Bilknutz

Sort of a What to Buy Thread, with the looking for knowledgable answers.

Back story:
I have a 99' Cherokee. I'm not looking to go rock crawling, But I do want a nice off road rig. So I installed a RC 3" AAL Kit a few months back, Along with new Crown 4pack Springs. After the installed I noticed the rear still was lower then the front. I have been told by RC, that the 3" kit is meant to level the rear... Confused on that I guess. So I bought the 2" shackle lift from RC to raise the rear end. Now the rear is an 1" higher, not a problem, since it looks good not sagging anymore.

The Problem:
I'm not happy with the lift, I needed new suspension (old OEM was very worn out, Jeep has 208k on the dash)and cheaped out right away. So now I really want to get at the height I hoped for in the beginning, which is 4.5" (roughly) enough to clear 32x11.5.

The Solution?:
I dont know where to go from here. Do I sell what I have now? 3" coils, RC hydro shocks, 3"AAL installed in New Leaf Springs, and 2" shackles. For something that is a 4.5" kit? Or can I reuse what I have now?

Any help would be appreicated, Go easy though... I'm an ex Subaru 2.5RSTi Owner so if been around the forum world, Just not around jeeps as much.

Thanks

SuperGlue

Im in the same boat as you, i have a 3 inch lift from rustys, 180lb coils with a full leaf pack in the rear, i didnt cheap out on that, lol. Im personally going to put 1.75" spacers in the front, and 2 inch shackles in the rear and calling it a day, it should make it almost level, and it will let me clear 33's. If I was you, I would get the spacers for the front, and just replace your rear leaf pack with a full 4.5" spring pack. I dont fully understand tho, did you replace the stock rear leaf pack or not? I would personally go rustys off road versus rough country. Rustys has a much nicer ride in my opinion. From rustys the spacers for the front are like 38 bucks, and I believe the leaf pack is like 140 or something like that.

Gee oh Dee

Im moving from a 3" to a 5" lift by using coil spacers in the front, and shakles in the rear with relocation brackets, or possibly sliders depending on how everything else plays out.

Bilknutz

I did replace the Stock rear leafs, with a new set from Crown, and the added the AAL's to the new springs.

TheJerm

Your going to want to get a new track bar or redrill the mount and probably control arms, or shim them. It will ride/drive like poo without addressing them.

Bilknutz

The track bar is new, Should I replace to a Adjustable? Pitman Arm Drop Also?

And the stock control arms are in still. Should change to adjustable?

93gc40

You need:
SYE and CV Driveshaft
Adjustable Trackbar
Adjustable Lower control arms
Shocks
Relocated or extended brake lines
Spacer for the front springs
Main and #2 spring from a S10, through AAL in trash or sell it. or shackle relocation brackets.
Swaybar extensions or disconnects
Control arm drop brackets, if you want a good ride and some flex.

OR

Keep the 3" lift and trim some sheet metal

Bilknutz

1.SYE and CV Driveshaft - Ordering a Hack-n-Tap from IronRock since they are right down the road from me.
2.Adjustable Trackbar - Check
3.Adjustable Lower control arms - Check
4.Shocks - Since the 3" kit shocks are to short I can not reuse them Correct? With Coil spacers the shocks will be to short. Check
5.Relocated or extended brake lines - I have a set that are 2" longer and stainless, from Morris 4x4.
6.Spacer for the front springs - Thinking 1.75" to raise and level
7.Main and #2 spring from a S10, through AAL in trash or sell it. or shackle relocation brackets. - Is this a Bastard pack? Do I replace my XJ's Main and #2 leafs for the S10's?
8.Swaybar extensions or disconnects - Flexy Flexy! Check
9.Control arm drop brackets, if you want a good ride and some flex. - Will order from RC when It comes time - Check.


Thanks!

93gc40

XJ main stay in place, Cut eyes off the S10 main and mount under the XJ main then, if needed swap the #2 S-10 leaf for 1 or 2 of the other XJ leafs. I am at 3.5" with just the S10 main and a 1.5" shackle. Can't go higher yet do to Vibes, need SYE.

TheJerm

You really have to weight how much you want to spend with how much offroading your going to do. There are tons of things to do to cut corners which will work for the ocassional wheelers and save money but wont last to someone who goes out there and just beats on it till something breaks. Best method is to upgrade as things go bad.

I did a bastard pack too and got to 4" or so in the rear. My set up was xj main then the entire s10 pack underneath that PLUS a rusty's (IIRC) shackle with 2 adjustments (i'm on the lowest). If you go this route i have one regret, Cut the S10 main longer than the XJ main, even if you have to bend the ends of the s10 main with a torch and a vice or something similar. My XJ main is W shaped now and sagged some overall. I still love my bastard packs cause i load up everything i own (basically to the roof, tools and all) and it rides great AND i can still flex it up to my stock bump stops in the rear. This is why i have 3.5" front and 4" rear, to compensate for the weight of a rambling man lol.

With 4" i did get vibes and tcase drop fixed it. Bad motor mounts made me buy ironman4x4 mounts which are lift mounts. They took care of the vibes and got rid of the tcase drop (cant have both unless you modify the crossmember).

And personally you might not need an adjustable trackbar if you already have one for 3" lift, I doubt you would notice it or you could redrill if needed. Control arms are probably needed if stock

Oh and shocks, you can weld new mounts in the rear on the center line of the axle. THere are also spacers for the front that will allows enough droop and correct bumpstopping with keep them from bottoming out. If you got the money got for it but I managed my 3.5-4" for less than $200 and have the parts to go higher but have other plans...

DirtyKK

i would go with OME leaf springs and a shackle relocation bracket with stock shackle. that should level out the rear with the front and ride tons better. front control arm drop brackets will help alot with ride also. as an added bonus, you should get better flex out of that kind setup then what you have now.

ericfx1984

in the OPs case I would do spacers up front... (you can make them for about $10 just cut them o the height you want... http://www.madxj.com/MADXJ/technical...oilSpacers.htm )

and LONGER shackles in the rear... superior automotive 13-4100 will get you around 2.5" at it's tallest setting and is only $35 (autozone, o'reilly's, advance autoparts)

but just make sure you understand that you will need MANY other things to get there...

-t case drop or better yet a SYE and XJ auto front d shaft
-longer brake lines
-after market lower control arms (uppers should be fine, but it would be nice to do them too)

garb.man

X2 on the poo!!

Bilknutz

Question,

When going to 4" of lift I need Lower Adjustable control arms. But do I need upper control arms also?

OOdynamite

Nope