My new purchase

[IwannaXJ]

so first off i have to apologize in advance because, yes its another Q&A about lift kits..... i am happily set on RE 3.5 SF kit with the spring pack and the matched re shocks unless you guys think the billy 5100's are a better shock (from those with experience with both shocks). my question comes in here: i am currently on my way back from afghanistan for some R&R and decided that the saved money should be spent on a lift kit/tires/wheels for the xj. (thanks to the 4x4 garage xj issue lol) with that said what are the no-b.s. items you guys think i should buy along with the kit? adjustable track bar? splurge on the adjustable LCA's? SYE kit? any info/ideas would be greatly appreciated! oh by the way would i need to get shims for the rear axle? sorry im kind of a noob so again i apologize, thanks in advance.
-Dmitriy
p.s. its a 95 country with aw/4 and soon to be chrysler 8.25. thanks in advance

[Mudderoy]

so first off i have to apologize in advance because, yes its another Q&A about lift kits..... i am happily set on RE 3.5 SF kit with the spring pack and the matched re shocks unless you guys think the billy 5100's are a better shock (from those with experience with both shocks). my question comes in here: i am currently on my way back from afghanistan for some R&R and decided that the saved money should be spent on a lift kit/tires/wheels for the xj. (thanks to the 4x4 garage xj issue lol) with that said what are the no-b.s. items you guys think i should buy along with the kit? adjustable track bar? splurge on the adjustable LCA's? SYE kit? any info/ideas would be greatly appreciated! oh by the way would i need to get shims for the rear axle? sorry im kind of a noob so again i apologize, thanks in advance.
-Dmitriy
p.s. its a 95 country with aw/4 and soon to be chrysler 8.25. thanks in advance

None of us came out of our mama's with knowledge. We had to learn, so please don't worry about the questions. Ask away.

I'm assuming you are with the U.S. military, so THANK YOU for your service! You are keeping me and my family safe. :patriot:

I bought a RC 4.5" lift. It came with every thing. Later I replaced the track bar, tie rod, drag link, and all the tie rod ends (TRE). I also installed a set of Ironman4x4fab.com adjustable upper and lower control arms.

My first concern off road would be bending the factory tie rod. My concern on road would be the track bar failing after I had done something to it off road.

I already ordered my RC track bar and tie rod before I found out about Ironman4x4fab's tie rod. I'm considering buying the tie rod from Andy (Ironman4x4fab.com) just because his control arms are just so damned beefy.

So if it was me I'd look at replacing the tie rod first, then track bar. That RE kit must come with some LCAs at least, if not then yea I'd get the LCAs and if you want to be able to have more front end alignment adjustments adjustable would be the way to go.

I'm still learning about this stuff, so please someone else jump in and correct me if I missed something.

[4.3LXJ]

I am not sure about the RE kits now since they have been reorganized. But to your questions. With 3.5" you should not need an SYE. i have posted a link on here on how to set your drive line angles in the How to section. If you have any questions about that, then you can PM me or better yet post up. That should save you some money you might spend and get the 5100s and an angle finder to set your drive line angle. I can't say I can remember anyone saying they didn't like them. When I went to 3" the first time I lifted mine, the track bar could have been a little longer. One thing you can do is to drill new holes 1" over towards the driver side to compensate for that amount of lift. Otherwise, an adjustable track bar would be in order. If you get one, get a good one. They can take a beating with out you realizing it.

[LizardRunner]

I agree with Steve, get the Bilies, no sye but do get the angle finder to set your driveline correctly. Do go ahead and get the HD, adjustable Track Bar (Andy makes the bomb proof one and it isn't bad price wise either) might as well do it right once, plus, if you decide later to go higher, your Track Bar is already there.

[IwannaXJ]

yup, i'm in the airforce but currently deployed with the 1/179th infantry out of rhode island with the 45th BCT out of oklahoma as our battle space owner's. but thanks for the info guys, the re kit does come with the LCA's i just wanted to make sure it wouldnt be too harsh as the reason i am going on R&R is for the birth of my first child (its a boy!) so i want to make sure that the rig will be comfy/safe for him and the wife, i'm not going to lie it is going back to germany with me so i dont know what the offroading scene is like out there probably nil but i'd rather have it done that way we can go through the snow storms to austria and whatnot, either way like i said thank you very much for the info.
-Dmitriy

[bluedragon436]

Where in Germany are going to be stationed?? When I was stationed in Ramstein there was quite a few people going all over the place to wheel.. granted they were driving a small distance to get to the good stuff.. but how many people can say they have wheeled in multiple countries?? I got to drive a co-worker's lifted ZJ to France and wheel the piss out of it there.. just wish I had my XJ back then.. would have been awesome to know the places it had been.. Not to mention alot of folks playing in the clay mud and trails over in the CE compound across from the base there.. not sure if they are still allowing that or not though..

[IwannaXJ]

i'm actually stationed in spangdhlem but currently i got r&r from afghanistan and this is what i ended up buying:
re sf 3.5 kit
billy 5100's
pro-comp adj track bar (damn near free couldnt pass up)
t-case lowering kit
d-window steelies and pro-comp 31x10.5
will post pics as soon as its mounted

[4.3LXJ]

Sounds like good purchases. When does it all go on?

[IwannaXJ]

umm tomorrow afternoon there's a rat-rod car show locally tomorrow and i promissed one of the guys in afgh. i would get him a t-shirt from there so i gotta keep my promise lol and plus i get to see some rat rods! and then off to my dad's shop.... and then the pics lol

[IwannaXJ]

http://thumbp7-bf1.thumb.mail.yahoo.com/tn?sid=1373148767&mid=AGDci2IAAOXATovYFgSbalq6B3s&midoffset=1_51692&partid=4&f=1608&fid=Inbox

so here it is sorry for the late as hell reply but yeah back in afghanistan...

[bluedragon436]

^^ Did you post pics?? If so I can't see them...

[IwannaXJ]

i posted one i'll try to uplaod bigger ones at a later time govt. computers lol