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What lift for 33" Tires?

mtxbigtruckin

NAXJA Forum User
I'm looking for the best lift kit to fit 33's on my 96 XJ. I already have a 3" Pro Comp lift with 31's. I wan to get a little bigger without breaking the bank. Also what else would be needed to change?? New Shocks, Driveshafts, Trac Bar relocater? Brake Lines, anything else? I wonder if I should just get a new 4-5" kit or just upgrade the kit I have now?

Thanks!!!

Brian
 
i would add a shackle, a spacer lca and see what happens, add what u need and trim the flares. newer xjs have more driveshaft problems, but it can happen to any xj lifted at all. i have 6 inches and have the factory drivesaft with a tc lowering kit no vibes.
good luck
jimmy
 
Brian, the key to answering your question is, do you want to trim, and if so, how much are you willing to trim? I'm running 33s on 4.5" and I see people running 33s on 8". It really depends on what you're doing with it and how happy you get w/ the sawzaw. Let us know and we'll be happy to help.

Ary
 
I would like to not sawzaw at all, I'll leave that for a couple years down the road when I decide to rock crawler it out. I'm just looking for another inch or two to handle the mud puddles I usually avoid. I already have a 1" T-case drop bracket on it, just seeing what else I should do.
 
It is like the other guys are saying, it depends on if you want to trim, and how far you are willing to go. I just installed a RE 4.5" superflex on my 89, and I am running 31" trxus M/T's, but I think I could upgrade to 33's w/o too much trimming. I just made a t-case drop with some 1" tubing (cuz they sent me 1/2" spacers) and I used 4* shims in the rear. So far no vibes. Also, I believe the ride is better than my 98 xj w/ 3" skyjacker, so far I am very impressed w/ the lift. Just my .02
 
In order to run 33s with no to very minimal trimming, I'd recommend the RE 5.5 XD kit. I know it's not the most economical lift, but I think it's the most complete, well put together package on the market. This kit will net you somewhere around 6", maybe a little more at first. It includes the drop brackets for much improved ride characteristics. Anyway, that's what I'd suggest.

Ary

P.S. Give RJ a holler at www.authorizedvehicle4x4.com for some of the best pricing on RE stuff around. He's a small guy that does this in his spare time, but his customer service is top notch as are his prices
 
I'm running Rusty's 4.5" coils and a hybrid of junk in the rear and I sit at a true 5". I had 32x10.50 Swamper TSL Radials and they rubbed the stock flares. I now hacked out my fenders to use rear YJ flares and I fit 33x10.50 Swamper TSL Rad's on 15x8's wheel with 3.75" BS and it fit perfectly.

As for the trac bar, if you have the stock bar, get an adjustable. Brake lines, if you're still running stock, just go to YJ lines.Drive shaft, if you don't have a SYE already on a '96, you're probably going to need one anywhere over 3" in lift, and definitely longer shocks if you want to take full advantage of the lift's flex.
 
I dirve a 95 with 33x9.5 Big O XT's on stock 7" wheels and a 4" tomken lift(measured from wheel center to flare). The lift includes new upper and lower control arms, new front coil springs and a 4" spring pack in the back. I have some rubbing in the rear at full flex but not enough to dammage my flares. I am sure a little trimming on the inside would elimiate this. I also have very little rubbing in the front but I can stuff the tire completely. The stance is more narrow than I like but for what I want it is better than trimming.

I think that you could run 33x9.50 with a shackle and some coil spacers in the front. You may need new control arms to place your front tire further forward. I got my tires after the CAs and so I do not know how the tires would fit at this height with stock CAs.
 
check out my web, i have 96 with 6" lift running 33's. Alot of trimming but I dont mind. I did rub quite a bit in the rear so I chopped off the flares and about 2" of metal, no rubs now. The front I just hacked off. Was installing TJ flares but didnt like so I just cleaned it up and installed door trim. grapeape.myjeeppage.com
 
A buddy XJ with 34" SS and 4.5" Rusty's lift!

P1010367.JPG
 
If your truly not going to flex it, I would say upgrade to the RE 4.5" kit and run some 33x9.5 or 33x10.5 tires on wheels with about 4.5-5" of backspacing. The less backspacing should keep the tires from rubbing the LCA when turning.

On mine (1997) even with 6+ inches of lift I had to remove the front bumper end caps or I couldn't drive at all. I'm not sure if the '96 sheetmetal comes down as far as the "ground effects" do on the 97+ bumpers though. I think that would be the only real problem assuming you DO NOT FLEX it - much.
 
I would do a coil spacer front and a new leaf pack in the rear to net about 5-6" Also note that if you don't already have it you will need a SYE and driveshaft to make it all work at this height.

Remember 33's come in different widths so a 33x10.5 will be easier to fit than a 33x12.5 and so on.
 
Brian,

I would agree with Ary'01XJ on this topic. I would not go any less than a 5.5 or 6 inch. I am currently running 36X12.50 on my XJ and I have 8 inches of lift and still had to do some fender trimmage, but it doesn't look bad if you take your time and do it right!
 
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