Lowering an XJ?

[gradon]

88JeepXJ was the one who sectioned the front axle tube.

 

[bjoehandley]

Flip kit would be easy enough just gotta make sure your driveline doesn't smash into the transfer case in case it's too long. Your LCA's will be at an opposite angle thou so iirc for cars when they are at a negative angle they won't perform well. Ideal is flat control arms.


Do like everyone else... Don't lower it just fill it full of rim

Side note, my buddies 22" wheel with low profile tires off his chevy truck weighed noticeable more than my 31" mud terrain on a 15" soft 8... Total waste :-/

you could mount some mustang 18" wheels on it with forged alum(lighter is better for unsprung weight) I think they are 5x4.5 you might need spacers to clear the caliper though.

I think the SN95 (94-04) Mustang wheels were the direct fit wheels for the XJ' s and MJ's.

 

[gradon]

Yan ran the Cobra wheels before and there are pics here(I liked them better than his current Charger wheels). The bolt pattern is the same, but the hub bore might've had to be enlarged(don't remember).

 

[streetxj]

I'm lowered about 2" all around. Addcos front and rear. Ironman4x4fab control arms and custom straight track bar(poly on all), Springworks(CA) springs(-2", tho I specified -2.5"), Daystar rear poly bushings, MORE bombproof MMs. I'll get the height of the top of the front fender and the top of the rear roof from ground tomorrow, but am on 255/60-15 tires that are 27" tall(mushy on stock 15x7" classics). Out of 70 drivers, I got 34th place with the Jeep at last weekend's auto-x. . I beat '06 M3, '10 Z4, '02 M3, '08 335i, '03 Mini S, 'o9 328i, '87 325i, '97 2.0l z3, modded '05 M3, same modded '05 M3 with diff driver, modded '98 M3, modded '06 Mini S, modded '05 Mini S, modded '08 Mini S, modded '09 Mini, modded '11 135i, modded '07 Mini S, modded 328ci, modded '97 Z3, modded '02 325i, modded '91 318is, modded 323i, modded '99 M3, modded '05 M3, '92 Miata, '01 Z28, '03 Corvette, '07 Impreza, '06 Corvette, '10 Genesis, '02 Corvette Z06, '04 R32 GTI, '12 Camaro SS, '11 Genesis, '04 RX-8, '93 240SX, '01 Type-R, '03 S2000, '03 S2000, '13 Corolla, '13 FR-S, '93 Miata, '02 S2000, '96 Miata, '84 Peugeot, '08 S2000, '08 335i, '09 328i, '13 FR-S, '10 Genesis, '03 S2000, '98 M3, and I'm probably repeating cause many of these folk ran am and pm(I ran my M3 am and Jeep pm). My Jeep kicks @$$ and does compete with BMWs and Miatas.

Do you have the pic of your custom trackbar? Does it have to be done for the jeep to be lowered without having a negative affect on anything? I would like to do the same thing to my 96' 2 door XJ sport.

 

[gradon]

Go to page 1 and click on Darky's link. There's a pic of it in the 2nd half of the 24 pages. I had to get one to center the axle back under the vehicle(raising it pulls it driver's side, lowering it pulls it passenger's side).
here it is: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8655&page=22

 

[streetxj]

Go to page 1 and click on Darky's link. There's a pic of it in the 2nd half of the 24 pages. I had to get one to center the axle back under the vehicle(raising it pulls it driver's side, lowering it pulls it passenger's side).
here it is: http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8655&page=22

Cool. Thanks!

 

[IXNAYXJ]

Has anyone done this?

Yup:

This link explains how we lowered ours. Big tires and brakes have made it a very capable track machine. Check out our YouTube page for some examples of us on track with some pretty quick sports cars.

-Matt

 

[streetxj]

2WD. From centerline of wheels: 38" from ground to hood in the front and 61" from ground to roof in the rear. Yesterday I picked up some 3.73s w/ 30K from a Liberty for $20, so now will find another 8.25" to mod to SUA. The 4.10s are just too much gear for 27" tires and when I used the 24.8" Yokohama&Silverstar setup, every gear shifted one up and 1st was pointless. I won't be able to use the flat packs I have on there now, and do want stiffer springs, so I might look into the Deaver$ or a custom composite setup. The front really can't go lower without sectioning the front tube like was done by someone else here(I'd like to be 1-1.5" lower F). The rear I want 2.5-3" lower and that can't happen unless SUA.

My 96 xj has 3.55's. Do I need to change the whole differential to swap in 3.73's or just take the differential cover off and put in the new ring and pinion gear?

 

[gradon]

You have to remove driveshaft, axles, and differential to replace gears. You'll need gears, a master install kit, an in-lb torque wrench(gauge style), a 250-300ft-lb torque wrench, a magnetic-base dial indicator, and pullers and installers(can improvise) to get the old gears and bearings off and new ones on. I've done two installs and getting gears set-up takes some finesse. I went from open 3.07 to Auburn 3.55lsd to newer Auburn 4.10lsd and now I want to go down to 3.73s(that I originally wanted--I just bought some for $20 from an '03 Liberty w/ 30K). I might hold out for picking up another 8.25, flip the spring mounts and get Flex-Form to make me some custom composite leaves. It never ends. . .

 

[IXNAYXJ]

Better yet, just get an 8.8 with LSD and the gear you want (we're running 4.10s and much prefer it to the 3.73s we had, but we run an AW4, so the trans ratios are different). As expensive as a ratio change is, I don't think I'd bother to go from 3.55s to 3.73, we couldn't tell the difference at all when we swapped axles.

-Matt

 

[streetxj]

^Thanks guys. Yeah, I don't think all that work Gradon mentioned to swap in gears is worth the small difference. The only thing bad is that I have open differential. Kinda sucks doing one wheel burnouts. :laugh3: :anon: