How tall is a Cherokee 31” tires, 2” lift, roof rack

[FSJ Paul]

Hello all,


SITUATION: I’m brand new to the forums. I recently bought a 1978 Cherokee Chief that I am planning to restore. The tires are toast and it has a messed up home made 4 inch lift in the rear, and stock sagging springs in the front. I will need to replace both the tires and suspension.

PROBLEM: I have an unusualy small garage.

QUESTION: Does anyone out there have a Cherokee/ wagoneer with a 2” lift, 31” tires, and roof rack? If so could you tell me how tall it is? I want to know if I go with this set up if it will fit in my garage. aprox 75”

Thanks,

Paul

[babywag]

Cherokee wide tracks had ~31" tires and ~1.5" springs compared to a wagoneer.

So I'd say 2" is just a tad higher than when it was brand new.

[FSJ Paul]

73D2AE66-9B65-4D77-885A-04782A0EC1DD.jpeg

Thanks babywag!

I want to restore it to near stock. But I always thought these look a bit better with a slight lift.

I found an old spec sheet that shows a picture of a Cherokee without a roof rack that says it is 66.9”. I’d guess the roof rack is 4” tall. So, a 2” lift is cutting it pretty close to my 75” garage.

I’ve seen photos of Cherokees with 4” lifts And 33” tires and they look great. But I’ve never seen one with a 2” lift and 31s

[will e]

Wow, 75" is pretty short for a garage. I just measured mine for this thread, it is 83". My Cherokee has a soa/SF which is good for about 6" and a bit of spring lift (about 1"). I am also sporting 37" tires. I have a custom build 'evil twin fabs' roof rack it is about 3 1/2" tall. And I clear the door.

I don't think the stock roof rack is 4" tall, someone will correct me.

If we subtract the lift difference, probably 6" and the tire difference, another 3" that gets you to less than 75. I think it will fit. Do the suspension first and then measure. If you can get 33" tires on it I would go that route for sure.

And welcome to the forum! You've found a great place to get advice and encouragement.

[FSJ Paul]

Hey will e,

She sounds like a sweet rig. I’d love to see pictures!

Ok so, I went back and looked at that spec sheet from 1978. On closer inspection it shows the height (not including the rack) as for the “Cherokee” as “66.9/ (67.6)”. I’m guessing that difference in height is for Cherokeee vs Wide track Cherokee as baby wag said earlier. I have a Wide Track so, let’s say 67.6” + 4” roof rack = 71.6” stock. I just remeasured the garage and it is exactly 75” at the lowest point.

I’ve been online and it looks like there are few options for suspension kits:
BJs has a “Stock” kit. (Not sure if that is Cherokee stock or wide track stock)
BJs also has a 2.5” kit and a 4” kit
Rough Country has a 3” kit
Rusty’s has a 4” kit

Like many of you I think a little bit bigger tires and a little lift goes a long way on these beauties. So, if I go with 31” tires and the Rough Country 3” kit that puts me at 71.6” + 3” = 74.6” giving me a whole 0.4” of clearance.

Think I’ll make it?

Anyone have this same set up that can confirm their finished height?

Anyone have experience with any of the kits above?

Thanks,

Paul

[will e]

The lift kit specs are going to be estimates. Also, tire sizes are usually smaller than advertised.

You always have the option of removing the roof rack and plugging the holes.

[1979bettywhite]

I don't have experience with rough country, although from what I have read here and other places, it lives up to the "rough" name. I think with my 4" lift and the aftermarket rack I am probably somewhere in the area of 75-77", but I can measure it later. Running 33s as well.

[FSJ Paul]

The lift kit specs are going to be estimates. Also, tire sizes are usually smaller than advertised.

You always have the option of removing the roof rack and plugging the holes.

Yeah those kits aren’t super acurate. Even the manufacturer describes them as approximately 3”

I could never pull the rack! It would be like pulling the arm off of a puppy dog.

Maybe I could get bead lockers and just deflate / inflate the tires as I go in and out. Haha

[FSJ Paul]

I don't have experience with rough country, although from what I have read here and other places, it lives up to the "rough" name. I think with my 4" lift and the aftermarket rack I am probably somewhere in the area of 75-77", but I can measure it later. Running 33s as well.

I know it’s super close huh? I would be really bummed if I could not keep it in the garage

Thanks bettywhite

[cpfeifffer]

I have a 78 with a roof rack, 4” super lift soft ride and 33” tires. It is 78” tall as a shell with no gas tank, interior, glass, etc.

If you had a 2” lift with 31” tires, plus the weight of all the stuff, I bet you’d be around 73-74” tall.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[FSJ Paul]

Thanks cpfeiffer!

I’ve decided to take a chance and go ahead and order the Rough Country 3” lift and 31” tires

Will I need to add steering stabilizer, brake line extenders, or a Longer pitman arm?

I’ll take pictures and measurements when done

Thanks again everyone - I feel a lot more confident now.
-Paul

[will e]

Brake line extenders are not a bad idea. You will need to decide on the steering stabilizer once you get it all put together.

[1979bettywhite]

Agreed on the brake lines, if you plan to take it offroad and flex it a little. Pitman arm really not needed on most lifts under 4". Doesn't mean you can't do it, but usually geometry is still ok. Does your's have a stock stabilizer already in place? If not, I agree with Will, drive it a bit and see how it drives after the lift, add the stabilizer if you want. Will be more helpful offroad when bouncing off rocks. I have a CJ with a small lift and 33s and don't run a stabilizer on it. Drives just fine on the road.

[FSJ Paul]

Just got the Jeep back from the shop. I had them put on the 3" Rough Country lift kit with 32" x 11.50 BFG All Terrain T/A tires with US Wheels 15"x8" white steel wheels. Looks really good. Ride is a tiny bit stiff but totally better than what it was before. What do you guys think?



The BIG QUESTION is: Will it fit in the garage? My garage is 75" exactly at the lowest point/ 76.5" at the highest point.

I calculated:
67.6" for a stock WT Cherokee with 31" tires
+ 4" for the roof rack
+ 3" for lift
+ 0.5" for the 32" tires (actually 31.5")
= 75.1"

Will it fit?


Yes with a 1/2 to spare!

Hurray for my bad math!

[will e]

It looks great! The white wheels really pop against the gray shiny paint. Toss a tool box and a few other things in the back and you'll have even more clearance.

[1979bettywhite]

Looks great! How did you attach your center caps? Similar to how I did I am sure.

[Stuka]

Looks good, love the color. And glad it fits!

[FSJ Paul]

Hey bettywhite,

Yeah, I saw your post and did exactly what you did. I put some masking tape on the wheels, then put the screws in the caps, then Put a spot of grease on the screws, then ever so carefully lined up the caps to the wheels and pressed the greasy screws to the masking tape which left perfect little marks showing where to drill. A couple of them aren’t exactly perfectly centered, but once I got them on you can’t tell.

[FSJ Paul]

It looks great! The white wheels really pop against the gray shiny paint. Toss a tool box and a few other things in the back and you'll have even more clearance.

Haha! I was thinking I should just start eating more donuts. For now I just think small thoughts and pull into the garage extra fast.

[FSJ Paul]

Looks good, love the color. And glad it fits!

Thanks Stuka, I really like the color too. After hosing off the 15 years worth of dirt I discovered that The paint is in perfect condition except where the clear coat is coming off and there are a bunch (like 100+) chips. Not sure what can be done to fix that. I guess I need to go talk to some local body shops and see what they say.

I was thinking about adding a stripe kit. I know the chief stripes are popular but maybe just a single black and gold stripe would be cool or maybe nothing. I haven’t decided yet. Any thoughts?