Jeepnfm

So I just got my first XJ (1996 2dr SE 2.5L), I have a limited budget and it will be a daily driver commuter as wheel as my wheeling rig. I have been looking at the Iron Rock Offroad 4.5" Critical Path suspension kit, it looks to be a really well engineered kit. I want to run 31" to 33" tires, not huge just well functioning. Does anyone have experience with company or any ideas on a kit that will provide the most bang for the buck. I have had a '75 CJ5, '77 CJ7, and a '83 Cherokee Chief, but no XJ experience and would appreciate any input on build ideas.

Allusion

i have IROs 6.5" LA kit and i love it. onroad its a nice smooth ride and offroad it flexes like a drunk hooker. ive never heard anything bad about iro through all of my forum reading. their 3link is very sturdy. some people dont like it but its really amazing. theres a few others on this forum useing iornrock stuff..

grn99

Its good stuff. I plan on getting the long arm upgrade for mine. My Bro in law is ordering their 5.5 kit this week. Looking forward to installing it. Lets see some pics of your rig.

001cherokee

I just upgraded my SkyJacker short arm kit to the IRO long arm kit and it is a night and day differnece. The guys at IRO are great and customer service is great. Like said above I also have not heard anything bad about IRO.

cherokeeaddiction23

my buddy has a wj aand he swears by them, hes got the 5.5 kit with the longarms and ive seen that thing flex its ridiculous and ive driven it on the road and it rides like a caddy, a caddy on the stiff side but still compared to my xj with the same amount of lift and short arms still its wayy better, im going with there long arm kit when the time comes

SteelBlue99

I've got their 4.5" Long Arm kit as well. I've never heard a single negative thing about that company. Customer service is great, and their products are top-notch. Ride is amazing on road with the long arms. I'd definitely reccomend that kit!

SignWorX

I agree. I'm going to be upgrading to there long arm kit in the future. I have a friend that has one of their lifts and he has no complains either. Lets see your Jeep!

SteelBlue99

Mine?

99xj2.5

I'll be interested to see how you 2.5 does with 31's. Mine is gutless with 215s. Be nice once you get up to speed though!

Jeepnfm

Thanks guys, the IRO kits look great, and great feedback. I haven't done much to the XJ yet, it was a $500 barely running project buy. Previous owner did a great tune up! Two out of four plugs had no gap at all and the others were .06 and .075. Cap, rotor and wires were shot and the oil was like syrup. Exhaust manifold was missing a bolt and leaked bad, thermostat was bad and heater core was clogged all with 118,000 miles. Replaced all the above, had the manifold machined, flushed the cooling system and it purrs like a kitten. It needs a clutch pretty soon, thinking I'm gonna run a Centerforce I kit. Any bumpers out there that also reinforce the steering box?

90XJkid

Sounds like you have some good ideas, and you seem to have a decent base to start from. There are plenty of bumpers out there that help the steering box area. Start trolling the forum and see what you like. Also some fabricators on here that can make you one.

Allusion

wow the p.o really seems like he knows what hes doing.. maybe ill hire him for repair work.. .
mine was just about the same with some milky oil,coolent,gearoil, and clutch fluid.

Ianf406

x2.. there are alot of options out there.. just look at the list i made (in sig), IRO is what i run too, and love them

Jeepnfm

So I decided to just make my '96 XJa daily driver with a small lift, Rock Krawler 3". I have a line on a '99 with the 4.0 and 5spd, so that will be the project rig. The RK lift doesn't say if there is a need for longer shocks which it makes sense to me it would. Just to be sure I want to replace them, any ideas on the shock size that I will need? I commute 120+ miles daily so I would like a decent set for ride quality. I'll post pics of the XJ before and after, thanks guys!

biggoofy

I just ordered the IRO 5.5 for my ZJ and have been dealing with IRO for awhile they have excellent service and parts that they truely stand behind. I say go for it