newbie

[cmbl8402]

alright every one i am a newbie....... i have a 96 that is mostly stock and in the near future i am palnnin on doing about a 3in lift with either 31's or 32's. now im sittin on stock suspension and some 30x9.5 at's.

now my truck has NEVER left me stuck any where but everyone knows that stock is just wrong. now onto my "newbie" questions. i have looked about every where and every site says different things. so im lookin for some opinions from some guys who have been there.
1 whats a reasonable 3 or 3.5" lift that includes full rear leafs (my stockers are shot)
2 do 32 11.50s fit on three inches of lift with no cutting or would i be better with 31's?
3 with 3 or 3.5" of lift is there anything else that is needed other than springs shocks etc? (track bar, brake line relocator, pitman arm, etc?)

[Belto]

welcome, we need pics

1- OME has the best rep, rough contry is good to,, you have many to chose from
2- it would be better with 31"s but with some lil trimming and some correct backspacing you could be fine with 32"s
3- well shocks, brake lines, migth need the arms, track bar, and depending how your XJ likes it you may need SYE

[cmbl8402]

im tryin to stay kinda low budget and dual puropose because my jeep is my dd i was almost thinkin about a rustysoffroad 3in kit and maybe 32x11.50 mt's i awas just curious cuz ive seen alot o people do it w/o the track bar etc

[cmbl8402]

this is an old shot from a while ago but its still decent since then i have added a custom bumper and well thats about it i kinda gave up on it a while ago but decided to jump back in

[cmbl8402]

not tryin to post too much but i found a couple more thought i would share

[Howler_GT]

Some items that may need to be addressed with a 3-3.5" lift:

Rear brakeline- When lifting, all slack left for suspension travel is lost. Making for a potential brakeline failure if fully extended.
High-budget: Longer brakeline from a ZJ?/TJ? (Can't remember)
Low-budget HSP's brakeline extender bracket. (No interupting the brakeline integrity) Simple bolt-in application.
Best of all...no brake bleeding required. Click here

Trackbar: every lifted XJ has some sort of tracking issue. Up to 2.5", this issue is minor and is most often ignored. Over 2.5", this is not the case as the mis-tracking tends to be more pronounced.
High-budget: Adjustable trackbar. This can range from $175 to $250 some are even more.
Low-budget: HSP's Budget-minded adjustable trackbar Click here
NO-budget: redrilling axle-mount bolt hole

[CSaddict]

If you run 32's on a stock 3.55 gear you are going to hate your life.

[Jeonlyep]

Originally Posted by CSaddict

If you run 32's on a stock 3.55 gear you are going to hate your life.

It's not that bad...


Not to the point you'll be hating life....

[Kyle]

Originally Posted by cmbl8402

im tryin to stay kinda low budget and dual puropose because my jeep is my dd i was almost thinkin about a rustysoffroad 3in kit and maybe 32x11.50 mt's i awas just curious cuz ive seen alot o people do it w/o the track bar etc

Forget rustys, if you are on a budget go with rough country at least their kits are a bit more complete.

[littleblackxj]

Yeah, rough country isn't that bad. Just don't use their shocks. They suck. Sure they are $30 a pop, but it will cost you a lot more getting your back aligned at the chyropracter. Go with bilsteins.

[Kyle]

Originally Posted by littleblackxj

Yeah, rough country isn't that bad. Just don't use their shocks. They suck. Sure they are $30 a pop, but it will cost you a lot more getting your back aligned at the chyropracter. Go with bilsteins.

I agree, with shocks you always get what you pay for.

[2000XJ]

Ask yourself this: How long will you remain at 3.5" of lift for?

If this is going to be a long-term thing, then spend the money now... even if it means that you have to save for a couple more weeks/months/etc. I (and many others) swear by Rubicon Express. You'll get everything you need in one package. Their lifts flex very well, and last a very long time. They also included the necessary brakelines, and possibly a new trackbar (not sure if the 3.5" lift comes with a new TB, and I'm at work so I can't check the RE website because it's blocked).

If you're not into trimming then forget the 32" tires and stick with a good set of 31x10.50's. With 31's the 3.55 gears won't feel as good as stock, but you'll be fine. With 32's, it shouldn't be atrocious.... 33's however, and they'll suck.

Also, don't forget the SYE and new driveshaft. With the older body XJ's it's not as much of a concern as it may be with the new body XJ's, but you never know.

[cmbl8402]

well i am plannin on stayin with the 3- 3.5" mostly because its more of a dd than anything just some occasional wheeling. anyone ever had the 31x11.5S?

[Mudderoy]

I am at 4.5" for two reasons, money and money. SYE was the main problem for going higher. I'm already thinking about 5.5" lift primarly because the new rear bumper and the soon to have front bumper will push the body down a bit.

I personally would start with the 4.5" lift with replacement leaf springs.

[cmbl8402]

well the reason i was thinkin 3-3.5 was beacuse i really dont have the money for a sye and drive shaft and i been readin on here and have heard that even wth 3 or 3.5 you get vibe on the road. i wanna run a bigger tire but nothin toooo major