Easiest way to shorten a LB wheelbase?

[BARILLMS]

I have an 88 long bed, and it's going to be an off road only Jeep.

I'd like to make the wheelbase shorter.

Thinking of using stock YJ springs out back, and using a goofey leaf.. or sometimes called a "buggy leaf" for added droop.

I'll be spung over, keeping the stock front leaf hanger, and moving the rear leaf mounting location forward.. then whacking the frame off in the very back?

Any ideas, suggestions, helpful hints?

[BrettM]

shortening the wheelbase by just using a shorter leaf will only get you a couple inches, and at the expense of having a leaf pack that won't flex as well. It will work, but moving the front hangar would be a better solution.

 

are you going to ditch the bed?

 

your gas tank may need moving, depending on how much you take the wheelbase down.

 

I shortened my shortbed 6 inches in the rear (and added 2 up front) to get 109" overall and it's great.

 

http://lh3.google.com/llewxamtterb/RS19 ... 010142.JPG

[BARILLMS]

Well, my initial plan was to ditch the bed, but I'd like to keep somthing back there for storage and a cooler.

I'm only looking to shorten the wheelbase about 6 inches.

 

So then, do you recommend moving the entire rear end forward using stock XJ springs, sprung over?

I checked out the gas tank, it's in the way where the shocks will need to mount.

 

How would I mount the front hangers? The frame is angled futher forward?

That link you posted didnt' work for me.

THANKS!

[Pete M]

The easiest way is to just go buy a shortbed MJ and use it. You'll instantly lose 6" of wheelbase and 6" of rear overhang.

The second easiest is to dump the bed entirely and build a tube frame from scratch. You can build a flatbed on top of it to your exact specifications.

[feerocknok]

Shorter springs, in general, don't flex as well as longer springs, so if you're building it to wheel, that probably isn't the best route.

 

As well, moving the axle too far forward won't allow you as much up travel, because your axle will hit the arch in your frame instead of having all that room it did where the axle was.

 

Your best two options, IMO, are tube the rear, or find a SWB.

[Eagle]

The easiest way is to just go buy a shortbed MJ and use it. You'll instantly lose 6" of wheelbase and 6" of rear overhang.

The second easiest is to dump the bed entirely and build a tube frame from scratch. You can build a flatbed on top of it to your exact specifications.

Pete beat me to it. The easiest route by far would be to get a short wheelbase MJ and build that.

[BARILLMS]

Sorry, too late for that guys!

[jage]

From my rough measurements my 8" XJ springs will only move the axle forward about an inch on a short wheelbase MJ... anyone have an XJ they can check stock sitting flat and get some real numbers in the books?

 

The easiest thing is probably to accept that you're wheeling a long bed and just go wheel it.

 

However, I would think if you can build buggy springs, why not? Move the front perch and build buggy springs, where you lose in up travel from the frame hump you gain in buggy-spring droop. But I don't know anything about buggy springin, and I'm all for you just trying whatever to let us know how it went so take it with a grain of salt. :nuts:

[Oizarod115]

From my rough measurements my 8" XJ springs will only move the axle forward about an inch on a short wheelbase MJ... anyone have an XJ they can check stock sitting flat and get some real numbers in the books?

 

what measurement do you want... I'm not following you.

 

we've got a perfectly stock height XJ in the drive though. lemme know and ill go check.

[jage]

I measured from the front spring hanger bolt on the MJ to the axle horizontally and then from the front spring bolt on the 8" XJ spring where the axle would sit to see how changing the spring to an XJ would affect my axle location... so I thought it might help BARILLMS to know the distance between an XJ front hanger bolt and the axle (center of tube maybe?) so that he could figure out how much stock XJ springs would move the axle forward.

 

My measurments really aren't valid because I measured one spring loose and one spring on the MJ. I'd be curious what the measured difference in axle location actually is.

 

Hope that makes more sense this time...

[Oizarod115]

gotcha. measure horizontally to directly above the centerpin on the springs from the bolt. ill do it tomarrow after school.. to cold to right now.

[BrettM]

any shortening done purely with a shorter leaf spring is a waste of time and money, IMO. if you go with an XJ spring you only loose about an inch, which you will never notice offroad. if you go with a much shorter spring you will loose a lot of flex. all this, and you still need to do something about the bed.

 

I really only see 3 reasonable options;

1) leave it long and have fun

2) buy a shortbed

3) ditch the bed, chop the frame, and start from scratch. you might as well build a 3 or 4 link at this point also.

[DirtyComanche]

Well, can he not move the spring hangers forewards? Then, run buggy shackles with a shorter spring to help departure? Yes, there is evil there...

 

 

 

I have no idea what went on in this post so far, so if you read this and think "That guy needs to lay off the cheeba" it's becuase I'm lazy, not stoned.

[BARILLMS]

I don't know what to do? I'll post again when I get to that point.

[pingpong]

Here is how I shortened my LWB MJ down

 

[feerocknok]

Here is how I shortened my LWB MJ down

 

 

Don't mean to threadjack, but maybe just a temp jack.

Are those the Alcans on there? And are you linking it, since you're getting rid of em? Also didn't realize you had a fuel cell. I like.

[jeepaholic]

who needs flex and articulation?? :nuts: All ya need is the stupid pedal on the right and MASH IT :driving: Yeah ya gonna break stuff now and then but who don't.

[DirtyComanche]

You forgot an important part. You have to saw the steering wheel back and forth while you hold the right pedal to the floor.

[BARILLMS]

Yea, good stuff. That would be a heavenly dream if I could pull somehting like that off... but hey, I'm in no hurry!

Good work. I think I might just go that route.

What size/type of tubing did you use?

Damn... I would have used XJ Leafs to get a better departure angle.

Anyhoo, awesome rig!

[BrettM]

Yea, good stuff. That would be a heavenly dream if I could pull somehting like that off... but hey, I'm in no hurry!

Good work. I think I might just go that route.

What size/type of tubing did you use?

Damn... I would have used XJ Leafs to get a better departure angle.

Anyhoo, awesome rig!

 

did you say "departure angle"? :chillin:

 

[BARILLMS]

We're not bragging here.

[JOMJ87]

Yea, good stuff. That would be a heavenly dream if I could pull somehting like that off... but hey, I'm in no hurry!

Good work. I think I might just go that route.

What size/type of tubing did you use?

Damn... I would have used XJ Leafs to get a better departure angle.

Anyhoo, awesome rig!

 

did you say "departure angle"? :chillin:

 

 

Hey Brett Is that plexi glass for your doors??? I made some tube doors for mine but I want to cut down on the mud and crap slung up on my hip when driving on the road. I didnt want to use sheet metal cause it would kill some of the visibility of the doors. Anyway we can get back on topic now.

 

My vote is for A truggy. I love them and would like to do it to mine but haveing the truck 6 years just don't allow me to have the heart to do it with THIS one maybe one day.

 

Cole

[BrettM]

it's 1/8" lexan

[JOMJ87]

How does it do as far as being able to see thru it when wheeling. Sorry for the Jack.

 

Cole

[BrettM]

How does it do as far as being able to see thru it when wheeling. Sorry for the Jack.

 

Cole

 

it might be useful for that on the passenger side, but on the driver's side it's pointless for that aspect. i just had it lying around so I used it.