dwchkypmp20

Mods:this is already in the "jeep builds" section, as it is an ongoing build, but also put it here for tech questions. remove if needed.

Ok i am pretty new to the XJ thing. A couple months ago i aquired a 97 jeep cherokee up country 4x4 in a 5 speed. it had a rouch country 3" in the front and 3" lift blocks in the rear. i have since made the decision to go bigger, ha! i just came up on some new wheels and tires, thet are BFG AT in 35" on some no name wheels, but i need to get a little more ride highth.

Heres where i need your help. instead of buying a whole new lift, is it possible to just replace the front coil with a bigger one, do some RE rear 5.5" leafs, some trimming and stuff those big 35" on there? i noticed the rough country lift is only a lower front arm, and the upper is still factory, i was just going to make some of my own upper arms. also tomorrow i am picking up some fox 2.0 10" remote res. shocks i will be adding to the front.

Heres some pix for good measure:

Nstyfox

Like you said your gonna have to get rid of those uppers and get aftermarket ones,as the stockers will it,your gonna have to re gear both rears,get a sye if you dont already have one. I would toss those blocks and buy a full leaf pack off of rusty's,i think 6in leafs are $300. Also bushwacker fender flares would probably be your best bet with trimming so the popo dont harass you.

Mike H.

you're in over your head.
you have no armor, yet are going 6" lift and 35's with no talk of steering/gearing... ?
Sounds like a mall crawler build... I have no experience... good luck.

broncofire75

x2.

Takes a lot. Ask me how I know...I DD mine on 35s but Im dropping down a size when I need new tires next year. Only because Ill be doing more driving but also because breaking sucks now and so does MPG but its a Jeep and I use them regularly in places I need 35s. Takes more than just a little lift to make 35s work on our XJs.

OnlyInMyXJ22

The first two posts bring the funny and Mike H. and broncofire75 are pretty much spot on.

bigbadxj

I do not know if the fumes off some of the stuff I have been welding is messing me up but all the posts in this thread are written weird??........It is probably just me anyway to the OP get a 4.5"+ lift do some trimming and get some 35"s. You will soon find out what all else you will need to make it right.

broncofire75

Yeah I just kinda went with it lol.

I know what I was saying at least haha

dwchkypmp20

i have already done the steering and have a SYE on order aswell as some gearing, i was just asking about the lift mods, i know that gearing is required as well as the SYE.

Mike H.

Do some more research on the 10" Fox 2.0 shocks.
With a collapsed length of 16.1" and extended of 26.1" they will be less than ideal if you are going to ~6" lift and 35's.
For example, I'm at 2.5" lift on 33's and running 15.75"-26.7" (aka 11") shocks and they are spot on.
Of course there is no way to know exactly what length shock you will need until it's lifted, the tires are on it, and you stretch it out and measure.

Additionally, I would advise against running ~6" lift on short arms.

What ever happened to this train of thought?

dwchkypmp20

Originally Posted by dwchkypmp20
i wouls like to build an all-around, reliable fun jeep that could do snow, sand, mud or desert. thinking rubicon long arm on 33's. A little rock climbing here and there but def not the main purpose.

this was the plan when the jeep was my DD, since then i have aquired another DD, and the reasoning behind the 35" was the fact i got a stupid deal on them, and have been desert trailing, where i would like to have more ground clearance and what not./ we shall see what happens.

01LimitedXJ

you will need new trackbar, uppers, lowers, shims when you do the rear to match up to the sye/driveshaft angle, and i'd recommend you ditch the blocks for full leaf packs (you can build your own for cheap). Pretty sure ive seen someone fit 33's on stock suspension (just cut fenders), so cut as high as you want on the front, and do a cut and fold on the rear, and you should be able to fit 35's with a small amount of lift. Also, you can run short arms, but over 4.5" or so i would get the drop brackets to bring your angles back down. HTH

Mike H.

Desert trails... where?
I guess what it all comes down to is;
a) Are you going to 35's to make typical 4x4 trails easy? or
b) Are you going to 35's because where you are headed you need that much tire?

Basically, what kind of terrain do you plan on running, because there are 2 very different answers to the question "what's it take to run 35's (and everything in between).
I've cut and pasted this from one of the local clubs rating sytem... hope this helps some.

Rating 1 Improved Dirt Road
Description Dirt road that is clear and in good condition.
Vehicle and Equipment Passable by most two wheel drive vehicles.

Rating 2 Unimproved Dirt Road
Description Potholes, minor wash outs, medium sized rocks and mud holes. Higher ground clearance helpful.
Vehicle and Equipment Passable by most stock 4x4 vehicles.

Rating 3 Difficult Trail
Description Loose gravel, large pot holes, steep inclines, medium sized rocks.
Vehicle and Equipment Four wheel drive required, tires with aggressive tread and lowered tire pressure helpful.

Rating 3.5 Hard Trail
Description Some rocky sections, bypasses at most major obstacles. Some body damage possible. Rocker panel and rear quarter panel protection helpful.
Vehicle and Equipment Upgraded bumpers (Useable as a hi-lift point), rocker panel skids, skid plates, Hi-Lift, 32" Tires, Rear locker

Rating 4 Moderate Rocky Trail
Description Frequent ledges, crevices, large boulders, steep inclines and off camber situations. Body and or tire damage likely. Spotters may be needed for some obstacles. Low tire pressure required, good chance of loosing a bead. Possible component breakages.
Vehicle and Equipment Front locker 35" tires Upgraded axles Lower ring & pinions, transfer case gear reduction (w/ manual transmission), winch, recommend spare axles, recommend spare steering parts

Rating 4.5 Hard Rocky Trail
Description Same as a 4.0 rated trail but the obstacles are bigger, tighter squeezes and bigger risks to body and mechanical components. Few bypasses if any. Longer wheelbase vehicles may have problems with breakover angles, short wheelbase vehicles may have to use a winch or strap on some obstacles. Large vehicles will damage sheet metal. Spotter may be needed for all major obstacles. Rollovers possible. Plan for common component breakages (vehicle specific).
Vehicle and Equipment 38" Agressive off-road tires such as Swamper/Bogger/MTR, D44 or better axles, source for on-board air, beadlock rims, flexible suspension, wider than stock track width.

Rating 5 Extreme Rocky Trail
Description Same as a 4.5 rated trail but the obstacles are bigger, tighter squeezes and bigger risks to body and mechanical components. No bypasses. Body damage guaranteed. Spotters needed for most of trail. Rollovers likely. Some obstacles may require a winch for larger vehicles. Trail may be impassible when wet. Plan for major component breakages.
Vehicle and Equipment Realistically these trails should be run with rock buggies. Agressive off-road tires such as Swamper/Bogger/MTR. Transfer case gear reduction (w/Automatic transmission). Remove all unneeded body parts. 100" Wheelbase.

Rating 5.5 Insane Trail
Description This type of run is pushing the outer limits of what is (currently) possible. This is the same as a 5.0 rated trail except all of the obstacles are bigger. Constant spotting required, vehicles will get hung up frequently, undercarriage will catch rocks. At some point a winch will be required to support the full weight of the vehicle.
Vehicle and Equipment light rock buggy

dwchkypmp20

i would like to run 35" for ground clearance issues. and i am the guy that just likes to have a bigger tire. would rather have too much than not enough.

djlarroc

I asked Mike for advice when I started my build. He gave me good advice. I got a good amount of armor, and 31" tires. I did a few trails recently that I would say are in between the 3.5 - 4.0 trail. I had to get winched out of a few places, but clearance was not an issue for the most part. My 31s are pretty used, and I am still gaining experience.