hows it going today i just got my first 1996 cherokee for my winter truck, it needs tires bad really bad. i want something good in the mud i was thinking about bf goodrich mut terrain's now here is my ? is it true if i put 31's on it i will need to get a longer drive shaft because i will need to lift the truck? or if i do a body lifr will i be ok?

 

gotta give a facepalm for the newbie and that question....Funny you should ask, XJ owners don't know what the words "body lift" mean. In all seriousness though, glad to have another person getting in an XJ to get to your question-

XJ's are Unibody, meaning the "frame" and body are one piece and share the structural strength as opposed to, say, a pickup where the body is a seperate piece sitting on a frame. Long story short, no body lifts on an XJ. All lifts on an XJ are suspension.

As far as running 31's, you could leave it stock height but the tires would probably rub if it articulates at all, especially if you plan on running mud-terrains that have a more aggressive and deeper tread. Best bet if you want to run 31's is a 3" lift. I've heard a Budget Boost(BB) will clear 31's as well, but may have some rubbing issues. Those run 1.5"-2". You won't need to worry about driveshaft issues if thats all the lift you had in mind, the stock shaft will work just fine.

I'm running a 3" Rough Country on 31" Remington Mud Brutes. The tires are great, worked well in the mud, clay, and rocks and aren't annoying on the highway either. I can't say about snow though. The tread is holding out very well too, and its my DD and sees mostly road driving. As it stands now, i'd buy the tires again.

 

thank you for the correction... i am new to the xj thing my buddy had a 96 xj also with a lift and 31's not sure of how high the lift was but his drive shaft used to pop out when driving h had to have an inch put on to it to correct the problem... i dont wanna run into the same issue

 

Pop out? Thats not due to the lift. Thats a connection problem.

31s on a stock xj you will have to trim the fenders, you can clear 30" tires but they will rub. Right now Firestone Destinations are the best all around.

 

Got some pics from my old xj with 30x9,5 Cooper stt's and no lift





here with 2" budget boos lift:

 

i ran 31's on my stock. they were a little run down, but here

 

oh alright cool that looks sick

 

This, and they are cheap cheap cheap tires! For stock 215/75/r15 they are <$100 per, some places <$90

 

I love Cooper STT's, and would differently buy them again.

 

^^

yes i love the stt's.. to bad i coulden't find new stt's in 32" after my new lift..

but kl71 are a grate tire to