YJ mods, an on going thread.

[bobracing]

Photo patch to see pictures:

http://www.jeepforum.com/forum/f176/pho ... x-4181513/


Edit:
Going to change this thread to an ongoing thread similar to TJDaves bolt on thread.


Last fall we took a stock YJ over Naches trail, EWA wagons east. Having a stock YJ resulted in something on the bottom hitting every rock and being called a lowrider by the motorcyclists we encountered.

The object:
1. To get more ground clearance by flipping the U-bolts, or just saving them from getting bent up.

2. Adding a little lift by add a leaf and shackles.

Subject: YJ with 30" tires


bent U-bolts


stock shackles


This kit is 200 and isn't going to happen.


Metal and U-bolts, Ranch and Home has a very nice selection of u-bolts.


Didn't get to making these plates today, ended up having to cut the springs out and spent way to much time getting bushings out.

springs: stock, and new "hybred" pack, mix of stock and 4" springs


new pack not bolted together:


Tomorrow, put it back together with U-bolt flip.

Edit:
Ended up making a set of drawing for someone. This drawing is based upon what I hacked together. Use them at your own risk.

[TJDave]

Nice! Can't wait to see the new stance.

James, I snapped a picture of your stock YJ coming up one of the Naches Pass Trail hillclimbs at last years PUAM. It looked like it did just fine. Although from where I was at, I could not hear any rock-on-metal sounds. You were supposed to go to the left or right of that rock in the trail.

And yes, even though you can't tell in the pic, it was a hill.

[bobracing]

Template and rough cut


Clearance: U shape for diff or tracbar mount. Corner cut off is for the shocks.


1/2" round bar to stradle axle tube.


Bottom plate rough cut


don't use 2.5 plate, 1.75-2.00 should work good. Also a mill would have been nice for the "grooving".



Bolted back together



Stance with stock shackles and "add a leaf".


Thoughts:
Front u-bolts still need to be cut off.

Got more lift than I thought but still hasn't driven it and might settle.

Back will get the U-bolt flip and some spacers removed. This will be easier because I'll just flip the existing u-bolt plates, add the rod and bolt them together. The front plate bolt holes aren't even, why new plates where made.

A mill would have been much nicer.
Probably should have drilled holes to round out some corners. All the plates were cut and ground with a hand grinder.

Would I do it again? Not sure, think it looks cleaner under the springs but a lot of work and not sure I gained much.

[bobracing]

A couple poser mall crawler pictures.
Still seem to be able to stuff the 30s.
and the steering wheel needs to be straightened back out.

[colemancooler]

Nice work.

[bobracing]

And onto the back, where I though things would be easier, well, not really.

So, the front is now higher than the back, and this is why, along with a 3deg shim, bonus.
These were on top of the main spring and worked as a 1 1/16" lowering block. The centering pin was not removing it's self from the block, a quick trip to NAPA solved that problem.


I wanted to keep the shim and decided another plate was needed to hold the centering pin. A 3/16 plate was fab. and all squished together with the centering bolt.


At this point I decided that trac-bar had to go, it fought all the way requiring one bolt to be cut on both sides to remove it.
When trying to put the axle back on, I discovered the new centering bolts had a bigger head, but a 9/16 bit in the drill took care of that quickly.

Everything went back together fairly well from here. The U-bolt plates were modified with 1/2 round stock welded to them (same as front) and bottom plates were fab. earlier in the week.


The new stance, think the front was lifted about 1.5-2" and the back 1", didn't take measurement.
Before


After


And a shot under, think shock mounts are next.


Driving impression, WOW, what a difference:
The Jeep rides MUCH better, keeping the springs off the bump stops probably helps.
It's smooth, no vibrations, though the lift would have caused a problem but think it's smoother now than before.
Doesn't feel like a go-cart, can't throw it into corners but this isn't a problem for me, did I mention the trac-bars and sway-bar were removed.

I like how clean the underside looks with the U-bolt flip but again not sure it gained me much but something different.

Edit: for cost.
There is about $80 in parts, most of it ($60) in u-bolts.

[TJDave]

Wow! Looks really good. Nice work.

[bobracing]

The brown Santa showed up.

[bobracing]

At this point I what to do a highline fender setup but have a problem deciding what size tube to use. The bender has 1, 1.5, 1.75, and 2.
Thinking that trail rigs get heavy fast and the front is heavy already, I want to use 1 or 1.5 with .095 wall and 18-20ga cover.
My problem become will 1" work and not get bent every time a tree jumps out, but will add an extra 1/2 of clearance. Also worried about 1.5 being to strong and sending all the impact back into the body and maybe bending the body.
Any thoughts?

[tobyw]

Also worried about 1.5 being to strong and sending all the impact back into the body and maybe bending the body.
Any thoughts?

