I have a 99 xj im thinking of doing a poor mans lift on, just 2 inches, front coil spacers and rear shackles, and 4 new longer shocks, and probably a new steering damper while i'm at it. The question is, besides having to get an alignment, is there anything else i'd need to do? Longer sway bar links? Does it increase the chance of dreaded death wobble? Tires now are 235's, if i lift, might go up to 31x10.5's if i can fit them under there. What do i need to worry about?

 

I have this chart from a NewKindOfClown. Hope it helps

 

You won't fit 31s without trimming. What shape are your current leaf springs in?

 

Eh, not too bad. They don't look bad, is a Florida Jeep so they're not real rusty or anything, but I have no idea if they're weak or sagging a little. I guess there's a chart somewhere that tells me what fender height should be with good rear springs...
...and I really don't want to start trimming fenders.

 

Measure from the center of the wheel to the bottom if the fender flare and report back.

 

I have a 3" lift and 31s with the stock track bar, control arms, and swaybar links and it does just fine.

 

I wouldn't do lift blocks because leaf springs already "wrap" and it will just wheel hop like crazy on hard obstacles

IMHO, do it right and get a budget 3" lift kit, I think Rusty's is pretty good for the money, but for not much more you could get an Old Man Emu and have the "best" 3.5" lift kit besides the MetalCloak kit


Death wobble stems from worn out steering components on the front, generally the lower track bar mount and worn out tie-rod ends. Is this mostly an on-road vehicle, or mostly off-road (assuming on-road because offroad speeds are usually pretty low)

EDIT:
half asleep, I thought you said blocks instead of shackles. Shackles should be OK

 

Well, it's a 2WD so is mostly on-road. Around town daily driver, a few long highway runs to the Keys or to see my daughters at college, occasionally towing a small boat around town. The only off-road it's going to see is dirt roads and some fire trails at our local wildlife management area, a little off the beaten path but not much.

 

Honestly, I would aim to keep it as comfortable as possible if that is the case. I have never ridden in anything with coil spring spacers but pretty much all aftermarket springs are going to ride harsh, and the more extreme the control arm angle is, the harsher it will ride unless you go with long-arms.

I am not really that familiar with budget lift kits like coil spacers so I am probably not the best person to ask but a stock height Cherokee will go pretty far. I do see the appeal in lifting them because they sit like station wagons from the factory, lol

I would throw some new shocks in (Monroe Sensatracs), get some good appropriate tires (either 100% street tires, or something like the Cooper AT3), and put the rest into "comfort" and driveability mods (stereo, window tint, new fuel injectors and other maintenance stuff)

But if you still want to lift it, I would probably go with a Rocky Road kit because they are supposed to have ride quality similar to stock;
http://www.rocky-road.com/xj-budget-lift.html

 

Thank you for the rocky road info, looks like a good choice for s budget lift, plus they have shock extensions, which will allow me to use a comfortable shock like a KYB gas'a'just instead of the longer length SkyJackers I've used in the past which were a little rougher. My plan for tires were just 235's, cheap and easy, even though id really like to get some 30's or 31's under her, as long as I'm not losing turning radius and having rubbing problems. Was thinking basic Goodyear Wranglers or some Sailun TerraMax AT's...

 

Crown Auto offers a collection of suspension parts that result in netting about 2” lift from stock height. It’s comprised of new front springs and spacers, HD rear springs and bushings. I added Iron Rock Offroad adjustable boomerang shackles as I typically carry a minimum payload in the cargo area. The Crown parts will set you back around $300. IRO shackles $80. I’d say add Bilsteins for around $280 and you’ll have yourself a nice ride for cheap. No other components necessary.

Let me know if you want the part numbers.

Cheers!

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