driven

Hello,

My first post here, I have a 2000 XJ and I want to purchase a lift and tires. My friends have convinced me that 33's are really awesome and help the XJ go most places.

I am looking at 285/75/16 nitto terra grappler, so thats a 32.8 inch tall tire with a 11.2 inch width. The suspension I want is Rubicon Express 4.5 inch superflex with full leaf packs.

I am wondering if I can keep the stock bumper end caps and stock flares, minus some trimming on the inside of the fender's but nothing being taken off of the outside. It seems like every picture I find of jeeps with 33's and 4.5 inches of lift the fenders have been all hacked up. I really want to keep the stock look because the factory flares and front bumper looks great in my opinion.

Also, I don't have a clue how backspacing really works, I want to get crager soft 8's and RE's website mentions 4.00 to 4.75 inch backspacing but I am not really sure what to pick or what the optimal size would be so that the tires stick out just right and aren't inset too much or rubbing up against suspension components.

Any input would be appreciated fellas!A

xjrev10

If you are going to wheel it and plan to disconnect the sway bar, you will pop your factory flares off. I have a 3.5 RE and i popped my rear flares off with 31s. That was when i was in some nasty stuff, flexed at the max. I use stock width BB with a 8 in wide wheel.

If you are just to going to use it as a pavement rig, you would be fine. Also there are no 2 exactly the same XJs. Some people might be able to do what you want to do w/o a problem and some might not.

Bottom line there is lots of variables. You would be better off with a good 31 or a more expensive 32 IMHO if you are going to wheel.

elpotro1331

Good answer xjrev10 i feel the same way

ckysodkorn_xj

with 4.5 of lift without trimming you can fit 32's pretty well. you are going to have to trim to get max flex or you are going to cut the **** out of your tires with 33's.

Brad M.

The short answer is YES, you could run that setup of 4.5" lift and the 285 Nittos. The follow up question would be, do you plan to wheel it, and if so, over what kind of terrain? If you never need to unhook your swaybars, you could get away with some minimal trimming of the bumper end caps and lower corners of the flares and be fine. If you unhook, you will rub, unless you extend your bumpstops. You could also do a very clean trim and relocation of the stock flares higher up on the fender to open the wheel wells some more. Several have done this, and it keeps the look nice and clean. To the uneducated eye it looks stock.

Two other considerations - at 4.5" of lift, you will want to invest in an SYE (slip yoke eliminator) which converts the rear output housing of your 231 T-case to a fixed yoke for greater strength and to eliminate rear driveline vibes. Secondly, with a 33" tire, you will want to regear the axles to bring your horsepower and MPG's back to stock range.

As for backspacing, it very simply determines how much or how little the tire/wheel extends off of the wheel mounting surface. The MORE the backspacing, the more the tires will tuck up into the wheel wells. The LESS the backspacing, the more they'll stick out past the flares. Stock backspacing is 5" so anything less than that, like 4" will stick out just a bit over stock. I'm running 33x12.50's on 8" black steelies with 4" of backspacing and mine stuck about 1" past the stock flares. But I still had to add Bushwacker flares to keep the **** UHP off my back cuz they're sticklers about tire coverage out here.

Hope this helps.

grn99

Running 33s without trimming is possiable, but you would have to bumpstop the crap out of it. 32s, some minor trimming and some bumpstopping your golden. As far as backspacing, personally I use a 4". It seems to work well. If you really need to run a 33 than do so and trim as needed. You can pull off the stock look with little mods here and there, but you'll have to do some fitment checks. Also bumpstops only effect up travel of the suspension. As the stop is in use it forces the other side down. So you technicaly wont lose flex.

driven

The 4.5 kit comes with quick disco's, I think I'd like to try to use that functionality. If I wanted more of a pavement rig I would go with RE3.5 super ride and 265/75/16's. So stock backspacing is 5 inches, why did you go with that instead of 4 inches or less?