IMO, this is the theoretical problem with tube fenders in the first place... They are typically a very stout structural piece that has the potential to transfer abuse rather than soak it up. That said, they are bolting to the cowl area, which is the strongest area on pretty much any vehicle on the road, and as sound as the theory seems, I don't think I've ever seen a Jeep with "transferred" damage from tube fenders. I'd rock the 1.5" with some 16ga

[benw]

I don't think I've ever seen a Jeep with "transferred" damage from tube fenders. I'd rock the 1.5" with some 16ga

I've seen it a couple times

[79chevy39.5's]

but at that point what wuold it look like with regualr fenders there as well?
my thought would be not good either way, tie some sliders in to it and be good, when do you plan to start putting the real goodys on (i hear romurs of honda d44 ect

[benw]

In my experience stock fenders just buckle instead of pushing in to the tub.

[bobracing]

Pulling the previous "add a leaf" and adding a second main leaf. Thanks WT for the springs. The second main is out of a 4" pack, should be interesting.
The new goal is to lower the Jeep (unlike before) to more or less stock. Hoping for for ~1/2" of lift over stock.

Cutting off the springs eyes.


One spring, with the extra main.


Finished pack, we'll see how well it works. Do like the way the longer 4" spring wrapped nicely around the stock length springs.

[White trash]

Sweet! It's always good to see parts missing from a previously functional vehicle.




Did you figure out if you want those wheels? I'm headed to Prosser to get some parts so I can grab them for you. I'll have a vehicle that can use the wheels you're taking off now.

[bobracing]

Haven't made it that far yet.
Go a head and get them, might as well have something that fits all but one of the rigs rather and a set that doesn't fit anything.

[White trash]

Will do! They hold air too!

[bobracing]

Does this lift make my tires look big?

[Roman]

I spy with my little eye...Are those Tar Baby's(77 Waggy) axles in the background?

What axle you putting in? It looks like a 5x5.5, but with drive flanges...Humm
the Waggy was 6 lug and pass drop, you find a D300?

[bobracing]

Finally collected enough stuff and want a Jeep that can lead, follow, or get out of the way if needed. The white stuff is coming soon too and the poor Azer is just plain tired, besides it's doesn't go down tight trails well.

A shackle reversal along with a HD steering box mount.


Pulling parts. Nuts inside the frame, another bad idea, while pulling the steering box, one broke off. Someone got a great idea to fix this without cutting into the frame?




New SR


Waggy D44 mostly installed.


Think the 37s will fit nicely (36" Buckshot shown).

[bobracing]

I spy with my little eye...Are those Tar Baby's(77 Waggy) axles in the background?

Why, Yes, yes they are.

What axle you putting in? It looks like a 5x5.5, but with drive flanges...Humm
the Waggy was 6 lug and pass drop, you find a D300?

I was wondering if someone would pick that up, should have known. It is a Waggy axle (not Tar Baby's) with 5 lug Ford hubs and rotors, these happen to be for sale too. The axle will be converted back to 6 lug to match the rear Rodeo D44 axle.
And Yes, it is a pass drop, and a D300 is most likely part of the equation.

[Roman]

Ok, so the SRS bracket takes care of the spring perch width problem on YJ's... (I never fixed this on mine, so it EATS spring bushings!)

Why pass drop?
The 300 is fine, but:
-every one I've been around sounds like a rock tumbler
-places the TC shifter away from the driver (try shifting it with your seatbelt on)
-Low range isn't as low as a 231
-would need exhaust reroute


Oh yeah... Isabel (my 4yr old) wanted me to use this little guy!

[Roman]

Looks like the pics of mine when Trashy helped me fit my Waggy front. Used his 38.5 TSL for mock up... Found I had to move the front axle forward to stay out of the back of the wheel well. And that was Shackle front, should be worse with a SRS.

[bobracing]

Ok, so the SRS bracket takes care of the spring perch width problem on YJ's... (I never fixed this on mine, so it EATS spring bushings!)
Yep, needs a 3/8 spacer on the rear shackle, 3/4" difference between YJ and full width.

Why pass drop?
Because that is what I have.
The 300 is fine, but:
-every one I've been around sounds like a rock tumbler
-places the TC shifter away from the driver (try shifting it with your seatbelt on)
We did the re-bearing thing, but the Jeep is loud anyways, we'll see and again, it's what I have.

-Low range isn't as low as a 231
I'll have the 231 low range

-would need exhaust reroute
Exhaust fell off on the Naches trail anyways, it's just patch together right now.

Oh yeah... Isabel (my 4yr old) wanted me to use this little guy!

[bobracing]

Looks like the pics of mine when Trashy helped me fit my Waggy front. Used his 38.5 TSL for mock up... Found I had to move the front axle forward to stay out of the back of the wheel well. And that was Shackle front, should be worse with a SRS.

Yep, am worried about that, but was planning on new fender anyways just not right away. The new fenders will have a little more clearance in the back.