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May as well start the thread now with all the plans I have.
Bought a '97 Country in fall 2013 with 163k and a 2in. bb from skyjacker...at least the super faded sticker says so.
Plans
-Zone 4.5 lift full leaf pack *INSTALLED*
-RE1660 HD track bar/bracket *INSTALLED*
-ZJ tie rod upgrade *INSTALLED*
-Brake lines *INSTALLED*
-BPEs/new leaf eye bolts *INSTALLED*
-TeraflexSYE/ front driveshaft *INSTALLED*
-JCR crusader bumpers front and rear (and tie in brackets)
-Aussie lockers front first, then rear
-recovery equipment
-ZJ disk brake conversion
-cb radio?
-31s/32s. Dont want to regear just yet
Didnt have enough to buy the rack it came with but the PO did include a high lift and a full size spare from a zj I think. Pics of those later.
First thing I did was get a front hitch plate mount because I didnt want to put holes on my pretty bumper. Yeah I know. 4wheelparts didnt have it anymore so they special ordered me one. Cool beans.
After that my radiator started smelling like fluid and I began to notice a leak. Then I had to use two bottles of fluid before a mechanic told me a had a giant hold in the radiator. Yeah I know, beating her up already. Props to the fans though....she never overheated even in Virginian heat. At the same time I grabbed some Destination A/Ts because those ****ty PO tires hated rain and slipped a lot.
Last edited by gunmetal_nightrider; 04-04-2016 at 11:16 AM.
After tax season this year I have some money to get me a lift. Rockridge4wd got me a sweet deal on Zones 4.5 inch lift with full packs. Havnt payed anything, just got a quote from Derrick at rockridge. But I certainly plan to go with it. Im also gonna grab the RE1600 trac bar since even at 2 inches (1.5 cuz its old) my axle is off center. The kit comes with fixed links which is ok since the jeep is my dd. Also included are the brake line brackets. I plan to buy the TJ lines though for more.....reliable brakes.
Planning on actually changing the brakes this weekend though so that will be a peek into what the lift may hold in store for me. I plan for the jeep to be a weekend warrior and if the rig lasts (I hope she does) maybe an expedition vehicle.
Last edited by gunmetal_nightrider; 03-19-2015 at 01:39 AM.
Thanks! Look pretty cool when shes muddy...jeep does too. Yeah we had driven all morning trying to find a lot that was not being plowed. Those little tractor things were everywhere.
Yeah from what Ive read I should just go ahead and order all new suspension bolts lol. I forgot that my NSS code was going on when I got the jeep. I forgot about it but last November my battery cable clamps on the battery finally got so jacked that I needed to buy new ones. While in the engine bay I noticed something next to the large fuse box....the NSS!! NO WONDER THE LIGHT WAS ON.
NOW, this NSS wasnt your normal NSS. the plastic...clamp..that you wedge onto the tranny was broken. So it wasnt going back on. Not to mention it was in the engine bay. I wish I took pictures I cant even make this up.
Grabbed a replacement from the jy for 15 bucks, then realized the cables were different. DOH! Not to mention when I took apart the original NSS the dam pivot arm was held in place with toothpicks. So I decided to touch it.....it broke in 2. Good thing the jy NSS had the same pivot arm. Swapped some parts and everything works fine. No more check engine light. Jeep still wont start in neutral even when I tried to move the NSS. I was tired that night so I didnt worry about it. I can always screw with it later if I need to.
Nice looking jeep! I went with the 3" zone with full leafs. I am pretty happy with it so far. It has been on two off road trips and done a great job. I also got the IRO double shear track bar with it. I am running bfg km2's 31's. I had considered getting the 4 1/2" lift but I didn't have extra money to spend on that plus the other things needed with it.
I will hopefully be purchasing some AJ's rock sliders soon.
Good luck with the build!
Nice rig yourself awork. Always liked the white and black combo. Yeah I was initially going to get the 3 inch with plans to go up to 4.5 with spacers and shackles down the road. But then I ran into some refund from uncle sam and planned for a 4in lift....but with all the parts I had to buy the actual 4.5 lift was cheaper lol. Im sure I will have to shell out the coin for the SYE but half the time we need it at 3 inches anyway. Rockridge said they have a whole SYE and driveshaft for 500 so I may grab that down the road. The tcase drop will keep me afloat till then.
I'm trying to get my SYE done today. I threw an 1.75" tcase drop on for a temp solution. The driveline vibes are still there and I can tell the axle is being stressed even with all new joints. Hopefully the combo of the SYE and the front driveshaft out of my 97 XJ will cure the issue until I can get a new cv shaft.
I'm trying to get my SYE done today. I threw an 1.75" tcase drop on for a temp solution. The driveline vibes are still there and I can tell the axle is being stressed even with all new joints. Hopefully the combo of the SYE and the front driveshaft out of my 97 XJ will cure the issue until I can get a new cv shaft.
Good luck buddy! In sure shell be fine as long as you dont put to much strain on the system. Im a little worried myself about how things will go after I lift mine. Derrick at rockridge said the 8.25 had a slightly longer shaft so things wouldnt be as bad. But we shall see.
Last edited by gunmetal_nightrider; 03-21-2015 at 08:40 AM.
I run a stock front driveshaft on rear SYE. Perfect fit.
Had heavy duty shafts on front and rear from Tatton's ($200 each). They were overkill and heavy. Switched back to stock shafts a few years ago.
For 4.5" lift are you getting 3.5" leafs and extended shackles? When using leaf springs that give lift, a longer shackle is required for spring to articulate. Also, the more arch in spring, the rougher/stiffer the ride.
FYI, my rig has 4.5" lift on 31"s
Last edited by SteveMongr; 03-21-2015 at 09:02 AM.
How does that work with the front ds? Pretty sure that thing is way shorter..
The zone lift gives you a 3 inch leaf pack and a 1 inch shackle. So not actually 4.5 in the rear. But I hear the springs can give an extra .25 or so. If I don't like it my buddy has a RC 1.5 -2 in. Shackle I can grab.
Last edited by gunmetal_nightrider; 03-21-2015 at 09:09 AM.
I run a stock front driveshaft on rear SYE. Perfect fit. Had heavy duty shafts on front and rear from Tatton's ($200 each). They were overkill and heavy. Switched back to stock shafts a few years ago. For 4.5" lift are you getting 3.5" leafs and extended shackles? When using leaf springs that give lift, a longer shackle is required for spring to articulate. Also, the more arch in spring, the rougher/stiffer the ride. FYI, my rig has 4.5" lift on 31"s
good to hear, I was worried it was more of a band aide than a viable option. I'm running the zone 3" springs front and back with 1.75" shackles and 1.75" spacer up front. Between my tired springs and the new parts I gained about 6.5" overall. The shackle angle is decent but I'm thinking of going with shackle relocation boxes. It'll be a bump on the road to 33's 😃
03-19-2015, 01:31 AM
'97 Country 'Blu XJ'
Good thing the jy NSS had the same pivot arm. Swapped some parts and everything works fine. No more check engine light. Jeep still wont start in neutral even when I tried to move the NSS. I was tired that night so I didnt worry about it. I can always screw with it later if I need to.
