Whats the deal with lifting a ZJ and its drive line?

[acantare]

My little brother is looking into getting a XJ or a ZJ as his first car. We have found a ZJ that he might get. From what ive found he will need a 3" lift to fit 31s. What other mods ( SYE ??) will he need to lift a 95 ZJ. Will he have drive line vibrations?

[jeepboy73]

you know 4wd has a kit that drops the trans to take care of any problems. i have a zj and xj. i would reccommend the cherokee. they are by far more reliable vehicles 92-95 vintage. chryler took over in 96. although the most reliable zj would be a 4.9 i6 with part time transfer. it seems to me for some reason the v8's have more trans failures than the i6, but its debateable. one more thing, xj's have the aw4 trans. can you say (bulletproof) p.s. early 93zj's also have this trans. good luck.

[renegadestang]

ZJ's can be pretty capable offroad. At 3", you may or may not need a SYE and CV driveshaft. Some people do. Some people don't. If after you install the lift, and you get vibration, a SYE would be a good idea. The guy above me spoke of a "4.9L I-6". I think he was referring to the 4.0L I-6, which is a very capable engine, even in the ZJ. If you go with a ZJ, I'd recommend going with a '96 or later as they have the updated axles in them.