I just bought a 96 xj stock. I have 31's to put on it, but I have no idea what I'm doing. Can I put them on with out a lift. Just cut the fenders??? This truck is a off road rig only. But I don't have the money yet to throw in it. What is my first step. Should I just buy some stock size off road tires, untill I can lift it? Please help.
you can run them if you cut the fenders, but on turns and bumps they might rub the lower control arms. if you want to take it offroading you defintely want to put some kind of suspension lift on it, even if it is just coil spacers in the front and add a leafs in the back. if you try and wheel it with 31's stock you won't have any suspension travel. even if you are going to put a lift on later, you might want to go ahead and cut the fenders for better articulation/less rubbing. dont waste money on smaller tires if you are going to run bigger ones later, ive done it before and wish i hadnt.
If you new to wheeling, I vote you wheel it stock for a while. Get ya' some BFG all terrains in the stock size and see what it'll do. Then as you become more experienced you'll notice things like lockers, lifts etc. that you want. My truck is stock with the exception of a lockright locker in the rear. It wheels so much better than stock. Next in line is to get a budbuilt skidplate for the transfer case. I get hung up on the stock one a lot, so it's time to change it. I plan on doing dual transfer cases in the future so I'm going to get one for that so I don't have to buy two. I've also taken off the rear bumper that I got hung up on a bunch. The more you wheel, the more you'll see what the best mods are for your style.
Yeah, 10-4 on the stock tires. I just bought this xj for wheeling only. The only money I will spend on it is side job income. So it will take a little before I put a bunch in to it.
You would be putting less money into fitting the XJ for the 31's than buying new AT's. Rusty's sells coil spacers and an aal for $100. Cutting fenders is free. bumpstopping can be done cheaply, aka hockey pucks up front, spacers out back. If you are mounting the 31's on the stock wheels you will have minor rubbing on the lcas, any change in backspacing and you should not have any issues.
That said your more than welcome to trade those 31's for my 235's.
