Topic: lift for 89 xj

[renegade84]

What is the best lift for a xj on a small budget?

[Inittowinit]

Need more info....Small Budget?....#'s would help..$$$$....2,3,4,5, or 6 inches of lift?....tyre size?...what's your plan for this?, DD with mild trail duty?, Trailer queen?, street legal trail-rig?

[skipnrocks]

you could do upto a 3in budget boost pucks up front for real cheap and then blocks in the rear probably all for around a hundred bucks...  also for around the same price you can get the 3in bb for the front and add a leaf + shackles  for the rear.  You could clear 31s pretty easy with that, you can also trim the fenders, if done right its almost free and can fit larger tires with less lift.  or do both and fit 35s... for cheap... a few ideas without knowing what your looking to do..

[renegade84 [OP]]

4 to 6 inches and for as cheap as possible mostly dd but some trail duty

[splasher]

If mostly DD, then stick with a 32" or metric 33" tire on alloy wheels. That's about the max on stock gears, and about the limit of "cheap."

To fit anything over a 33" tire requires tall/expensive lifts AND trimming, (along with all the other goodies that aren't factored into a lift) so you rapidly fall into the non-DD category.

For cheap lifts that'll get the job done, look into Rusty's:
http://www.rustysoffroad.com/

If you're looking for ultimo budget, then buy a budget boost of choice, trim your fenders, extend bumpstops, build some disconnects, re-calibrate speedo, and run some 31's.

[beach]

im do the same lift i found that summit racing has some 4.5 liftcoils made by skyjacker for around 175 thats shipped and blocks are pretty cheap but i have found you can buy shackles fairly cheap

[splasher]

Blocks in the rear + BAD mojo, they will RUIN your springs.

AAL's in the rear suck too, WAY too stiff, and just a band-aid to fix already flat or negative springs.

Shackles should be used to tune angle, not as a primary source of lift.

One problem with XJ's is once you cross about 4" of lift you start needing lots of other components, not just springs. SYE's, adj. trac-bar, longer brakelines, longer swaybar links or disconnects, new rear DS, longer UCA's and LCA's or drop brackets, and psssibly more depending on your rig.

3" is the cheapest level of suspension, over that and you start spending alot of money.

[974runner88]

i had a xj for a lil while and i lifted it pretty darn cheap, i got junk yard s10 rear leafs i believe it was a four pack with the overload leaf out of the rounded body style. cut the ends off the main leaf and use your xj main leaf on top. you have to drill out the leaf pack bolt hole bigger on the xj leaf. that will give you around 3" then ebay a set of 2" rear shackles. for the front i got ruff country 3" coils for 100 bucks and 2" coil spacers for like 30 bucks. look around and find some used longer lower control arms and drop pitment arm. so i pretty much pieced a 5 inch lift together for 300 to 350 bucks but i didnt buy everything all at once i bought something here and there just cuz i didnt feel like dropping a ton af money all at once. be sure to align it! to avoid the death wobble

[974runner88]

oh yea the ruff country coils are a lil thicker so the ride in the front is a bit more stiff not much though but if you add a heavier bumper it should soften the ride the s10 springs in the rear ride nice. my jeep was my dd also

[1slowhatch]

i had a xj for a lil while and i lifted it pretty darn cheap, i got junk yard s10 rear leafs i believe it was a four pack with the overload leaf out of the rounded body style. cut the ends off the main leaf and use your xj main leaf on top. you have to drill out the leaf pack bolt hole bigger on the xj leaf. that will give you around 3" then ebay a set of 2" rear shackles. for the front i got ruff country 3" coils for 100 bucks and 2" coil spacers for like 30 bucks. look around and find some used longer lower control arms and drop pitment arm. so i pretty much pieced a 5 inch lift together for 300 to 350 bucks but i didnt buy everything all at once i bought something here and there just cuz i didnt feel like dropping a ton af money all at once. be sure to align it! to avoid the death wobble

+1. great cheap setup.

[knucklebuster]

I used to have a cherokee years ago.
it was wrecked before i got to lift it. this site has a really good writeup for a cheap lift
http://www.lunghd.com/Tech_Articles/Suspension_Steering_Axles_and_Brakes/Budget_Lift.htm

heck of a funny site... if ya look around he's got tons of really good info and dont miss the ghetto fab pages

f150 coils work if I remember correctly, check out rocky road outfitters too