Alright guys, just bought my 95' Cherokee sport back in May and am looking to upgrade lifts... going from an 03' Mustang Cobra w/ 600+ HP to a Cherokee is very dramatic, let me tell you. I am EXTREMELY new to SUV's and the parts that go along with them. I know nothing about the components associated with lifts and the steering and gears needed to be upgraded to support. I took a look underneath last night at the rear axle and confirmed it was a Dana. How do I know which one it is? Do I need to switch gears if I'm going to do a lift? Which is the better way to go if I'm not doing any wheeling and simply want more of a 'Show' looking, clean XJ - 4.5" or 6.5"? Please help a new guy out as it would be much appreciated,

Thanks,


Nick

 

that is the shiniest XJ i have ever seen!!

 

First off if you come from a car with 600hp then alot of the knowledge you have will still apply to jeeps. For the size lifts you're looking at there are a few ways to go about lifting. Almost all of those options include new coil springs for front and new leaf packs for the rear. From there it all depends on what you specificly want for your Jeep. Since we can't read your mind you'll have to just soak up information around the forum first.

That's a beautifuly clean Cherokee but show trucks aren't nearly as fun as muddy trucks.

 

It actually looks like the truck aleady has a 2 inch lift in it. I dont remember being able to clearly see the rear shackle on a stock xj? The lift is not what requires a re-gear it's the larger tire sizes. The rear axle is probably a Dana 35.

 

If it's a Dana in the rear it's probably a 35, which we call a "Turdy-Five" around here. But if you're not wheeling it, it's probably a fine axle.

 

It already does have a small lift. Not sure the exact size, but it has Teraflex coils up front.. Looking for something a little bigger for my liking that can easily fit 32"-33" tires. Any suggestions on kit/tire combos? Would I have to re-gear for those size tires with a Dana 35 rear?

 

I'm running 33's without regearing, the acceleration takes a little longer but it's not too bad. If you wheel the car you'll need to trim some metal with this tire size.

 

It's recommended that you regear for 33s. You will lose mpg and power. 4.56 gears are the norm for 33s.

 

same here still get ok gas mileage on mine about 17MPG. wheels ok with some minor trimming