Hey whats up guys. I found a Jeep that I'm pretty interested in. I'd figure I'd bring it buy you guys first. Its a 1996 4.0L with 180k miles. It has a Rough Country 4.5" Short Arm Lift Kit. And 33/12.5/15 Mickey Thompsons. Everything on it works, my question is with stock gearing (which I think is 3:55) How horrible of an effect is these tires and lift kit going to do on my gas mileage? The Jeep will average 55 to 60mph everyday. Also are the Rough Country Lift kits descent? Anything I should look for. Thanks again

 

If you are concerned with mileage i would pass on that one. Stock gears and 33's you are going to see around 12-13 mpg. It sounds like you should be looking at a stock Xj over a built one.

 

Welcome to CherokeeForum. Ive got six Cherokees currently(two 84z, an 87, a 96, a 99 and my beloved 2001 SilverStone Metallic, which im driving today. And Im also trying to decide on a 4-4 1/2 inch lift to clear some BFG Mud-Terrains in a 33x10.5R15 size. I think the Rough Country 4 1/2in lifts are pretty good. I know of 4 Cherokees around the Wenatchee valley area that have them and get driven well off road. I really want a Currie built lift though. Does the Cherokee you are looking at have a Slip yoke Eliminator? If it dosent, the driveline will take a crap quickly(U-Joint rather) and will feel clunky and not smooth because of the bad angle a 3 1/2+ lift puts the Driveline at. Unless you get a 84 through 86 Cherokee with the NP228 transfer case that comes with a Fixed yoke from the factory. My Brown 84 has this setup, and I didnt have to do anything to is with a 3 1/2in lift. Those Drivelines(from a 84-86 Cherokee with NP228 Selec-Trac) are a good find at junk yards, as they can be had for $20 versus $200+ for a Tom Woods or equal. Is that 96 you found a manual or auto. Either axle ratio(3.07 for the manual most likely and 3.55 for the auto) isnt going to be good for 33in tall tires. Ive been advised to regear to at least 4.56 and that 4.88 is best with the Auto or Manual with 33 in tires.

 

Yes the Jeep is an Auto and I don't believe it has the towing package so I think it has the 3:55 gears. 12-13mpg is rough. Would I see a descent impovement in the mpg by rear gearing it or dropping down to 31 X 11.50 tires? Or once its at this stage crappy mpg is expected? I have no idea if it has a Slip Yoke eliminator, when I drive up again, I will ask and or look.

 

97-98.............Newer clean line body lines and no 0331 head. Less chance for rust issues. Look for properly maintained vehicle with owner maintenance records. Maintenance is possibly more important than mileage, Good Luck!

 

maintenance is DEFINATELY more important than mileage....


i bought a 2001 with only 112k miles on it thinking i was getting a good deal.


4 months later its done less than 1000 miles......but on the plus side i have gained a lot of mechanical knowledge! if i knew then what i knew now i would just buy a stock one thats well maintained. dont be afraid to really look into the nooks and crannies to find if its been abused or not.

 

Re gearing to lower gears with bigger than stock tires will help performance and fuel mileage. It will also fix speedometer to show correct miles per hour.