just like the title states, I am thinking of picking up the Roughcountry 3" suspension kit from RC.. This is my DD, but I just drive it to the train station every day, and occasionally to Chicago.
Will this lift, combines with some 31's be a decent highway vehicle? Or am I better off sticking with a 1.5" with 31" tires?

I want to make a it a little more capable, so I can do things like go to the badlands, but I also want a nice ride on the highway. So I guess I am looking for a compromise.
Any input is appreciated, I just got this XJ a few days ago and am lovin it so far, great vehicle!

 

yea a 3 inch lift will fit 31s fine and still makes for a great DD vehicle, alot of people on here have a 3 inch lift on a daily driven vehicle.

 

I put on a 3" lift RC to my jeep. It is my DD and i am 17. I had help with the install but it's working out great. My lift didn't feel like i compromised any handleing capabilities, and my father agrees. My advice is go with the 3 inch lift. I love it. The suspension is still pretty stiff but i didn't notice any significant changes.

 

i have a 3 inch on 30 x 9.5 as my dd and its perfect. your ride will get rougher if its anything like mine but i think its perfect for a dd. i wish i woulda gone 31's though.

 

i have a 3" lift on mine and it is my DD, i run no sway bars drive it on the E-way to and from work everyday and it still handles good not much different than stock in my opinion

thy should have put them up this high from the factory

 

yeah, yours looks good, did you get the entry kit or the $350 kit? you still running 30" tires?

 

Sick jeep dude. Thing is in perfect condition it looks like. 3inch is the way to start. Between my buddies 3"RC lift and my 4.5" Rusty's lift. I think the Rusty's is a smoother ride compared to RC. You might have to trim a little to really get those 31's under a 3". Might rub a very minor amount when wheels are turned or while flexing. Trimming is really really minor and you wouldn't notice it.
I say think about it and make a solid decision. The reason why I say that is b/c with my 1st jeep I did a 3.5" lift and about a yr later wish I went to 4.5"
But again, all depends on your needs/wants.
Make sure to take plenty of pictures while your building. Really nice jeep. Wish my paint shined like that.
Have fun!

 

thanks for the replies, I am ready to take the plunge and I thin I am leaning more towards the rusty's kit because they say 31's are recommended and there are a lot of good example pics on their site.

 

yea i got the entry level kit with the add a leafs, for a better ride you might want to look into full packs and maybe control arms (like the RC series 2)

i am still running the 30" tires, the rear rubs a bit cause my AAL's are sagging, i will be cutting soon though


Rusty's will kill you on shipping if you order on line, if you call in they lower it a bit, there is a discount on the RC kit if you are a member of NAXJA like 10% if you still want to look in to them it pretty much takes away taxes

 

this 3" kit seems to be popular. I have a noobish question though....

other than this kit, what else would I need to give the entire suspension a refresher? I bought my jeep from a person who barely maintained anything, so I know that all the suspension parts are still the original ones.

All of my experience is in lowering cars

 

I run a 3.5" sway bars while highwayin it and none while offroad I run 31" tires under it is awesome will soon be moving to a 4.5 so be sure what you want. I love it though and i will admit even with open diffs I conquer a lot of trail.

 

Right away comes to mind bushings.

 

I second that. Bushings are a priority to check.
As for Rusty's. Yes, call them to place your order. For some reason it is a tad cheaper on shipping. But you can not beat their customer service. I've called them for a number of things. Suspension related and some not related.
I guess you can get away with not doing a slip yoke on a 3.5" lift. Though it's highly recommended that you do it. If you end up with a 4.5" lift. No way to avoid it. Gotta do the SYE and drive shafts. Oh and don't do that add a leaf b.s. get the leaf packs. Stiffer yes. handle and feel better. I personally also don't care for the Rusty's shocks. I kinda prefer the Rancho RS5000 or RSX shocks. I tend to like a bit stiffer ride tho. The Rusty's shocks are almost identical to stock feel.
Rusty's lift kit only comes with front lower control arms. I'd tell ya to add the front upper control arms as well.
I went with their HD track bar and steering conversion and 1.25 pitman arm. It drives alot nicer. But you can add those as you go.
Lifting a jeep changes alot of *****. Gets wicked expensive. If you throw 31" tires on there. You might want to consider regearing to like 4.10 for the gas mileage and power. But you can get away without gears. Hell I still run stock gearing. Mileage is the worst and power is not there. But it still moves.

 

[QUOTE=96ckeecntry;423813]this 3" kit seems to be popular. I have a noobish question though....

And there is no such thing as a stupid question. Just ask. I'm sure you'll get a correct answer. Just got to watch out for the sources of that info. Double check and cross reference.

 

The Rough Country 3 inch entry level kit listed on their site is VERY incomplete..

When you lift a Cherokee, the easiest way to look at it is different levels. At 2 inches or under a pair of long AALs and coil spacers and not much else is needed.

But at 3 inches, you will need to look closely at the track bar to see if it is too far out of alignment. Also you won't be able to achieve any flex because the brake lines are too short. Also the angle on the front sway bar and links will be less than optimum. You may also need to address some drive shaft vibrations. At 3 inches the lower control arms aren't a must, but they will negatively affect the ride. Every Cherokee is a bit different in that aspect. The newer ones tend to tolerate lifts less than the older ones.

Rough Country's photos and descriptions do not included the needed hardware to install the lift, so I do not know whether it actually includes it or not. All of that would be added expense if it does not.