Jeep Enthusiast Forums banner

Need advice on an XJ lift please

972 views 8 replies 9 participants last post by  75SV1 
#1 ·
Howdy, I currently own a 01' XJ Cherokee sport and am looking to boost it up around 4.5 inches. I have worked on cars before but never lifted a vehicle, plenty of my buddies have the shop space and tools to get the job done however I am trying to acquire a list if what exactly I'll need for parts. I daily drive this jeep and am not doing any crazy rock crawling however she does goes off roading here and there. I would ultimately like to toss some 33s underneath and the fenders are already trimmed, any advice and suggestions for how to go about this would be greatly appreciated. (A rough estimate of how much this all will cost would be great as well)
 
#2 ·

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: dented
#3 ·
Probably need an SYE as well. Anywhere from $100 - $200 depending if you go with Hack n Tap or not. You would also need to replace the rear driveshaft which you could probably get done for around $150 or up to $300 if you go brand new. I've heard you can use a front driveshaft for the rear but I believe the length only fits certain rear ends (Dana 44 or 8.25, I forget which).

Of course if you're trying to save money you could just do the lift and see how it goes. You'll know pretty quick whether you can get away without an SYE.

Good luck
 
#5 ·
4.5" and you are messing with the geometry a bit more than some of your stock parts will like. You can drop the transfer case a bit, but a lift of 4.5" I would think would require a SYE and a new drive shaft. Front should be OK. As you lift the front PINION angle will increase so it should be good. 4.5" strains the lower control arms. They hit the bracket at the axle. It may be ok on the street (hard on the bumps), but you will lack droop off road. Instead your wheel dropping down to meet uneven ground it will hang up in the air. With your open differential the wheel will spin while the one on the ground just sits there. 33s without rear gearing? You will lose substantial torque. Others will chime in but I think 3" on 30 maybe 31s would ultimately make offroading more fun.
 
#6 ·
Just my 1/50th of a G Dub.

3" lift will get you to 31's and potentially only require a TC drop instead of SYE. That being said, no re-gearing or upgrades to other systems, etc needed. Plenty of good 3" kits out there for a good price. Once you go above 3" is where everything gets exponentially more expensive and complicated.

But, if you're set on 33" go for the bigger lift and do some research on what people with that lift had to change. Plenty of good posts around. Not every XJ will respond the same to a equal lift as another XJ.

Some things that may be fairly common or required in addition to the shocks and springs for a 4.5" lift:

-Adjustable LCA
-Adjustable Track Bar
-TC Drop and/or SYE
-Re Gearing
-Extended Brake Lines
-Extended Bump Stops
-Rear Drive Shaft
 
#9 ·
Mines lifted at 4.5. I did have to do a Hack-n-Tap. It did have vibe line problems, or more of a shudder of the trans around 40 mph. I was on 31's. I have 32's installed right now. Still, have to finish up a few things. I did have a 8.25 rear end. The snout is a bit longer than a Dana 35. I used a front auto drive shaft. I just squeezed it in. I also regeared to 4.10s latter.
Also, think about bump stops, front and rear. I'd probably go 31's and 3-3.5 lift.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top