Jrozar

let the great debate begin...which truly is the better first mod...lockers or tires and lift...

I know a lot of people who go tires and rims for the look...and the guys that build extremes flex XJ's but have open diff's...

For many years I was lift and tires first and after traveling the world and seeing the approach taken by many other countries it seems they go lockers first..

Plus I spent some time with guys running stock jeeps with lockers front and rear and they were going through the trail so much easier than I was with 4" lift and 33" tires, open diffs.

Camel trophy...example...are they running 35" tires? But they are locked...how many of us would take our jeeps in the same terrain as the camel trophy rigs?

So with my current build I took a different approach, ARB's going front and rear, good protection underneath, sway bar disconnect, boomerang shackles, shackle box relocators, 235 tires, and my question is where can I not go that most lifted open diff XJ's go? Do we build and really take function in to consideration as we do this?

I think it will be cool to have a stock looking XJ with surprising hidden talents.

So back to the original question since I have done both...Lift & Tires or Lockers
As a first mod...

What do you think and why?

Jrozar

Cheap Jeep Verse Rock Crawler


Lockers Verse Extreme Suspension


Stock Cherokee Front Locker


Stock Rubicon


Old YJ in the mud but locked...

Fred/N0AZZ

Went through a lot of upgrades but the single best ones had to be when I swapped gears from the 3.55's to 4.56's and Detroit Lockers. Like driving a different XJ from the way it was before the swap.

holycaveman

Really depends on how you wheel. I have seen advantages both ways. However now if I were to do it again it would be suspension first. Then lockers, then tires/wheels.

Now by suspension I don't mean a lift kit per say. But just a suspension that works well. So you will need at least shocks and bumps. Also a flat belly is important. It acts like a big jeep for belly clearance but rides like a stock jeep.

Lift does not mean more flex. Lift is simply the ride height you choose. Flex comes from suspension tuning.

holycaveman

Lockers last. To me it's the final step. With lockers and a well tuned suspension you can go places you probably shouldn't.

XJlimitedx99

I actually agree with you, for once.

IMO, the 100% best option would be to do all of it at once. Lift, tires, gears, lockers. Everything will compliment each other.

If I had to choose I would say big tires first. A stock jeep with lockers might be able to go anywhere, but you'll have so little clearance on the diffs.

Edit: if I could do it all over again I would put 31s on a stock cherokee with cut fenders and run that setup until my wallet was so fat I could do gears and lockers.

GreenXJ98

I think small lift, like 3 inches, 31 inch tires, lockers, gears, and skid plates will get you farther than 6+ inch lifts and open diffs. I personally went with the lift first, but I have a limited slip rear end already. I do plan on a front lunchbox locker and 4.10 gears eventually though.

JeepaholicNinja

I'm going lift first simply because my stock suspension was shot haha. I guess that answers that for me!

Ianf406

I guess it depends on where you live/wheel. For me and anyone who lives where you get feet of snow, lift first. Lockers are great but they will not stop you from dragging in mud/snow or getting high centered in someone else's ruts. There are scenarios where having a locker could be more beneficial but I can think of plenty more where lift/tires would be more valuable.

holycaveman

Tires yes. Lift really does not make much of a difference in my opinion.

JeepaholicNinja

Well I live in a state where you have to have fender flares covering the entire tire tread, so you have the option of bushwhackers or lift if you want to wheel anything over like a 29" tire

Ianf406

There is a big difference between being on 35s and having your oil pan and everything behind it dragging in the snow/mud and being on 35s and not having it drag. You can force the pumpkin through with speed but the rest.... I guess being as other than Moab the only places I have religiously wheeled are Montana/Louisiana I might be basing this on the extremes of both.

holycaveman

In my experience you are hung before your entire axle goes under. Most chassis set higher than your axle.

But regardless I am sure there are examples of both. I run a minimal lift on 35's. Only drawback is sometimes I will take on water and muck before the tall trucks do.

drhoward1988

If it was my money.... 3in front and 2" rear. Aggressive AT tires and a rear locker.

Ianf406

This all stems from the classic low cog debate. I know I'm out numbered on here now but I have never been to a mudbog/snowbog and seen a low-cog vehicle win. Most of the top truck winners all have a high COG as well. In Utah, there were places where I wish I was slightly lower. There are certainly plenty of places where the narrow XJ could use a lower COG. It all depends on what you are going to be doing- Almost everyone in the 4x4 clubs here are on 35s-38 and tons of lift just to get around in the snow for 60% of the year. For me, the lift has come into play much more than my lockers I cant tell you how many stock Toyota FJS/Rubicons Ive had to pull/winch out going places they shouldn't be with their lockers. They probably wouldn't be there without them either haha.