Hey fellas.
I have a Rubicon 3.5 or 4" short arm lift on my XJ (second hand, not sure). I run 31's and have front wheel rub when in sharp turns (on the control arms). I've weighed her down with a front prerunner bumper with a milemarker hydrolic winch and a rear bumper with swingout tire carrier and highlift. I imagine I added 150 to 200 lbs. to each end. I added 2 leaf springs in the rear and just recieved 2 - 2" spring spacers in the mail for the front. They are the true two, but measure 2.25, I was looking for 1.5 inch but settled on these. I think I'll need to block the back a bit now as well. I do not have a slip yoke eliminator, but do have the crossmember spacers for the t case installed. I imagine I'll need to look into longer steel brake lines as well as SYE and longer control arms. I lost my driveshaft on Taylor drive 9 years ago because of a 4" frankenlift, back then my fix was a longer shaft from a waggoneer.
What I'm asking is for some opinions and any warnings of what not to forget or anything you guys with previous experience can point out to me. I wasn't looking to go higher really, but now I may just need to make this work, I just want a quality ride and I don't want to pour 10 grand into doing it. I however don't need to strand myself out west again either.
The current arms are rubicon shorts, and I don't crank the wheel all the way as my fix for now. I'm looking into the wheel spacers, but the real issue is loosing the driveshaft again or snapping brake lines because I went too high.

See, I'm thinking that when I articulate, the tire travel will be longer due to the combination of installed equipment. At times there won't be the weight of the bumpers compressing the springs and such. As a result I'm in fear of the driveshaft pulling all the way out and dropping on the ground (again). I mean the distance between the t case and rear axle will increase when unflexed right? I just don't want this to happen out West. I've been stranded 2 times now.

 

First off, sounds like your backspacing on the rims is off. Are you running stock or aftermarket rims? Extending the brakelines is always a good idea if you think there's a chance of breaking one.
The short arms should be ok other than having a rougher ride. Can't help you with the SYE but I'm sure someone else will speak up.

 

I think I'll get wheel spacers. I wonder if control arm drop brackets are in order?

 

Wheel spacers would work but there just another link in the chain to break when your givin'er in the trails. If you can afford it, just get new rims with the proper backspacing.