Hey Guys,

First off, I would like to say thank you to all of you for being patient with me and answering all questions in the past. Now back to the topic... I’m wanting to install a RE 3.5” lift with Bilstein 5100 shocks on 31 AT’s but my concern is with all the other components that’ll be effected and what I have to do to get the most out of my XJ. Here comes the multiple questions haha...

1. Since the vehicle is being raised, I know the pinion angle with the driveline is going to change. I plan on changing all U-joints since they’re old but do I need to add a slip yoke eliminator?
2. Do I need to change the tooth speedometer gear? And if so, which one do I need or what’s the math equation to figure it out?
3. Do I need to re-gear the differentials? I did see that sticky note about re-gearing but I wanted multiple opinions on it.
4. What steering components should be swapped out for better/stronger ones? Ex. I heard a possible drop down pitman arm, tie-rod, knuckles, ball joints, etc.
5. As of right now, that’s all that came to mind, if there is anything else that needs to be added/changed, please add.

Again, Thank you for going out of y’alls way to help me. Have a great day.

-Steven

 

RE kits usually sit higher than advertised, you'll probably get around 4" of lift with that kit. An adjustable track bar and adjustable lower control arms would be a good idea, the stock steering will work fine but you can use a V8 ZJ tierod setup for a cheap upgrade. 31s with stock gearing isn't ideal but it isn't enough to justify a gear change in my opinion.

 

Thanks man!

 

My RE 3.5 kit ended up sitting around 4.25". And that was after I removed a rear leaf, did a no lift shackle relocation and had custom shackles made. Both the leafs and springs are going to be on the stiff side unless you have some big heavy bumpers and some other extra weight. I would also suggest a sye kit combined with some shims to get that rear end pointed in the right direction. It's a good lift to go with, just needs some minor tweaks to make it perfect.