33s no lft? No problem.

OK, so I have acquired, despite my better judgment, another XJ. I got it for next to nothing replaced the alternator and serpentine belt then drove it home.

It has some minor front-end damage the worst of it being a bent driver’s side bumper bracket. The bracket is bent all the way back making it pretty much unuseable. I’m debating on just cutting it and the passenger side off, tying into the frame with a longer aftermarket bumper bracket and maybe using the four bolts on the front of that cross plate thing between the “frame rails” just to mount a new bumper.








I’m a college student on an internship = broke. I do have a set of all terrain Dunlap 33s sitting in my garage with wheels off a dodge ram. A friend a while back bought me some spidertrax adapters for them to mount up to an xj. Now that I’ve got this wreck I think it’s time to build on the cheap. 33s and no lift!




First things first. I had to tear apart the front-end cause it’s junk, I’d buy a new front clip but that costs money. I’m going to pick up some welding material and fab something up, probably with round headlights. Then I pulled the driver’s front fender because it was making contact with the door when opened and needs hammered out. I cut the pass’s side fender but it needs a lot more trimming. The inner wells on both sides will need to be trimmed and hammered similar to the rear wheel wells….. I’ll update that part with pics as I get to it.

I trimmed the rear fenders as liberally as I think most do and pulled the rear sway bar. I’ll be test mounting the 33s back there this weekend but I’m already pretty sure what I’ve done so far isn’t gonna make enough room.

Then my girlfriend gutted the interior…. Technically this is her jeep…. I wanted to see how hard it will be to tub the rear fenders. I don’t think it’ll be terribly difficult but I’m trying to make this a thread that helps out all those broke ass college noobs like myself.

Found out this thing has a lot of “speed holes.” You can see the exhaust pipe from the pass side floor-board. I own a welder though so it’s no biggy.

I’m thinking if I lift I’ll start with the rear. I love the saggy soft and flexy stock springs and was thinking about adding a shackle relocation kit from H.D. offroad engineering and some TNT 1.5” boomerang shackles. Then I’ll just match the front end.


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More pictrures






















I couldn't put all in the first post

This is interesting. Let us know how it works out.

I remember doing the same thing, except I got 3.5" lift to help (still had to cut for 33's, and will have to tub for the 36's that are coming with little or no extra lift). and I got a 2 dr so tubbing the rear end will be easier when I get there. I'm def watching to see how this goes. I was a broke college kid myself not long ago, now I'm a not so broke but I have to pay off loans so its kinda the same guy at work... I wish I was still a broke college kid..

But yeah, m yJeeps been sitting waiting for its rebuild. Got the interior pulled out and will be ordering new floor pans soon, then my tubbing begins. So I will be using yours as a "what not to do" thread so I know if you do something and are fubar... I know what to avoid Have fun!

I ran 33's with 3" lift and thought that was pushing it. You may want to look into cut and folding the rear lower quarters. It will give you a little extra room.

There have been a few guys here do 35's with no lift too.

please post more pics when you get the rig together... looking cool!

Looks like my cherokee in the early stages, 3" of lift and 33s, now I have 4.5" and 35s..

Oh and paid $300 for mine.. damn maybe thats why it keeps breaking down

If you were closer I would sell you my old header panel for cheap. Finding spacers/another coil spring isolator for lift in the front should be easy, and a bastard pack/shackle for the rear.

low COG! Woot!

I've got 33x12.50 swampers w/ 15x10 centerlines on my 96 xj no lift at all. It sits
As high as my buddys 3" lifted xj on 31s. I'd post picts but I'm at work using my
blackberry.

Drive it till if fits. hahahaa

Ya have fun with that! :gee:

Dang ol Hell Ya! :gee:



I wanna see air time pictures and carnage!

OK so I got the 33s on front and rear. Pulled the rear sway and disco’d the front.

To make them fit I cut a little more in the front on the pass side fender to avoid rubbing. I also hammered back a lot of extra metal in both pass and driver’s side fender wells.

http://naxja.org/forum/[URL=http://...hack.us/img20/jp2e.jpg/1/w640.png[/IMG][/URL]

The tires were hitting right here on both sides so I cut it off. I started my cut between the two lower fender screws, you really only need one.

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Then I put relief cuts in the extra metal same as on the rear fenders.

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Then I hammered them back.

Then I tested it with the sway bars disco’d to see what hit. This isn’t close to full flex but I’m getting a better idea. It stopped rubbing at full turn and I’m not doing to bad in the front. I have to go back through and do some little things like cutting the bottom of screws in the front fenderwells.

http://naxja.org/forum/[URL=http://...hack.us/img41/jp9e.jpg/1/w640.png[/IMG][/URL]


The rear hits but it’s not terrible. I‘m wondering though if I should tub it. Although a lift shackle or shackle relocation would work well. I’d love to lift the front a little and pick up some used adjustable control arms.

http://naxja.org/forum/[URL=http://...hack.us/img30/jp8e.jpg/1/w640.png[/IMG][/URL]


All the extra cutting and hammering in the front was necessary.

http://naxja.org/forum/[URL=http://...hack.us/img30/jp7e.jpg/1/w640.png[/IMG][/URL]


All in all though I don’t think it’s that bad.

http://naxja.org/forum/[URL=http://...ack.us/img190/jp6e.jpg/1/w640.png[/IMG][/URL]

what backspacing on those rims? doesnt look like much BS

89xj said:

doesnt look like much BS

Click to expand...

it looks fawkin awsome like that though

that things looking like a real beast - and it looks like a fun project

Holy crap, that is some extreme backspacing. Can the bearings and steering knuckle handle that much force?