18 Jp jpmagazine.com OCTOBER 2019

A good street/trail 4x4 needs

a suspension designed to keep

all four tires on terra firma in

moderate off-road situations, while also

providing a good highway ride. The stock

suspension under the cherished Jeep XJ

Cherokee (1984-2001) does a commend-

able job of doing just that, with solid axles

supported by leaf springs out back and a five-

link short-arm suspension up front. The XJ’s

suspension provides a comfortable highway

ride and is pliant enough to handle lighter

off-road forays. In stock trim, this modern-

classic Jeep SUV always feels nimble and

light on its feet—on- and off-road.

Moving

Up

Taking a stock Jeep

Cherokee XJ to the

next level in off-road

performance with a

BDS 6-inch long-travel

suspension and PSC

power steering upgrade

By Bruce W. Smith

[email protected]

Photography: Bruce W. Smith

However, if an XJ owner wants to take

on more challenging Jeep trails, run the

mud, break trail in deep snow, or venture

into the deeper parts of the woods, taller

tires for more ground clearance and a

suspension w it h longer leg s to keep t hese

tires planted are a must. Those were the

very reasons Mike and Sydney Davis

brought their 1998 XJ Sport to Dunks

Performance in Springfield, Oregon.

The BDS Connection

Like any vehicle that’s 20-plus years

old with 160,000-plus miles under its belt,

the factory suspension and a lot of other

parts were ready for replacement. The

shocks were just placeholders, the suspen-

sion bushings were ragged, the steering

was a little loose, and the springs were not

holding the weight like they did when new.

Bottom line: This XJ Cherokee was ready

for a suspension makeover.

There are literally dozens of ways to

rework a n XJ ’s suspension to g ive more

travel and allow taller tires to be used. In

this instance, the owners wanted a 6-inch