Length of shocks...Thinking air shocks

[IdahoJeeper]

Hi all,

I've been toying with my suspension, wanting to lift, but not make it a high rise. I recently put in the 2" lift from Rocky Road Outfitters, which I like due to simplicity, but I can't get past the fact that my rear springs are sagging and probably should be replaced. I have my eyes on the Old Man Emu 2.5" Medium duty springs eventually, but I've been thinking about adding air shocks in the rear to give me a little posture boost and some improved load capacity.

Gabriel and Monroe both list air shocks for our application. My question is, however, once lifted is the stock air shock the right length? I once read somewhere that air shocks inherently had more travel than standard shocks, but I don't really know. So now to the real question:

What is the minimum extended/retracted length of the rear shock for a lifted Cherokee, say a 3" lift? For that matter, how about the front?

If any of you have tried air shocks on your XJ I'd like to hear what you think...

[NEWSUN6]

I Had Air Shocks Installed In My 86 Cherokee After The Leafsprings Started To Sag. I Don't Remember Off Hand Which Brand I Had Installed, But It Was Around $500, They Placed The Inflation Nipple In The Rear Bumper. It Was Pretty Cool To Inflate It And Watch The Whole Back Of The Jeep Rise Up. If I Dig Through Some Of My Old Reciepts I Could Get All The Specs For You. If Inflated All The Way It Was Probally Like 2.5 Inches, But They Told Me Not To Inflate To Much Over 75lbs, So The Shocks Didn't Blow Out. The Ride Was A Little Stiffer But Not Too Bad.

[IdahoJeeper]

I've read some comments on another forum about concerns that the shock mounts on the body wouldn't hold up to the additional weight placed on them by an air shock, but no comments about them actually breaking. Have you had any trouble with yours?

[IdahoJeeper]

FYI, I found out the Gabriel number for the XJ is 39226 (old number) or 49226 (new number), the air line kit is extra for about $15. I found a place on ebay that had them for under $50 shipped, the local shop wants $140 installed. Mine will be here this week...