Soa Questions

[dhisso]

Hey everyone I have a few questions about a soa on my comanche. I've been getting ready to do a 4wheel drive swap on the truck, but I have the 4speed with the 2.5 and that means 3.55 gearing. I'm trying to find a 5speed transmission and eventually will swap in a 8.8 with 4.10s and disks. Now I only want to run max of a 32 or a 33x10.50 and I only want about 3 in of lift. I know that a normal soa will net around 4.5- 5.5 inches of lift. How can I get around 3in of lift with an soa?

[xjustinx]

You pretty much can't get 3 inches, just from the fact that going from under to over nets the width if the axle and perch. I bought my comanche SOA and it was at about 4.5 with worn out 2wd leafs and no overload spring. I got a nice set of 2wd leafs out of the JY that have overload springs and now the truck sits at about 7 inches of lift.

[Geonovast]

You're going to be much better off lifting it 3" and keeping it SUA.  It might be possible to get only 3" with SOA, but it would take some doing and the ride quality would be terrible.

[skidoo_j]

I think it was dakar who had a custom set of rear leafs made that were to net him 4" of lift running soa.   You just have to get much flatter springs.   But if you're wanting only 3" of lift you may as well get a set of springs that are a 3" lift and stay sua.  

[mnkyboy]

Problem is you have to add the diameter of the axle plus the leaf pack and both the old and new perches so no matter how you do it best case you will get 5" of lift from were you started, depending on what axle, perches and leaf pack thickness it could be a little more.

 

So to get 3" you would need to figure out how to lower the truck 2-2.5 inches after the SOA, this is possable but you would be better off just staying SUA.

[mvusse]

As far s the gearing, 4.10 gears with an AX5 in 5th gear is pretty much the exact same final drive ratio as 3.55 in 4th gear which is what you have now. If you want to run 32" or 33" tires on a 4 cylinder with 4.10 gears, forgot about using 5th gear unless you're going downhill. Assuming your stock tires are 205/75R15, 31" with 4.10 gears will put you back where you are now. 4.56 will overshoot, but that makes up for getting the increased mass of the tires moving and might even make 5th gear useful.

 

Also, even on stock tires, you will be pushing it making 32" tires fit in the front with 3" lift without cutting. On aftermarket wheels, or running 33" tires, forget it.

 

33x10.50 does look good and works well with SOA in the rear and 6.5" up front, but 6.5" up front is expensive.

 

I would do the 3" lift saying SUA and run 31" tires. For running 32" tires I would use 4.5" front and SOA rear using a bastard pack with the Comanche main leaf and probably the entire rest of a Cherokee pack.