Heres a pic I found of a silver jeep like mine with moabs and 265/75/16's with RE3.5, its hot.


Yeah, but I can fit 32's with 3.5 inches of RE lift just the same

Dude thanks! I do want to take it to an offroad park, that's the whole reason why I am looking at a 4.5 inch lift and 33's instead of 3.5 inches of lift 32's. I want to goto Rausch Creek with my friends once the Jeep is done. http://www.rauschcreekoffroadpark.org/

Do you have any pictures of Jeeps that have the stock flares mounted higher up? I would love to keep the outside of the fenders looking stock, would I be able to hack up alot of the plastic inside of the fenders w/o keeping the stock flares from falling off?

I have a np242 transfer case, so far I've heard Tom Woods has a solution that might work. SYE and Driveshaft, as far as I've heard this will set me back 400-500$ I've also read that some people get away with a 1 inch transfer case drop and they're fine. Any idea's what the best option is for the np242?

Is the gearing really that bad with 33's? What's it like, you just cruise in a higher gear on the high way or something? I heard you only need to regear with 35's or higher, but 33's were manageable?

Is it that bad to bump stop alot and limit yourself on up travel? I've always heard having more down travel isn't always a bad thing. I've always wondered how most people measure for bump stopping.. I know you can use hockey pucks in the front to get the bumpstops high enough. Anyone around here have a jeep with stock flares with 33's and 4.5? I wish I could get a good idea of what it would be like and how difficult it is to pull off.

_StationWagon_

Hey driven: You seem to be planning this the right way and believe me, the right prep is 90% of the job. Way to go. Proper bumpstopping is very important even tho you'll find that a large number of guys tend to ignore this. You could have the biggest lift & tires, but it's really not so cool when your front tire is jammed so far into the wheel well that it will not turn. Then you just look stupid & break stuff. Bumpstopping prevents that. It also prevents you from overcompressing your springs, which shortens spring life.

I'd say go for the lift height/tire size you desire right now instead of compromising, or you'll find yourself adding later, and that gets expensive. (Ask me ... been there )

Like someone said, it's possible to trim & relocate stock flares higher, but my experience is lacking in that area. I do know about TJ flares, which allow me to run 32x11.50 & 33x12.50 with no side lugs exposed - and New Jersey will drop the hammer on you for exposed tire. IMHO, TJ flares are a great stock-looking option and far less expensive than aftermarket flares. And they flex nicely without cracking. It's all in how you do it. Some like the look, some don't, but you seem to appreciate a clean look, so never put TJ front flares on the front of your XJ. It looks like crap. As a woman, I like my XJ to look clean & "pretty" while being deceptively capable. TJ flares help me to maintain that look with 5" lift.

As for Rausch Creek, I have run black trails there with my setup using good driving skills, 32" rubber, without issue. See you there!

driven

Thanks! I always try to plan my mods out long before I finally drop the hammer and purchase something.

So you have TJ flares on your jeep? What does that look like?

98 JeepJeep

x2 id like to see.....

monte0112

ive got a 6" lift with 33" swampers and they scrubbed the flares when i turned until i trimed them. They still scrub like hell when my sway bar is disconnected and the tires are stuffed in the fenders. id expect to do minor trimming

h0ffers

33s tore off my fender flares with my 4.5 inch lift

_StationWagon_

hahahahaha!!! You hadda ask, dincha?

_StationWagon_

I've done some minor trimming to the flares since those pics, nothing too major, just to prevent any chance of rubbing ... and I'm runnung 33s now.

Took off the rear flares to have the body armor mounted, but I've 'put 'em back on. And the rears are mounted with 3M tape. It was a ***** to get them off!

I hate this pic because I no longer have those wheels & she's sagging in the rear (ACOS lifted the front too high). But this is a more recent pic.

JerseyXJ

Man I'm really considering doing this now since my friend has a pair of old white fenders of his tj, and because that looks awesome!

btw i want your dog