Opinions Welcome

[kfeal]

Last summer I built my 99XJ and am in the process of phase 2 research to increase strength, reliability, and install some protection.

Phase 1

• 99 2 door 5spd
• AA SYE with a woods shaft
• HP front 30 4.10 with a limited slip and new unit bearings and a home made diff cover
• 8.8 with 4.10 discs and a home made diff cover
• Rough Country 4.5" lift with full leaves and stock shackles
• JCR full corners for the rear panels
• 33X10.5 KM2's

Phase 2

The parts pile includes,

• HD offroad frame stiffeners
• JCR DIY front winch bumper
• 2X6 tube to cut the rockers and make sliders
• Currie brake lines from the calipers to the axle on the 8.8 to rebuild the brakes
• High flow cat - magnaflow

Parts to obtain,

• Long arm upgrade -was thinking Rock Krawler but had claytons in the past and loved them
• Liquid Iron leaf sliders
• ACOS
• A front drive shaft
• Steel the build a cross member or main tcase/trans skid
• Make or purchase an intake
• Possibly new tires (35X10.5 SSR or the same set of 33's)

Phase 3 would turn this into a trailer queen.

So my questions are,

• Rock Krawler or Clayton ?
• Are the LII leaf sliders have well manors on pavement? What are the pros and cons?
• Do the leaf sliders add any lift to the rear? Will I need shimming on the rear?
• Would you change anything on Phase 2 considering this is a DD/WW

Any other knowledge would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Schickos881]

As soon as you go to 35's it all goes down hill. Stay on 33's and lock the rear with a spartan locker. And go wheeling

[HeavyMetal]

As soon as you go to 35's it all goes down hill. Stay on 33's and lock the rear with a spartan locker. And go wheeling

I used to idolize big setups.

What Scott says is right.

It all comes down to:

Do you wanna go wheeling more?

or do you wanna make it through more obstacles and miss more trips/deal with more bullshit?

or do you want to devote 3/4 of your life/paycheck to upkeeping it so that it is "reliable" when built big?

one of the only downsides of a mild build is that you look way less cool online and you cant wheel the hardest lines. if you're not hellbent on either of those, i think you'd benefit from a rig on 33s that isnt a trailer queen. just my opinion, but the thread title asked for it

I built my jeep over the years from 3" and 30s gradually up to 4.5 and 35" creepy crawlers with all sorts of other shit added in (cage, custom parts, yadda yadda) and i wouldnt even consider my jeep that big)...and i just recently built another xj with 3" and 32s for the exact reasons i stated above.

[ct67_72]

Regardless of what you do you just have to take certain things into consideration.
I drive my Jeep every day to work, on tons and 40's. I can drive it anywhere and wheel it without really worrying. I will say at this stage it has better street manners than it did on stock axles and 35's.
Last time I really wheeled it was at rausch with Harry, Reid and Cryder.
Harry broke a shaft on 33's, Reid broke 2 shaft on 35's. (im not gonna talk about Cryder and little bronco with its sneaky lockers lol)
If I didnt fold a rim in half I would have had 0 breakage. As a matter of fact once I got a replacement wheel I drove it to work the next day to check everything over. (I wont mention how I moved the trailer around the yard on 3 tires either )
Anyway, it depends on what you really want to do like Will said, If your ok going out with the group and not being able to do the biggest obstacles, or if thats a problem.
With that being said, I think your "phase 2" plan looks pretty good. Any specific reason for the ACOS?
I would go Clayton 3 link front.
I have no experience with the sliders but I hear that they are better/more stable on the street than a shackle, which makes sense when you think about it.
I also had great luck with 35's on my d30/8.25. Just keep some shafts. I dont think Caleb even ever broke one.

[hoggie101]

Go with Clayton long arms can't beat them really just make sure to grind the edges of your transmission piece so if you have to get it out its a little easier

[kfeal]

I ran my TJ on the 35 SSR's and a clayton set up for years. The XJ is almost an exact replica of the TJ minus frame and a removable top and doors. The only thing I ever broke was the unit bearings, which just wore out.

I will probably end up with the claytons for obvious reasons and stick with the 33's to keep the rotating mass down.

Does anyone run the sliders instead of a rear shackle? Do they raise the rear up?

[kfeal]

As for a rear locker; I put an aussie lunch box in and had to take it back out about 2 months in. It would never unload and had awful road manors.

[HeavyMetal]

im still running the first leaf sliders LII ever made for xj bolt on application, they were the test bed.

they work well. i may be offloading mine in the spring, havent decided. only reason being i may need more uptravel. functionality wise they have never served me wrong. i have bent them a few times but tim has since strengthened the design based off of mine

[Hudson]

Can someone sum up for me what a "3 link" suspension is and how it differs from a Long arm kit?

[ct67_72]

Can someone sum up for me what a "3 link" suspension is and how it differs from a Long arm kit?

They are both a "long arm". But Clayton makes two kits. One a radius arm, with short upper arms that connect to the long lowers, and a three link kit with two long lowers and one long upper that mounts to an independant mount on the x member.

[kfeal]

So I am pretty set on

• Claytons
• ACOS
• LII Sliders

How about steering options? What do you guys run?

[ct67_72]

Again, why the ACOS?
For steering, either one ton GM ends and 1.5" .25" wall DOM, or 1.5" dom and heims. I like heims.

[kfeal]

Im figuring the added weight of the bumper and winch will bring down the front end changing ride height. And I am really looking for another inch or so in ground clearance.

[ct67_72]

Gotcha, I would think it would be cheaper to buy a new set of springs. But I guess having adjustability is nice. A little pricey for me.

[kfeal]

I agree on the price point but functionality and price is outweighing future spring sag and disassembling the front suspension to install new springs more than once. And they are pretty cool.

I need to check out your build and see how you did your crossover 1ton steering. Is there much bump steer? How much did you have to drop your pitman arm based off the angles? My steering now is somewhat sloppy since it's been untouched.