Get Bilstein 5150s. they're the rebuildable version of the 5100s

 

Cob, between your threads here and on NAXJA it's apparent you don't like the ride of your newly lifted XJ. Switching out coils might help a little, especially if you go with a lower spring rate, but in the end it's a lifted XJ and they aren't meant to ride like a Caddy. ANY lift spring you put under there is going to be stiff to some degree, it has to or else it can't hold up the weight of the jeep and maintain the lift. I know you're looking for a softer spring, but just keep in mind that a softer spring will sag quicker over time than a stiffer one and you'll be adding spacers to the front or hunting for new springs within 2 yrs. I run Skyjacker coils up front, which have a 240 lb spring rate if I remember right. They've been on the jeep for 9 yrs now and I've probably only lost about 1" of lift over that time.

As was mentioned in your thread on NAXJA, the shocks are probably your best bet for improving ride quality. RC shocks are budget shocks so if you upgrade to a better shock like the Bilsteins you mentioned you'll see a much improved ride. And yes I would go with Bilsteins over the RE monotubes.

Other factors that affect ride quality are your control arm angles and shackle angle. Going to a long arm kit, or using drop brackets will improve the ride tremendously. Look at your rear shackle, is it straight up and down? If it is the rear will bounce like a cheap hooker. You want your shackle at about a 45 degree angle. But in the end it's still a lifted XJ and it's still gonna ride like one.

 

who has the best 3 inch lift that is cheap but still work good. its my DD and i wanna be able to take it off road every now and then any opinions?

 

IMHO Rough Country. No matter what get new leaf packs..If you are going to spend the money do it right the first time other wise you will spend more later on new leaf packs.

 

I was talked out of the new spring idea. Now I am getting new springs cause I didnt listen to you the first time when you told me to go big first cause youll have to do it again. Like i said b4 a guy on here is selling me some 4" superlift and Im not even addressing the stiffness on them. Ive decided that my shocks are horrible and Im gonna do what I can do by fixing them. I was more than prepared for the ride to suffer, but i cant keep stuff from breaking in my car it is so rough when i hit bumps. My cd player shimmyed its way out of place when i hit a man hole cover

So Im gonna get the bilistein 5125 with a conversion kit cause I cant afford the 5150 and a conversion kit. But i was warned I know, but i have been in a few lifted cherokees now and mine is the worse

 

No worries, we've all been there in one way or another. My XJ has gone through 2 build stages and lift kits, but I've made the 2nd buildup last 9 yrs so far. And my stupid POS Alpine CD player skips every time I hit a good bump, so I feel your pain to some extent. I think you'll notice a pretty good difference in ride quality with the Bilsteins, but you didn't say anything about control arm angle or shackle angle? How are those?

 

the rear doesnt respondthe same way as the front. it is pretty smooth back there, but I assume that is because all the trouble is absorbed in the front. The shackle angle decent, i would say 50 or 60 degrees. imgoing to order a new shackle to get another inch of lift to match the new coils. as far as control arms are you talking about lower? their angles are slightly more than stock. im gonna have to adjust those too when i put in the new coils. i did get a transfer case drop kit to assist in the buildup until i can save up the money for an sye.

 

Ok here's my question. I have a set of 33 in kumho at and trimmed my fenders to the max. I still have a scrubbing issue. I wanna drop down to a 32 in at but wider. Would this look/perform well or should I just look down another route for the rubbing issue?thanks

 

Just extend your bumpstops enough to eliminate the rubbing and then you don't need to worry about rubbing. Check out the Rig of The Month contest thread and look at Iant333's rig. He's running 33's on only 3" of lift.

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f54/vo...e-month-42255/

 

Then I'm definitely putting my money on shocks being the biggest factor in your situation. Once you upgrade to the Bilsteins, let us know what you think and if it's better.

 

OK..I think I'm posting this in the right place. Like a lot of guys and gals, I'm trying to keep cost low on my XJ hobby. I have a 97 sport. I have removed the fender flares and am preparing to trim the fenders. I have a line on almost new 5 BF goodrich TAs 33" tires with polished aluminum wheels for cheap.

How much of a lift will I need to use these tires? I plan on being on the pavement 95% of the time. What kits would you more experienced XJer's recommend?

 

I didn't think this deserved a new thread, and it's kind of OT, but seemed like a better place to put it.

http://roughcountry.com/jeep_xtras_q...sconnects.html

Does anyone know if those will fit an XJ with a 4.5? I've contacted them several different times via the Live Chat and I get different answers saying yes and no.

 

Right in the description it says they're good for 4"-6" of lift.

 

It says 4 or 6 as well. Just wondering because they've told me different things and I've never had to buy them before.

 

I just bought a 98 cherokee classic.
I do alot of driving so i just want to do about a 3-3.5" lift, that rides decent.
Is the rough country lift any good? or am i better off saving up to get something better?