need to know how to xj rear coil conversion

[honda069]

I have a 2000 cherokee, I want to do a rear coil conversion, its too expensive to buy the kit, any one have tips on doing it yourself, im also looking to do a stering upgrade, which kit it the best upgrade

 

[grandmaster]

Get online and look at claytons coil conversion and then make/buy everything you need to be able to do the swap. I bought all my brackets (for my grand when I did my axle swap) from www.ballisticfabrication.com. They will sell basically everything you need I would think. I like them and I think thye have good customer service, but a lot of people dont

 

[honda069]

grandmaster did you do the welding yourself

 

[STAG]

FTL-
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Claytons Offroad

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My old XJ

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WarHog38's XJ

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As far as tips. The best thing you can do for doing a rear coil install is to have the spring rate compatible with the front spring rate (stiffness). When I first built my first rig (the middle, red XJ) the front coils were brand new and were very stiff and so the front didn't want to flex at first because my rear coils were so "soft" in comparison to the front.

-Components I used-
Rusty's Offroad 8.5"/9" lift coils for the front (180 lb spring rate)
3" XJ front coils for the rear (150 lb spring rate)
Fullsize axles
37" Tires

-What would I have done different?-
When I built this rig I had done absolutely zero hours of research. I used Heim Joints and Threaded Tube Inserts from Best Deal Spring (in Payson.) These were absolutely too small and weak. Granted yes they did utilize a 3/4" bolt and thats what sold me when I bought them. The price for the Heim Joints were $21 a peice, and the threaded tube inserts were $12. And I needed eight of each so that cost me $264. Now at the time, I had only heard of Heim Joints, and a unknown brand of Johnny Joints (which they cost $75 a peice, so they were out of the question.) If I would have done some more research I would have found Summit Machine tube ends. These things are top quality, and are much much beefier than the heim joints. Not to mention that they are manufactured right here in Utah! My frame tie in points for my control arms were NOT anything to be proud of, so I don't brag about them, again if I would have researched I would have found how to do it right.

-What should you do?-
By now you probably know that while at full flex in the unibody XJ, it may be difficult to open your doors, and maybe even impossible to shut them completely. By swapping the rear leaf springs for coils this ELIMINATED this problem with my XJ entirely, my doors all opened and shut just fine even at full flex. This means that the coils are producing less torque on the unibody. Even with this in mind, I would strongly consider utilizing XJ frame stiffeners, that you weld along the section of unibody in between the axles. This will help ensure that your unibody stays in one straight piece, and not a crumpled, cracking mess. Swapping over to coils you will most likely want to swap the front to a long arm design. Copying the Rusty's Offroad "Radius Arm" longarm design works very well, and is argueably the easiest long arm design to do to the front of an XJ. For the rear you have a little bit more room and options to consider, and a triangulated 4 link may be your best bet. Read up on 4 link designs and how to do them correctly. Use DOM for your link materials.

-Links-

Control Arm Ends
http://www.summitmachine.com/index.php?p=customParts&cp=fj
http://www.summitmachine.com/index.php?p=customParts&cp=jj

A very well built XJ w/rear coilovers
http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/reader-rigs/BadgersXJ
Even more specifically- The rear coilover swap build pictures
http://www.jeeps-offroad.com/reader-rigs/album59

Universal Rear Axle Truss- RuffStuffSpecialties
http://www.ruffstuffspecialties.com/catalog/heavy-weight-truss-p-118.html
Or if you want to go another step up in quality, the D35 BlueTorchFab Truss/DiffCover
http://bluetorchfab.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=47&products_id=164

Ballistic Fabrication- Coil Spring specific tabs
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Coil-suspension-parts_c_32.html

If I can think-of/find more links that will help you I will post them. Absolutely #1 thing to remember, Build it Right, Build it once, and build it with the safety of your passengers in mind. Unfortunately, I didn't follow that, and tried to build my rig on the cheap. Luckily, noone ever got hurt, however I chose to retire that rig, and am currently building one the right way. And absolutely, if you ever have any questions or are stumped about how to do a certain thing, ask on here. The only stupid question is the one that was never asked. Hope I helped!

 

[Badger]

I have a rear crossmember and the links from when I had my 4 linked XJ and they are for sale. You would just have to come up with coil buckets and link tabs for the axle.

(belly skid was from the front crossmember)

It bolts right up and will fully wrap the frame rails and could be welded up with frame stiffeners. It will self locate as well. simple but it up to the front spring hanger.

Mind you I had coil overs but it would not be hard to make coil buckets for it or buy them and just weld them on. I think my jeeps only draw back was that I went radius arm up from instead of a parallel 4 link with track bar.

 

[STAG]

If you want some more variety of control arm ends, here are some more links.

