new cherokee

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LGR

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So after my TJ got stolen..I decided to go with an XJ.

Bought my 2000 XJ today. Time to lift it..I was thinking 31s or 32s. anyone recommend a lift? I was thinking rusty's 4.5"

But i'm new to the XJs so i'm not sure exactly whats needed to lift it that much. anyone go got the skinny on it? pitman arms, SYE, blah blah blah would be much help.

I'm not 100% what axle I got in the rear so i'll take a picture of it to get that sorted out..need to know what size tires it can handle
 

ahhh welcome aboard!

i lifted my old '90 XJ with a 3" rusty's suspension lift (highly recommended btw)... just new springs and shocks, thats it. would have fit 31's if i had the money to put them on. no drivetrain mods needed, just an alignment.

stop by the dealer and they can tell you exactly what axle you have.
 
Look at the underside of the rear axle tube (pass side near the wheel). There should be a tag there that mat still be readable. Mine says Chrys 8.25, 3.55, open.

4.5 should clear 31's just fine, 32's might be a little tight offroad. Make sure the kit comes with upper and lower control arms in addition to an adjustable trackbar for that lift height, but no pitman arm needed unless you go higher than that. You will need a TC drop, I recommend skyjacker's, as it is a 1.5" drop and it allows you to leave an annoying stud in place rather than having to extract it, as is the case with most other TC drop kits.

The 1.5" drop works well for me at a hair over 4" of lift. No vibes at all ;)
 
I shouldn't have to remind you that a pic is in order, as is you changing your sig :lol:

Congrats on stepping over to the dark (square) side!
 

They stopped using the 8.25 around '00 or '01, so likely a D35. Congrats on the new purchase, they sit nicely on 31" tires and 4" or so lift.
 
Bounty__Hunter said:
They stopped using the 8.25 around '00 or '01, so likely a D35. Congrats on the new purchase, they sit nicely on 31" tires and 4" or so lift.
Click to expand...
Mine's a 2000 with an 8.25...

If you have the factory tow package (hitch, transmission cooler) it is likely you do too.
 
alright so I crawled under it tonight after all this rain has stopped..the sticker was torn up pretty good..all i could make out was .25 jeep and 3.55 open. I'm going to guess that that should have been 8.25? The cover case is alot more smooth more roundish with a single fill hole. If i remember correctly on my TJ that had a 35 rear it had more shape it it..more then just a smooth round cover.

My camera is MIA in a mess thats called my house right now so I can't snap a shot of it. But thats a more beefy axle then a 35 right? what tire can that handle?
 

Sounds like the 8.25. Good news.

Like I mentioned in another post, yours will have the 29 spline shafts, pretty stout for a stock Jeep axle. 33's no sweat, 35's... doable.
 
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i HIGHLY recommend rubicon express over rusty's. i know a bunch of people on here have had good success with rusty's, but in my local club, we have not at all. his parts are ok because not everything is made right there, but his customer service is shotty at best. i ran a 3.5" RE lift on my zj, no complaints whatsoever. i've never heard anything bad about RE, also try www.kevinsoffroad.com you might end up with rusty's, but i'd recommend at least taking a look at them.

ps - congrats on the new jeep
 

yeah, it came down to rusty's and REs kits. anyone running rusty's long arm set up? I like the bolt on factor..seeing how i can't weld to save my life.
 
find someone to weld it. youv'e gotta know someone in your area. if you're going to do LAs, do it right, get a weld on kit. www.claytonoffroad.com is a great place to look. expensive? yeah, but if you're seriously considering getting into the long arm category, don't skimp out on the cost. i'd rather have a 3.5"-4.5" RE superflex kit than a bolt on LA kit from rusty's.

and the Full Traction kit is 5 link, 4 forward arms and a tracbar.
 

bchcky said:
find someone to weld it. youv'e gotta know someone in your area. if you're going to do LAs, do it right, get a weld on kit.


and the Full Traction kit is 5 link, 4 forward arms and a tracbar.
Click to expand...

The stock control arm config is commonly referred to as a 4 link. F.T.'s kit is the same, but with long arms.

As far as doing it "right", welding is not the way I would choose with the XJ's very thin unibody. If you decide to go the welded, radius arm route, make sure the welder knows very well how to do it without further weakening the already weak and thin surrounding metal.

Maybe it's preference, but I would prefer a kit that bolted on. It's going to be a stronger setup when you factor in a new crossmember that they bolt to. Rusty's is nice because it drops the TC 1" without losing any ground clearance, but I like the FT kit because it will retain caster throughout the range of wheel travel, lessening stress on the axle.

Skyjacker's kit is similar to FT, but more $$$ and their trackbar steering stabilizer setup is widely hated.
 
YAY!! Welcome to the darkside.

Yeah, the RE kit is awesome. "Chigon" even.

But you pay for it. It's pricey for the same amount of lift. I have the Rusty's 4.5" and love it. But Bchky is right about the superiority of it.

However, I do think Rusty's customer service is awesome!

Don't have a clue about the Full Traction kit, but have heard great things in the mags...take that for what it's worth.
 
yeah..so far i think its just going to be a 4.5" RE no LA this time..maybe later on down the road...better off with 31s or 32s? also depending on the how wide the tires are..what type of backspacing do i need on the wheels for no control arm rubbing?
 

you could definitely run 32s with 4.5" you could even run 33s if you're not opposed to trimming, or too attached to your fenders.
 
and TC, doing it right would include a subframe. i would personally not want to run long arms that were bolted on. more flex, more stress, while i see your point about the unibody, thats particularly the reason the clayton's kits come with a subframe.
 
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bchcky said:
you could definitely run 32s with 4.5" you could even run 33s if you're not opposed to trimming, or too attached to your fenders.
Click to expand...


I agree here, I think 32's would work real well, if you put 4.5 under it. I would reccomend trimming the wheel well a little. You can pull the plastic up, and trim the metal, also hammer the seams back as to not slice tires when flexing, and put the plastic back with new screws. It looks nice and clean and you do not have to tear up that pretty fender metal. gOOD LUCK JOE>
 
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