Alright YJ guys where to start ???

[1\4elliptic toy]

My freind has a 92 YJ (and no computer) he's ready to build but don't now where to start, and because all i know is toy stuff i cant be much help to him. So my question is: can you guy's give us say the top 5 things to do to fit 35's be flexy and a dialy driver(except the obvious stuff ie. gears, lockers, etc) it has a lift already it's a 3 1/2 inch of some sort. thanks in advance.

 

[Greg]

1- Do a Springover with some quality 2.5" leafs and a 1" lift Shackle. 35's will fit perfect. You will need a dropped Pitman arm, but the steering in the stock location should clear the Leafs. (Softride leafs = Great ride & flex)

2- Build Triangulated traction bars F & R (Silmilar design to Von's).

3- Run 4.56 gears, if it's a 6 Cyl, 5.13's if its a 4 Cyl. The Dana 30 rear axle won't like 35's and will eventually break a shaft if it's wheeled moderatley hard. You can do a 'Super 30' kit, which contains Shafts the size of Dana 44's and a Detroit or just ditch the whole axle for a 44. The front axle is pretty stout ,comparably.

4- Swaybar Disconnects. If it's driven on the Freeway, Disco's are a must. I got used to running without them, but it freaks out any Passengers that aren't used to 2' of body roll!!

5- Install a Slip Yoke eliminator and have a real rear shaft built. Thats the expensive part.....mabey $5-600?

That should give you a great all-around YJ. I would do the Traction Bar as soon as you do the SOA. I had my YJ SOA'd on stock leafs w/ 33's and it ate up the stock leafs pretty quick. YJ's are easy to get to Flex.

I was running a MORE Extended Shock Hoop on the frontend, so I could fit longer shocks on mine-

 

[sukaB]

My opinion, Come over and look at some of our YJ's
I'll even let you drive one......
There me favorite eehh,specially with coils!

 

[bobdog]

Greg, wouldn't 2and1/2" springs over the axle with a 1" lift on top of that fit way more than 35s? I am sure with a 1" body lift and a little trimming he would be able to run the 35s (or maybe 33s if he wants the drivetrain to live a little longer) drive it for a while save and swap axles at the same time as the spring over or custom coil job. Throw some lockright in for now and run it. If it was mine, a truck 4 speed tranny would be way up there on my list. It would let him get by with the stock axle gears for now until he swaps axles. A gear set for the TC would work also but for just a little more cash he could dump the weak stock tranny (IMHO overdrives are really not needed, my jeep will go 65 with 4.56s and 35"s at a little under 3000rpm). If a engine swap is in the jeeps future consider it when choosing a tranny.

 

[Greg]

My 33's on stock springs rubbed the fenders pretty good. So much that they actually reshaped the fenders! I was going to run a 2" Old Man Emu spring and a small Lift shackle on my YJ when I had it. Those springs are high $$, so a decent 2.5" Softride spring was the next inline.

I think that inorder to get the most use out of a leaf spring, you need a Shackle larger than a stocker. Thats why I suggested a 1" lift, it's not needed, but it's helpful Offroad.

 

[bobdog]

I thought that a SOA would net about 5" with the stock axles(more with bigger tubes) I do not have first hand knoledge yet (however I am in the middle of a SOA conversion on my CJ) but from what I have been reading that combo would be around 8" of lift, and should clear 37s. I have wheeled with many YJs running 3and1/2 to four inch SUA kits with small body lifts and trimmed fenders clearing 35"s

 

[lowe1974]

I have RE 4.5 spring under kit on my Scrambler and yes I do clear 35's but on the trail today I was rubbing both front and back tires when fully flexed. And I have a 1" body lift with no fender trimming.

 

[Greg]

Originally posted by bobdog
I thought that a SOA would net about 5" with the stock axles(more with bigger tubes) I do not have first hand knoledge yet (however I am in the middle of a SOA conversion on my CJ) but from what I have been reading that combo would be around 8" of lift, and should clear 37s. I have wheeled with many YJs running 3and1/2 to four inch SUA kits with small body lifts and trimmed fenders clearing 35"s

Springs in a SOA configuration will be worked hard and tend to settle a bit, especially after some twisting up. I would rather have a slightly Arched Spring, than the flat stockers. Lifted springs will last alot longer, too. I know my SOA on stock leafs settled as much as 2" over about 6 Months of wheelin!!

There is alot of diffrence between CJ and YJ spring packs, too. Your stock CJ packs may not settle nearly as much as YJ's would,

 

[bobdog]

My stock CJ springs were thrown away 15 years ago I was planning on playing around with some YJ springs for a while to see what I come up with. I'm also looking into waggy springs to stretch the jeep out a little.

 

[Hickey]

Yeah Greg, you don't know what you're talkin about! Have you ever owned a Jeep! Man, you Toy guys have the answer for everything!

 

[Hickey]

If you do the SOA with stock springs, at the very least, throw an extra leaf in their. When you first complete it, you'll think "man! there is plenty of room for 35's." then drive it for a week and it will sag, believe me.

 

[Greg]

Originally posted by Jeremy
Yeah Greg, you don't know what you're talkin about! Have you ever owned a Jeep! Man, you Toy guys have the answer for everything!

BahahahahahahahahaHA! Hey, I'm running YJ Leafs on my Toyota, therefore I KNOW ALL concerning JEEPS!!

 

[ewander]

Do a spring over on stock springs, then add TJ fender flares....plenty of room for 35's. I would also go with some greasable shackles, like the boomerangs, or any variant. You really will need to do some thing with the steering, either a drop pitman arm and a drop drag link, or a high steer set up.

Like Greg said, the traction bar is a must, so do it the same time. You really don't want to weld on an axle that you are just going to throw away, so I would throw away the D35 and buy a ford 8.8, weld some perches on and it is a direct bolt on, with disk brakes. You can find lots of them w/ 4.10's and a limited slip. Change the gears in the front to 4.10's and throw some type of locker in and you are set.

Or, if you want to stay with the stock axles, buy my D35, it has 4.88 superior gears and a detroit. I will sell it cheap.

 

[Hickey]

What is the deal with 8.8's? After all, they are C-clip axles. I would go 9 inch before 8.8(yeah, I know,lowpinion, that too is easily overcome)

 

[ewander]

Well, it is simple. They have the same bolt pattern as the front axle, which is already a reverse rotation Dana 30, which technically, with the 297 u-joints is just about as strong as a 44, it has disc brakes, 31 splines.....huge axle shafts and large ring and pinion, and if you stay sprung under, you don't even need to change perches. All in all it is a really strong axle. Yes it has c-clips, but I haven't seen any explode yet, have you? Did I mention that the width is just about perfect?

 

[spencurai]

running the c-clip axle is OK if you are working with disc brakes on the rear end!! the whole disc brake assembly holds the thing together.

the 8.8 is basically fords replacement for the 9 inch. it is strong with big shafts and disc brakes already installed on the 95 and later axles I believe. good stuff!!

 

[bobdog]

What would make me be willing to spend a lot more for a 9" Over the 8.8 is the looks.

 

[bobdog]

Oh ya and the set20 bearings that are a lot better for handleing side loads than the 8.8s. There is also the extra pinion suport, and stronger RandP (I don't know the numbers but they can be a lot stronger if you throw cash at them). You can run 35spline axles and even 40s with a spool. I think the housing would be lighter and would be easier to weld on if you wanted a link setup. Does anyone know if the 8.8 pumkin is nodular iron? I know that for the money you can not touch the 8.8 but bench racing sure is fun. How much are those explorer rears selling for and how hard are they to find?

 

[ewander]

I got mine for $350 from a yard in springville. It was from a 99 explorer with 29K on it.

 

[bobdog]

I do not think you can even put discs on a 9" for that.