Glad I waited to buy tires for the new lift... need some info

i'm a notorious top-poster, but I'm going to answer your questions individually ;)

pretty much- you can either use RE's SYE and hack/tap the shaft yourself, or pay more and have Tom Woods do it for you. There is no Heavy Duty SYE for the 242 available.

Yes. I have 6" and 33" tires, and did some generous front fender trimming- perhaps I went a little nuts with the die grinder :-D I also run TJ front flares.

In the rear, I trimmed the stock flares up to the body line and flattened the pinch seam.

not positive here, but AFAIK, the driveshafts should be interchangeable. The only problem you may have is the pinion snout on a D44 is a bit longer than on a 35, so take that into account if/when you have a double cardan driveshaft built. owrst case, you could have the shaft shortened at a later date.

I also wanted to mention, before you go to 33's and coil spacers... give the rear leafs a couple of weeks to settle- you may lose an inch or more once the leafs break in a bit. Have you regeard, or ar you planning to? 33's and the 4.0L on stock gears is a dog- I have 4.56s and part of me wishes I had gone with 4.88s!

Chuck

Hi Brian,

Congrats on the lift. I installed a RE 4.5" lift on my XJ last year so maybe I can offer some tips.

Your rear springs will settle. Pack all your tools and gear in the back and see how it sits.

The SYE is certainly a good upgrade for any Jeep, but you don't necessarily require it for vibrations. My rear still sits 5+" over stock and I have no drive line vibes. I dropped the tcase xmember 3/4" and I had to shim my D35 pinion down by 2*. Note though that my RE kit has

3.5" springs with 1.25" shackles so it gives a higher pinion angle. With your taller springs and stock shackles you may have to aim the pinion up to get it parallel with your tcase angle. If you can keep angle of the shaft (relative to pinion and tcase output) down to about 15*, you should be okay. Go to the hardware store and get on of these:

You can get a long-travel slip yoke from RE. As well as having 5/8" longer travel, its yoke arms will let the shaft drop much farther than a stock yoke without binding on the ujoint. I thought I could live with the reduced travel of my stock SY, so I just ground out the yoke armpits to eliminate binding at full drop.

Perhaps. The fixed UCAs with my kit worked fine and left me with a positive caster.

Not sure. The biggest advantage of an AA or JBC SYE is the facility for a longer shaft. Not such a big issue for the LWB XJ so hack'n tap should be fine.

Yes. I put 33x10.50R15 on stock wheels under my 4.5" lift. Required pulling the inside wheel well liners, sawing off the leading part of the front flares to line up with the top of the bumper, and snipping sheet metal under the flares front and rear. Kept the stock flares. Very easy to do.

The stock wheel spacing results in some slight rubbing on the inside wells at full stuff. I'm living with it but I'll eventually get wheels with more backspacing for a better fit.

Thought about gearing? If you're still stock, you may want to go with the 31s.

Not sure. I recently installed a D44 (aside: unlike the D35, no shim required for zero vibes with my SY). The stock drive shaft now fits better (centres slip yoke travel) with the longer D44. My relative shaft angle is a tad steeper, but still tolerable so my SYE/CV upgrade is still low on the to-do list.

A few other crucial things that you should think about with the lift:

1. Steering box brace. Big lift and big tires on big rocks put big strain on the steering box. Install a brace and reinforcement plate before you pull the mount and damage your pseudo frame. I learned this the hard way.

1. Rear bump stops. You'll probably need to extend your bump stops to prevent your springs from frowning at full stuff.

1. A step stool so the wife can get in.

Steve

"Steve" wrote in : : A few other crucial things that you should think about with the lift: : : 1. Steering box brace. Big lift and big tires on big rocks put big : strain on the steering box. Install a brace and reinforcement plate : before you pull the mount and damage your pseudo frame. I learned this : the hard way. : :

: 2. Rear bump stops. You'll probably need to extend your bump stops to : prevent your springs from frowning at full stuff. : : : 3. A step stool so the wife can get in. :

No stool samples...err...links?

*****Filled the gas tank from empty... didn't budge. I figure after a month or so, they'll settle in.

: > 1. definitely need SYE & DS (slip yoke is 1/2" on the spline, no t-case drop : > yet, 6* shims, stock shackles are vertical) : : The SYE is certainly a good upgrade for any Jeep, but you don't : necessarily require it for vibrations. My rear still sits 5+" over stock : and I have no drive line vibes. I dropped the tcase xmember 3/4" and I : had to shim my D35 pinion down by 2*. Note though that my RE kit has : 3.5" springs with 1.25" shackles so it gives a higher pinion angle. With : your taller springs and stock shackles you may have to aim the pinion up : to get it parallel with your tcase angle. If you can keep angle of the : shaft (relative to pinion and tcase output) down to about 15*, you : should be okay. Go to the hardware store and get on of these: : :

*****My next step is to install the 1" t-case lowering kit. I'm hoping this will assist in the front vibes but I'll still need some caster adjustment. I don't know if I have rear vibes yet because I took the DS out to drive it... (it was dangling from the output shaft)... but I am keeping my fingers crossed with shimming and t-case drop.

: You can get a long-travel slip yoke from RE. As well as having 5/8" : longer travel, its yoke arms will let the shaft drop much farther than a : stock yoke without binding on the ujoint. I thought I could live with : the reduced travel of my stock SY, so I just ground out the yoke armpits : to eliminate binding at full drop. :

*****That may be the perfect fix but I don't know if it's available for the 242 case... I haven't checked the spline counts yet. I could really benefit from the larger armpits due to the extreme DS angle and 5/8" travel *may* be enough.

