They also put down way more torque. The bottom line is leaf springs suffer from wrap. This can be mitigated by installing an anti-wrap device like a traction bar, or by reducing the power applied to the axle. Lift blocks will ALWAYS make this worse.

XJs have weak stock leafs and relatively low torque compared to trucks. You could add a traction bar, but you're still left with a weak spring pack. Installing lift springs on an XJ instead of a block fixes all of these problems with stock power output.

Exactly the point I was intending to convey.

Dollar for dollar, you'll never beat the benefit of just doing the job right the first time.

i figured the answer would be something similar to that. thanks for confirming my thoughts. guess ill keep putting my change aside for the whole kit. ill be there someday.

I waited about 4 years for mine... well worth the wait, trust me.

I'm looking at the RE 5.5" short arm kit to replace the assorted components making up my current setup. Just looking for some people to weigh in on pros and cons of the kit. I'm also looking to grab some 33" BFG A/T KO2's. Anyone running them have anything to say about road noise? What's the backspace need to be to avoid rubbing?

I don't know about the 33s but my 31s are quite and work well for my needs. Seemed to be a lot better than the kos I had.

You'll have the clearance but the ride will be rough untill you get long arms. I have short arms and regret it. RE itself is a great lift company with lots of positive customers. 33s are going to start sucking gas on your stock axles. Lots dont care but regearimg your axles will pay dividends both on an off road. I know from most any reviews that bfgs eventually get louder as they loose tread but they last fairly competitively. Average backspacing is 3.75.

Hey guys! I was just wondering if anyone could provide me with some actual pros/cons for lifting my xj with a 3in/31s vs a 4.5/32s.. I really cant decide and since I'm new to wheeling in general some well informed advice could be rather useful right about now heh. Thanks guys!

Besides the difference in height and ground clearance the largest difference is money. Granted some have spent just as much in a 3in. lift as a 4.5 but thats mostly for performance rather than necessity. Obviously the larger the tires the more you will need bigger gears. Heres thes list again!

thnx for the weigh in. Unfortunately long arms are not in the budget right now. The reason I'm looking at this kit is because I'm already running a bunch of the components and I need to get new tires. I've always planned on going to 33's so why not just make the jump. I'm already at 4.75" in the front and my ride is fairly good after installing th RE CA drop brackets. The brackets combined with the offset fixed LCA in the kit should help maintain a decent ride. The big issue I'm having is with my 3" zone leaf springs. They are a bit short for the current setup (RC shackle relocation bracket/1" lift shackle/3" zone leafs). They run so flat I had to remove the shim from my axle to realign my pinion. The axles are getting new gears next week when the front axle gets locked so 33s should be no problem. Really I just want to replace my rear components with a more balanced setup and I feel the RE kit is a good direction to go.

Have not installed them yet but should go well with BDS springs and leafs.

Huh...thats strange because inhave their 3in spring and 1in bomerang shackle and im at 5in in the rear....you haul concreat or trailers all the time? Yeah i know that the ideal setup is to have a spring plus a lift shackle for good flex. I know a company called full traction that actually sells a 5in lift leaf spring. Anyway, yeah RE sounds good!

Hey guys just put my 3 inch Zone leaf springs in still on jack stands
Question, is do I torque the U bolts in a certain order crisscross like the Lugnuts on a tire?
And does it matter if it's on jackstands or on the ground when torquing the U-bolts? Up in the air from what I can gather? I do have a Haynes manual but it's not to be specific. Thank you for any and all help!

There's no specific criss-cross pattern I'm aware of, but as they need to stay relatively centered it is wise to incrementally torque them, anyway. This prevents the U-bolts from twisting.

They can be done while up in the air. It's the leaf spring and shackle eyes that need to be done with the weight on the springs.

Thanks for being very clear now I understand.
Kinda important to be spot on with this one..