3" lift with stock drive shaft
 

Working on my 2000 XJ build.
3-3.5" lift, 8.8 explorer rearend.
I do not want to rotate the pinion up on the rear, do to bad experiences with over filling rears in the past. (oil leaking at axle seals.)
I am hoping my angles with a 3" lift will allow a conventional drive shaft (not a DC shaft), of course I wont know my final angles until everything is in and the weight of the vehicle is on it.
I will be using an AX15 trans and 231 transfer case from a 95 XJ.
My thoughts were to retain the stock slip at the transfer case, or install a SYE and have a DS made that retains conventional U joints and a slip in the drive shaft.
I really want to stay away from rotating the pinion up.

Thoughts?

As stated you wont know till you have it bolted up then will be able to see the angle.

Learning time again for me...

I wonder if this will help: https://www.quadratec.com/jeep_knowl.../article-3.htm

Or YouTube video TUFzehQBDPI posted on the Spicer site

had to extend my driveshaft with a 3" lift.

What if you:

1) Drop the transfer case?
or
2) add a slip yoke eliminator kit?

You're going through a lot of effort to avoid a problem that can be solved by reading. Look up how much gear oil a ford 8.8 is meant to hold and add that much fluid. Problem solved. Don't re engineer the wheel to get around a simply solved problem. If you can run the factory driveshaft and it doesn't vibrate at those angles, cool. If it does vibrates throw some shims in there and put a SYE and double cardan shaft in there.

If I am using a standard drive shaft (a U joint on each end), then the 8.8 rear will be somewhat at it's stock angle (near level) and I can fill it to the factory specs.
If I go with a SYE and Double Cardan, then I have to rotate the rear pinion up, then I run it to a situation where I could run the front pinion bearing dry, unless I over fill the rear, then I will have issues at the axle seals.

As previously stated, I guess I will not know until I get it all back together and on its own weight (with out welding the perches), then measure all the angles

Well I've been driving my lifted Cherokee for years without the pinion running dry and I fill it to stock specs. Low pinion axles don't really have a huge lubrication issue when shimmed a couple of degrees. I've also got many friends who fill theirs to factory specs with no issues. I like the fact that with the double cardan rear shaft I only need one spare that fits front and rear. It's not perfect length for them, but it will work for the rest of the ride and get me home. I personally would just do an sye since that's is what I have done and tons of other people have done with no issue at all.