I need help with my first build
 

I have an 89 XJ and I want to lift it. I want to know if a Rough Country 6.5 x series kit short arm will give me issues because its not a long arm....it will mainly be my daily driver but play toy on weekends (trails, mud, & rocks if i can find some)...I saw somewhere else that i could put a control arm drop kit on the 6.5 short arm...what will that do for me? and is it that important?...also im looking to put 35's on it...if i end up hearing that the 6.5 short arm is not the way to go then i will probably get the 4.5 RC x series kit...and whats the diffrence in the regular 4.5 and the 4.5 x series?..they are both short arm but i thought that the x series would be what i need because my leaf springs are sagging on my xj and the x series comes with a good replacement set of leafs

i know im asking alot but I'm very new to this stuff and i just want to learn
thanks

Short arms with 6.5" lift is going to give you a pretty harsh ride. If you get the drop brackets it will make the ride smoother and give you a little more flex offroad. If you end up going with the 6.5" kit I highly suggest getting the drop brackets.

I think the only difference between the 4.5" and the 4.5" x series is the full leaf pack. If you go with the 4.5" kit get the x series. You're gonna want the full leaf packs.

One more thing. Most Rough Country kits ride pretty stiff, this is because the shocks that come with the kit are garbage. They work yes, but they don't provide a smooth ride.

if you want a kit that rides smooth, Rubicon Express kits ride amazing! i have a 4.5 super flex kit from RE and my xj rides better than it did before. also long arms will help smooth out the ride if you can afford a long arm kit.

i have seen where people will put leaf springs in the front and they had shocks but no springs....it was an xj with 39.5s...is that good, rough, cheap, stupid, or what?...

also if i got the RC 4.5 x flex lift with the drop brackts.... would that be the best way to smooth out my ride for less $?...or would buying better shocks from another company be the best bang for my buck?

With 4.5 you wouldn't really need a drop brackets but they would help with the ride quality. if you did the leafs that would be a lot more money than a long arm upgrade, because you would have to change your entire front suspension setup. about the shocks I've heard that RC shocks are really not the greatest out there. I have RE shocks and they are great, I know some people have used those instead of the RC ones

if you are starting out I would just get a cheap 4.5" kit since its a dd and wont be wheeled much. stick to 32's or 33's and trim you fenders to fit. you will get crap gas mileage and it will be sluggish if you dont regear your axles

whats a diff guard? it shows that i can select them when i go to put my lift on my shopping cart

If you wanna Higher than 6" it's cheaper than a four link, and most other set ups. But it takes quite a bit of fab. to pull off the right way.