Are V8 ZJ front coils on a 4.0L MJ worth the effort??

[XJs4Ever]

Theres good days at the boneyards and theres bad days. Today SUCKED!! Didnt get anything I went for but... I did come home with a set of front coils off a ZJ with the V8 thinking they may be stiffer than the coils on my 6cyl Comanche. Its front lift consists of stock coils and 3.5" of spacers which shove the upper half of the coil so far forward it hits the swaybar links.

 

Does anyone know if these ZJ coils will add any lift to my 4.0L MJ so I can remove some of the spacers and stop the ba-DUNK when the upper end of the swaybar link thumps the coil? They seem pretty thick compared to the OEM's on the truck. Maybe .002-.003" thicker.

[MiNi Beast]

I think, been a while but wanna say should add about an inch or so.

[jtdesigns]

Your crazy!!!! you should have picked up the sway bar too!!!! gezzz... I think the v8 springs will give you the same lift as XJ country whice is around 1" IIRC

[MiNi Beast]

yeah sway bar is a nice upgrade if your into that type of thing, but if you got some brass you'll jack it up to 9" and run no sway bar on the highway, then hydro lock it and be sitting home giving JT a hard time! :rotfl2:

[HOrnbrod]

They will give you 1"-2" lift depending on the condition of existing coils. What sway bar end links are you using Rick? In mid-91 they lengthened them about an 1-1/2". I used these to prevent the sway bar ends bumping my new OME coils.

 

EDIT: And yeah - you should have grabbed the ZJ V8 sway bar.

[mfpdm]

Not to get off the OP's original question but The last time out at the JY there were 5 ZJ's, one V8 and 4 4.0's. I measured the swaybars on all of them and they were all the same. Roughly about an inch if I remember right but none the less all the same. So with that said, what is the diameter of the V8 swaybar from the ZJ and are their certain years to pull from?

 

:cheers:

[JeepcoMJ]

Theres good days at the boneyards and theres bad days. Today SUCKED!! Didnt get anything I went for but... I did come home with a set of front coils off a ZJ with the V8 thinking they may be stiffer than the coils on my 6cyl Comanche. Its front lift consists of stock coils and 3.5" of spacers which shove the upper half of the coil so far forward it hits the swaybar links.

 

Does anyone know if these ZJ coils will add any lift to my 4.0L MJ so I can remove some of the spacers and stop the ba-DUNK when the upper end of the swaybar link thumps the coil? They seem pretty thick compared to the OEM's on the truck. Maybe .002-.003" thicker.

 

 

what shoves the coil farther forward is the lack of proper control arm and axle position.

 

what you running for arms?

[jtdesigns]

Not to get off the OP's original question but The last time out at the JY there were 5 ZJ's, one V8 and 4 4.0's. I measured the swaybars on all of them and they were all the same. Roughly about an inch if I remember right but none the less all the same. So with that said, what is the diameter of the V8 swaybar from the ZJ and are their certain years to pull from?

 

:cheers:

 

From my research the v8 bars are lil under 1 1/8" or 30mm I think.. Don??..

EDIT: Sorry its just a tad over 1" and 27mm

here's a write-up by goblazers_6

http://comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=11980

[HOrnbrod]

Not to get off the OP's original question but The last time out at the JY there were 5 ZJ's, one V8 and 4 4.0's. I measured the swaybars on all of them and they were all the same. Roughly about an inch if I remember right but none the less all the same. So with that said, what is the diameter of the V8 swaybar from the ZJ and are their certain years to pull from? :cheers:

 

I ordered a surplus 97 V8 ZJ bar from Tapco International during one of their clearance sales on Ebay a couple of years ago. It was a NOS Mopar part, and it was about $25 including shipping from FL. I had no idea what the diameter was when I ordered. I miked it when it came in; it was 1.25" in diameter, much beefier than my 7/8" OEM bar. The part number tag is still on it; I'll take a peek and see what else it fits tomorrow. :D

[WahooSteeler]

Tomorrow? Tomorrow?!! As Buford T. said when Junior said he wanted an order of hushpuppies...."we ain't got time for that crap!" Take your damn smoking jacket and silk slippers off and get out there with a flashlight and get us the info. :yes:

 

By the way Rick, good to see you've had a chance to get out of the house, I hope the Mrs.' recovery is still coming along well.

