accel

Hey all,

I'm trying to save money by going with a custom 3" lift setup on my '01 XJ. I already have 2" spacers in the front and a net 3" in the back by using all the S10 leaves under the XJ main leaf. I'm looking to install 3" HD springs from rusty's to make the front match the back. I'm wondering if theres anything else I should order with the springs?

Should I get longer control arms? Do I need to relocate the trac bar? Does the sway bar need to be dropped or do I need longer links? I dont want to dump money unnecessarily but I want to do it right so I don't have any issues or vibes.

I got some vibes in the back from the lift. So far I just dropped the tcase 3/4" and the vibes got better but they didn't go away. I plan on matching the driveline angles with shims and seeing how it is. I also plan on replacing all the U-joints. I'm not worried about the back though, I can always do a SYE if necessary. My main concern is in the front. I've noticed that with just the 2" spacers I have new vibes in 4WD at anything over 25mph heading straight. Vibes weren't there before, I didnt change anything except put spacers in. Any suggestions? I want to make sure the front is OK at 2" before going to 3" springs..

If anyones interested I'll post pics of the current stance and the leaf springs which I redid. I sanded down and sprayed each individual leaf with black epoxy paint and put plastic leaf liners inbetween each leaf to keep them from squeaking, came out really nice. Packs look better than the new ones that come in kits. It's a little firmer than stock but if you have time and like fabrication I would def recommend doing a bastard pack.

Thanks in advance for any replies.

gpXJ

Did you get an alignment after adding your 2" pucks? If not, then that will probably take care of your vibes in front. If you're going to add 3" springs then I would just wait, as any change in the front requires an alignment, so you would have to get another one after going to 3", from the 2" you have currently.

accel

No I didn't do an alignment, but it seems fine up front in 2WD; no vibes except in the back under acceleration which feels like U-joints. Can it still be an alignment issue if it only vibes up front in 4WD?

I think I'll do the 3" anyway and then get it aligned and then see how it feels. Any recommendations on other parts I might need? I wanna order everything together and I'm not sure if 3" is OK with just springs or if i need to change other suspension components. Thanks.

I already plan on getting longer shocks and a brake line for the rear and extending the bumpstops in the front. oh, and 32" BFGs

ericfx1984

Question 1: Should I get longer control arms?
Answer 1: NO... just shim the lower arms around 1/4"

Q2: Do I need to relocate the trac bar?
A2: Yes... http://go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoTrackbar.htm

Q3: Does the sway bar need to be dropped or do I need longer links?
A3: it's a good idea

Q4: I dont want to dump money unnecessarily but I want to do it right so I don't have any issues or vibes.
A4: drop the case a little further 1" total? and shim the rear axle

you will not have front axle drive line issues 4 or 5 inch...

gpXJ

Oops, I misread that part

Nah it should do it in 2wd too if it's an alignment issue.

Nperryman

Is it a stiff ride? (out if curiosity)

accel

The front feels the same since it still has the stock springs. I'll let you know how it feels after I swap in the rusty 3" HD coils.

The rear is definitely firmer. I noticed that I have to go over speed bumps a lot slower now if I want to keep my 50 lb toolbox in the back from hopping. I havent tested it on any trails so I cant really attest to the flex, but the springs do compress under load like with a trailer hooked up. I haven't really noticed too much of a difference in terms of how it feels with regular driving though.

I used all the leaves from an S10 except for the bottom most overload leaf which sits flat. If you use all the leaves you can probably get 4+" of lift but I wasn't trying to go that high. Maybe if you leave out the main leaf and just use the smaller ones you can get a close to stock ride with some lift. I like the firmer ride though, especially with the heavier loads of a roof rack, hitch, and future plans for a new bumper with a swing out spare tire carrier

Nperryman

Yea. I've been thinking about using s10 leafs. Im just worried I'll be bumping all over the place on the road haha

accel

I don't think its too bad, like I said I dont really notice it while driving normally. And you can always go back to stock if you dont like it, just save your old leaves. All youre doing is taking apart your stock pack but you can always just put it back together with your new ubolts and center pins and leaf clamps without blowing too much money. hardware's not that expensive and i picked up a set of s10 springs for $40. Plus you can play around with which leaves you use to vary your lift height / firmness. Ive been in trucks with full packs from rustys and rough country and i dont think its any better, if anything they might be worse. IMO, unless you wanna spend big bucks on a top of the line setup like old man emu, its gonna feel firmer.

Thanks for all your replies guys. I'm gonna shim the rear to try and correct the driveline angle and shim the LCAs. Ericfx1984, great trac-bar link, I'll be doing that as well after I get the new 3" springs in.

Nperryman

So.... If I went with a RC 4.5 add a leaf kit, and picked up a pair of s10 leaf springs from the junk yard- what all would need to be done to get it up to level at 4.5"?