No prob boss

 

Just found some Dunlop Mud Rovers. Would be perfect for mudding... Do you guys know any good site I can compare mileage, offroadability (if you will), and wear rates?

 

you really dont need instructions. there are so many write ups, and so many build threads where people describe exactly what they have done. check out the jeep build section. theres always lots of good pictures and plenty of good ideas. just spend some time reading and learning about what you really want out of your jeep before you pull the trigger. money dont grow on trees and full lift kits arent cheap. i wheeled mine stock with other guys for so long, i was surprising people with what a stock jeep could get through. go through all of the manufacturers and see what lift is the best bang for your buck. but first check out the xj lift/tire setup thread to see what you want yours like. 4.5 inch lift and 32s is pretty big, especially when you think that if you do that without putting 4.10 gears in, your speedometer is going to be reading really slow, and your going to be super sluggish around town.

 

I've been reading that at 33s most people upgrade their gears. Are you recommending I go with 31s? Because that's definitely an option. I just really like how bigger tires look. I'm not really that concerned about being slow, I just need to be able to get to 65+ in less than 40 seconds haha. I got a 19 over speeding ticket with my Envoy anyhow... that's not going to be fun to pay.

 

What gear ratio do I have any way? 3.55 or 3.73?

 

i think your best bet would probably be to get a 3 inch w/ full leaf packs with some 31s and wheels, and drive it for a while. see how it does. if you take it wheeling and it doesnt do what you want it too, take it higher, get bigger tires...or think about a lunchbox locker for the rear. or if your set on a 4.5 inch lift w/ 32s or 33s and have the money/resources then do it! i just think the 3 inch would be a nice into to the jeep world cause its easy and works. alot of guys on here will say that for a daily driver and weekend warrior a 3 inch lift would be perfect. more then that and you have to start getting lots of aftermarket parts.

heres Rough country, a popular lift

this is the 3 inch series 2 lift w/ every thing you need 345$ and for full leaf packs its 609$

http://roughcountry.com/jeep_xj_3x.html

heres the 4.5 inch kit

460$ and 680$ with full leafs but you would want an adjustable track bar and like you saw before, the transfercase drop isnt the best solution. it works though...

http://roughcountry.com/jeep_xj_4.html

but really the decision is yours. pick whatever will make you a happy jeeper cause if it doesnt make you happy, then its just a waste of money. thats why all the prius drivers look at us like where retarted, cause they dont understand that these make you smile. after all, in the morning id rather be smiling at 11mpg the whole way to work then be in a prius wanting to take a nailgun to my head the whole way to work...but getting 40mpg

most gears are 3.55s. 3.07s came in 5 speeds, 3.73s came in a few with the tow package installed from the factory.

 

Thanks man, you seem like a knowledgeable guy, so here come a bunch of questions!
1. Do I not need to regear with a 3" lift and 31s, but with a 4.5" lift and 32s I do?
2. Does the 3" RC lift not come with a Tcase drop... Is it not needed?
3. Why isn't a Tcase drop a good method besides losing a inch of just gained clearance? Do they break a bunch of things after a couple years?
4. If I go with the 3" lift but decide later to upgrade to a 4.5, what exactly will I need to do and how much will it cost? Will it cost more than just sticking with a 4.5 from the get-go?
5. I know this would be a hassle, but could you list the "needed/most likely want" parts that would come with buying an A) 3" lift, and B) 4.5" lift?


I really appreciate it, thanks.

 

it all depends. 32/33 is kinda where people really start noticing the bog down from stand stills. you have so much more mass to get moving from a stand still and stock tires are aroudn 28 inch, so you step up to 32 inch, math tells us that a 28 inch wheel goes about 88 inches in one roll (28x3.14) where add 32s, your going around 100-101 inches/roll. that puts more strain on your transmission and makes it feel like you have a lower gear ratio (something like 3.07 instead of 3.55s) so no you dont need to re gear, but its kinda recommended over 33s. i will be getting 4.56 gears with my 33s which will be actually higher then stock, so hopefully i will have more torque around town. basically at highway speeds, with 4.56s my engine will be revved up higher, but who wants to speed in a lifted jeep?

generally 3 inch and below is the safe area where you dont really need a tcase drop. i was running 3.5-4 inches of lift with no sye or tcase drop and i had vibrations, but from what ive read it seems like older xjs deal with that better then newer ones. and yea, the tcase drops work fine, it doesnt cause any harm, but the sye is the sure way to fix it, and upgrade it at the same time. cause the tcase drop still has a limit, because you still have the stupid slip yoke setup that jeep put on the cherokees. where as a sye eliminates it and you can basically go as high as you want with the lift.

if you decide later to go with a 4.5 instead of the 3, all you would need is this, and probably brake lines. (new shocks might be a good idea too)

http://www.rustysoffroad.com/suspens...r-shackle.html


as well as a tcase drop, or slip yoke eliminator, and adjustable track bar (some people just drill the hole on the axle side of the track bar over 3/4 inch and that basically makes the track bar longer)

and basically just go to rustys or roughcountrys website and see what they give you in the kits...

other companies are Clayton Offroad, T&T customs, Iron rock offroad, rockkrawler.com, and rubicon express.

 

Wow thanks for the long response. The things is, at least from rough country, the 4.5" lift is less than $100 more and I would be paying $100 in the future if I ever decided to go up to 4.5". I really like the way 4.5" works, but I see what you're saying... maybe I will like 3" a lot and won't have the want to buy an SYE, extended brake lines, etc.

If I really want the 4.5", seeing as how I usually just mud and do fire trails, not many rocks - should I just get the RC 4.5" lift, use the Tcase drop, and if it ever fails get an SYE. I also want to get Quick discos so I might as well choose a size I am sure about and not have to worry about buying more when I add 1.5-1.75" if I initially went with a 3". About what gas mileage will I get with a 4.5" and 31s or 32s if I normally get 16-18?

 

If I was in your position, I would get a 3" lift kit w/ the 1" t-case drop, your favorite set of wheels w/ 4" backspacing, wrap some 31" tires around them, get an aftermarket steering stabilizer, and call it good. This would be a good way to break yourself in to the mechanics involved with installing suspension parts. 31" tires won't bother your speedometer too much and gears won't be necessary. This will become an addiction, so if you decide to upgrade your suspension in the future, you will have that basic know-how and you will be glad to get to work on it again.

 

I feel like that'll cost more in the long run though. Do 31s look good with a 4.5 inch lift because I'd be fine with that if they did. That way I save a little money there and don't have to regear.

 

looks? you want functionality

 

Heres one on here its black a 3.5 lift with 31s looks mint if u ask me also still looks big compared to stock http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f59/x...lares-1184809/

 

I want both. If I'm paying all this money for a lift it better look damn sexy and work offroad.

 

Another question: how would 15x7s work with 31s-33s?