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Hello all!
first time poster here finally picked up the Cherokee i wanted and plan on doing a 3" lift.
Thanks for your help in advance and sorry for all the questions!
Said it before I'll say it again can't go wrong with lift kits 4 less.
First post, so I hope it's in the right place. My problem/question is...I have a 94 XJ I bought a couple months ago. It currently has 1.5 inch lift block in the back and aftermarket coil springs in the front (I'm assuming they're also 1.5 inch longer). My question is if I want to get a total of 3 inch lift should I go with 1.5 inch spring spacer in front? And in the back, should I remove the 1.5 inch block and stock 3 inch shackles and just use 6 inch shackle? (I already have a set of 6 inch shackles I was given). It also has Rough Country shocks, which I will change out later if that's advisable (I've heard negative stuff about RC). Any and all advice is appreciated!
Other info....
Dana 30 in front
Chrysler 8.25 in rear
31×10.50 M/Ts.
No other suspension mods.
I'm also looking to install a 3" lift kit on the XJ. I was looking at the Zone 3" lift kit with full leafs like Papablista posted. I have not been able to find many reviews for the XJ lift online. Does anyone here run this kit? If so what are your thoughts on it?
Last edited by DDJeep1996; 04-09-2019 at 07:25 AM.
I know the x-series includes adjustable Trac bar and adjustable control arms. Is it worth the extra $250? This will be going on my daily driver.
Also, do I NEED a SYE and CV driveshaft? Or could I leave it alone for a while and purchase it later? I'm not planning on wheeling it until this summer around June. Any input will be appreciated!
I know the x-series includes adjustable Trac bar and adjustable control arms. Is it worth the extra $250? This will be going on my daily driver.
Also, do I NEED a SYE and CV driveshaft? Or could I leave it alone for a while and purchase it later? I'm not planning on wheeling it until this summer around June. Any input will be appreciated!
Hey Man thought i would reply to see if i could help you out as i was just down this route and have searched many countless hours, if your XJ is a daily i wouldn't lift it 4.5 been there and hated it.
As for the Trac Bar and control arms they are defiantly a must with that big of a lift, i am unsure of the quality of the RC trac bar but just my bar alone cost me over $200. Also keep in mind that cheaper kit also doesn't include brake lines.
SYE and CV would be the right way to do it as you will most likely have some intense wobbles but i know some get away with a T-Case drop but for a DD again the wobbles would drive me nuts, also take a look at the hack and tap method.
I know the x-series includes adjustable Trac bar and adjustable control arms. Is it worth the extra $250? This will be going on my daily driver.
Also, do I NEED a SYE and CV driveshaft? Or could I leave it alone for a while and purchase it later? I'm not planning on wheeling it until this summer around June. Any input will be appreciated!
Personally I would not spend money on rough country stuff especially for a daily driver. Not the best quality, not the best ride, and everything I've used from them I wasn't impressed with at all.
For a 4.5" lift you need an adjustable track bar and I wouldn't drive anything with 4.5" of lift or more without long arms. The ride quality is just bad. You will need a SYE and driveshaft, but you can use the front shaft out of a grand Cherokee. A google search will provide the lengths of all the driveshafts that can be used and what they came in. A transfercase drop should only be used as a bandaid and never a permanent fix. I daily drove my Cherokee with 4.5" lift for a while, and with a 5.5" lift and I still drive it fairly often with no problems. Steering should also be considered at 4.5" lift as the factory steering angles will be poor. There's a lot of ways to lift a Cherokee and a lot of brands. Person I pieced together what I wanted from each brand to get the best bang for my buck and the best ride out of it that I could.
Hey Man thought i would reply to see if i could help you out as i was just down this route and have searched many countless hours, if your XJ is a daily i wouldn't lift it 4.5 been there and hated it.
As for the Trac Bar and control arms they are defiantly a must with that big of a lift, i am unsure of the quality of the RC trac bar but just my bar alone cost me over $200. Also keep in mind that cheaper kit also doesn't include brake lines.
SYE and CV would be the right way to do it as you will most likely have some intense wobbles but i know some get away with a T-Case drop but for a DD again the wobbles would drive me nuts, also take a look at the hack and tap method.
good luck with your quest
Just did some research on the hack and tap method and what I found says to use a front drive shaft from another xj for the rear, is this the best route to go? It seems like people have had good results from it. Thanks for the help!
I'm also looking to install a 3" lift kit on the XJ. I was looking at the Zone 3" lift kit with full leafs like Papablista posted. I have not been able to find many reviews for the XJ lift online. Does anyone here run this kit? If so what are your thoughts on it?
Is this the same one you're looking at? It was either this or RC, and RC doesn't seem to hold up over time according to several threads here.
Yup that's the one. I know that Zone's parent company owns BDS and JKS and their products are made in the USA in Michigan. I have a few wheeling buddies that run BDS lifts on their wranglers and speak very highly of their products. I figured Zone would be a good quality budget lift if BDS is made by the same company. I just haven't found many reviews for the XJ lifts. I might just go for it and try it out. I'd hate to install it though and it craps out in a year.
Zone is the entry level for respectable lift kits on the Cherokee market. I know I tend to use a lot of hyperbole, but I sincerely wouldn't install a free Rough Country kit on my rig. You couldn't even pay me to use their products. Zone is a brand I wouldn't hesitate to support.
To put it another way, RC is the only company I can find that makes lift springs for my girlfriend's truck. We're going to a local shop for full custom leaf packs instead.
I've decided to go with the RE 3.5 inch lift instead of the RC 4.5. When purchasing the lift, it gives me the option to buy either monotube shocks, or twin tube shocks. Which one is better? The link to the lift I'm looking at is https://www.quadratec.com/p/rubicon-...j-chrysler-825
And I've also researched the Bilstein shocks, but don't think I can afford them right now.
That's exactly what I'm aiming for... just entry level. I'll end up playing around in the dirt once in a while, but I won't be rock crawling or anything until I can get out of high school and have a better source of income (aka have more money to replace broken parts)
Hey everyone... Looking at Zone's lift and it says it doesn't come with bump stops because "...our springs are designed for extreme travel." I don't know much, but the BS alarm is going off in my head. Do I need bump stops or not?
Hey everyone... Looking at Zone's lift and it says it doesn't come with bump stops because "...our springs are designed for extreme travel." I don't know much, but the BS alarm is going off in my head. Do I need bump stops or not?
Bumpstops are mainly for rubbing. So if you cut a bunch of fender out then you probably won't rub and won't need bumpstops, but if you rub or bottom out shocks you need bumpstops.
09-21-2015, 02:17 PM
