Looking to finally pull trigger on lift looking at


http://www.rustysoffroad.com/jeep-suspension/jeep-suspension-lift-kits/xj-cherokee-84-01-jeep-suspension-lift-kits/rustys-xj-complete-cherokee-4-5-spring-pack-kit.html

Note that Rusty's offers this kits with two type of rear spring options. It comes standard with a set of 6 leaf 4.5 rear springs, but we also offer it with our Rusty's 3.5 5 leaf rear springs and our 1.5 greasable shackles (RK-405AL-XJ)



Question shackles or just leaf springs? What's the pros and cons...still jumping back & forth between 3inch & 4.5 with 31inch tires between Rustys & Zone for my daily driver, leaning towards tire and lift package with Rustys, or is Rustys and zone junk? What say you...

 

If you go 4.5 inches you will have to have a sye kit and other things.Here is the lift chart https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f67/nk...-chart-211878/ Rustys and zone are both good budget brand lifts,

 

you may not necessarily need an sye. some do, some don't. you may just get away with a transfer case drop.

but i would go with the leafs and shackles, since you now have only stock shackles. replace those with extended greaseable ones.

 

Thanks for the response appreciate it... So Ill rock shackles. I can throw 31inch tires on my stock rims want to keep the stock rim look. Probably just clean them and sand them down and rattle can black... I would imagine the alloy rims are lighter then the steel rims everyone rocks right? Minus the cheaper to fix if bent but I'm here in Mi. Primary use is So snow & sand and trails not many rocks to worry about bending them.

 

I have an all Rustys lift on my XJ for over 5 yrs now excellent quality leafs and coils made in NA. My 4 1/2" lift is based on his 3" basic lift full leaf/coil pkg. now using 1 1/2" Boomerang Shackles and ACOS spacers. Ran it for a year knowing what I wanted to do a 4 1/2" lift but wanted to put all the required parts together as I could afford them cost was about $5k in parts sye required to do it right, tires gears, lockers, shocks, adj.u/lca's, the list is very long with the lift alone being the cheapest part.


I have a lot of Rustys parts on mine but a few should be avoided.

 

Not trying to thread hijack but as someone who is about to order the 4.5" Rusty's advanced kit, I feel like it's related. Fred, when you say some things should be avoided, anything specific? Is the advanced kit not worth it? I have heard Rusty's springs flex well while also riding well. I was going to couple them with Bilstein 5100s as many others do. I already have the necessary mods done, SYE, driveshaft, gears, etc.

 

things that should be avoided were rustys track bars and steering setups. but i'm sure since the stories of broken track bars and weak steering links are many years old now, maybe rusty has improved his product.

i have a rustys upgrade steering setup which i have sleeved with 1.75 dom tubing, so it's now strong as hell, other than the tie rod ends, which have been replaced with moog ends, however, they are tiny compared to the sleeved links now.

 

Caged i do remember reading those horror stories of track bars breaking and causing wrecks.But like you said thats been years now and nothing bad about them has came to light.