock brackets. Get rid of the rear sway bar and you have home made bar pin elimimaters for the rear. Then cut the bottom off for clearance. Add some quick DC's. Cut the fenders and add some TJ flares to make room for some 31 BFG at's or the like. I think you would still have enough for a 4:1 transfer case set-up. That will get you through most anything. Spend the extra cash on a good roof rack, I like my Yakima for bikes and cannoe.. Those were my standard college toys. When you get out, go big.

Greddy
 
Hey,

I've already got:

- 4" RE/Rustys lift and 31" KMs
- Front BPI Fab bumper
- KenMtn. rear bumper
- AA HD SYE/ TW ds

It rides o.k., but I just figured LA and 35s would be about the same ride quality as I have now. Hmm... Im still thinking about doing it except running some 17" wheels to help keep the Jeep under control.
 
If you are even contemplating that this might not be for you......its not for you!!!

These XJs are a committment once you start going to the extent you are talking about. You're either in it or you're not.

If you thought insurance was expensive before, get quotes on the C5 Vette. This alone can be a real ek$$pense.

Crunch
 
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