Hey fellas.
I have a Rubicon 3.5 or 4" short arm lift on my XJ (second hand, not sure). I run 31's and have front wheel rub when in sharp turns (on the control arms). I've weighed her down with a front prerunner bumper with a milemarker hydrolic winch and a rear bumper with swingout tire carrier and highlift. I imagine I added 150 to 200 lbs. to each end. I added 2 leaf springs in the rear and just recieved 2 - 2" spring spacers in the mail for the front. They are the true two, but measure 2.25, I was looking for 1.5 inch but settled on these. I think I'll need to block the back a bit now as well. I do not have a slip yoke eliminator, but do have the crossmember spacers for the t case installed. I imagine I'll need to look into longer steel brake lines as well as SYE and longer control arms. I lost my driveshaft on Taylor drive 9 years ago because of a 4" frankenlift, back then my fix was a longer shaft from a waggoneer.
What I'm asking is for some opinions and any warnings of what not to forget or anything you guys with previous experience can point out to me. I wasn't looking to go higher really, but now I may just need to make this work, I just want a quality ride and I don't want to pour 10 grand into doing it. I however don't need to strand myself out west again either.
The current arms are rubicon shorts, and I don't crank the wheel all the way as my fix for now. I'm looking into the wheel spacers, but the real issue is loosing the driveshaft again or snapping brake lines because I went too high.

See, I'm thinking that when I articulate, the tire travel will be longer due to the combination of installed equipment. At times there won't be the weight of the bumpers compressing the springs and such. As a result I'm in fear of the driveshaft pulling all the way out and dropping on the ground (again). I mean the distance between the t case and rear axle will increase when unflexed right? I just don't want this to happen out West. I've been stranded 2 times now.

 

rubing on your control arms? get the correct backspacing for your wheels. DONT use a block. they cause axle wrap which will destroy drive lines and ujoints. also I have seen way to many blocks crack in half. at the height I'm sure you will need a SYE but could be wrong, I doubt it though.

are you running the stock control arms? are uppers and lowers adjustable?

 

I'm running the Rubi short arms non adjustable. I do have an adjustable trackbar and wonder if control arm brackets would help any.

 

rubbing on lca is no really a hight problem try winding the steering stop out or weld a nut on the end of it

 

You're gonna want adj. upp er and lowers, and yeah drop brackets would help a lot.

 

As DYTE2004 said...
Adjust your steering stops... you can pick up longer bolts if need be at ACE. Make more sensse than buying wheels that stick your tires way out past the body.
Your articulation will be unchanged. Only way to get more articulation (providing your arms/trackbar are not limiting things) is buy longer shocks.

 

[QUOTE=dyte2004;545017]rubbing on lca is no really a hight problem try winding the steering stop out or weld a nut on the end of it[/QUOTE]

this is not a cure to the issue. you will be limiting you turning radius. its just a bandaid

 

in terms of absolute math you are correct, in terms of it being a factor on the trail... there is none.
A locker will eat more turning raduis than what is required of the steering stop adjustment.
As a matter of fact, running large offset wheels will take up more room on the trail than a steering stop adjustment.

 

get rims with proper backspacing. if you have tubular control arms, then for 12.5 wide tire, get 3.75 backspacing.
if you only have a 10.5 wide tire, then 4 inch backspacing will work.
if you still have stock control arms, then 3.75 bs for 10.5 tire, etc.

don't shorten your turning radius by using longer steering stops or welded nut. you'll hate it in the trails.

and you shouldn't need a sye for your added lift.
as for your driveshaft, you can replace the slip end with one from a wrangler.

 

this ^

 

I have 12.50 wides and 4" b.s. and longarms and I don't rub the CA's.

X2 on not shortening the turning radius the "ghetto" way.

 

your long arms are most likely closer to the inside than most cheap aftermarket tubular control arms.
i know my long arms and 13.5 wide tire on 3 inch backspace has huge amounts of clearance when fully turned.
but when i had my 33x12.5 on 8 inch wide 3.75bs rims with rubicon express control arms, it rubbed a bit at full turn and flexed.

 

Oh yeah...totally forgot about that...