Comanche front lift options

[OffRoadOhio]

Going Sunday to check out an 88 MJ, and 88 XJ (rolled, for parts)

Both have 4.0 with 5speed.

Hope to bring them both home if they meet my exspectations.... ( if the MJ fires up and runs good, and is semi rustfree, they probably will)

 

Not sure if the MJ has a 44 or 35... cuase I dunno much about the mj options (if some one knows that an 88 only has one or the other let me know (or the 8.25....), not sure about the xj either... but anyhow, the rear will go SOA... and if the mj doesnt have a 44( or the cherokee doesnt have one that I can steal), I plan to simply swap the 7.5 ford axle I have with 4.10's and welded carrier from my BII. Now I know its not an 8.8 but, its already "setup" and I've beat on it HARD for two years with no problem at all, so I trust it. (did I mention I already have it so no money than a soa conversion is invovled?) If it has a 44, I'll of course go get 4.10's and keep it in there but still do the soa. Also since the front axle i was working on putting in the BII is a cherokee axle with 4.10's and locker, I'll just go ahead and swap it in aswell (so I don't have to resetup the gears) and keep the other for spare parts... both are 260 jointed with CAD.

 

I'm assuming I'll gain between 4-5 inches in the rear with a soa... based on the g/f's Cherokee (and a post I just read)..... But not sure what to do about the front.

 

Anyone know how high I can lift it, either via coils or spacers before I need to start worring about the tracbar, lower links and drag link? I've found lifts from 1inch up that includes the stuff to move everything...etc, and then i've seen 4inch kits that don't include any, nor mentoin things needed relocated,replaced, so I'm really not sure) And would one recomend a lift coil or a spacer (above the spring) to do the job? I've always delt with leaf springs (cj5.... kinda) and my BII wasnt lifted other than the old style cram between the coil spacer... so I have no experiance in that department.... I'd really like to have it ridin level but if I have to get into relocating things to do so a little lean never hurt no one.... I need the cheapest most reliable rig I can find.

 

found up to 3inch spacers on the net, but where do I look for coils?

 

sorry for the newbie type questions but I'm all knew to coil sprung jeeps.

[whowey]

Okay, lets kinda unwind this.

 

First, the MJ will have either a D-44, or D-35(non C-clip). The D-44 would be under a Metric Ton MJ, or it is a swap job.

 

The XJ should have a D-35 Non C-clip, There are rumors of some D-44's in the factory towing package, but all of the ones I have seen had the large brake drums with D-35's.

 

First, don't get coils spacers larger than 2", the lateral forces on them are way too scary to go higher on a piece of Polyurethane. 3" is where you start having to replace front end parts.

 

To address the track bar, you can get a relocation bracket, a longer bar, or an adjustable bar. If you expect to devolp a case of 'inchitis' get the adjustable bar.

 

Lower links, I'm guessing you mean sway bar links. You can purchase longer ones.

 

Steering gear, there are a few different setups you can go with. You can use a drop pitman arm, or longer draglink, or a steering relocation setup.

 

Don't forget the brake lines. Stock YJ lines are the same fittings but a couple of inches longer than XJ/MJ lines.

 

Above 3" you have to address the Control Arms. The angle of the pinion starts to get more severe.

[OffRoadOhio]

By links I meant control arms.... I link of it as a four link suspension since I'm not exacly jeep familar. If I go above 3 up front, does it matter which set of arms I change.... I'd assume the lowers would need longer, or the top shorter to keep the correct angles... ???

 

If 3 is about max for the control arms, is that max for stock steering/tracbar... or will things need changed to go that high?

[whowey]

You've got it right. Change the lowers to keep your pinion and steering gear angle(forgot to add that earlier).

 

At 3" you would be at the extreme max of the trackbar. Realistically, even at 3" a change is warranted to maintain correct axle alignment. In the MJ, the trackbar keeps the front axle centered under the front end.

[Eagle]

A 4" lift shifts the front axle about 5/8 to 3/4 of an inch toward the driver's side. Every inch beyond 4" makes the shift exponentailly greater because of the angles involved. At 6" you'll be off by probably about an inch and a half.

[OffRoadOhio]

So being an offroad only ri,g the solution would be remove the sway bar completely, add adjustable control arms... (or a long arm kit) and get an adjustable, or fixed trackbar the correct length......sounds like a visit to my buddies machine shop will be in order......

