Put on a 2" lift and 31's on my 2000 XJ.
Vibration broke the bolts in the back and dropped it to the ground.
Whats the best way to fix? go back to OEM or does someone have recommendations on an off-road replacement. Rough country has, but it says its recommended for 4-6 inch lifts.

 

Will have to correct the driveline angle to get rid of any vibrations.
Also will likely need to replace the u-joints.
Once vibration is fixed, the stock bolts/straps are adequate.

 

whats the best way to correct the driveline angle?

 

Will need to know the method you used to lift 2".
And a picture of how the rear axle is positioned.

 

Cheapest for a 2" lift would be a transfer case drop kit <$40 or you can make your own, check you engine and trans mounts also. You did replace your shocks with the lift didn't you and what about the track bar/sway bars?


Most likely the u-joints are shot so replace them first.

 

put a Skyjacker 2" Spacer Lift Kit with Nitro Shocks. will upload pictures later on. have to work in order to pay off these parts! appreciate the help!

 

Spacers up front and extended shackles in the rear? The extended shackles rotate the axle/pinion. This changes the driveline angle and causes vibration.
Would need angled shims to compensate, they go under leaf springs and rotate axle back to correct position.
Not sure this is the best approach however.

 

yes spacers in the front and extended shackles in the rear. My leaf springs are also shot and was going to replace with OEM and an add a leaf from BDS to raise the back even more. The leaf springs are laying flat now with the 31's on. Before I go and buy all that, is there a way to avoid using shims?

 

Well my .02 worth buy a good 3" full coil/leaf package like the one from Rustys Off Road has all American made springs one of the very few company's that do. That 3" kit includes new coil springs, leafs, shocks and the proper hardware for your year and differentials it has all for $438. Do it right the first time and you won't have to keep throwing money at the same things over and over.


I've been running this kit for going on 4 yrs zero sag or problems. Last year still using the 3" base kit increased the lift to 4 1/2" using Boomerang Shackles and spacers the adj aluminum ones.


As far as driveshaft angles for the rear there is only one correct way to do it an Slip Yoke Eliminator that installs in the transfer case. The other ways are kind of stopgap measures and once you get to over 4" then its a must do.


For the front the way it is done is with an adj. track bar and adj U/LCA's to set it up. These are not a must have for a 3" lift. The 1" transfer case drop kit takes care of both of these.

 

can you shoot me a link for the rustys off-road setup?
for that price it seems like the best move. Would i be able to use my pre-existing shocks/shackles that I bought with the SkyJacker kit?

 

found everything, just hesitating to buy the kit if I am able to use the shocks that came with the 2" skyjacker lift. also need some guidance on what to do with the shackles. do i need to replace now?

If i go for the 3" and do everything as stated above, i am still fine with the OEM replacement drive shaft.?

Thanks

 

You must measure the driveline angles and set it up properly. Even if you switched to a SYE you'd still need to set it up properly. The only real way to avoid leaf spring shims is to cut the spring perches off the axle and weld new ones on in the right location. For 3" lift, the shims are fine. To maintain front driveshaft angle, and caster, longer local control arms should be used. At 3" the LCA's need to be about 5/16" longer than stock. An adjustable track bar can be used to re-center the front axle. When you lift the vehicle, the axle ends up shifting to the left. At 3" the adjustment is about 3/8". Transfer case drops aren't the greatest because they put extra strain on your engine mounts, cause the exhaust hanger at the crossmember to drop, and also can screw up your transfer case shift linkage (it too will need an adapter to drop).