Hey, this may sound kinda noobish but i want to get a Rustys 4.5 inch lift should i got with the spring pack kit? and what else will i need for it to still be dependable on road? what size tires would go good on that? and how much do locking diffs mess up driving on road cause itll be my DD also...and how much do they really help off road?

 

The only thing I see as much as "which oil is best for my Jeep" on this forum is "Rusty's leaf springs are far too short and their other lift components are unreliable and their customer support is awful" (trackbar fails after months). I would avoid them.

Rubicon Express is very reputable and has a nice kit.

As for the rest of your questions you've asked for a summary of almost every piece of knowledge and experience on the planet. I suggest looking at build threads and the 9000 other times these questions have been asked. There's also a great book "High-Performance Jeep Cherokee XJ Builder's Guide" by Eric Zappe that gives you a good grasp on what there is to know.

 

Only budget lift most of us will run is Rubicon Express,Check out http://www.seriousoffroadproducts.com/ hes one of our vendors see what kinda deal he can get you.

 

salad.. I think if everyone read that book there would be no use for this forum anymore...

I may have to check the library for a copy, not sure if I'd want to buy it yet unless its so riveting I just have to have one...

 

Nonsense, I keep it with the stack of quality reading materials in the bathroom! It's an excellent starting point and by no means complete. I think I was finished in only two or three dumps. Mind you I did get it with a gift card and free shipping, lol.

 

lol..... then I could have read around a third of it here a little while ago...

 

oh....so i should go with rubicon express then? and sorry i didnt search the forum, i was just hoping if i posted these questions you guys could help..and where would one obtain that book

 

I would not go with Rustys but check out the link in my signature for some ideas. All I will say on the matter is I love my Iron Rock Offroad kit and have had 0 issues with it in a lot of miles.

As for your other questions, locking diffs will not mess up anything on the road assuming you get one that unlocks. Lockers are a HUGE help offroad. If you have ever wheeled before Im sure you have gotten stuck and wish your other tire would just spin a little bit. That is what they are for- so that all tires in the locked axle have power. Here is a link describing the different kinds- just be advised that if you don't have the knowledge of what they do, you will probably have to get them professionally installed and that =$$ http://www.offroaders.com/tech/limit...ferentials.htm

Tires- Depends on how much you want to trim- there are some people that run 36s/37s on a 4" lift.

Just check out some of the lifts in my signature man and google search reviews for them. I think you will find very many unhappy people when in comes to Rusty's

Don't worry about getting scolded for searching- Can you imagine how dead this place would be if every question only got asked once? What on earth would be in the forums?

 

haha thanks, and i was wantin to not have to trim the fenders at all, and i got a buddy that can put the lockers in for me, actually he was the one that suggested it to me because he was pullin me out ill check out the link in your thread n see which one i like ive been doin research on the Rubicon Express and it seems everyone loves em, and i did research on the Rustys and the Rough Country and i havent found a decent review about them

 

alright if i go with the 5.5 inch iron rock what size tires could i run without trimming? and how do i find out which rear axle i have, is there a VIN number i should look for? and if i do run that with bigger tires should i regear?

 

If the differential is almost a perfect circle it's a Dana 35, if its got a flat on the bottom side of the differential, it's a Chrysler 8.25. I just picked up 33x12.50s half smoked for cheap and I fit them under my 4.5" lift using rubicon coils and mixed rear lift. It's tight so at 5.5" you should be perfect

 

That looks bad **** . Love the stock wheels . I am going with 33x10.50s too chicken to try 12.50 wides I really don't want to lose my stock flairs or hack the chit out of my rig .

 

Sorry if I came across too snarky, what I meant is that to answer your questions and really do the subjects justice, instead of simply responding "you should do this because I say so", it would be like pages and pages and pages of typing... lol

 

I used 1.25" spidertrax wheel spacers to get the 12.50 away from the control arms. It doesn't hit the flares either. I have a small amount of the front bumper snipped at the bottom and in the rear of the front fender well the stock flare is snipped back a little. It's not much but on 3" my 31s would catch the outer lugs on occasion. Thanks for the kind words too, greatly appreciated.

 

so 33s should work goodon the 5.5 alright good. and with 33s should i chane the gearing? and if i do what should i change them to?