Need some help. About to go from 3 inch lift to 4.5 with new shackles and a coil spacer and that means it's time for either a drive shaft and sye kit or t-case drop. 40$ vs 450$. Any words of advice?

 

Don't cheap out. Get the SYE and DS.

TC drops are ok for a temp fix, but adds stress to the engine and trans mounts.

Do it right. Buy quality, cry once.

 

Cost me under $250 for a sye and driveshaft, the transfercase drop cost me a lot more. Ruined motor mounts, ruined trans mount, took time to put on, everything seemed to leak after I put it on, and good chance it'll crack your exhaust manifold if not already cracked. Cry once instead of every time you have to fix something the drop broke and then in the end when you replace the drop with a sye.

 

And with a t case drop your loosing about a inch or more ground clearance.If you off road thats a bad idea and puts your t case in the way to get hung up or broke if you hit something hard enough.

 

SYE all the way!

Transfer case drop will put more stress on the front driveshaft angle, and an SYE will make angles right. Not to mention, slip yokes are dangerous when you're flexing. They can pop right out.

 

Get an sye and when you install it make sure to disconnect the exhaust from the manifold downpipe I tried to do it without and it was a PITA, once I got that off I had way more room and it was easy to get the case out and back in, also I cracked my exhaust manifold by letting the exhaust hang. So yeah get the SYE but know what you're doing before you install it

 

I did mine in the jeep, not bad at all. Just need a GOOD pair of snap ring/lock ring pliers!!

 

Yeah at first I planned on doing it in the Jeep but my drain plug stripped so I said screw it and took it out, installing the actual sye was probably the easiest part. I just used a set of craftsman snap ring pliers from Sears they worked great, and a pair of internal retaining ring pliers my dad had in our basement for the tails haft bearing(I think) glad I had those because I thought they were all external snap rings

 

I just finished a 4.5 inch lift on my xj and I need to drive about an hour and a half to another town. I have a t case drop on it and I have a sye in my garage but I don’t have enough time to install it before I leave. I won’t be wheeling it up there but do you think it is fine for just daily driving up there and back?

 

Like they've said, every application and XJ is different. You may be able to get away with it and have zero horrible vibrations. Others get bad vibes with the T-case drop and then the SYE is a must. You'll have to test drive it to find out. If you dont have time to install the SYE and have to go with the t-case drop and you get bad vibes, may just have to drive slower....

 

My mind wonders when I read cracked exhaust manifold then cringes when stripped drain plug..

I personally would do the sye qnd auto drive shaft. There's a few videos of the job being done already put there to be taken advantage of

 

You should be fine. Back in 08 I put a 4.5" and 32's in my 98 xj with just the tcase drop and daily drove it with some light mudding till 2012 when I sold it and never had any issues. (I was a teenager so can't fully confirm the "no issues" part). Dont even really remember having DS vibes. Last year I bought a project 97 XJ and finally put it on the road. 4.5 with 32's on this one also, but could have sworn my tail shaft was bent with all the driveline vibes and noises. I put the Rough Country SYE in and Tom Woods drive shaft and it made my xj drive as smooth as my Volvo on the highway. Safety wise I dont really think it's "required" for just commuting, but if you have the time and money it's worth every penny in comfort and peace of mind while in the trails.