First off, let me point out that you can NOT do a body lift on an XJ. it is a uni-frame vehicle, which means that the body and the frame are one, welded, unit that reinforce each other. So lets take a look at two different concepts.

Just a little Lift

If you just want a little more clearance under the transfer case, want a little more room to run 30x9.5s, or just want a little tougher look, then a small lift is the way to go. They can be cheap, easy to install, and usually don't create the same complications as big lifts that basically re-design the entire front suspension.
The cheapest small lift is coil spacers in the front and long shackles in the rear. These are usually 1.5 inches, are easy to install, and are short enough that your stock length shocks should work fine. The other variation on this is blocks in the back. If you have new springs (especially stronger-than-stock aftermarket ones) blocks can be OK, but they apply a lot of force to the springs, and can cause spring wrap and sagging. Keep in mind that both these options are just raising your existing suspension. If what you have now is toast, it will still be toast, just taller.
Next up in price comes spacer and Add-A-Leaf (AAL) lifts. These are various heights, with 2 inches being the most common. Most come with new shocks, so if yours are blown this may be a good way to go. If you decide on AALs, try to get full length ones, as stubby ones are likely to eventually kink your springs. Two downsides to AALs, the first is that if your rear springs are old and soft, then a AAL lift might either start out low in the back, or soon sag. The second downside is that while shackles can be added to taller springs for more lift later , AALs are just designed to lift stock springs.
Stepping up you get to kits with new front coils. These are usually 3 inch lift kits, and usually have AALs in the back.. Same thoughts apply to the AALs, and definitely stay away from blocks or shackles this tall.
The best (and therefore most expensive) option is new front coils and new rear springs, plus a matched set of shocks. These lifts are usually 2 to 3 inches. This option gives you a true lift above stock height (as opposed to starting with the inch of sag that was in your old springs), often gives you far better ride quality, and usually gives you the best articulation for the lift height. This also gives you the choice of adding 1.5 inch shackles and spacers later to get more lift, but then you get into the costs and complications of a big lift, and you lose out on the savings of buying new control arms and all those other bits as a kit.

Ok, so you want to build a killer XJ. It's not just the springs that you have to deal with. You need to consider the control arms, steering linkage, slip yoke, drive shaft length, U-joint angle, brake lines, gearing, braking, axle strength, and a whole host of other complications. Can it be done? Sure. There are a number of kits that you can bolt on in your driveway. The tough part comes after the lift is in when you have to get the steering, alignment, track, and everything else back to spec. A good mechanic can do this for you, but finding a good mechanic who knows about lifted Cherokees is the hard part. I do not recommend this route for anyone who is not willing to spend hours under their rig tweaking everything until it is just right. Some guys bolt everything in and drive away no problems, but are you willing to gamble that you can?
If this is for you, then read on for more details....

Problems expected with big lifts
By Jason West

Part One, 3-4" lifts
You'll need longer lower control arms, this is to help keep your caster correct and to allow for axle articulation, you can get away with using the stock lower control arms, but it's really better to get new/longer arms. You'll also need longer shocks. You will need to lengthen the front and rear brake lines, this can be accomplished in the rear by either buying/making a relocation bracket or getting an extended rear line, on the front you can just relocate the lines (or, YJ front lines are about 3" longer and are a direct swap). '95 or older models shouldn't experience much if any vibes from the rear driveshaft, but '96 and newer have a tendency to develop driveshaft vibes at lower lifts because of a different slip-yoke/output-shaft design. A fixed-yoke conversion (also called a slip yoke eliminator, or SYE) is the best way to eliminate driveline vibes, but other possible solutions are: shims may also be used under the leaf springs, you can have your current driveshaft lengthened (you'll need to get longer bump stops if you do this), or you can lower the transfer case slightly, though this is unadvisable as it decreases your ground clearance (which you just paid about $100-200 and inch for) and can cause problems with the transmission. Also, you will have to have the toe reset on the front axle, and have the Jeep aligned at a shop. And the trackbar...people have different opinions on this topic...with up to 4" of lift I don't think you really need to worry about the trackbar, though with over 3" you may visually notice the axle being a little off-center, but this shouldn't cause any problems. With 4" or more of lift you'll need to either get a longer and/or adjustable trackbar such as the one RE sells, or use a bracket like ProComp's (there are mixed feelings about using the brackets though).

Part Two, 4-6" lifts
In addition to everything in Part One, you'll need/want to get some longer upper control arms, again to keep the caster correct and to help keep the axle positioned correctly under the rig.
For this amount of lift an extended rear brake line would be the best way to go, and longer emergency brake lines may be needed. Front lines should be lengthened to allow slack for articulation.
Driveline vibes...that really depends on your rig, generally if you've got a '95 or older you'll be ok up to about 4-5", again, the best way to go is a fixed-yoke conversion and possibly a CV-type driveshaft. At 5-6" the front driveshaft may be a little short, simple fix is either get a longer driveshaft or get your current one lengthened.
You'll need a longer trackbar and do something about the steering, a dropped pitman arm is a possibility, but people have mixed feelings about using these as well, some claim it makes bump steer worse, but most believe it helps eliminate it. If you decide on a dropped pitman arm, RE sells one, and YJ or ZJ pitman arms offer about 3/4-1" of drop over the stock XJ arm. Fender trimming may also be needed depending on the size of tire you're running.

Jeep®, Wrangler, Cherokee, and Grand Cherokee are copyrighted and trademarked to Daimler-Chrysler Corporation. JeepsUnlimited.com is not in any way associated with the Daimler-Chrysler Corp. Materials are copyright JeepsUnlimited.com 1998-2000. Privacy statement and disclaimer.