Rusty's Offroad Forged 2" Flex End
http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/mercha...ustys&Product_Code=RC-SI211&Category_Code=cus

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A slightly more expensive alternative, but a good quality one-
Rubicon Express Control Arm Ends
http://www.rubiconexpress.com/BuilderParts/Product.aspx?part=RE3769

To be used in conjuction with
http://www.rubiconexpress.com/BuilderParts/Product.aspx?part=RM12060

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Or a slightly cheaper Rubicon Express part than the one above, but slightly harder to work with as far as initial fabrication goes.
Weld on Control arm ends
http://www.rubiconexpress.com/BuilderParts/Product.aspx?part=RE3794
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Or you can go with what I'm using on my build-
Ballistic Fabrication control arm ends
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Ballistic-Joints_c_12.html

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Maybe the easiest option of mounting the coils to the frame-

http://bluetorchfab.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=8_96&products_id=130

(If using those, I would reccomend fabricating a "bolt on" peice that will eliminate welding the upper spring perch to the unibody (if confused pm me and I will explain a little more in detail about what I mean))


Oh and p.s. almost forgot. I highly reccomend keeping the use of a swaybar in the rear when switching to coils. A ROLL CAGE IS EXTREMELY ADVISED TO INSTALL

 

[STAG]

I have a rear crossmember and the links from when I had my 4 linked XJ and they are for sale. You would just have to come up with coil buckets and link tabs for the axle.

It bolts right up and will fully wrap the frame rails and could be welded up with frame stiffeners. It will self locate as well. simple but it up to the front spring hanger.

Mind you I had coil overs but it would not be hard to make coil buckets for it or buy them and just weld them on. I think my jeeps only draw back was that I went radius arm up from instead of a parallel 4 link with track bar.

Ha hello there Badger.. (haha I posted a link to your build thread up there lol) Hey I wanted to ask you, how did your xj track down the road at higher speeds? Iirc you didn't use a swaybar correct? *edit* oh, and p.s. I kinda owe it all to you about me doing research on the right ways to do things, granted yes I still have a lot to learn, but I have come a long way from that mess of my red xj. So thanks

 

[Badger]

I never really drove it on the road much. When I did it had no problems going down the road. Now bombing around the West Desert I can say it did just fine at high speeds. I didn't have a rear swaybar but I did mount a set of air bumps in the rear and they rested on the axle at ride height. They had under what I had for up travel set on my coil overs, 4" air bumps with 4 1/2"~5" on the coil overs this protected my coil overs from over compressing and the air bumps kind of acted as a sway bar in that they added extra resistance to body roll in cornering.

Oh and I learned a thing or two because of this. Do not use plastic as a contact point for air bumps. It's great at first makes them quite but they will start to make a groove and then they will start to bind and actually hurt the air bump. It will cause a side load on the piston which in turn scores the inner wall causing them to leak.

 

[Badger]

I by no means had the perfect set up. I believe to have the perfect set up you have to bring the upper through the floor like RockMonkey did. We are not all willing to give up the floor space or cut holes through the floor to make it happen. I was willing to give up some clearance to save my floor.

Follow along as RockyMonkey builds a very clean and well built Cherokee

 

[grandmaster]

grandmaster did you do the welding yourself

I did all the welding axle side myself, everything frame side (stiffners and the 2 upper brackets) I had another guy do because the unibody is such thin metal. Keep in mind I did not do the conversion as mine already had coils.

If you want some more variety of control arm ends, here are some more links.

Rusty's Offroad Forged 2" Flex End
http://rustysoffroad.com/mm5/mercha...ustys&Product_Code=RC-SI211&Category_Code=cus

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A slightly more expensive alternative, but a good quality one-
Rubicon Express Control Arm Ends
http://www.rubiconexpress.com/BuilderParts/Product.aspx?part=RE3769

To be used in conjuction with
http://www.rubiconexpress.com/BuilderParts/Product.aspx?part=RM12060

l
l
l
Or a slightly cheaper Rubicon Express part than the one above, but slightly harder to work with as far as initial fabrication goes.
Weld on Control arm ends
http://www.rubiconexpress.com/BuilderParts/Product.aspx?part=RE3794
l
l
l
Or you can go with what I'm using on my build-
Ballistic Fabrication control arm ends
http://www.ballisticfabrication.com/Ballistic-Joints_c_12.html

l
l
l
Maybe the easiest option of mounting the coils to the frame-

http://bluetorchfab.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=8_96&products_id=130

(If using those, I would reccomend fabricating a "bolt on" peice that will eliminate welding the upper spring perch to the unibody (if confused pm me and I will explain a little more in detail about what I mean))


Oh and p.s. almost forgot. I highly reccomend keeping the use of a swaybar in the rear when switching to coils. A ROLL CAGE IS EXTREMELY ADVISED TO INSTALL

The picture of the coil buckets that blue torch fab has are the exact ones I used, they are just from ballistic fab and they were like 14 bucks or something. I still have the upper retainers if you end up looking for some because I didn't use them. As far as the swaybar goes I no longer have mine because it was broken when I bought the vehicle so I just trashed it. I have some body roll on the street but when wheeling it does just fine....then again my rig does weigh quite a bit more then yours.