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Thread: XJ suspension

  1. #1
    Member xj2000's Avatar
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    Default XJ suspension

    Who here has/had lifted XJ's? I'm shopping for about a 3inch lift to throw on her. Just don't know which manuf. to go with. My last one was a Trailmaster, but they're a bit pricey for me right now. Anyone have any experience with Black Diamond?
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    Coming through klkak's Avatar
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    Back when I had jeeps I just made my own lifts. But back then they had leaf springs front and rear.
    1. If it's in your kit and you don't know how to use it....It's useless.
    2. If you can't reach your kit when you need it....Its useless.

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    Member xj2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by klkak View Post
    Back when I had jeeps I just made my own lifts. But back then they had leaf springs front and rear.
    There are write-ups for using dodge dakota rear springs and such, but i don't really feel like diving in to all of that right now. And I'm not a fabricator, so out-of-the-box will have to do.
    BEND OVER - Here comes the "change"

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  4. #4
    Gadget Master oldsoldier's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by xj2000 View Post
    Who here has/had lifted XJ's? I'm shopping for about a 3inch lift to throw on her. Just don't know which manuf. to go with. My last one was a Trailmaster, but they're a bit pricey for me right now. Anyone have any experience with Black Diamond?
    xj..... I have a 92 xj I put a 3" lift under mine. It came from quadratec.
    www.quadratec.com It had everything you need. front coil springs, rear blocks, all the hardware. BUT the kit I got had the wrong size u-bolts for the rear axle. They were 2" to short. But I got what I needed at the local auto zone. I bought mine about 3 years ago If I remember correctly I paid about,
    $ 325.00 for the lift kit and another $20.00 for the u-bolts.. I have NO complaints on my lift. I have done some serious "muddin" since I put it on and had no problems. The only draw back is IF you do to much articulation like crawling over big rocks and such 3" isn't enough clearance to keep bigger tires ( I run 31X10.5's) from bottoming out in the fender wells. But for normal off road it's a great kit for the price. J.C. Whitney has the exact same kit as well for about the same price. I ordered mine from quadratec because I ordered other stuff at the same time.....

    Oh while your at quadratec check out the "top hat" roof rack. I LOVE MINE
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    Very interesting... mcgyver's Avatar
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    This, I might be able to help with.
    I put a whole new suspension in my '93. From a Michigan company called "BDS"
    New Rear Leafs, new u-blots, New front coils and shocks all around, a control arm drop bracket, and the transfer case lowering shims. (Bomb proof stuff, check out their warranty)
    They use something called progressive rate springs. They flex more at the start of compression, and get stiffer as they compress. Great for off road, really takes a lot of the small bumps out while allowing some great flex.

    I put an "Add-a-leaf" kit on my Wife's '98 from a company "4WD.com"
    The lift is the 4WD brand and the cost was very reasonable. It came with shocks new front coils, new u-bolts, and add-a-leaf for the rear pack.
    Install on this one was way easier (Didn't have to remove the old leaf pack) the install took less than a Saturday afternoon. and the drive is way more road friendly. It 's a little stiffer than the BDS system, but it gives less body lean on the curves.

    Good luck.
    If you have install questions, I can give you warnings of the mistakes I've made, I'd be happy to keep you from making the same ones.

    #1 Buy a can or two of "PB Blaster" and start spraying everything you're gonna put a wrench to, every night for about a week before install.
    You will thank me for this later.
    Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.

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    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mcgyver View Post
    #1 Buy a can or two of "PB Blaster" and start spraying everything you're gonna put a wrench to, every night for about a week before install.
    You will thank me for this later.
    You got that right!
    Very good advice for any work on any vehicle.

    And have a red and green wrench handy.
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  7. #7
    Very interesting... mcgyver's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by hunter63 View Post
    ... And have a red and green wrench handy.
    I may be slow here, but can you explain "Red and Green Wrenches"?
    Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.

  8. #8
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mcgyver View Post
    I may be slow here, but can you explain "Red and Green Wrenches"?
    Ox-acetylene torch set, red and green hoses........
    Bad stuff just falls off, when all else fails.

    And several sizes of BFH's, as in "Hand me the #2 BFH." (Big Freaking Hammers)
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
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    First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
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  9. #9
    Very interesting... mcgyver's Avatar
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    Whew, I knew I was missing something there.

    When it comes to suspension parts, I'm all too familiar with BFH's.
    Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.

  10. #10
    Member xj2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mcgyver View Post
    This, I might be able to help with.
    I put a whole new suspension in my '93. From a Michigan company called "BDS"
    New Rear Leafs, new u-blots, New front coils and shocks all around, a control arm drop bracket, and the transfer case lowering shims. (Bomb proof stuff, check out their warranty)
    They use something called progressive rate springs. They flex more at the start of compression, and get stiffer as they compress. Great for off road, really takes a lot of the small bumps out while allowing some great flex.

    I put an "Add-a-leaf" kit on my Wife's '98 from a company "4WD.com"
    The lift is the 4WD brand and the cost was very reasonable. It came with shocks new front coils, new u-bolts, and add-a-leaf for the rear pack.
    Install on this one was way easier (Didn't have to remove the old leaf pack) the install took less than a Saturday afternoon. and the drive is way more road friendly. It 's a little stiffer than the BDS system, but it gives less body lean on the curves.

    Good luck.
    If you have install questions, I can give you warnings of the mistakes I've made, I'd be happy to keep you from making the same ones.

    #1 Buy a can or two of "PB Blaster" and start spraying everything you're gonna put a wrench to, every night for about a week before install.
    You will thank me for this later.
    Ok thanks for the info. I know of BDS out of Clearwater. I had one of their lifts on a Ram. They are just way too pricey. They recently started a new company (owned by BDS and also out of Clearwater) called "Zone Offroad" and their prices are a little more what I'm looking for.
    BEND OVER - Here comes the "change"

    "I don't like repeat offenders, I like dead offenders." - Ted Nugent

  11. #11
    Member xj2000's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by oldsoldier View Post
    xj..... I have a 92 xj I put a 3" lift under mine. It came from quadratec.
    www.quadratec.com It had everything you need. front coil springs, rear blocks, all the hardware. BUT the kit I got had the wrong size u-bolts for the rear axle. They were 2" to short. But I got what I needed at the local auto zone. I bought mine about 3 years ago If I remember correctly I paid about,
    $ 325.00 for the lift kit and another $20.00 for the u-bolts.. I have NO complaints on my lift. I have done some serious "muddin" since I put it on and had no problems. The only draw back is IF you do to much articulation like crawling over big rocks and such 3" isn't enough clearance to keep bigger tires ( I run 31X10.5's) from bottoming out in the fender wells. But for normal off road it's a great kit for the price. J.C. Whitney has the exact same kit as well for about the same price. I ordered mine from quadratec because I ordered other stuff at the same time.....

    Oh while your at quadratec check out the "top hat" roof rack. I LOVE MINE
    Thank you for the info. You could use some longer bumpstops I think, or just trim the fenders if you don't want to rub them tires. But I know the feeling. My last XJ had 5inches of lift with 32's and I still had to trim.
    Last edited by xj2000; 03-02-2010 at 08:07 AM.
    BEND OVER - Here comes the "change"

    "I don't like repeat offenders, I like dead offenders." - Ted Nugent

  12. #12
    Quality Control Director Ken's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by klkak View Post
    Back when I had jeeps I just made my own lifts. But back then they had leaf springs front and rear.
    Back then, you had to hand crank the engine to start it.
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    Klkak's jeep arrives in Anchorage.

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