so i recently picked up a 2000 xj auto 4.0L. i have some money saved on the side, and before i go ordering parts, i wanted to do a quick check with you guys. maybe you guys can give me opinions and suggestions as where to order for the best price and what brands to go with. as of right now this is what im about to order....

-rough country 6.5" long arm kit
-sye kit with driveshaft
-33x12.5 tires on 15x8 rims. (i originally planned on going with baja claws, but if you guys have a better recommendation for a daily driver that sees trails, sand and mud on the weekend, i would like to hear it)
-4.56 gears for front and back
-detroit locker in the rear and undecided on what locker for the front

this will still be my daily driver, so i dont want to get carried away with parts. just some occasional mud, sand and trails on the weekend. im a just some clicks away from getting these parts, but i think it would be foolish to do so without atleast getting some opinions.

 

My only suggestions are that with that much lift youll wish you had 35's in which case you'd also probably want 4.88's. Also, detriots are nice but a $250 Aussie works just as good, however if you have the dana 35 rear I wouldnt waste any money on it and wait until you can swap in an 8.8

 

sounds like a great start but i would recamend that you do the axle upgrade kits front and rear where the dana 30 and dana 35 are 27 spline axles if you go with superior axles they are 30 splines and stronger than the dana 44 as far as shock load but quantied not to break when you get your locker they will as you if you have the 27 or the 30 spline axles i have personally drove a jeep with the detriot maybe the automatic makes a diferrence but on the street pulling into parking spots get a little jumpy your should go to 35's maybe a 4.56 or 4.88 gear but 4.56 gives you a nice all around driving not so sure about the 4.88's great starter lift i wished i would have started that big of a lift

 

4.88 for a Daily Driver with 33??? whould that be too extreme for highway driving?

 

thanks fellas. i was hoping the stock axles would be good enough for now, and it would be something i could upgrade in the future. i dont plan on hitting up the trails and rocks like ive seen some of you guys do in photos and videos.

probably just hit up some mild trails, some mud holes and cruise on the sand a little. also, im also a fisherman and hunter, so sometimes it would be nice to do more driving than walking to some of the spots, lol.

the reason i wanted 33's is because of the daily driving aspect. i would say id be 75% daily driving and 25% off roading. with that said, i was stuck between baja claws and goodrich mts.

im not familiar with the aussie locker. im going to try a search on those when i get home from work, but in the meantime, if you guys can explain that to me, and where to get, id appreciate it.

if im not mistaken, i think i have the 8.25 rear, which i heard is pretty decent. maybe i can upgrade the front axles while doing the gears. should i also opt for a front locker? if so, which one would you recommend?

 

There is no way I would remotely consider a lift of that height, especially considering your intended use. But, to each their own.
Stock axles will be fine running 33's with your intended use.
I recently went to BFG KM2's... I am totally surprised/pleased with their performance both on and off road. I prefer 33x10.5 over 33x12.5.

Lockers are an area I do not wish to get into, other than to say, if you think you need a true locker yet daily drive your rig, go ARB.
If you do not intend on rocks and 3-wheeling your rig, you may find quality limited slips do you just fine, save you money, and make daily driving a pleasure.
I run fairly aggressive trails, and Detroit TrueTrac's work in that environment, and, they are invisible on the pavement.

 

Just remember that regearing to compensate for 33's is the same price as it would be to regear for 35's. I wasted a lot of money by not just doing it the first time. Trust me, the bug bites you hard

I love my aussie locker. Even when my jeep was my DD and on 33's. Hell im about to buy another one when i swap in my 44. Its a lot more street friendly than people give it credit for.

What year is your XJ? Maybe i missed it but if you have the 96- 8.25 then its almost as bad as the turdy-5 (27 spline shafts in both). The 97+ 8.25's have 29 spline shafts. If youre looking into a cheap axle upgrade, a late model 8.25 will bolt right in.

I strongly reccomend the Aussie locker. Its cheap, simple, strong, and a breeze to install (took me 30 mins). I locked my front first and drove it like that for about 6 months before i welded my rear


Edit: just saw your xj was a 2000. Youre good to go on the rear axle. Itll hold up just fine.

 

the axle up grade runs about 400 4020 chromoly streel i have the mtr's and they roar alost as good as a super swamper but on the trail theres no mud terrain like it the baja claws definitly more street able

 

Just a thought if this is mainly going to be a daily driver, why not 4.5" of lift , 31" tires and stock axles ? save a lot of $$$ a jeep is very capable in stock condition, so any upgrades you do will only make it better,

 

I agree. If you're not going to be in alot of rocks and high clearance issues... 31s are a good choice. They will be easier on your axles, and you don't have to regear. Get a 3.5" lift, put an Aussie in the rear and a True Trac in the front and you have a very capable rig that will drive great on the street, and you'll save alot of cash. Cash you can probably spend on a winch, etc. It all really depends on what kind of terrain you'll be using it in.

I also prefer 33x10 vs 33x12.