Hello All!

I have just recently gotten into working on my XJ. Idk why I have never considered working on it but I am about to go to medical school and will probably not be able to do much for a while.

Anyway, I have been reading a crap-ton on this forum lately and have learned a great deal about suspension, various mods, etc. and in my education I have developed a few questions that I would like some advice with.

First off, I have learned that there is a 2.25" spacer on the front and a 1.5" block on the leaf springs on the back shown in the photos below:






Here is my whole rig:



Notice how flat the leafs are in the back. I have read that XJ leafs are pretty flat but I am curious if i need to replace them. My suspension doesnt feel weird as far as I know, but this jeep has been pretty much in the same condition since I got it, so I probably wouldnt know anyway. My shocks don't seem too squishy, but then again idk if I would recognize that either.

Since I am about to take out my weight x 1000 in loans to pay for medical school, I obviously dont have much of a budget... (idk if I have read a post on this site that says money is no object). But if my suspension really is shot, I am probably just going to build a bastard pack or add a leaf, and install a Rough Country 3" lift. I realize this is a pretty cheap lift. I need new tires anyway, so I figured this is about the best time as any to add a lift. Might even trim some fenders and try to squeeze 32s on there. After med school, I will likely sink some money in it and make it a project vehicle.

In the meantime... what sort of advice can you offer? Do I need new suspension?

 

Looks like the stock leafs still, which isn't the best, and blocks aren't really a good way to lift the rear. My 2 cents is do the bastard pack, or get new 3 inch lift leaf springs. Spacers in the front aren't a bad way to lift, just don't use more than about 2 inches of spacers. If you want to splurge, get some 3 inch lift coil springs for the front too.

 

I have pretty much the exact setup you are talking about getting and it works great. I have the rough country 3in lift and BFG 32x11.5 KM1s. This setup works good, doesn't rub, plenty of travel, plenty of clearance. I am about to go to a 6in lift just because I wheel it a lot and it will look a lot better but I highly recommend the RC 3in lift with 32s combo. Its a very good road worthy and offroad able setup. My fenders are trimmed a little bit with bushwhacker flares but I don't think that is necessary at all, I don't think it would rub much with stock fenders.

 

-This kit is $510 and it will replace all of your stock suspension components (front springs, rear leafs, shocks) while giving you 3in lift. This is the kit I have and I would highly recommend it: http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-sus...t-kit-630.html

-This kit is $255 and will give you front springs, rear add a leaf, shocks, and shackles. It will give you a 3in lift. This is basically just a cheaper model of the previous one I stated: http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-sus...70-config.html

 

There are a ton of threads going on lift advice...what's your budget?

 

This is what mine looks like with the 3in RC lift. This also shows how much my fenders are trimmed without the flares on.

 

If you can come up with 500 bucks rustys and zone but have a 3 inch lift in that range.

 

So I took some better looks at my rear leafs and they are most likely shot. They are bending inverted and the shackles look real rusted. Seeing that I will have to replace the rear leafs entirely, I may go with the $500 RC or Zone lift just so I can get the replacement springs in the back. Do the springs that come with the $500 lift replace the stock leafs?

link: http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-sus...t-kit-630.html

Or should I bastard pack/replace my leafs with an S10 and do this one:

http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-sus...70-config.html

And what do the control arms do? Is that necessary? My jeep is mostly a daily driver with some very mild off-roading. Mostly just for camping and stuff. So do I have to buy the control arm kit? Pretty big price difference here.

Kit with control arms:

http://www.roughcountry.com/jeep-sus...-kit-670x.html

 

The leafs in those kits will replace your stock leafs, and get rid of that lift block too. Control arms help correct your caster angle and keep your front tire centered in the wheel well. It's a good add on to a 3 inch lift to get new lower control arms. Also you will need to relocate your track bar, or get an adjustable one to keep the axle centered under the Jeep. You will want a kit with full leaf packs, not add a leafs.

 

Get the control arms. Very important. I had the RC 3' lift with add a leaf and front coil replacement, and the lower control arm replacement. I mostly had it off road with very little in town driving and it handled just fine. had 33 12.50 and had to cut a lot of fender and still rubbed. I didnt change track bar or upper control arms and was pleased.
Rustys has 3" lift coils for about 120 with shipping. that will go on my current project that has way too much lift (4-5" bastard coils out of a thunderbird) on stock control arms. Nothing is lined up right and im dropping it and gettting new lower control arms.

 

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Just did a little more research. This 3" kit from Rusty's would solve my saggy leaf problems and replace my stock suspension and those awful blocks and spacers. Should I get anything else with it?

http://www.rustysoffroad.com/jeep-su...-pack-kit.html

 

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Lower control arms!!! maybe track bar.

 

A kit that actually has everything you need, except for SYE, is this http://www.rustysoffroad.com/jeep-su...anced-kit.html