2" lift with 31" tires - how to
 

I have a 2000 Cherokee. Because this model has the low pinyon Dana 35, and because I wanted smooth high speed road performance without major mods, I opted for a 2" lift with 245/75-16 Goodyear MT/Rs. Started with a Rubicon Express kit with rear axel blocks and front 2" spacer and RE shocks. A failure: the rear wheel would lock up when the tire tread hit the fender flare lip. The front, with sway bar disconnected, would stuff the tire into the fender well, tipping the jeep until opposite rear tire left the ground (like a dog peeing): no good in steep off-camber AZ mountains. After 3000 miles, shocks squeek and front tires cupping.

So, spend some more $ and got it right. Installed Rusty's 2" lift front coil springs, Rusty's lower fixed length control arms, Bushwacker flat flares, and 1.25" wheel spacers on all. This setup is much, much better. The Cherokee is no longer a white-knuckle experience on high mountain off camber trails. I still get a little bit of front tire rub against the top of the flares when sway bar is diconnected and I drop her into a ditch - but no lock-up and no lifted rear end. The Rustys lower control arms are 8 mm longer and twice as heavy as stock units. They bring the front geometry back to normal. Still need Bilstein shocks & redo front bump stops, maybe.

clean jeep :) put the spacers up front!

blocks in the rear? How's that working for you? Any axle wrap, or any other issues?

The 2" blocks work perfectly. They are slightly wedge-shaped and tilt the rear differential upwards, so the drive shaft still comes in at the correct angle. No axle wrap, no drive shaft vibration. This is the only part of the RE kit that will not be replaced. For higher lifts they may not work so well, I don't know. I have heard that the worst solution is a helper leaf (at least if you want to maintain the nice smooth road drivability).

BTW, for those considering rear lift via extended shackles, be aware that the actual lift achieved is 1/2 the shackle extension: to get 2" lift you need 4" extended shackles. To visualize: lift one end of a 2x4 4" off the floor: the middle (where the axle is) only rises 2".

Bob:thumbup1: