body lift or not

[rejeeper]

I have a 94 2wd Cherokee that I want to set up pre-runner I am having a front bumper guard made and I am going to put a nice set of AT tires on it. My question is whether or not I should give it a body lift. I was thinking maybe 2 or 3 inches. If this is a bad idea, let me know. I just wanted to get some input from other Cherokee owners.

Thanks

Rejeeper

[XJ92]

You cannot put a body lift on a cherokee, because it is what is called a unibody. The body and the chassis are one piece! Just poke your head under there and see for yourself! You can only put on a suspention lift which is a little more pricey.

[Haibane]

I have a Jeep also that is a 2wd, What are the ideas you guys have done for upgrading? I would think a suspension ligy would be pointless, cause the thing is not 4wd and probably couldn't handle offroading

[rejeeper]

well all right then thanks for the info...classifieds here i come

[spooleffect]

Originally Posted by Haibane

I have a Jeep also that is a 2wd, What are the ideas you guys have done for upgrading? I would think a suspension ligy would be pointless, cause the thing is not 4wd and probably couldn't handle offroading

Be glad you save a ton of money on insurance because you have a 2wd. You can have a lifted Baja Runner(100+mph on long trails that don't need 4wd)

[Haibane]

Would you mind going into details on how to do that. I am a bit new to all the offroading things

[MagicRat]

The 2 wd jeeps are just as strong and durable as the 4 wd versions.
Look underneath and you will see a solid front axle, and the rest of it is the same.
2 wd jeeps are just fine off road, of course so long as its not too slippery. Taking it off road depends on where you live. If is dry and desert, like the US south west, 2 wd is fine, just stay out of deep sand. anywhere else, just venture out on the dryer days and on the easier trails. Get a winch and some good traction tires for the back.

Suspension lifts are only needed to put bigger grippier tires underneath. Do not lift any vehicle any more than is necessary to put the desired tires underneath. The more you lift, the more every other aspect of the vehicle suffers such as handling, safety etc.

[comp]

and a POSI don't forget a POSI or you'll be diggin' and wenchin'
more time than havin' fun wheelin'

[rejeeper]

this may be a stupid question but whats a POSI???

[EquityDog]

POSI is a positive-traction rear end (differential). It keeps both rear wheels turning so you are not stuck if just 1 rear wheel loses traction. It would help.......but, in my opinion, you are getting bad advice regarding 2WD. You can invest a lot of money in that 2WD Jeep doing a lift and getting a new POSI rear end and it will still not be as good for off-roading as a straight-from-the-used-car-lot Cherokee with 4WD. There is no way to make a 2WD grab the ground and move like a 4WD. Remember the engine is in front and that is where the weight is over the wheels. Also, there is a good reason almost all cars are now front wheel drive - they handle better. With 4WD you get the benefit of the front wheels actually driving where you steer rather than only being pushed there by the rear wheels. There are surely people who race Baja in 2WD but to do that successfully you really need to be able to control over-steer (i.e., the tendancy of the back-end to come around on corners). The tuition on the "learn to control oversteer" course is probably the cost of replacing a few rolled Jeeps.

In my opinion, you were right when you said you'd be looking in the classifieds.

Actually, there was one thing said I agree with. Use the smallest lift needed to fit the wheels and tires you want to run. Cherokees (and all SUVs) are top heavy and handling degrades as you raise the center of gravity further.