: > 2. might need adjustable UCA's to correct caster angle vibes (new fixed : > dogleg LCA's are installed) : : Perhaps. The fixed UCAs with my kit worked fine and left me with a : positive caster. :

*****I'm looking at about 10* caster by eye and I don't think the caster adjustment on the LCA mounts will be enough to correct it. I have to see what I have in there for shims... if I can remove 1/4" in shims it would probably put my caster back to about 5-6* while correcting my pinion angle at the same time (after the t-case drop).

: > ... I might as well throw in a 2" coil spacer to level out and run 33's. : >

: > Questions: : > SYE for the 242 t-case - is the hack 'n' tap the only thing available? : : Not sure. The biggest advantage of an AA or JBC SYE is the facility for : a longer shaft. Not such a big issue for the LWB XJ so hack'n tap should : be fine. :

*****I'd be satisfied the H'n'T if there are no other options. I've heard nothing but positive comments, the price is right and it's easy to do. It's not like I'll be hill climbing and rock crawling on 37's and 400hp.

: > For 33x10.5 will I need to trim? : : Yes. I put 33x10.50R15 on stock wheels under my 4.5" lift. Required : pulling the inside wheel well liners, sawing off the leading part of the : front flares to line up with the top of the bumper, and snipping sheet : metal under the flares front and rear. Kept the stock flares. Very easy : to do. : : The stock wheel spacing results in some slight rubbing on the inside : wells at full stuff. I'm living with it but I'll eventually get wheels : with more backspacing for a better fit.

*****I'm not keen on removing the inner fenders and cutting to the bumper line... I was hoping for better news. Maybe 32's will do with some minimal trimming.

: : Thought about gearing? If you're still stock, you may want to go with : the 31s. :

*****Running 3.55 right now. Gearing is the least and last of my worries. Depending on the tire size I was thinking 31 w/4.10, 32 w/4.56 or 33 w/4.88. I don't know if I need a new carrier for the D30 above 3.55... it's an ABS, non-disco axle and I don't know if that changes anything. I'll be leaving that to the professionals to figure out and install.

: > Can I reuse a custom driveshaft from a D35 if I upgrade to a D44? : : Not sure. I recently installed a D44 (aside: unlike the D35, no shim : required for zero vibes with my SY). The stock drive shaft now fits : better (centres slip yoke travel) with the longer D44. My relative shaft : angle is a tad steeper, but still tolerable so my SYE/CV upgrade is : still low on the to-do list. :

*****Thinking about the D44 upgrade but I have to do some ABS research... I don't know if I can de-activate ABS, ignore it (active on the front, not the rear) etc.

: A few other crucial things that you should think about with the lift: : : 1. Steering box brace.

*****Agreed, cheap insurance : : 2. Rear bump stops. You'll probably need to extend your bump stops to : prevent your springs from frowning at full stuff. : *****I have the extended bumps ready and waiting, don't know if I'll need the plates though... trial and error. : : 3. A step stool so the wife can get in. : *****Nope. I like it when she has to lift her skirt up to her ears to hop in.

Thanks for your comments!

-Brian

*****Thought so but there is new stuff coming out everyday for XJ's and there are a lot of 242's on the road. I think the H'n'T will do fine.

: > For 33x10.5 will I need to trim? : : Yes. I have 6" and 33" tires, and did some generous front fender trimming- : perhaps I went a little nuts with the die grinder :-D I also run TJ front : flares. :

*****I wanted to avoid "generous" cutting but I guess I'll have to if I want 33's... seems to be the concensus. If I have to change flares, I think I'd like TJ rears and the front and rear.

: In the rear, I trimmed the stock flares up to the body line and flattened : the pinch seam. :

*****Did you trim to the seam and fold in or did you trim part of the seam as well?

: > Can I reuse a custom driveshaft from a D35 if I upgrade to a D44? : : not positive here, but AFAIK, the driveshafts should be interchangeable. : The only problem you may have is the pinion snout on a D44 is a bit longer : than on a 35, so take that into account if/when you have a double cardan : driveshaft built. owrst case, you could have the shaft shortened at a later : date. :

*****By eye I was thinking it would be interchangeable but I'm going to check before I do anything. I'd hate to shell out a wad of cash for a D35 and have to buy a new DS next year if I swap in a D44.. better off to bite the bullet and do it all at once if that is the case.

: : I also wanted to mention, before you go to 33's and coil spacers... give the : rear leafs a couple of weeks to settle- you may lose an inch or more once : the leafs break in a bit. Have you regeard, or ar you planning to? 33's : and the 4.0L on stock gears is a dog- I have 4.56s and part of me wishes I : had gone with 4.88s! :

*****Yep, it'll probably be a few weeks sorting out driveline angles and vibes before I worry about tires. Once I decide on tire size I'll be investigating gears... was thinking 31 w/4.10, 32 w/4.56 or 33 w/4.88

Thanks for your comments!

-Brian

: > No stool samples...err...links? : :

I'm afraid to look and kicking myself for that comment!

-Brian

: : > No stool samples...err...links? : : : :

: : I'm afraid to look and kicking myself for that comment! : -Brian : Okay morbid curiosity got the better of me, I peeked and you kept it clean. Do you think that box will: be tall enough? support her weight (120 lbs or so)?

-Brian

Here she is demonstrating step 1 of her lifted vehicle entry technique:

-Brian