 

Anyhoo.....mjeff87 hooked me up with a set of ZJ coils and 1.75" pucks, I'm guessing I got around 3/4-1" max out of the coils. No idea how many miles were on them, but I'm sure they had some sag. I've always heard 1"+ can be expected with a low mileage set. I've been in a quandry lately trying to decide what to do being that I'd really prefer to have @3.5" up front. The decision being, I like having the ZJ coils up front as a logical match to my MT springs on the rear as far as hauling heavy loads, but I picked up a set of RC 3" coils for cheap and could put those in with some .75" coils and probably be right at my desired height assuming a little sag in the RC's. I guess I could get some 2.5-3" pucks and keep the ZJ coils, but I dunno, just something about 90% of my lift coming from pucks that bothers me. I think it's because they don't allow me to grunt enough when I tell someone my specs. :dunno: :shake:

[james750]

They will add ~2" of lift to a 4.0. BUT, I was at the UPAP at 66th and Broadway today and there is an XJ there with 4.5" RE coils in it that may be worth more of an effort :brows: . I didn't pull them because I didn't have the tools and I already have those exact coils in my truck right now. Its on an XJ in the very first row. I have loved the way mine ride since I put them in about a month ago. :cheers:

[mfpdm]

They will add ~2" of lift to a 4.0. BUT, I was at the UPAP at 66th and Broadway today and there is an XJ there with 4.5" RE coils in it that may be worth more of an effort :brows: . I didn't pull them because I didn't have the tools and I already have those exact coils in my truck right now. Its on an XJ in the very first row. I have loved the way mine ride since I put them in about a month ago. :cheers:

 

Tools or not, I would have chewed the bolts off to pull a set of RE coils out of the JY. I find lots of stuff but never the high dollar RE stuff.

 

Well if I'm remembering right the measurements on the ones I saw was a tad bit under an inch so that would match the 4.0 swaybar. I wonder why the V8 had the smaller one?

[Eagle]

ZJ V8 coils add 1" to a stock XJ or MJ. A long time ago I verified with the parts guru at my dealership that the 2000 XJ Up Country coils are the same part number as stock ZJ V8 front coils. And the Up Country option in an XJ rides 1" higher than stock.

[johnnyc]

All depends on the age and condition of the coils. The V8 ZJ coils I had only gave me half an inch. :(

[HOrnbrod]

:agree: It does depend on the condition of the coils you are replacing and the vehicle. I first put on ZJ V8 coils on before the OME coils and got almost 2", more like 1-3/4". 'Course this was with a 2WD.

[HOrnbrod]

I ordered a surplus 97 V8 ZJ bar from Tapco International during one of their clearance sales on Ebay a couple of years ago. It was a NOS Mopar part, and it was about $25 including shipping from FL. I had no idea what the diameter was when I ordered. I miked it when it came in; it was 1.25" in diameter, much beefier than my 7/8" OEM bar. The part number tag is still on it; I'll take a peek and see what else it fits tomorrow. :D

 

Part number 52005233. 1.125" diameter.

[XJs4Ever]

66th and Bdwy eh? May hafta go there. I didnt know about all the ZJ stuff fit the XJs MJs so I will return [after seeing if I can find those RE coils] and do some measuring and grab any/all parts that will strengthen that front end.

Got a ZJ pitman arm in the attic I have had for several years just never put on.

 

thanks 4 the info!!

[HOrnbrod]

Hey Rick;

 

The 93-98 ZJ (all) power steering pumps bolt on too, just reuse your MJ pitman arm. It's a lower turning ratio than our boxes (12.7:1 vs. 14.1:1) and feels much tighter and quicker.

[phenryiv1]

Another option is to grab a set of Up-Country coils from a ZJ V8. I got a set of them (new) and they look WAY beefier and WAY taller than regular V8 ZJ coils.

[jtdesigns]

Hey Rick;

 

The 93-98 ZJ (all) power steering pumps bolt on too, just reuse your MJ pitman arm. It's a lower turning ratio than our boxes (12.7:1 vs. 14.1:1) and feels much tighter and quicker.

Boxes, or pumps??

[HOrnbrod]

Ooops, I meant steering gear boxes. :nuts: BUT I also have a 01 WJ pump on mine since I changed intake manifolds. Point is, lots of ZJ and WJ/TJ stuff will swap into MJs, like the WJ LCAs, ZJ tierod, etc. etc. Someone should start a thread about this. :D

[WahooSteeler]

Since the thread has digressed and to your last points Don, what about trackbars? I have started looking for one and there is one on jeepforum for a wrangler with 3-6" of lift, i.e. an adjustable one. will a wrangler spec'd trackbar fit my rig?

[HOrnbrod]

Depends

Since the thread has digressed and to your last points Don, what about trackbars? I have started looking for one and there is one on jeepforum for a wrangler with 3-6" of lift, i.e. an adjustable one. will a wrangler spec'd trackbar fit my rig?

 

Depends on the manufacturer. I have a Teraflex adj. track bar that also fits the TJs and ZJs. The RE1600 track bar also fits all the above. But one of them (I forget the mfg.) wouldn't work on both a TJ and XJ/MJ/ZJ because it hit the front diff cover. But I think that issue has been addressed now.

[WahooSteeler]

Rough Country

[XJs4Ever]

Hey Rick;

 

The 93-98 ZJ (all) power steering pumps bolt on too, just reuse your MJ pitman arm. It's a lower turning ratio than our boxes (12.7:1 vs. 14.1:1) and feels much tighter and quicker.

unreal.

 

I see a whole buncha summer projects looming in the distance! :wrench:

 

I thot I knew alot about these Heeps, but you guys? - GEEZUS!