I know it depends on what I want to do with the vehicle, so here it is in the short: Overlanding - goal of going from point A to B (not with the soul intention of rock crawling/difficult off-roading), avoiding anything too crazy like MOAB stuff, but still keeping the terrain interesting and a little challenging.
Thanks for the help, AZTACO
My suggestion to you AZTACO is to go out stock several times to see what exactly your Cherokee is capable of. I guarantee that you will be surprised at what it is capable of out of the box. When I had my Cherokee I would bump and scrape over ******** that had other rigs with 33's struggling. Although I struggled a bit more then he did, at the end of the day my ride home on the hwy is going to be smoother and quieter and I am getting better mpg than he is. I have gone up hills that almost flipped a Sammy with a rear locker and 31s. Luckily the thing was light enough to tie a strap to the roll bar and keep it upright. If and when I get my next Cherokee I will focus on skidplating first and baselining the vehicle. I am not sure if you have done this yet but baselining a vehicle is more essential in getting you from point A to B than a lift is. If you are unsure what it is just use the search button, not getting into it here.
You may also want to consider that a lift raises your COG, tires spread your gearing taking the engine out of its optimum rev range. Optimally with 31" tires you want to look at 4.10 gears. One inheritent problem with lifted Cherokees is what is called death wobble. It is usually caused by a worn suspension part which can be exacerbated by off road conditions ie: dirt, water, flexing, etc. I can attest from personal experience that each pothole and bump makes you want to drive the little bastard off of a cliff especially when you have gone through and checked every component for wear and tear. There are alot of factors to consider when lifting a vehicle even if only a little bit. I am not saying that all Cherokees have this issue but it is a common one that can cause an owner grief and would quickly thwart any plans of a trip anywhere of considerable distance. I am also not at all knocking a vehicle lift, hell I will defintely be getting one but I admittedly enjoy run harder trails.
However from what it sounds like you want to do I would say that your stock Cherokee will surprise you and take you places you shouldn't be. Perhaps a tire with a more aggressive tread would further help you in addition to a rear locker. Just keep in mind most of the vehicles you see crossing the Sahara. Most of them have skinny stockers fitted due to lighter weight which translates to being able to put other crap on your rig you dont need but just looks so damn cool :drool:,less wear on drivetrain components, and generally the idea thay big tires are unnecessary in MOST, not all situations.
Overall I would keep that grand or so tucked away for more important mods, like skidplating and baselining. Perhaps you could invest it in a trip, Or if your still convinced you want to spend that money you can buy me a whole Cherokee!! Just kidding...unless your gonna do it.:smiley_drive:
Just my $.02, hope it helps and good luck on your new whip game
