finneys98xj

First thanks in advance. My Jeep is a 1998 Cherokee Sport with auto transmission. The four wheel drive linkage is bent thanks to my sister stealing it and joy riding, so it want go into 4 low. It is all stock at the moment and a daily driver and will be my daily for a while. It's got 218552 miles on the orginial 4.0 L. At about 165000 mile it blow a head gasket. We have pull up trees as big as 12 inch around with no problem. Its got power but I want more.

I'm looking for the biggest lift possible without changing the driveshaft. Suggestion on lift and tire Combo?

I have to replace the driver side seat, what years will interchange?

What is a good bumper combo?

Should I get a roof rack for the spare or hang on the bumper?

Will a bumper hitch be fine or should i put a Reese hitch or mine and what Class?

What can I put on it to add a little power without breaking the bank?

POLAR_JEEP_04

1)3.5"/4.5" with 31" or 32" tires
2)97+
3)what are you going to use it for? tntcustoms.com/jrcoffroad.com/custom4x4.com
4)i use a roof rack
5)reese unless its a good aftermarket bumper with lots of strong attachment points
6)a tune up works best then intake and exhaust

TrueBlueXJ

97+ XJs tend to run into more driveline problems than 96-, but every Jeep is its own animal. You might be able to get away with 4.5" of lift with a transfer case drop, but in most cases 3.5" would be your safest lift size to go with without running into driveline problems.

Not sure about the seats. Someone else can chime in.

JCRoffroad makes nice bumpers, but there are a lot of bumper manufacturers out there. Rusty's Offroad, Nate's 4x4, Warn, etc. etc. Just research and find whatever fits your tastes/needs best.

A roof rack is nice for hauling trail gear like hi-lift jacks, shovels, axes, etc. With only 3-4" of lift and say a 31 or 32" tire, mounting it on the roof rack won't effect your center of gravity too much, but it will effect it. You won't notice it much on the road, but when you're off camber it could be the difference between sliding into that tree, or god forbid laying it on its side. Most of the bumper manufacturers I mentioned above make rear bumpers with swing-out tire carriers.

A rear bumper with a receiver built in will be stronger than Reese setup because it's tied into the unibody more strongly. A heavier rear bumper should come with unibody tie-in brackets which will strengthen the mounting points of your new bumper.

A hi-flow air filter paired with a throttle body spacer is an inexpensive place to start for squeezing more power into your 4.0L. Dynomax also makes inexpensive cat-back exhaust systems (I have their Super Turbo system). All these mods will help with air flow and fuel mixture, and may even improve mileage a few mpg. JET makes stage 1, 2 and 3 performance chips too, and I've heard of people getting good results with the #2, but I don't know first hand how well they really do.

Good luck!

Kyle

To speak on the JET chips, they are not worth it for the 4.0. The Jet chips work well for diesels but not for jeeps.

A waste of money for the Jeep if you ask me.

BlueXJ

All your questions seem to be addressed except the 4lo problem. You might just have an adjustment problem. The best thing is to crawl under there and take a look. If you see that the rod iis bent then the junkyard will be the best bet. If you notice that the adjustment seems to be different than the stock location( determined by clean places on the rod or discolorations) then any good service manual will point you in the right direction. One thing that I would suggest as your first purchase is a Factory Service Manual also referred to as a FSM. They can be found in several places. I found mine on Ebay but they are available from other websites such as Pirate Bulletin Board and others. Word to the wise do not post on PBB or your questions and comments will turn you away from Jeeps and 4WD all together. Those people are very harsh to new comers.

POLAR_JEEP_04

http://www.novak-adapt.com/catalog/kit_sk2x.htm

finneys98xj

Thanks to those that answered. Here is a couple more.

What is the best AT tire for on/off road?

Snorkle or no snorkle?

How can I find out what front and rear axle I have and Transfer case?

Kyle

Best AT is BFG AT KO

Snorkel if you need it, aka are you running in a lot of deep water?

If the bottom of your rear axle is flat and has sharp corners you have a c8.25 if not its a d35. Front is a d30. If you have a full time 4wd option on your TCase then its the 242 if not then its the 231.