I've been reading some of the build threads and searching products and I've seen good and bad reviews on almost everything but I've been contemplating doing a few things to my stock 94 XJ and I think I'll actually start doing them. My XJ is a 4.0 HO, AT4, 232, stock axels and ratios. I'm just building it for 90% street and 10% trail. Nothing hardcore. The Jeep is in excellent health and leaks some oil but that's it.
If you guys could please look over the list below and see if anything is glaringly wrong or a bad choice let me know. Keep in mind, I'm not running the rubicon or going Moabing just the occasional trail ride and hunting.
I appreciate any advice


Rough Country 3 inch coils and add a leaf with the RC shocks that come with the kit
31X10.50X15 BFG ATs
CAI of some sort
Magna flow 60 with stock pipes

 

Ok I guess it was a stupid post. I'll go back to lurking now. LOL

 

Honestly, I would save your money and leave it alone if this is primarily a street Jeep. It is plenty capable for what you want to use it for in stock form. Clean, stock XJ's are getting hard to find anymore.

The CAI and Magna Flow 60 Muffler will give practically no usable gains for the money. The Rough Country lift is just a cheap chinese kit with poor ride quality. The larger tires will cause slower acceleration with stock gears, and suck down more fuel.

 

Red River - what a NICE ride you have. That is SHARP looking... where I live I see too many of these modified with big tires sticking out the sides and 18 wheeler exhaust stacks sticking out through the roof / yadda-yadda-yadda.... I would leave this JUST like it is and spend the money on make sure it is mechanically spiffo ---- your '94 looks s-h-a-r-p!!




Regards,
Mark

 

Well, that's why I was kind of throwing out ideas. I've been happy with it the way it is but all my XJ friends with lifted, locked, etc all rag on me because I bypass a lot of crap on the trails.

Jeep "peer pressure" I guess LOL

 

Red River; I still like the "street sleeper" ideas. I've built too many of them - my most recent was a fire breathing built 466 cu. in. I gently eased into my '74 Ford F100. Kept stock tires and even the '74 hubcaps! Only way to tell something was "different" was the way the 48" thrush mufflers made car alarms go off as I drove by them in parking lots (hee hee hee). Otherwise it was a BLAST to drive - I could be leader of the pack or run WITH the pack whenever I please. I left a lot of Porches and Corvettes with disappointed looks in my rear view mirror through the years. Then there's the '64 Pontiac Tempest with the BUILT 455 HO in front of a close ratio Muncie 4 speed..... long story. I would keep the outward appearance stock and make sure she's mechanically sound (no pun intended).


Just an opinion from a worn out old mechanic,
Mark

 

Good advice. I will upgrade OEM things as they wear or fail.

 

Since its 90% street, you really need to ask yourself if it needs anything, or if you just want to give into your friends ragging. They won't be laughing when their rig is broken on the trail and you give them a lift out.
But...if you do want to scratch the itch...
You could always do a ~1.5" budget boost and some 30x9.5 15 tires (or metric of similar dimensions, may get better street wear). That will gain you a little clearance and still be stock gear friendly and will be more than enough for mild trails. Anything 3"+ I'd invest in a quality brand lift. Do you have the D35 or 8.25 rear? An LSD will help on trails, have good street manners, be stealthy, and should be ok even with the small axles of either axle. It will cost to have installed though. Most CAI are next to worthless. I can relate on an exhaust though, as I hate how quiet anything is in stock form. You won't gain dyno numbers but at least you'll get some ear candy.
Think about the pros and cons of anything you want to do and see what wins.

 

Good advice. The one thing that was kind of driving me to lift was the worn springs. I'm still not sure what to do about a tired suspension.

 

If you want to change the looks you could run the rough country lift and 31s or go with a small 2 inch lift and 31s. Way I see it is its your jeep and you can do whatever you want to it. My first XJ was bone stock and I always talked about lifting it blah blah blah but never did. Things changed with the second XJ lol. Personally I'd do the 3 inch lift and 31s but you have to decide ultimately.

 

I would just replace suspension with stock. Including the coil insulators and shocks. Run some 235-75's with lockers and 15x8 wheels with a little less back spacing than stock. It would be a very off road capable street jeep. And for performance, major tuneup. Refresh all grounds, maybe run new cables. Clean throttle body. New injectors. Drop in k&n filter. High flow cat and flowmaster muffler.
Of coarse also there's all the wear parts. Sway bar bushings, u joints, leaky gaskets etc. I've come to the conclusion that a lift isn't that great when it's not really neccessary. Better to have a well running dependable decent riding xj if it's going to see a lot of pavement and daily driving. Need to spend a little more on a lift if u want ride quality close to stock. Even with a BB lift and 29's or 30's an xj would be great as an occasional off roader and still ride well.

 

Keep it stock if it's your daily driver!!. I lifted my 2001 XJ last summer and I regret it big time. I had to deal with the death wobble for a whole month. I did a 3 inch lift. Ended up replacing all my tie rods up front. It was a PITA figuring out the cause of death wobble. I don't even off road. Just spend the extra money on the lift and parts for no reason. Money that I will never get back if I ever sell it.

 

This is why I avoid Jeep clubs and the like. I don't know what it is, but people with modified XJs can't hold their tongue when talking to a guy with a stock XJ. Funny thing is, when they find a stock unmolested XJ for sale, they get all excited. Keep it how you want it, and don't listen to those guys. Seriously, it's your Jeep. Do what makes you happy. I love having a stock XJ, and truth be told they will be harder and harder to find as the years go by.

 

I just put new 235s on it so I will wait for awhile. It seems as if I talk myself into a lift then talk myself out of it (With help from CF) about every two years. My F-150 FX4 has a full 6 inch with 35s and I can wheel with it all I want (if it fits) so I may just keep the XJ stock for now. I do need to refresh the springs and shocks tho.

I definitely don't need death wobble. I had it on my FJ40 back in the day and it drove me to sell it.

Waynerd, I keep up on the maintenance pretty well but I have never looked at the grounding straps. I'll get to that this week end. Good idea.

 

just to show this really is a subjective topic, I had a 3" on mine for 2 years and now going on almost a year with 4.5" and I couldn't be happier (trying not to think about gas mileage though!). I commute ~20 miles daily and will do some offroading 1-2 weekends a month during summer. nothing extreme, but enough so I can have a good time and not too much so I replace joints every month. I'm still on the the stock tie rod and drag link without any issues regarding death wobble. usually it's the track bar and above 3" you need to replace it anyway.

it can go both ways, so OP keep that in mind. i personally prefer the lifted look (reason I went 3" first) even if I use it mainly as a DD. you just have to be ready to deal with the minor inconveniences it can bring; can't get in most underground parkings, parts wear out faster, tires cost more, etc.