Help with shock choice

[jim91303]

on my 88 XJ i am going with a 8'' lift ... i just bought 1990 chevy 1500 4x4 shocks .... these will have enough travel wont they?

if not ... what other "stock" vehicle shock can i use?

[warwagon98xj]

on my 88 XJ i am going with a 8'' lift ... i just bought 1990 chevy 1500 4x4 shocks .... these will have enough travel wont they?

if not ... what other "stock" vehicle shock can i use?


youre gonna spend the money to lift it 8" and not spring for quality shocks?:lame:

[limegreentj]

yeah truthfully, id look for some nice shocks...they are important in ride quality

[jim91303]

just trying to keep cost down ... i cant afford 400 to 800 dallers for shocks.

[2002wranglerX]

for 30 bucks each you can put black diamonds on it. i never had a problem with mine. a little stiff, but not bad.

put your lift on, flex it to the max, measure, order the right length.

[jim91303]

where you get black diamonds at ?

[limegreentj]

yeah i might need some shocks soon...id grab black diamonds for 30 somethin each!

[Deadman 94 xj]

www.naxja.org (http://www.naxja.org)

Time to do some reading. :)

[ridgerunner97]

x2 great site for us :)

[jim91303]

thanks for the web site ..... this is my 1st XJ ... jeep that i actually work on and drive. :redface: i am a chevy man ... so i am lost on these jeeps. i'll take all the help i can! this is also my 1st lifted rig. so things like shocks and the steering .... are all new to me ! so far i have a pieced together 8'' lift for about $500 all i need is shocks, brake lines, rear reafs, and shackles.

[Deadman 94 xj]

thanks for the web site ..... this is my 1st XJ ... jeep that i actually work on and drive. :redface: i am a chevy man ... so i am lost on these jeeps. i'll take all the help i can! this is also my 1st lifted rig. so things like shocks and the steering .... are all new to me ! so far i have a pieced together 8'' lift for about $500 all i need is shocks, brake lines, rear reafs, and shackles.

Honestly, it's going to take A LOT to get an XJ lifted to 8" properly. Otherwise it's going to nickle and dime you as long as you own it. Not to mention being potentially unsafe.

You're going to need:
A SYE (Slip yoke eliminator) ~$250
New driveshaft (I don't think a front DS will work at that height) $60-$400
Shims for the rear axle (or re-weld the perches) $20
Brake lines $40
Long control arms (No way are the stock, or even aftermarket short arms going to work) ~$500-$800. (You could make your own but they're still not cheap).
Steering (Stock steering angles arn't going to cut it) ~$2-$300
If you're planning on lift blocks in the rear, they don't work on XJs. So Leaf springs ~$300
...and a whole lot more I'm probably missing.

You can have a very capable XJ with a lot less lift for a lot cheaper. Especially if you're planning on running those 32-33" tires.

I'm not saying don't do it. Just keep some things in mind. I'm at about ~7" and have done everything needed. But I'm still messing with things to make them better. My steering agles still suck for example. Even with aftermarket steering. There are solutions but they're not cheap.

[ridgerunner97]

The recipe for a seemingly "perfect" all around XJ it seems is about 4-4.5in of lift, cut fenders, properly bumpstopped, running either a 33 or a 34 with a locker in one of the axles. That gives you some serious capability wihtout a lot of issues to run into. Guys get nervous when you say cut fenders, look for Dozer45's thread on his front fender trim we did, excellent results and to teh untrained eye you can't even tell there done. Just some more stuff to think about, that is awful high for a Jeep to be lifted just my .02 :)

[RalphXJ]

Ya I would say 8in is WAY too high for an XJ. No reason to be that high, keep it at 4-5in and trim the fenders to fit what ever size tires you want.

And spend the money on good shocks, or you'll hate driving your XJ every time you get in it.