eric009

I want to buy a lift for my 96' xj. I am looking at the 8in skyjacker and was wondering what other people thought of it or if there was anything beter out there? Also if i were to purchase it wat else i would need to make my xj drivable?

THENNING

well you deff going to need an sye and new driveshaft....and im guessing this is going to be a LA setup?

xjmarc

At that height I'd suggest full width axles. Haven't heard anything good about Skyjacker on XJs. Look into Clayton or Rubicon Express.

xj_maniac_newb

are you going straight to 8" from stock?

Iant333

Why do you want that much height? Just a heads up, its gonna be really really top heavy, sometimes less is better.

Although, if your plans are only to do really deep mud bogs then i guess it should work out for you, it's gonna be not so nice on the street and not so nice for rock-crawling.

As for Skyjacker, they aren't famous for their Jeep stuff, more for the stuff they make for fullsize trucks. Just about everything driveline related on the Jeep will need to be replaced if you want it to be halfway decent. You need new control arms, either long-arms or drop brackets, new steering or/and a drop pitman arm, and SYE and a new driveshaft and perhaps a transfer case drop as well.

All said and done to do that much height properly is gonna cost thousands.

eric009

Ok so 8in probably isn't the way to go, what size would you recommend then? I want to be able to mud bog and do some rock crawling. I have about $3500 to spend, and im going from a stock setup.

northamerican

with 3500 you could get a 6'' and a new set of 35''s that'd ba a bit more managable

AutomaticKrackr

I am in the same position and have been shopping aroound for a month or so.I like what Ive seen from Rubicon express and Iron Rock off road,I am in a toss up between the two!!!

CRoading

3500 is a sufficient budget for setting up a mud boger or a rock crawler...
Iron Rock off road is pretty good option...

91xj

from my experience with the 6.5 inch iron rock offroad kit, it is actually very much more stable than my three inch lift was. when i go over large rocks or mounds my jeep stays pretty level while the suspension moves. when i had my three inch kit my jeep would have flipped doing the things i can do with this kit. i have driven sideways on a dirt bank and my lev o gauge said it was 35 degrees. even on the freeway i take turns going 75 that are marked 50 and it feels very stable with hardly any body roll. in my opinion i think people get overly cautious about higher lifts. no offense. but i also agree that something like 12 inches is too high. i think you would be safe going 8 inches. i feel much safer now than i did with my three inch kit. iron rock offroad is a great kit. my jeep has a very nice ride on the freeway and on the trails. i would reccomend it to anyone who is looking to buy a lift.

rich

4.5 inch long arm BDS lift with 32 or 33 inch tires,front and rear rock bumpers with hitch points and a front mount winch, Unibody stiffeners and skid plates.

eric009

OK, so I've come to the conclusion that im going to get the 6.5 inch iron rock long arm kit. I've also got a dana 44 axle, a sye, and a new drive shaft. I wanna run 33x12.5-15 tires. Is there ANYTHING else that i need to make his work?

Iant333

Some new steering and new gears for those 33's would do you well, neither is necessary but I highly recommend them. But other than that not really.

91xj

deffinitely a drop pitman arm. the iro kit does not come with one.

xjoffroad

if all you want to run is 33's theres no point in having a 6.5" lift. save the money and buy a 4.5". take the $$ you saved to regear the axles and lock them. recovery gear is a must also