new kid needs some help.

[casual]

hey guys ive got a 4x4 xj. and id like to get a lift under it.
i live in the high desert (victorville/phelan) in california. mostly washboard roads, and some soft sand.

anyway my rigs stock right now. 4x4, dana 30/35 axles and im looking to get a decent suspension setup for it. my budgets 2k for parts...labor will be done by me at a friends shop...
ive looked into the rubicon express 3.5" (re6030) kit w/ full leaf packs.
but i wanna see if theres better for desert running...im basicly looking to make a great daily driver that i can run down wash boards and dirt roads and possibly jump here and there without being jolted around..a small prerunner setup basicly.
is there anything you can recommend? budgets 2k for parts. labor/install will be done by me.

 

[casual]

and let me add...ill be running full frame stiffeners.
TNT 3/16" frame stiffeners
TMR 1/8" front frame plates
T&J/Currie tubular subframe connectors/stiffeners

 

[xcm]

2k will get you started on a nice prerunner, i have over $2000 just in fab parts, that doesnt include finish quality parts like shocks, control arms or a fuel cell... and my build isnt done yet!

it add's up, you should look around at differant people's build ups, that'll give you an idea of the scope. i run the RE 3.5 kit, with a bunch of stuff added on/upgraded. the kit doesnt have a trackbar, and you need one, it also doesnt address steering. it also needs a boomerang shackle for the rear... dont even think about the shocks that come with it, they wont last 2 trips driven hard.

once you get the lift on, you can address going fast further, get the stock stuff replaced first, then stiffen,then tune the suspension, then cage, then polish it all off, it's gonna be a long trip~


WELCOME

 

[grandrunner]

welcome aboard. id say a nice lift, tires n wheels is a good start. i dont have an xj so cant tell ya what lift to look at haha but 2k wont get you too far. check out the for sale section for some money savers. im over 7k into my build and its not even half way where i want it. i didnt thing id spend over 2k myself

 

[chasdb]

I just pulled a 4.5 SuperFlex, pm sent

 

[95REDXJ]

be smart with your shopping and look for deals. it can be done on the cheap!

 

[GrimmJeeper]

figure out what size tires you want to run, that will determine how tall of a lift you need. then spend your money on good shocks (read: rebuildable/revalveable). I would shy away from the RE springs, but that's just my opinion. Some run them and love them IMO they are way too soft for running at speed. National or Deaver leaf packs will get you the most bang for your buck, and deaver coils are pretty hard to beat when it comes to up front. It sounds like you have the right idea, just read a lot of posts to find out what is or is not working on some go fast type rigs. What works great for a crawler is the opposite of what is going to work great in a prerunner type rig, lift kits built for flex are not meant to handle the repeated high speed cycling that your suspension is going to see.

Welcome, and good luck :cheers:

 

[casual]

alright guys. ive decided on my lift.
ill be running 31x10.5x15 daily and 33x10.5x15 on the trails.
i already have the 31's so i figured id get a better set more geared towards offroad.

but ya i think im gonna run the RC 4.5" long arm kit. i just wanna deaver packs and different shocks on all 4 corners. (billy 5150s??)
gnna search and see what i can find. hoping to do it with 2-2.5k lol

im also building a 4.6L stocker w/ bolt ons (header/2.5" HF cat w/ dumped exhaust/intake/63mm throtle body) as we speak, its not a funding problem...its just i wanna spread the love all parts are here except for the header/cat/exhaust!
i got 4.10's with weak a$$ D30/D35 its an auto so i didnt wanna over gear it as its still my daily.
but a 4.6L stroker w/ bolts on and 4.10's and 31 or 33's should scoot nicely.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

keep your 4.10s, i would move up from 5150s to the 7100 series as they are rebuildable and you can have the valving adapted to your rig/type of wheeling. check out jeepstrokers.com for more info on building the perfect stroker.

 

[silverslk]

You've got a good plan and are receiving some good advice. I like the idea of doing the full stiffening (like crazy Jim did) first. People always expect their rigs to hold up until next time but as you add more suspension, you'll push harder and then regret not have done it first. Good luck and start a build thread.

 

[tcm glx]

These guys have said it all, but i will repeat!

Plate the frame first, it will save your rig in the long run
Buy good shocks, Bilsteins are my personal favorites... 7100s are always on RDC and Dr for sale used
I would say also replace the D35 in the rear, hit up a junkyard and throw in a later model 8.25 and you will be fine.

Last but not least, IMHO, 33x10.5x15 is a perfect tire for the XJ with around 4" of lift.

 

[bails85]

the first thing i would do is replace the dana 35. go with either dana 44, 8.25, or ford 8.8. any of these swaps are fairly cheap. i have the rc 4.5 long arm kit i like it. its pretty beefy for rc. didnt expect them to put outsomething like that but i was impressed when they did. have fun first before u dump in a bunch of cash.

 

[scottL]

it also needs a boomerang shackle for the rear...

curious.. do you recommend boomerang shackles strictly for going fast? or do you feel they're just as good for all around off road use? i bought deaver leafpacks and would be interested to hear why you recommend boomerangs before my springs arrive in a couple weeks and i install using the same teraflex greasable shackles i'm currently running. maybe i need to grab a set too. thanks

 

[silverslk]

they will allow your pack to flatten out better because they won't hit the body as soon. I say if you have the cash....grab some now.

 

[casual]

ya ive been reading and such and i know to do the frame stiffeners first
1 problem is i gotta find something for the sides where the RC crossmember bolts..because how it bolts up i cant use the TNT stiffeners.

and ya the 4.10s are staying..they were just put in lol. not even a week old yet.
and yes the 33x10.5x15 will be for offroad..but ill be running an agressive tread, so ill just use my 31's for daily so i dont lose too much mileage and dont wear them out.
and im trying to find what size billys i need?
ill run the 5150s..but whats a general lenth without messuring?
i would think a 10" be fine but shoul i run a 12"?? anyone know?

 

[Cache96]

You can maybe get away with running a 12" but you would have to make custom mounts for them and measure to see how much up and down travel you would have. I would probably wait on ordering the shocks until you get your lift installed and able to measure correctly.

here is what i did on mine.

 

[scottL]

they will allow your pack to flatten out better because they won't hit the body as soon. I say if you have the cash....grab some now.

thanks silverslk!

 

[scottL]

they will allow your pack to flatten out better because they won't hit the body as soon. I say if you have the cash....grab some now.

i see boomerang shackles offered by jks, rubicon express, & rock krawler.
which kind should i get???
thanks & sorry for hijacking your thread Casual.

 

[DieselSJ]

i would think a 10" be fine but shoul i run a 12"?? anyone know?

IMHO a 12 is too big unless you are going to go wild on the fab in the front. The body is longer than a 10" which means you need to drop your lower mount or limit your up travel. Keep in mind that the Jeepspeed racers all run a 10" shock in the front. A 12 would be better in terms of bigger volume of oil which helps with temps, but short of racing you would never know the difference. A 10" will let you keep your lower mount tucked up out of harms way.

 

[tbburg]

The Jeepspeed guys all run 10" shocks because they're rule-book limited to 10" front travel and are not allowed to cut the inner fenders to run the shock mount higher.

Also, you're kind of hard-pressed to get more then 10" of travel out of the front end without making some geometry changes in the track bar and drag link.