dcamp13

Okay, So i have a 98' 4dr 4wd cherokee classic.
I really want a lift kit but im lost as to which brands are the best, have the best ride on the road, and the ones that wont sag after a year, etc.
I really want a 3" because from what ive reasearched, they tend to get tricky and rather expensive after 3" with the drive shaft and all that.
And to make matters worse, i have that classic uncle who say "there isnt no need to buy expensive kits, i can do that in the back yard" and he sounds pretty convincing seeing as how he lifted his f150 like 6" dang near by himself.
He seems to believe i can can just throw a 2" block underneath the leafs and just buy longer U-Bolts to lift it, then put some little 4 way knuckle thing in the front to lift the front up. i mean it sounds pretty decent and logical, but i feel like the drive would be terrible and i would hit and have a terrible driving experience since i dont take it out to hardcore forests and what not that regularly.
Everything as of now is stock, i just recently go it from my father and im looking to make it more noticable on the road.
So any infromation as to pricing/ brands/ drive quality/ kit quality is all appreciated.
Thanks in advance.

slk88cherokee

Search button is your friend. Everyone one here is gonna have a different take on what kit is best. Going only 3" is pretty straight forward though, rear shackle, front springs, lower arms just cuz they look cool and redrill the lower track bar mount to recenter the axle. Oh yeah and shocks. Its pretty much like buying a tv...you get what you pay for, so shop around and get a good kit. Rough country, rubicon ex, IRO, Iron man 4x4. There's a ton of them out there. I use fabtech as much as I can but I don't know if they do an actual xj kit, I use their tj springs and inch and a half heim joints(built my own kit).

orange xj

do like a 4 inch rough country lift and take stock wrangler leaf spring and basterd pack them in with yours and ur truck will sit nice on 33s or 35s

MUDRUNNER AZ

The budget boost kits with a spacer for the front and shackle for the rear and get new shocks is only about 2 in but the ride will be decent. doing a bastard pack can work but you may do more work going back and forth to get it where you want it and the ride comfort too. wranglers are much lighter than a cherokee. Use the internet there are tons of things for your cherokee out there.

dcamp13

Yeah, I've been researching and I don't know which brands to trust and which brands are crap. I'm new to all of this and I have no experience in companies or prices and whats needed. I've seen some rough country and I've seen some hit and miss problems with certian aspects. Haven't heard of many of the other ones. I really just need a complete kit with pretty much everything I need, i hears the shocks that come in many of the kits are garbage. So, just don't wanna waste money buying the same things over an over. And thanks for your input guys

1FSTREX

Again everyone is going to have different opinions about what is and is not good. Also you are going to find negatives about all kits, including "top brands" like Rubicon Express.

There are a lot of people out there that say, "I heard (insert brand here) is bad and has problems." Without ever experiencing the problem them self. I would definitely do research and look for actually personal experience and not hearsay.

you need to ask yourself some basic questions.
- Is this a Daily Driver?
- how much will i actually wheel it?
- How hard of wheeling will i do?
- Are there any special consideration to this lift? (EX: dont want it too high if you have kids)
- What is my budget?

Once you answer some of these basic questions you can start debaring what you want to spend. If your budget isnt a factor then dont worry about what brand, go big or go home. I have a feeling this isnt the fact and money is probably a factor so next lets consider DD vs wheeler. This will determine what you should spend, the kit to buy, the brand, etc.

I personally am running the Rough Country 6.5" Long Army Kit. My jeep is mainly a Daily Driver that i wheel on the weekend or take camping. The wheeling i do isnt too intense yet but i am looking to test my skills in the future. I do not have any kids or special considerations when lifting my Jeep and my budget was around $2k for lift and tires. After researching, i determined that for the money and what i needed the Rough Country kit was more then adaquite. Despite what many people say the RC kits are very nice in my opinion. From the sounds of it, the RC stuff used to be pretty crapy a few years back but have improved a lot since then. Maybe hardcore wheelers use rough country parts and they hold up well (hearsay). I drive mine a lot on the road, have done some mild wheeling and its not bad at all. Its on-road characteristics are awesome, parts seem very well built, and off road has not let me down once. Only things i dont like so far are the sway bar disconnects are kinda weak (but i havent broken one yet, just from looks), and the track bar seems to bind a little which creates clunking. Doesnt affect anything yet just more annoying then anything else. This kit costs $1500 ruffly but its an all inclusive kit and includes everything you need. RC also makes cheaper kits and add a leaf kits that are very nice and very cheap.

I would say you can go to about 4.5" without having to do anything too crazy. Most people can get away with short arms, no SYE, and no driveshafts at 4.5". Others have had to get a SYE. it really all depends on what you are comfortable with dealing with and how your rig responds to the upgrades. I am lucky and am able to run 6.5" of lift with no SYE and no drive lines and have minimal vibrations. Its really a test and adjust thing when lifting your jeep.

My suggestion wuold be to try and figure out where you want your jeep to be and develop a plan of action to make it to that point. If you arent sure how high you want to go yet then set up your plan so that you are not having to rebuy things. For example. Buy 4.5" springs, if you want to go to 6.5" you can simply buy pucks. Buy 4.5" rear springs that way you can go buy 2" shackles to get to 6.5" in the rear. Those two parts shouldnt be anymore then an additional $150. You will already have your adjustable track bar, sway bar discos, and extended brake lines.

My 10 cents.

dcamp13

Thanks for your 10 cents.
I think I'm gonna go with a Zone offroad 3" lift with gas shocks.
Found a vendor on here that might be able to cut me a deal. So hopefully I can get it within the next week and ill have pics to show everyone.