6 inch the right way to go?

[BrettM]

get rockrails ASAP

i thought i could do without them for a while and now have the battle scars to prove i was wrong

 

[Kevin]

I'll just go ahead and say it..... you can have a whole opile of fun in you XJ in its stock configuration. Armor it up all around and make sure you have front and rear tow points (read that as protect your investment) and see what kind of trouble you can get in and out of. I personally wish I waited a little while before I put on (actually had put on) my 3" lift.

 

[Nay]

You don't need that much for starters. This is your first vehicle. Do 31" tires on a 3" lift and you can do 90% of the Colorado trails, even without a locker. This is the best way to get a feel for your XJ. You don't need to regear right way (you will hate 32's on stock gears here with the elevation, but 31's are a lot more livable), the lift is cheap, and it shouldn't cause major complications.

Once you have a feel for it, decide if you want to go larger. I personally dislike the 4.5" lift. I think it is a no-man's land between the 3" stockish lift and the 6" hardcore lift that causes enough complications to justify the taller lift, particularly the need for a slip yoke eliminator.

In my Colorado experience, most people spend very little time at this stage when they choose to do it, because it doesn't give enough advantage over the 3" lift with 31" tires. Maybe that's just a Colorado thing, but we seem to have two types of trails: those you can do with 3" of lift and open diffs and those that require 35's and two lockers. Not that much in between. Same goes for Moab if you ask me.

I think you'd want to wheel hard for a full season before even thinking about major modifications, new axles, lockers, or any of that stuff. My advice is always this: don't modify it at all for a full wheeling season. Find out what it can do stock. Where you get stuck and why. Learn to overcome with driving skill. Then add lift and try some harder trails. Be willing to get stuck, and learn why. Add a locker. Repeat. Building in steps may seem illogical and expensive, but it's how you learn, and I don't think there are any shortcuts on that curve.

Hope that helps.

Nay

OK, now we're talking.

Assuming you have a Dana 35 rear axle, you are going to want to keep the tire size as small as practicable and carry spare shafts. DO NOT put a locker in this axle, as it will increase teh axle carnage by a factor of 5.

I would say 32's are the MAX that you should run on this axle in the Colorado rocks. 4.5" will clear this fine, will alleviate the need for an ultra expensive suspension, and perform well on the road.

I would check the classifieds here on and on pirate4x4.com for used 4.5" lifts. LOTS of people go higher and sell their lifts for dirt cheap.

Get yourself some good tow points and skid plates ASAP. Also pick up a spare set of axle shafts for the front end.

CRASH

 

[Jes]

You don't need that much for starters. This is your first vehicle. Do 31" tires on a 3" lift and you can do 90% of the Colorado trails, even without a locker. This is the best way to get a feel for your XJ. You don't need to regear right way (you will hate 32's on stock gears here with the elevation, but 31's are a lot more livable), the lift is cheap, and it shouldn't cause major complications.

Once you have a feel for it, decide if you want to go larger. I personally dislike the 4.5" lift. I think it is a no-man's land between the 3" stockish lift and the 6" hardcore lift that causes enough complications to justify the taller lift, particularly the need for a slip yoke eliminator.

In my Colorado experience, most people spend very little time at this stage when they choose to do it, because it doesn't give enough advantage over the 3" lift with 31" tires. Maybe that's just a Colorado thing, but we seem to have two types of trails: those you can do with 3" of lift and open diffs and those that require 35's and two lockers. Not that much in between. Same goes for Moab if you ask me.

It must be a Colorado thing. What trails have you done in Colorado?
No way can you run 21RD. or Die Trying with 3"s of lift and 31s but you don't need 35s to run them either.

Jes

 

[DaffyXJ]

Yikes!

Things are heating up.

Old Man's post said it best, even not knowing what you are building for. Tall and skinny means scary off camber running. Six (6)+ inches of lift just for 33's is not required.

Mine's a rock crawler, 8+ lift 35's, D-44 in the rear, 4.56's, Detroits front and back, roll bar, 4 points, all that and I'm scared every time I get over 35 degrees off camber 'cause I know it's just too tall and skinny to take it. Haven't rolled yet, come close, but it's just a matter of time.

If you want a daily driver, stay under 5 inches of lift. This will also help your gas mileage.

Derik