Putting a 2" Trail Master lift kit on a Jeep Cherokee

Hey guys!
We had a little weekend-project turn into a video for you guys!
We got a hold of a Jeep Cherokee, in dire need of some new suspension,
So we grabed a 2" Trail Master lift kit, and here is the result!
We threw in a little flex-test. just because we like to see the difference we make.
(By the way, if you are going for Max Flex (For this type of kit) you should remove the Sway-bars)
We have used the Trail-Master kits before, and are always pleased with the fit and overall end result!
Any questions or comments, just put em below.
Thanks for watching!

[@4x4adventure_pl]

Watching this video makes me appreciate the rugged charm and versatility of the Cherokee XJ even more.

[@mrkeopele]

YUP! smart upgrade. I did 2001 Suburban 2-3 inch lift. worthwhile

[@laqutis1119]

Rocking those 28"s

[@marcoantoniocasoascanio6905]

Nice jeep and nice color.

[@XJ_is_gone]

2 inch lift is still a lot. Thanks for the info mate👍

[@NissanVK56]

great vid guys just installed a 3" trail master lift on my 98 cherokee I just had basic hand tools but I got it done in two days

[@christinaarmes6704]

Should have discounted the sway bar would have flexed out more

[@inthemountainswithmeachum3256]

Important tip at the end that most people including myself am guilty of at times

[@paytonjyoung]

What size tires?

[@TheMojojames]

How long did it take to get rid of the 4 bolts through the leafs? Those are notoriously terrible and even though the rear shackles were broken, how much time did you spend on them alone? For your ramp tests, an XJ can flex a bit further with the front sway bar disconnected but you have to be careful of the uniform twisting. Plating the frame rails underneath and tunning the bumpstops can really help you get the most out of the suspension.

[@KJOff-Road]

You are absolutely right. And yes, those 4 bolts really was half the project. We did end up doing a lot of cutting, welding, drilling and mangling to get those out, and get it rebuild to fit the new ones. I don't know the exact hours, but we did spend a good part of the day on just that. Thanks for watching!

[@onefastcyclist]

A fine informing video! I understand that a 2" lift will provide for 30"-31"tires and a little over an inch of additional ground clearance. When the factory did a modest lift to make the Upcountry model they ended up adding a rear sway-bar to aid street handling. How did this lift effect the XJ on the street?

[@KJOff-Road]

Thanks a lot! To be honest, its going to be a little hard to make a real comparison, as the suspension on this was just so poor and falling apart when we got it. so naturally, the ride was very stiff and rough. very little roll though. This jeep actually did have a (slightly flimsy) rear sway-bar. but with the brackets for it being completely rusted, we ended up removing it entirely. I can only say that this upgrade made for a much smoother ride on the street. seems to handle just fine, and the roll in corners feels quite natural for this type of truck. and yes, you are right. it dose fit 31" tires now. as we have give it a set of those after this vid. Hope that kinda answered your question. Thanks for watching!

[@onefastcyclist]

Thanks for the reply! You probably have better springs and shocks with the lift kit then the factory guys had to work with in the mid '90's too. The 2" lift seems to be a good off-road enhancement without compromising the versatility of the XJ. After all, street-ability is important - just to get you to the trail-head; if not to the store where the lift to load the groceries is still within the range of all family members! I'm getting a restoration/build of a '99 chilly-pepper xj and Davis motor-sports is recommending Old Man Emu's springs and shocks for our 2" lift, Whose kit did you use?

[@KJOff-Road]

Gary Button you are welcome. And yes, the 2" lift dose seems to be a great all-round option. And also keeps it simple to install. As you can usually keep the stock brake-lines, pitman-arm, drag-link, controle-arms and so on. The set we used here is from German company, "Trail Master". I have quite limited personal experience with the Old Man EMU. But from what i have seen, it's also a great product. And slightly more soft, so perhaps, slightly more Off-road oriented.

[@onefastcyclist]

BTW, I ask EMU about 245/75 r16 tires tires on an XJ and they replied: "My biggest concern is your tire choice. A 245/75 will rub on the fenders-especially in front- if you want to use that jeeps suspension fully. (steep driveways at an angle, larger bumps or disconnecting the swaybar for trail use) You might consider trimming the fenders for full clearance with that tire, or consider running a 30x9.50-15 or a 235/75. 245/75's on a 2" lift will rub the fenders, even on normal street driving. " Fortunately, I can get off road 235/75 r16 tires that are 30" tall which is only 4/10's of and inch shorter then the 245's, but just a little narrower to fit under the fenders. Food for thought if you don't wish to trim the fenders.

[@rekasandor7779]

did you stay with your stock tires?

[@KJOff-Road]

Reka Sandor No. After this video, it got a set of 31" Cooper M/T tires.

[@martingarcia7144]

2” lift in my xj works good on 31”? Do i have to cut something...

