So I like to do some rails and right now my cherokee is stock. Would a 3 inch lift and 32's be practical or should i go bigger?

 

Right now I'm sitting on 31s with no lift just some fender trimming and do pretty go if I do say so myself.

 

well i previosly owned a 90 4runner and it had 9 inches of clearence stock and i got stuck on a little tree stump. cherokees have less clearence than that at stock height i beleive

 

It really depends on the type of wheelin you do. If you dont do hardcore trails then I would say yes a 3-4.5'' lift would be good the only problem with any thing over 3'' you need a SYE.

 

ive heard that a tcase drop solves the problem and it comes with rustys 4.5 inch lifts.

 

4.5"-5.5" is the perfect lift IMOP. With this amount of lift you can run 33's and still have nice flex. The S.Y.E. is a great way to gain ground clearance. What is the point of a 4.5" lift if you lower your transfer case to the height of a 3" lift. Also the S.Y.E. kit will help to tuck everything up under the XJ better even the exhaust.

If your going to make this a trail rig that actually see's the trail you need to put a good skid plate on the Transfercase. I just blew my front and rear output shaft seals because I got my T-case hung up on a rock.

 

i agree 90% with the exception of the the whats the point..a 4.5 will still give you more flex and clearance for bigger tires also does not require a sye..bbut it would be nice.....4.5 32x11.50s:

 

I ran a drop transfer case kit on a 5" lift for about 2 years with no major problems.

What I am saying is that a XJ with 4.5" lift and NO S.Y.E. has the same ground clearance at the T-case as a xj with a 3" lift. There are more benefits of having the S.Y.E. than not. Better rear axle pinion angle, you can run the same drive shaft front and rear ( you only have to carry one driveshaft on the trail), less drive line vibes, etc......

 

Rough Country makes a good 3 inch kit and 31s are great on it. This would be fine for you if you were just looking to do some trail riding.

 

I would do a 3 inch and 33s trim and bump stop it. Lockers are the best upgrade. If you have to drive over a stump put a tire on it, I got my Blazer on 40s hung up on a stump, just wasn't paying attention.

 

Will a S.Y.E. work on my T-case? I have the 2HI, 4HI part time, 4HI full time, and 4L. also how much would it be? I kinda want the cheaper option because I really don't have a big budget.

 

sye not cheap...cost about $400 by time done

 

Not a regular SYE, you can get a hack and tap though. Very easy to do.

Hack and tap is 100$ from Rubicon express, then factor in another 75-150$ depending on local pricing for a junkyard Front drive shaft and you'll be good to go.

 

What exactly is a hack and tap?

 

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