1st question--What year is your Jeep? It would help to know because depending on what year you have can help determine exactly what you'll need.
2nd question--What are you looking to do with it? Meaning what wheeling (if any) style? Are you doing mud, rock crawling ect...?

I went from a 3 inch to 4.5 inch lift. Both RC. Love both lifts. I would advise you to save up and get the complete kit which has both lower and upper control arms. I pieced mine together when upgrading and I spend too much time underneath it week after week. Depending on your year, you could get a way with a TC drop temporarily but eventually you'll want an SYE. (This is where year could matter) It seems that some of the older XJ's can get away without it. But 99 and up need them at that height. Most of them anyway. To make the ride nice, you don't NEED control arm drop brackets OR long arms. Get the Nitro shocks and drop your tire pressure 2 or 3 psi, add some rear shackles and it will ride smooth. I went and got WJ front shocks from Zone offroad, have short arms and I get compliments all the time how nice and quiet and smooth mine rides on AND offroad. A drop pitman arm is not required either and not really recommended unless you have an upgraded steering box and a heavier steering set up. I run the stock tie rods and stock steering box. I have 32's and I only have a Rusty's steering brace. I just did black trails at Rausch Creek and I didn't bend anything and my steering wheel was still perfectly straight for the ride home. You can do fine with just the Series X lift for now. It's just about as complete of a kit you can get for that height.

 

Its a 2000 XJ. It currently has a 3" rough country lift with AAL. 31" tires. I know im going to need an adj. track bar. Not really looking for rock crawling or anything, probably just mud or sand when going to the beach. Im just looking to do a budget boost added to the 3" lift it already has. As i said, i might go 1" shackles in rear (if i can find any), and 2" spacers in front. OR, just 1.5" spacers up front and leave rear alone. Anymore info needed from anyone just ask please. Hope to hear back from someone.

 

Ok, with the 2000, you'll most likely need a SYE which also means another drive shaft as well. You'll need longer shocks, extended brake lines, adjustable control arms and some other goodies. The list can go on and on. I started with the RC lift as well but mine was full leaf packs. I myself personally recommend going new packs. You're already using an AAL on a leaf pack that is 11 years old. The problem with AAL, is that the pack is only as good as the add a leaf you put in. I recommend you get get an actual 4.5 lift. You won't get the lift in the rear you are looking for by adding all kinds of extended shackels. With a weak leaf pack, all you're going to do it put more stress on it. I'm sure lots of people will tell you, yeah get coil spacers and shackles and maybe even blocks, but in the long run you'll wish you just got the complete lift.

 

so u have to get a sye as well

 

with a 4.5 on a 2000 xj even with the drop kit

 

if you don't want to do a SYE this is 5" in the front and 3" in the back



i have stock length (rancho) lowers, adjustable tracbar, and a ZJ tierod. it rides ok better than stock but i am basing that off of a very worn out stock suspension. the rear is just a bastard pack. you really should get longer arms in the front than stock length i am right now trying to get ahold of some for mine. if you do not and run large tires you will rub at the rear of the fender flare bad. you can't really tell but mine is cut up a lot. thats with 2" TJ lift shocks and they have plenty of travel flexed. the lower arms max before the shocks do. if you look closely at the rear of the front fender you can see were it is bent in that is from the tire eating the fender when i was out wheeling.

bent the stock tie rod out here

http://www.bh4wheelers.com/photos/ma...serialNumber=1

http://www.bh4wheelers.com/photos/ma...serialNumber=1

http://www.bh4wheelers.com/photos/ma...serialNumber=1

http://www.bh4wheelers.com/photos/ma...serialNumber=1

 

well im gonna order the RC 4.5 kit an some ppl say i have to have a sye an some say u dont so im just courious

 

on a 2000 expect to need an SYE the newer tcase's do not like that much lift.

 

Are you going to a larger tire? Seriously, you really need to ask yourself if going up 1.5-2" is really worth it? Once you get above the 3" lift mark on an XJ, specially a late model, things start to get crazy with geometry and such. Seeing as you have a LP Dana 30 front, an external slip-yoke on the rear shaft, going high than your current 3" is gonna cost you alot more in the long run and to be honest ride like ****, for what? A taller XJ?

If you were stepping up in tire size or looking to take your XJ to the next step of trail riding or rock crawling I could see wanting to go higher. But adding a budget lift to a 3" kit is going to put the rest of your front components at their true working limit. You'll have little droop, steep control arm angles and your alignment guy is gonna have a great time just trying to get things right.

Save your money for some rc drop brackets, longer shocks, a decent trac-bar, SYE w/driveshaft; then worry about going higher.

 

The thing is, not all XJ's are the same. Some get away without it and some cannot. It is recommended to have because the higher you go with the XJ, the more the yoke there is pulled from the tail shaft which means less strength there. Plus, using a front drive shaft is stronger than the stock rear shafts. Both set ups will require shimming the rear axle to get the proper pinion angle to eliminate vibrations. We had TC drops on our 99 and 2000 with the 4.5 and needed the SYE with 4 degree shims on both so set them up correctly.

 

Thank you for all of the infomation an my luck ill have one that will need all of that an im not puttin mine on a local guy that does lifts is i mean i want the 4.5 but im not gonna wheel that much at least i dont think so i may just go with 3 but i do appcreate all the info

 

I know I may get some grief for saying this. . . .but I've got a 6.5" RC long arm lift, running 35" tires, and 4 degree shims under the rear . . .with no SYE and it rides and drives great. But this is only a temporary set-up. The SYE is in the garage to be installed when I get a chance. So yes, to get this best possible set-up you will want the SYE on 4.5" of lift if you ever plan to leave the mall parking lot!!

 

Since you have the Dana 35 rear, your drive shaft is an inch longer so that's probably why you could get away with it temporarily. If you had enough flex and droop in the rear, you'd probably come really close to pulling the shaft out of the tail of the trans. I'd love to see a pic of how far the drive shaft is pulled from the trans. I'm curious to see just how much that would pull out.

 

If it's mainly going to be for the street and don't want to put in all the money for the extras you'd need for the 4.5 inch but want the height, you could go with the 3 inch or even a 3.5 inch and put 32's on it. Just bump stop it to hell and then you're good for the occasional offroading you'd do so you don't rip off the fenders. And with 32's you'll still be fine with stock gears.

 

thats what i am gonna do probly a 3 inch RC stage 2 an bump stops cause all i want is high an good stance with 32s or even a 3.5 but Idk very many brands