chris7420

First time posting on here so I apologize if I’m not posting this properly
Looking to install this 3” rough country lift kit on my 95 Cherokee along with some 31x10.5x15 tires and I’m just wondering if I will need any extra parts/work done or do I just bolt on the kit get a alignment and I’m good to go?

Lift kit - https://www.tdotperformance.ca/rough...-lift-kit.html

TrailerTrash

I strongly advise you to not buy that kit. Buy a kit with full leaf packs. Much better than add-a-leafs.

There are alot of things you should/could do. There are some that you need to do. Extended brake lines are a need to do.

Edit
Please refer to NKOC's chart below

chris7420

What’s wrong with the add a leafs? Do you advice against that kit or just the add a leafs? Because rough country offers the same kit with full leaf packs for more $$$ I just chose the add a leafs cause they’re cheaper and this is cheap budget build I only paid $1000 for the jeep so trying to spend as little as possible

EZEARL

One leaf will be giving you 3" of lift. Even if your springs were in good shape which I doubt after 26yrs of service how long do you think that leaf will last. Also there'll be a lot of added stress on your old leaf springs which could cause them to break. Those here who have used an add a leaf talk about how harsh of a ride you get. You'll save money in the long run by doing it right the first time around.

JonRedcorn

I would 100% get new leafs, whoever did my lift used add a leafs with a 4.5 in lift. The rear leafs are sagged out and almost flat... Those stock leafs are shot I can almost guarantee it.

agreen

The RC kit is fine. Add a leaf kits are fine, so long as you don't try to install them on saggy suspension. If the rear sags, grab a new set of springs and start from there.

Aside from the lift, you might need to do a transfer case drop if you experience driveline vibrations. I did that initially. I just stacked 4 one inch stacks of washers between the cross member and the body with new bolts. It was only temporary, as I knew I was going to do a slip yoke eliminator later on. Also the track bar mount will need to be relocated about an inch over or you'll have some bump steer. You can do this by drilling a new hole for it.

If you choose to do a slip yoke eliminator, the hidden cost there is the axle shims. I did a "homebrew SYE", or "Hack n'Tap". I also used a junkyard XJ front driveshaft as the rear shaft. Once installed, I was getting worse vibrations than with the slip yoke driveshaft. I had to shim the pinion up about 4 degrees, which meant I needed longer U-bolts and (of course) axle shims. You don't need an SYE unless you just want that extra inch of clearance.

My XJ is done on the cheap because it's only one of my 5 vehicles and there's no way I can pay for the best on everything. That absolutely does not mean it's inferior. I actually choose to daily drive it over my other cars, and it's actually a fairly comfortable ride with no death wobble. At 80mph it reads 70dbA inside. So again, there's nothing wrong with doing things cheap if you do them right.

chris7420

Damn I didn’t realize it was that much work, I don’t want to go through all that with this beater lol. I just want a good fit for a set of 31x10.5x15’s. Do you guy think this kit would be better for my case?

https://www.tdotperformance.ca/rough...n3-shocks.html

ijeeep

Not really. You'd still have weak and saggy springs and the poor ride and handling and lousey bump compliance that weak saggy springs give.

Been there, done that.

TrailerTrash

It's been mentioned in other threads but I'll say it here too. These vehicles are quite capable in stock form. You dont need to lift them to make them perform well. Getting in hardcore mud/rocks/snow is a different story of course.

If it is a beater that you dont care too much about you could get some wheels with less backspacing than stock, get some tires a little bigger and alot more aggressive than stock and trim the fenders a bit to make them fit.

Once you start down the serious modding path it can get expensive and complicated quickly. Especially for someone new to the platform. Many of us have been there

00t444e

Don't put an add a leaf on your stock springs and don't buy a Rough County lift kit. The shocks are junk, the springs sag after a year, and your leaf springs sag, bend and make a whole bunch of noise if you get an add a leaf.

Lynn Gräber

i have to disagree about RC. I have had my 4.5 x series for over a year and have been very happy with it. Anything lifted is not going to ride like a Cady. However this lift had been a significant improvement in ride over the stock worn out suspension. Just don’t run your tires over 33 psi. 😳

I do absolutely agree with not doing add a leaf. This a good time to replace old worn out parts for not much more than you’d pay for stock. This is why I went with x series. It replaced a lot of stuff.

RocketMouse

I think maybe it's easier to say that with a RC kit... obviously if every part of every kit was garbage, the company wouldn't be in business at all. I don't personally have a RC lift on mine... I went with another route and pieced together what worked for me...but I'd say an educated guess is that they have serious issues with their quality control. Consider yourself blessed and fortunate that yours was a positive experience..... just realise that there are many out there that have had the opposite experience with that brand.

00t444e

I have installed a few, they all wore out after a year or two, the shocks would leak, springs sag, bushings worn out, and the hardware you get with them is cheap they don't like to warranty their stuff either. Rubicon Express or Zone is much better quality.

chris7420

Thank you everyone for the great advice. But I’m just goona send it with the rc 1.5/2” kit and big tires. I tried ordering it directly from rc and got a email stating it’s going to take like a month and they gave me the option to cancel my order so I shopped around some more and found the same kit but without the shock absorbers for like half the price and with free 2 day shipping. Will this kit work with stock length shock absorbers or do I want longer ones?

RocketMouse

you'll want longer ones.
Could you put stock length shocks on it? yeah...but I wouldnt recommend it. unless this thing is in the condition as just a beater and you couldn't care less... then yeah...but if it's in decent condition and you plan on keeping it for a while.. do the right thing... it really won't cost much more for longer shocks. When I did my lift, went with longer ones and it cost me maybe 10-15 more per shock... so not much.