bmikes

Would it be more beneficial to get the 10 wide? Or is it it barely any added benefit between the 8 and 10?

94XjSport94

The 8 holds a bead better if you air down and then 10 bulges the tire more

Lowrange2

It is more beneficial to run a 8 inch wide rim than a 10 inch wide rim.

NewKindOfClown

...for a 12.5" tire. Just wanted to clarify. If I were running a 14.5" tire, I'd get 10" wide wheels.

94XjSport94

Yep. I wouldn't ever do over 4" like 12.5 is the widest for an 8" rim

brdavis9

Here's the pix Jerry (well, I tried to do this to not take up so much space, so you could click on a small picture to open a larger picture in a new tab ...and it worked when I previewed it, at least, but didn't work worth crap when I posted ...so I can link to bigger pix at my Photobucket library on the XJ if necessary ...and OTOH, it seemed that it did work after all: I just had to enable popups for the forum, which causes two tabs to open in IE9).

Here's the driver side shackle, and the spring.



Here's the passenger side shackle, and the spring:



Here's side shots of levels (for rake & height):

Vehicle level -


Rack level closeup -



Ground level closeup -



Front height -



Rear height -



Was this enough to help with where I'm at (whether the rear leafs are dead and need replaced), and what I need for shackles, at this point?

The Warn Trans4mer brush guard probably adds 45 lbs plus to the front end, and the winch is probably going to add 50-75 (or more) lbs when I get to that point (as to the "going to ZJ V8 coils on the front" part of my questions).

jaredsmith.tx

ya, your leaves are shot brdavis9

brdavis9

Thanks!

...which pretty much explains why the TJ rides so much better than the Cherokee on any and every surface we've been on.

Okay. So now I move on to the next part of my dilemma.

The rear leafs are shot. There's 150K (almost exactly) on the vehicle.

Since I'm going to pull the leafs, are the rear spring & shackle bushings also pretty standard candidates for replacement (i.e., are they a standard replacement item too, when you're replacing worn out rear springs)?

And if they are (and I'm going to go ahead and assume in advance of a confirmation it's probably doofuss-y to not replace 'em at the same time as new leafs), is there a reason for going with a greasable bushing kit over stock bushings? In other words, if the OEM bushings last as long as the springs anyways, is there still a point in paying more for greasable ones?

And what I think I'm seeing looking around online is there are greasable shackle kits and greasable spring bushing only kits. Is one or the other an advantage for longevity over plain ol' OEM style?

I'm going to assume the front coils likely aren't much better (if any, and maybe worse, since to my eyes and the level and the measurements the XJ appears almost level).

...but I'll get back to that issue later.

mgclark6

I just put a OME lift on my kids 01 Cherokee and it now rides better than my 05 LJ. Nice lift!

GreenXJ95

Right now I am at 4.5" in the rear and 3" up front for lift. What all do I need other then cool springs or spacers do I need?

99superjeep01

1.5" spacers, cheap and easy.

my89xj

I have 1.75 spacers $35 shipped

JerrytheJeep

Yeah new leafs are definitley in order. They should come with new ungreasable bushings. I think the purpose behind those is to help them move more fluidly. When you go to replace the leaf pull the shackle as well and check the condition of the bushing. Replace it if its crumbly, dry, or broken. Otherwise you will probably be ok. I haven't seen many bushings go bad from over use, mostly they have been contaminated by oil gas etc, or have been old and dry then suddenly used and torn apart. Those measurements are good, unfortunatley unto unusable. To measure ride height you need to measure from the center of the axle tube to the bottom of the fender flare. You can do this easily: measure the diameter of your wheel center-cap, then remove it. Measure from the top of the inside of the center cap hole to the bottom of your fender straight up. Add half the diameter of the center-cap. Front stock measurements are 17" and rear is 17&1/2" and a general way to check is to look at the area between the top of your tire to the bottom of the fender. It should be about the same in front as it is in the rear. I think your tj might ride better because it has coils in the back. Its an 05 right?

99JCC

So this looks like one of the most popular ones people buy.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Jeep-Wrangle...5ae389&vxp=mtr


How do I adjust it properly after putting it on?
Or will the axle pretty much center itself back out when the stock one is taken off?

I might have my mechanic do it if its a pain because I would rather not do it in the snow.

99JCC

By the way, I don't go wheeling with my jeep so I dont need anything top of the line.
Just something that will get the job done right for the winter until I can get my Mustang back out.