i just bought an 88 cherokee 4dr 4x4 4.0 rust free runnin and drivin all stock for 250 bucks i got a set of 31x10.50x17 on some eagal alloy rims for 100 bucks and i put a 2in buget lift on it. ok im ready to do a lil more to it... i got a really good deal on a rock krawler 4in lift with new rear leaf springs for 350 (is that a good lift?) brand new i was think about running that lift along with 2in front space i already have and run a 2in block in the rear. so i would have 6in of total lift. i was told that if i did anything over 4 in i have to run a slip yolk eliminator and a new rear driveshaft. i was also curious as to what tires size i could run? im looking to make a very dependable trail rig. this will not be a daily driver and i have no problems cuttin and hackin on it. also im most likly gonna regear it and lock it. any suggestion on gear ratio? im open to any and all ideas or info. i dont know a whole lot about cherokees i have built several cjs but this will be my first cherokee. thanks for the help guys

 

Flex you did get a bargain at $250 the lift you want to use is at it's limits without long arms. Geometry would be your limiting factor without the long arms, leave that alone. I would leave the spacers out and just try the lift by itself.
The rear will be high enough with that lift and never use blocks in your Jeep if you want to keep spring wrap to a minimum and not flatten your springs prematurely.
You will probably need a Slip Yoke Eliminator and Driveshaft but since it is a trail only rig at 4" and it being an '88 then you might squeak by without it. Each Jeep is different in that respect.
Those tires may look small under a 4" lift but again a super deal at that price so run 'em until you want to buy bigger ones.
Congratulations on those bargains.

 

Like Blue said, I would just run the 4" lift and do away with the spacers and forget about the blocks. My Jeep sits a little above 4" on 31s and I like the way it looks and handles. But with a little trimming I could easily fit 33s. That is the ideal setup IMO, as you can maintain a lower center of gravity, which will minimize leaning weight distribution on the trail and help you keep all 4 on the ground.

 

would yall suggest runnin the long arm? or should i be happy with the 4in? is that a quality lift? what are yall veiws on building axles? i found a guy on my local craigslist sellin alot of d30 and d35 axle parts. he as a super 35 kit with a detroit locker and some 4.56 gear sets and some chromemoly front axles along with a power trax front locker. he said its all new in boxes and he said 800 for everything. im trying to build this as cheap as possible. so far so good i think. any info on this or any tips and tricks period yall would sugest please let me know. thank you for the info.

 

On 4" of lift, there's really no need for long arms. As for the axles, I wouldn't waste any money beefing up a D35. Adding a locker and 33s is just asking for trouble, even with the Super 35 kit - you'd be better off to get a 8.8 out of a Ford Explorer, or even an 8.25 out of another XJ. A later model XJ will have a 29 spline 8.25, which will be much stronger than a beefed up D35 and also be a direct bolt-in. If you can find a junked 4-cylinder XJ, you might be able to find a D30/8.25 combo with 4.10 gears already installed from the factory.

 

with a 6" lift, you are talking about a tire size your axles can't handle. you could safely run 33's under than 4" lift, anything bigger and you should begin thinking about building a drivetrain to handle them

 

i was conisdering doing a 6in if adding the long arms is somethign i could do myself. also i have no desire to run anthing bigger than a 33in tire. i know im gonna trim as much fender outta it as i can. and how hard is the 8.8 swap and how much stronger is it than the 8 1/4? so all 4cyl 4x4 cherokees came with 4.11 and 8 1/4 or was it a option that im gonna have to look for? thanks for the info on the d35. that is an 800 mistake i didnt wanna make. lol. any other tips?

 

If he will seperate the stuff you can use the axels for the D30 but that's about it out of what you listed.
No the 97+ XJ came with a 8.25" Cryco axle and they can sometimes be found wirh a factory gearing of 4.10:1 but that is hard to find outside of a 4 banger. Some even came with a LSD in them.
The 8.8 needs some welding and an adapter for the driveshaft. Not too complicated but still beyond a shadetree job.

 

4 cylinder 5 speeds came with 4.10 gears. Many of them came with the 8.25, but that's something you'll have to check with each XJ. I'd wager to say most that you'll find will have the 8.25 though.

The 8.8 swap isn't a huge undertaking, but it does take some prep time to get it ready for your XJ. There are tons of write-ups out there on this swap. https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f30/ford-8-8-swap-info-3847/ That will tell you just about anything you'll ever want to know about the 8.8.

And again, if you really want to go with the 6" lift and long arms, that's entirely up to you. With enough time and trial-and-error, you may be able to make your own long arms, but like I said before, for a 33" tire, 4" of lift is plenty. It won't take much fender cutting to get those tires to flex, and you'll still be maintaining that low center of gravity, which means more stability off-road and on. Just my .02!

 

well if its just welding some leaf perches on and setting the driveshaft angle and adapting the driveshaft that is well within my ability. how about adaping the brakes? easy? how do they fit width wise? same as the d35 housing? and do u have to pullit outta a 4x4 explorer? or can u pull it out of a 2wd as well? thanks again? what are u guys views on welding up the rear end instead of buying a locker? it wont see alot of street time but it will be street leagal and i will drive it on the street from time to time.

 

One plus side to the 8.8 is that you can get it with disc brakes, no need to switch back to drums. And the 8.8 is a mere .75" (overall) more narrow than the D35 or 8.25, coming in at 3/8" more narrow at each end.

 

I don't like Lincoln lockers myself. And the only other welding required with the 8.8 is the tubes need to be welded to the center section and you have to fab up some shock mounts. The 2WD Exploders had the 8.8 as well as the 4WD versions AFAIK.

 

thats not enuf to even notice. so im not worried. and that is easier that i thought. just the tubes and shock mounts..... on the 8.8 is the 4x4 rear end better than the 2wd or visa versa or are they about the same?

 

Exactly the same. FoMoCo lists them as the same part number in fact. You had already mentioned spring perches so I didn't include those in the welding to be done to the 8.8.

 

oh ok cool cool. still no big nothing i cant handle. thanks for all the info on the lift and axle setups... greaty appriciated! how readily availble are lockers and ring gears axles ect. for the 8.8? and are the parts more expensive?