nikojo

I have a 98 Police package XJ with the Up Country suspension with 90,000 miles.

I want to replace everything and am struggling between keeping it with the OEM 1" lift versus doing a 2" lift?

I do like the OEM stance and look to it and it is fine for it's purpose........but a larger tire (30-31") would be nice. I don't want to modify or cut the fenders or flares.

This truck will be mostly DD and not rock crawling....... occasional off road expedition/camping and snow.

I planned on getting Trutrac's to replace the Tru-Lok's that are in there and possibly regearing......currently has 3.55 gearing with 235/75r15 (29 x 9.3).......was thinking 3.91 or 4.11 with 30-31" tires.

It seems like there isn't a 'kit' for the 1" lift and the parts/pieces need to be cobbled together which is fine. But it seems once you commit to 2" there are a lot more options especially in 'kits'. I likely won't be doing the install myself as I want to do it quickly. I could do all the work but with my schedule this would take weeks and a shop would do this in days.

Is it worth the jump to 2" in terms of the quality of the parts (coils, springs, etc) you might get that you might not otherwise get staying with 1"?????

If I go to 31" with 2" lift I'm assuming no modifications needed?????

Will the combination of the lift with the larger tire keep the stance looking similar????

Thanks for any insights.

RockyMtn96XJ

I'd say there is so little difference in 1" vs. 2", you probably dont even need a lift to achieve what you wanna do (DD and not rock crawling....... occasional off road expedition/camping and snow). That's the EXACT same thing as my XJ is going to be as well and I'm going to be at 4.5". So obviously my lift and tires is for looks AND usability. So at this point it would be personal preference. Do you want a tiny lift, or no? 2" lifts Only REQUIRE parts for the lifting. No control arms, no steering upgrades, etc. So it's just new leaf packs for the rear and coils for the front. That's a one day job in the driveway if you know what you're doing so it goes quickly. (its not hard, just gotta know what to do next so things move right along and you dont need to stop every 30 minutes to watch a 15 minute youtube video hahahaha)

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/nk...-chart-211878/

Here is a convenient chart for referencing requirements according to lift size.

Your gearing sounds prtty close to what it should be if you did 31's. There is a formula to use to figure out what gear you need according to old gear and tire size or something like that so you keep your speedo and performance near factory specs. Take the new tire size and divide it by the old tire size, then multiply it by the old gear ratio. The answer is the new ratio you should try and find, or close to it. So in this instance it's (31/29)3.55= 3.79. Not as high as I thought just by looking at the numbers, but that math doesn't lie....

Battle

You honestly won't have enough lift to clear 31s even with a 2" lift. They won't rub while you're driving straight but the moment you start to flex offroad, they'll rub for sure. It'll also be slower and more consumptive if you don't regear. I've never seen a 3.91 gear set for these things - it's usually 3.73 or 4.11s when it comes to the aftermarket.

Kits are overrated in my opinion - you're stuck with whatever is included and most 2" lift kits come with an add-a-leaf which means you're stuck with your 90k springs being supported by a single "new" leaf that may or may not hold-up over time.

You can piece together a brand-new Upcountry suspension package for around $500-$600.

What's wrong with your current suspension? Is it really that trashed? Sounds like you have a good setup as-is.

RockyMtn96XJ

I pieced every part of mine. No kit. Bought new 3.5" leaf packs and 1" shackles. Then bought 4.5" coils. Then bought new 5100's. Track bar and LCA's next, Then 1" shackle relocators and LCA drop brackets. Then SYE. You get the idea. I just gotta find the time to put it all on now!!!!!!!!!

You can do longer bump stops if you want 2" and 31's to prevent the fender rubbing. Honestly though, if you wanted 2", 31's, and be able to take it on smaller excursions and be able to use the suspension as it was intended with sway bar disconnects, you should look into finding someone that can do your front and rear fenders for a good price. It'll make a world of difference for suspension performance, it'll look amazing with the right fender flares, and unless you are completely against cutting the body (even if its done correctly by a pro) you wont regret getting it done (unless you've already researched it and you just don't like it). Not only does it help with the setup you're thinking about running, but it gives it that little bit of extra coolness factor I suppose. Someone may look and say "damn that's a nice looking XJ. Something is different about it, but I cant tell what it is. It looks more rugged and off-road capable though." If you don't wanna take it that far, you may have to stick with 30's or factory size tires. Of course this depends on how often you plan on going off-road, what the off-road is like, and will you ever NEED the extra flex while fitted with 31's and off-roading.
It's gonna take some thought about the pros and cons of each scenario, but remember nothing is permanent. You can change it if you don't like it.

Slackdaddy

somewhere recently someone posted about the lift height of the "stock" replacement springs,, seams there was a leaf that gave 1.5 - 2.0" lift,, I would use them then fine tune the rear with a 0.5 - 1.0 shackle.

Slackdaddy

I agree with the cutting,, do it right and no regrets.
I cut my rear and then re-welded the panels, sprayed the inside with primer/paint, then coated with fluid film. I have Napier flares on order soon.

2DrXJRegulatorFix

If you want 31s and a 2 inch lift, just do a spacer lift and longer shackles. No sense in spending hundreds of dollars. UpCountry suspension is a little stiffer and definitely sought after Grab some wheel spacers too and you'll be just fine for

EvanM

I agree with front spacers and would look at drilling leaf pack for a full size center pin and run off road design zero rata adaleafs