[whowey]

First, remember I am a long time car head, and I don't always do things that are completely safe.

 

My trail rig/part-time road rig has no swaybar. About 3 months of fighting swaybar links on and off, I couldn't take it anymore. I tore the swaybar off and threw it into the junkpile.

 

Now this rig has racked up a total of 750 miles in the last two years. Normally if I drive it, its a 14 mile round trip to work on country roads taking my sweet time. I drive slowly on the road, where I can't control the behavior of the idiots. I do not go on the interstate with it.

[pingpong]

I strongly suggest running a sway bar. Otherwise, especially if you have a lot of lift, you street driving will be nuts. Way to much flex for "safe" driving. Also some states check that stuff for inspection.

 

 

 

Patrick

[OffRoadOhio]

If I soa, will I need a SYE?

 

Being a trail only rig, and trying to be CHEAP, would a simple 2inch front spacer, with cut fenders allow fitment of 33's, and a simple longer shackle out back keeping the sua, and sacrificing a little ground clearance work?

[DirtyComanche]

Regarding the SYE for SOA, I'd give you a strong 'perhaps'.

 

Try without one at first. Steal the slipyoke off a YJ (it allows greater angles) and use your stock shaft. Depending how much droop you have the slipyoke might pull out of the tcase, so watch out for that. If you swap in a different rear with a slightly longer pinon, or find a driveshaft 1-2" longer that might work well. However, you'll still have the weak sauce stock rear output shaft and if you lose/break your driveshaft you'll lose all your tcase fluid.

 

If you're cheap, get a RE hack'n'tap. Then go look up the spicer part that adapts the useless RE flange to a 1310 Ujoint and get a front driveshaft from a blazer/bronco/fullsize truck from a junkyard. If you get lucky, something will be the right length. If not, you'll have to shorten it. If you're really cheap and still have a working CAD axle and an open front diff, you can skip balancing the front dshaft. Or you can even use square ones! Oh, that's just exciting to think about.

 

 

Personally, I have a AA HD SYE and a Tom Woods Dsaft. Money, well spent?

 

 

Edit: Go more than 2". You can do 3.5"-4"ish cheaply.

[OffRoadOhio]

I have a bunch of driveshafts, and can balance them no problem (friends in the machining trade) I'll be locked alround... its not that I'm cheap, its just right now I have more important things than a wheeling rig to blow cash on ,when I can build it cheap and pretty functional.

 

Could always swap my 300 ford, with c4 and dana20 twinstick in :)

[pingpong]

The YJ yoke is not signifigantly longer, like 1/2 an inch, or at least that is what I have found. What they do allow is more u-joint travel before binding.

 

AS for the sye with the Soa. I have a street mj without a sye, and it is fine for street driving, but I would not chance it on the trail. You could have your driveshaft lenghthened, not what I would do, I would just have it retubed, Retubing is about 125, if done by a drive shaft shop. while you are at it, have them step up the tube thickness, and diameter.

 

 

As for the square shafts, we have a guy building himself some, so... they might be in a bungh of the guys in the club I belong to wheeling them.

 

 

 

Patrick

[OffRoadOhio]

I'd just find a longer driveshaft and shorten it myself.... as long as the diameter is the same I can redo it all

[DirtyComanche]

I'm kinda wondering why I started talking about front driveshafts. You wanted rear.

 

 

I think I just got excited thinking about square ones and forgot to think.

[OffRoadOhio]

I know guys running squares front and rear (trail only)

[mjeff87]

The YJ yoke is not signifigantly longer, like 1/2 an inch, or at least that is what I have found. What they do allow is more u-joint travel before binding.

Patrick

 

Here's a pic to illustrate the point (YJ on left, XJ/MJ on right). Length difference is barely noticeable, but you can see the space inside the yoke ears between the two. (sorry about the crappy pic....I was just learning how to work a dig cam then :lol: )

Jeff

Image Not Found

[pingpong]

Some yj's also use the bigger 1350 u-joint, so keep that in mind as well. For what it is worth, a stock LWB MJ will require approximately a 531/2" CV driveshaft. When I got mine it was 350 shipped just to give you a heads up.

 

 

 

Patrick