So I'm turning 16 and I'm looking to buy a 2 door xj and put on a 4.5" RC lift with 33"x10.5" mud terrains. I was just wondering if anyone knows if there are any particularly good years for two doors, if i would have to regear for the 33"s, and if i would need to buy anything other than what is included in the RC lift kit. Thanks guys.

RC lift kit- http://roughcountry.com/jeep_xj_4.html

 

at 4.5 you'd probably need an adjustable track bar... IRO sells a good one. stay away from AAL as you've undoubtedly heard. You would probably need a SYE at 4.5 as well...

If you're going to buy a new body style, some people will tell you to stay away from 00 and 01 because they have the 0331 heads which are prone to cracking if things overheat... other people will tell you to just take care of it and it'll take care of you. 98 and 99 seem to be the preferable years since 97 (I think) is a crossover year... If you want the old body style, (I don't even know if they made 2 doors this old) stay away from anything 86 or newer because it has a chevy v6... 90s and older are renix, 91-95 are OBDI... I'd stay away from 96 because it's a crossover year and some things are different (Steering column, it's OBDII but it's the only year of the old body style that is OBDII).. then again, most parts should still swap in, so it's not a GIANT deal. I haven't run into any problems and I have a 96. However, if I could go back and re-do it, I would definitely go for a 97+ model.

Most of my post is nit-picking.. but meh.

 

Awesome thanks and also, do you know what gear ratio would be best for 33" tires?

 

On 33s you want:

4.56 gears if it's automatic
4.10 gears if it's manual

And I'd agree that you want a 98-99 if you can find one. That's what I'd look for if I were to do it again

 

I have a 92 2 door with the 4.0 and haven't run into any problems since I got it in February, aside from needing new injectors.
I really like the older style, it seems more rugged.