[@V8AmericanMuscleCar]

I'm afraid you'll have to. I have 3 inch lift and 31x10.5x15 MT tires and there was little rubbing. Street tires and just for the road I think you will be fine.

[@Fede-xw9zz]

Hello, does your mercedes 240 gd have a 5 speed manual gearbox or 4speed manual?. I am looking into buying one in my country and all ive seen have 4speed manual and are really slow (not more than 85km/h) ( 1980's gd240 short and long wheelbase)Btw i thought the g class would be much bigger than what it is, it is quite smaller in size than the land rover defender...and dont have quite a lot of ground clearence.

[@KJOff-Road]

Fede2411 hello there. The GD 240 only comes with a 4 speed gear box, yes. And it is certainly no race car. If you want a little bit more "go" i suggest looking for a GD 300. In terms of size they are indeed just a tiny bit smaller than a Land Rover. But they have more room inside. Also, they use the exact same size tires, so their ground clearance is roughly the same. (stock, that is) the Mercedes has much more firm suspension. As they all have diff locks front and rear. So they don't need all that flex. Hope that helped. Thanks For watching!

[@Fede-xw9zz]

Thanks it helped... can you put 235/85/16 tires in the 240gd? What size are the stock ones?

[@Fede-xw9zz]

Btw im anxious to see new videos... great job with the channel!

[@KJOff-Road]

No problem. And yes, there is plenty of room to fit 235/85R16. The stock size (on the military version) is 7.50R16. The same as on a Land Rover. And that's only just a tad smaller than the size you suggested. And thanks for the support. We will be back to making videos again soon.

[@Formerlywarmer]

You crept up on the first test and stopped as Silas the rear lost traction. U shot beyond the traction loss point the second time snd stopped. Cool lift biased angle test

[@ETxDuckHunter]

You should've had it in four wheel drive for the initial test in order to get a true metric of the benefit of adding the lift. Unfortunately, in 2wd, you lost traction at the rear wheels for the preliminary test which hindered your progress up the ramp. Better luck next time chaps.

[@KJOff-Road]

ETxDuckHunter Hey there. We certainly did have it in 4wd for both ramp tests. (we are not that daft) It went up to the point where it lost traction on both the right rear, and left front. I can see the it's quite hard to tell from this angle, but at a very close look, it can be seen that at the loss of traction the left front wheel throws a bit of dirt, indicating that it's spinning aswell. But Thanks for watching!

[@ETxDuckHunter]

Gotcha, I must have missed the front tire slipping.

[@ahmada.thabata8615]

How much did this cost you in total?

[@KJOff-Road]

Total cost for parts (including our taxes and such) was around 1600 us dollar.

[@evencron2537]

Hei spm fra Norge. Hadde dere noen problemer med ulyder fra bakakselen etterinstalering av lift kittet? Håper å se dere i sanddynene på vestkysten til sommeren!!! :)

[@KJOff-Road]

Hej! Jeep'en har nu kørt med dette lift Kit i over 3 år. Og der har ikke været problemer. Det fungere bare fint. Tak for kikket. Vi ses der ude!

[@tliggexperience]

Ah man, it looks like you left the front sway bar on for both tests?

[@KJOff-Road]

Yes. That's correct. Unfortunately, we are actually not allowed to remove things like that. As the car won't be road legal then. And as it's a daily driver, we left it on. Thanks for watching!

[@noahbones1221]

im assuming 31" tires will fit on it? assuming it works with stock axles

[@KJOff-Road]

NoahBones 12 yeah. It's running on 31"s today. They just clear. And so far, the axels are doing just fine.

[@noahbones1221]

TeamArmyTrucks okay cool. thanks.

[@sloganeeringgaming6363]

I have 29" tires on my Cherokee 235/75r15

[@Leatherkid01]

Hey guys.... How's Denmark .... From Canada

[@KJOff-Road]

Hey there. DK is nice and calm. Not too much wheeling this time of year though. How's Canada?

[@brandondavy104]

where did you find this kit because I cannot find it anywhere on line

[@KJOff-Road]

brandon davy Hey there. We got this kit from a British dealer. "jimnybits.co.uk"

[@johnv5718]

I cannot find a 2 inch lift with new u bolts let alone new rear leafs assemblies add a leafs yes. This video seems a bit deceiving.

[@KJOff-Road]

John V Hi John. This was a complete kit, with springs, leafs, dampers, bushings and u-bolts. It was purchased through "Jimnybits" in the UK. www.jimnybits.com/other-4x4-models/jeep/cherokee-xj/jeep-cherokee-xj-trailmaster-2-50mm-lift-kit.html However, since it's a German product, I can't tell if it's commonly available outside Europe. But thanks for watching.

[@johnv5718]

Figures here in the U.S. we have to by everything seperate.

[@LogitechXibanga]

@@UCiNL34XhUt-kay9tzDrUopg is this jeep diesel?

[@ericmoreno7675]

There’s no way that’s a 2” lift! Looks more like a 4” but then again what do I know