Lowering XJ

REDXJ4FUN said:
Ok we need more tech on lowering now. my 2wd mj is begging for some mods.
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What's to know?

Front: Cut the coils. Just remember that when you cut a coil, the spring rate increases, so (a) the ride is more firm, and (b) if you cut off one complete coil, you don't get a drop equal to the full distance beween coils. It's best to be conservative when cutting. You can always cut more, but it's difficult to cut a spring longer.

Rear: Swap in XJ shackles, and remove the shortest leaf. (Not the overload leaf, the shortest of the arched leaves.)
 
eric91xj said:
It actually handled worse because after a few short months my front shocks were dead some how so it felt like i was driving a boat on the road, i guess this could also be because the whole front end geometry was way off. Braking and traction in the rain and snow got considerably worse because the rear end was so much higher and lighter with no rear seat or spare tire or anything back there.
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I'll venture a guess the handling got worse because of caster/camber changes (can't recall right now which is which, so I'll use both). Your tire basically titled in at the top making for slightly better overall cornering, but less of the contact patch on the road. This may also make the front end darty when steering - seeming to want to change direction *NOW*...

...the ride quality would have gone down as you effectively increased the rate of the spring by cutting it - resulting in a harsher ride - which is what toasted the shocks.

Grab some factory springs (lots of us don't want them any more, so they are free...:)) and look for drop spindles for the front end - and nope, I have no idea if they're even made for this app, but if they are, they are the way to lower the front end while maintaining all the factory geometry.

For the rear - find a kit made to replace your rear springs - better to go with an engineered kit for this than to ghetto-fab it (though this is just my opinion).

If you enjoy ghetto-ing as much as some of us do...

You could always get a set of springs re-arched negatively - though I have zero idea if this would work, nor have I ever seen it done - I was just brainstorming and that floated through my addled mind...

...and of course there is the ever popular coil conversions for lifting - just through in a short spring and your gold - GOLD, Jerry!

Take a look through my webshots albums for the Cherokee Rear Coil swap one of the guys in my club did not long ago - he grafted in the rear suspension from a Grand Cherokee - do that and find yourself a set of lowering springs for the rear end of a grand and *poof* - you're slammed my friend!

community.webshots.com/user/sports_guy

...though it seems each idea I put down gets more complicated...LOL

FWIW, I've thought about dropping my 4" lift, grafting in the GC rear end and making my truck into a slightly lowered, coil sprung rally-style ride - fun for the daily commute - still good in the winter - and a holy terror on the fire-roads! Drop a 4.7 litre stroker into that and see who wants to play...LOL:canada:
 
MalakaiKingston said:
HOLY CRAP?!?!?!

you were not even kidding...

http://www.anti-rice.com/ricepics/stupidjeep.jpg
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stupidjeep.jpg


A guy can only take so much... :puke:
 
sportsguy said:
I'll venture a guess the handling got worse because of caster/camber changes (can't recall right now which is which, so I'll use both). Your tire basically titled in at the top making for slightly better overall cornering, but less of the contact patch on the road. This may also make the front end darty when steering - seeming to want to change direction *NOW*...

...the ride quality would have gone down as you effectively increased the rate of the spring by cutting it - resulting in a harsher ride - which is what toasted the shocks.
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Those are some of the issuse i'm working on right now. I'm goingto be making new control arms with poly bushing ends but the whole conrol arm angle has we wondering how to work that out. at one time a company used to make a drop knucles but they are no where to be found. I know Phil weeks had a thread bout moving the LA mounts in board and up awhile back. I hope to have some tech on this soon
 
Sorry to whoever I offended,and I wasnt bashing anyone. what I said I said in love.Iwas merely stating my opinion as I am allowed to do by the constiution of the U.S.when my cherokee was stock with virtually nonexistent travel it rode like hell now w my 3 inch lift it rides much smoother.again just my humble opinion but taking away the xj s already limited travel would make for a very sore booty.oh and that useless POS of a rear sway bar you can have it all but the u bolt triangle brackets.The Sway bar is just a clever excuse for Jeep to package killer bar pin eliminators.As for me and my house we will lift our jeeps and beat the crap out of em.
Brian Felts President of the mall crawlers rehab society.Ha Ha :hang: :rattle:
 
jeepinxj05 said:
make it bigger!!! it hurts me to think your gonna lower it
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OK, we need to have some kind of pre-post test to ensure folks get the simple fact that what you do to your Jeep is a personal choice and there's no need to rub it in to others if you don't agree with it.

