hey guys new to this site owned my 98 cherokee (black) for 3 years my first and only car still stock unfortunately however i am finally getting to the point of lifting it almost have enough money saved up im looking to do a 4.5 in lift with 33's i know i need to do some trimming to clear but what else do i need i know regearing is an issue and a transfer case drop kit. if anyone could help me out this would be great also what can i do to keep gas milage up as this is my daily driver

 

If you want to keep gas milage up then dont lift it. But I would[lift it] Just carry an extra can of gas.lol. By the way , welcome to CF.

 

haha thanks i dont mind if it drops a lil how much would it drop if i get it w/ 33's im at 19mpg or so right now

 

You are probably going to need and SYE. For the short term, you can get away with a transfer case drop to address the vibes you will get with the lift, but I would consider that a band-aid.

Secondly, you may also want to consider a re-gear in your future. Depending on how much highway time you spend, you should debate 4.11 or 4.56 (more off-roading or limited highway time puts you in the 4.56 ballpark).

FYI: I am at 4.5" / 32" / 4.56 gears (w/ lots of highway driving... I should have done 4.11s) and I get about 210mi / tank (or ~ 13mpg)

 

What kind of driving do you do? I would recommend 4.56's for all around driving, and 4.88s for mainly around town driving.

 

With stock gearing you'll get about 9 to 10 miles to the gallon at best. It will not stay in over drive on the highway, the slightest hill will slow you down a lot.

 

i do mainly city driving and highway occasionally most of the time im on backroads speed limit 45-65 thanks for the help and the regear ratios ive been trying to figure out what to regear to also any opinions on rough country lifts or hankook tires rough country has the best deal i found on a 4.5" lift and my friend has some hankooks on his truck he likes em and i think they look pretty good theyr the rt03 m/t

 

this is for TheNerd how much room do you have w/ 32's how much trimming do you think ill need for 33's cause ive seen pics where it doesnt look like anythings been trimmed w/ 4.5" and 33's

 

I'm at 5.5" with 33's and i trimmed my fronts a lot but the rears are untouched (no rubbing). I have stock 3.55's and get probly around 13-15mpg (gearings next on my list) and sackless!! . I would reccomend 32's or maybe 33/10.5's but your probly pushn it. Since I've put the 33's on I've had to replace pretty much everything but thats half the fun.

 

Im at 5" and 33's and I rub going over the slightest bump. So your gonna have to trim a bunch espically up front. As far as power wise I dont think its too bad. I can hit 95 on the freeway still, I wouldnt drive there for any length of time but it will go that fast. And milage Noone can give you an acurate number unless they have recaliberated there speedo.

 

X 2.......... im at 4" with 33's and get 9-10 with stock gearing. Pretty much a dog at highway speeds when hitting hills.
32's on same rig about 12-13.
My stock rims rubbed bad with the 33's. got some with 4" BS and not near as bad now. Fenders on front are cut 1" below outline of top of factory flares.
Rear is is cut and folded at the seam and I dont rub.

Is your front diff a low pinion ? Also you may need a SYE in the rear because of the longer tailshaft on your later model XJ.
Some people say they are more vibe prone than the older ones.

 

i like the look of 33's w/ 4.5" lift but ive seen some on 32's it seems to fill it out pretty nice too and i know bfg makes their m/t in a 33x10.5 but thats all ive found because i knew 33x12.5 would take some trimming ive found a few that are 11.5 that im looking into i've been told more than a few times ill need an SYE too thanks for the help guys

 

You definitely need to trim the lower portion of the front air dam if you have a 97+. With my '87, I trimmed the front portions of the front wheel wells a little. Either way, if you want them to tuck at all, you will need to trim something.

Also, when I had the 32's on stock rims, I would rub the lower control arms at full turns. I solved that by getting some new rims with enough backspacing (4") to prevent that from happening.