Concerning the crossmember- I don't think it would cause any issue to keep after SYE install in fact the driveline angle would improve slightly. Nobody keeps the spacers (after they do SYE) because they lower the ground clearance and look cheesy but the AX15 x-member height difference is on the top of the cross member where the mount attaches.

 

I gotcha yeah thought about getting the rustys cross member don’t loose any height but drops it 1inch.

 

@vroomvroom I gotcha man. The front lowers I have are rc they’re kinda angled. But I’m the rear driveshaft that’s standard the angles on both end have to match right, you can’t roll the pinion up and have zero at it and say 3/4 at trans .

 

I have a AX15 crossmember in the garage I just measured, the drop where the trans mount bolts is 3/4" lower, the bottom height is the same as one for AW4 Automatic.

They are all the same over the years (except for the very early pre '86'ish with the Peugeot /Renault s**tbox manuals) so finding one should be reasonably easy. The finish changed on the '97 up but otherwise same.

The Rusty's ones are quality but for the price difference of a used stock part I would spend the money elsewhere in your build.

 

Good deal. I wonder if one can modify stock have welding and fab skill

 

I'm sure they could be welded, but they are stamped sheet metal. Around here they are $50 or less from the u-pull yards I would just find a used one,

 

Every xj and they momma xj at the yards around me are bare.

 

$50? If someone offered me that for my spare one, I'd ask if they'd like the trans as well.

 

I can second that, didn't notice any difference from '96 to '98