That said, most of us found NAXJA because we wheeled our rigs. I'm thinking of lowering mine (by that I mean back to stock height) for better handling on-road.

I wonder how many of the folks bashing those who want to lower a rig have ever wheeled their own trucks stock? I have and I can say that (within limits) it was plenty fun and very capable. True, being lifted let's me do more off-road, but to each his own.

...and on topic now...

After some research, I'm thinking the best route to handling with these bricks is a fairly easy one:

Contact Addco about front & rear swaybar kits - they offer a set which is a step up in diameter over stock, so that'll help out with the body motions. Get a good quality set of shocks - street shocks - and again, that'll help.

After more research, it looks like 255/60/16's are the way to go for me - nice sized contact patch, decent sidewall so I don't rattle to death and offers rim protection, and fits the wheel well nicely.

On top of all that, we must remember two things:

1 - these things have solid front axles - they weren't designed with handling as the main concern
2 - swap in the 242 t-case (the one with the FullTime 4wd option) and go hunting...hehe

My plans would net me a truck with great year-round, everyday capabilities. Wouldn't look much different than a stocker, except the tires, but would handle much better, get me a little better fuel economy than I currently have and would still allow for lots of fun down the road when I *insert the inevitable here* - build a stroker...Hasta
 
sportsguy said:
I wonder how many of the folks bashing those who want to lower a rig have ever wheeled their own trucks stock? I have and I can say that (within limits) it was plenty fun and very capable. True, being lifted let's me do more off-road, but to each his own.
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:soapbox:

to each his own! Yes I agree!

truth is... like every one said the xj is a brick. and I am going to use a curse word but...
minivan gets better gas milage
My jeep is fast but every time i put it up against my frends WRX i get my but handed to me till we hit the trails. For work I have a ZJ that would have a very hard time keeping up with the new Ford Freestar mini van that we just got for the new guy...

BUt I understand the love of the Cherokee. its unexplainable...heh jeep thing i guess.

Sarge said:
Then don't come read this forum.

Sarge
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Thanks Sarge hadn't thought of that...:lecture:
People gotta understand though this forum is not the majority...

I want to know...
Ok now you have lowered your Xj...
Does it handle like you expected?
is it as fast as you wanted?


it's not my bag why make a brick fast when you can just buy a skipping stone?:dunno:
but hey I am interested to know how it turned out.
 
Majo said:
Jeeps go up not down, if that piece of s*** ever showed up or any other lowered jeep i'd make every attempt to slash their tires...it's just wrong that's like lifting a cadillac 13 inches and putting swampers on it... you just dont' do it
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:wstupid: I've seen a few caddys lifted that much- (escalades)- and the funny thing is even though they were ment for show- with all the money they have in 'em, they'd tear the crap outta my rig offroad:roflmao:
 
Hey guys, I've been snooping around here for a while, just not posting. This has to be my favorite thread so far.

I"ve currently got a 91 xj with 4" of lift and 31's, but I"ve owned a lowered
S-10, and a few "massaged" civics. So, I can see the best of both worlds.
Talking about the Archer bros trucks brings back memories of watching them race on tv when I was a kid.

You guys are making me want to go find a nice MJ and make a nice little fun truck!!

Plus, when it comes to lowering automatically being "ricey", some of you guys ought to talk to some "hot rod" and muscle car guys about that. They started doing this long before most or all us around here were born.

Anyway, I'd love it if any of you guys found some old pics of the racing MJ's or quality lowered Jeep pics. I"ve seen a few Grands that were done very tastefully. I be those coils handle nicely, but that's another story.

Jeephog
 
just have to say damn, i started this thread about a year and a half ago when this forum had just started off and only a hangfull of threads had started. i've been gone from the site since then and just came back and i cannot believe the thread is still active! awsome

eric
 
Wow, it sure is crazy how ****ed-off people get about someone making a jeep fast or lowering it. Well here is something that should really **** anyone off that has a lifted 4x4 jeep. I have an 89 xj with the 4.0, aw4 tranny and 242 t-case all of which worked perfectly. Well it all worked until I tore it down to the unibody. I just got a new 242 with 30,000 miles on it and guess what it's 2 wheel drive mwhaaaaa hahahahaaaa. It will turn my 20 inch rims very well indeed. I had custom perches and control arms made for my coil springs on my ford 9 inch rear and I used a Frankenstein-like combination of parts to convert my front end to independent suspension. If that wasn’t bad enough, it will be able to sit on the ground with its air ride suspension. So what am I going to do with my transfer case???? Well…I think I’m going to melt down the aluminum and use it to make some big emblems that say 2X4 and put them right on the side of my jeep.
 
