BrettM

I hadn't decided... I was thinking about just using the stock switch, I had also thought of using an on/off pushbutton right next to them, and I also thought of doing both... we'll see...

mid 90s dakota line was the only one I ever needed, even at 8" of lift EDIT: I totally missed the word "front" when I first read this, the Dakota line is for the rear.

it's a common thing with the 4.0, called blow-by. do some searching here, google, and some other Jeep boards and you will find lots of ways to help prevent it. You may just need to clean or replace the hose assembly that goes from the back of the valve cover to the manifold. If it's really bad, build a catch can that the oil dumps into, with a little air-filter above the oil level.

I'm not sure where I'll mount them yet, or even how bright they are, but I just ordered 2 of these: LED liscense plate lights, $5.50 each http://delcity.net/delcity/servlet/cata ... 395&page=1

from what I've heard the 2.5 only gets 1 or 2 mpg better than the 4.0. It's not too hard to get low or even mid 20s highway driving with the 4.0

because they know they won't misspell "pickup"

aluminum and rivets?

so when you replace that much, how do you paint the underside of the new metal that is inside the frame rail?

it could be SOOO much simpler if you don't want the brake over-ride. just use an on/off pushbutton and you don't need any relays, rather than 9.

does anyone have pictures of these? how far underneath do they go?

if you're keeping the D30, just build longarms ar get RE drop brackets. I went to front leafs because I was going to a D44 and didn't want to mess with the bracketry on the axle. A 3.5" YJ leaf SOA gives about 7 inches, so to get 6 inches SUA would require about an 8" YJ spring, which I don't think exists. A 4 inch Waggy spring might get you close... but again, keep it coils if you're keeping it D30.

airsoft pellets work great and are really cheap. that site you linked has a good chart to get an idea of how much weight per tire.

reinforce them. I've seen the Chevy drop shackles (which are similar) collapse into a Z shape.

A left hand tap will be expensive, like $80. And the odd size tube will be expensive also. These guys will make you some nice tapped steering linkages for a reasonable price: www.WFOconcepts.com

spring overs can give so many different lift heights, there's only one way to know for sure; measure:

It'll look fine, especially if you leave the flares on. here's mine with 6" SOA, 33s, and flares gone:

for 8" go spring over and do a little junkyard mix'n'matching with the leafs. mine about 8":

why would you look for a D80? there's no way you're gonna break a D70 or 14bolt with that size tire and drivetrain. also, 70s F250 fronts are already fullsize and 8 lug, and often very cheap. It would be a cheaper solution with better steering by not having the increased scrub radius of wheel spacers.

...must be received by March 31st, 1988... doh!

you likely won't get a 60" to fit. I need a 60" with my amount of lift and suspension travel. I welded some little risers at the back of my bed with bolts sticking up, then I used fender washers and wingnuts to clamp it down. I also used swaybar bushings to keep it from rattling.

if you simply want more flex, get some revolvers. but if you want the best off-road ability, keep the leafs with a regular shackle. OR spend about 100 hours reading up on link suspension design, then another 100 hours building and tuning it (not to mention $1000+ if you're talking about coilovers).

It's a PITA project, and you aren't complaining much (at all?) about leafs, so keep them.

mine does great on the street, there's absolutely no reason a good link/coil suspension would not perform well, think of a TJ. with my coils and shocks both mounted as wide as possible and a very high roll-center it doesn't need a swaybar at all either. one thing to consider is that coils are generally not as good for varying loads like if you often change from having a couple hundred pounds in the bed to nothing. in that instance something more adjustable like airbags would be ideal. however, it is quite an undertaking, and unless you have serious complaints with the leafs I would highly recommend to stick with them. for me, I had hacked my MJ up so much that the back end was so light that I could not build a custom leaf pack that would flex well and still be stiff enough to resist axle wrap. building a traction bar would have been the easier solution, but I saw other benefits like dropping some more weight and wheelbase.

I built a 3 link on mine leaving the gas tank in the factory location. I also managed to take 6 inches out of the wheelbase leaving just a tiny bit of room between the axle and tank on compression. I chopped a lot of frame to get the coils where I wanted them. For coilovers, you will probably need a sway-bar if you run them inside the frame.

The AW4s from 87-96 are all plug'n'play as far as electronics, but they changed from 21 spline to 23 spline in 91.