*grin* Lets get picky here. The badges should say 4x2 cause you have 4 wheels being driven by 2. In truth if you don't have a traction aiding device, it's a 4x1 in some instances. LOL!

Sarge
 
Its amazing after 8 pages of this tread we still have idiots coming in here and telling us were stupid for doing what we are. :doh: for those who want to tell me this look at my avitar and then say something. that jeep is going to be on 40s by spring. but as for my MJ its rediving a new clutch and a ax-5 to replace the ax-4 and it has a new B&M shifter for it :viking: . I also have a new elctric fan to replace the clutch fan to help free up some power and I'm going to do the 95/96 brake booster swap and zj rear disks.
I've been working on ideas to help keep the geometry up front corect when lowering. I'm buying a 98 2wd front axle to play with. This acomplishes a couple things. frist off I get newer brakes, since there isn't much out there for 89 2wd brakes I will be able to get some performance rotors since the later modles use the same parts for 2 and 4 wheel drive. A second goal of getting another axle is that i am going to relocate the control arm mounts lowering them from thier stock locations to bring the control arm angles to a reasonable position. I'm also building new control arms that are adjustable and maybe lighter but will have poly bushings.
 
gzweber said:
Wow, it sure is crazy how ****ed-off people get about someone making a jeep fast or lowering it. Well here is something that should really **** anyone off that has a lifted 4x4 jeep. I have an 89 xj with the 4.0, aw4 tranny and 242 t-case all of which worked perfectly. Well it all worked until I tore it down to the unibody. I just got a new 242 with 30,000 miles on it and guess what it's 2 wheel drive mwhaaaaa hahahahaaaa. It will turn my 20 inch rims very well indeed. I had custom perches and control arms made for my coil springs on my ford 9 inch rear and I used a Frankenstein-like combination of parts to convert my front end to independent suspension. If that wasn’t bad enough, it will be able to sit on the ground with its air ride suspension. So what am I going to do with my transfer case???? Well…I think I’m going to melt down the aluminum and use it to make some big emblems that say 2X4 and put them right on the side of my jeep.
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damn dog...i wanna see pictures of this
 
aspera said:
This is the forum that I've been looking for.
The XJ can be made to do almost anything. Obviously it can offroad, but it can race and drag too. It might even autoX!:D THAT would be something. I'd like to see a rally Cherokee, though. That would make everyone happy. It would be built for the road, but would sling gravel to make the offroaders happy.
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Well I fell bad for coming to this thread late, but glad I'm here now :D

I am actually planning on RallyCrossing my XJ in a few weeks, however due to work constraints I may not be able to start until next season, since this is the last event of the year in my area (Oregon). But since you mention AutoX...I'll do it :D I can drift my Jeep better than most of the people I know who drive "drift cars" and that's just sad (granted, autoxing and drifting are only slightly related)...so I'll look into the next upcoming autox event and go for it...

And I know of at least one person that has RX'd his XJ, however he has now gone big time with a fully built VW Rabbit. There are a few people that race Grands in this region too, but seem to be fickle about it, I havn't noticed anyone who actually finishes out the season :/

But myself I am planning on building up an XJ for ClubRally (not just rallycross), an XJ for JeepSpeed and an XJ as a street/drag truck complete with a central computer system that controls the entire damn truck from entertainment to engine management...I've also had the thought to build up a ZJ running a 2JZ (Supra engine for those not in the know, but that's a topic for another forum ;) Is there a NAZJA? hehe)

So to bring myself to the topic at and, this definitely intrigues me...I'm not too sure about the whole independent suspension swaps idea, however, as it has always been my idea to keep it as "Jeep" as possible. Same thinking that forces me to use a 4.0 (stroked, however) for my future drag truck...Everyone always asks why I don't just drop in a big block chevy to begin with...but...best way to describe it, as with most of our choices...It's a Jeep thing! So the ideas here about lowering on the stock front and rear end I will definitely have to consider...

And as for the naysayers...To them I say, you're just jealous because my stock height XJ will outrun you in the 1/4 mile and I can still drive well enough to get through more obstalces on the trail than you can on your 31"s :P
 
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