EzRam Posted January 30, 2014 Posted January 30, 2014 I'm looking for a way to stiffen my rear suspension on my 86 2wd jeep Comanche. its stock height and I'm not looking for a lift kit. I am looking for better cornering ability. The suspension it has is too soft and sways too much. sway arms? Springs? More/thicker leaf springs?
Jeep Driver Posted January 30, 2014 Posted January 30, 2014 If your springs truly are weak, replace them. In my case, my truck sits perfectly level, springs are strong, bushings are good. I too have some slop in the steering/cornering, the feeling of under steer/over steer when taking a sharp corner. I attribute this to the track bar in the front, I know for a fact its the track bar, I can see the slop when I have someone else rock the steering wheel. Shocks are also to be considered, I'm running Gabriels in the rear and I'll move to all Bilstiens in the near future. Tires are also to be considered. I'm running the Cooper AT3s, good tires with little sidewall flex........IOWs I sense no roll in them in a corner. I'm looking to the double shear track bar, I can find only one that does not require a lift, most are for 3"+++. I'm also considering a sway bar for the rear, the XJs run them, along with just about every other late model truck. Also consider going the the thicker/heavier V8 ZJ front sway bar.
EzRam Posted January 30, 2014 Author Posted January 30, 2014 Thank you for replying. My dad is a master mechanic and I know he told me about load levelers (he described them as shocks with an additional coil around them). I tried to find some but came up with nothing. Have you heard/seen anything like this? What year XJ would I be looking for, for a rear sway arm? How much work would this be to install etc...
Jeep Driver Posted January 30, 2014 Posted January 30, 2014 http://comancheclub.com/topic/41755-helper-spring-suggestions/ As for a sway bar.........don't know yet, I'm gonna look around myself.
onlyinajeep726 Posted January 30, 2014 Posted January 30, 2014 Thank you for replying. My dad is a master mechanic and I know he told me about load levelers (he described them as shocks with an additional coil around them). I tried to find some but came up with nothing. Have you heard/seen anything like this? What year XJ would I be looking for, for a rear sway arm? How much work would this be to install etc... http://comancheclub.com/topic/38390-new-shocks-monroe-sensa-track-load-levelers/?p=386345 The part number is 58497.
neohic Posted January 30, 2014 Posted January 30, 2014 ... on my 86 2wd jeep Comanche... http://comancheclub.com/topic/38390-new-shocks-monroe-sensa-track-load-levelers/?p=386345 The part number is 58497. I tried these on a long box and the one hit the fuel tank. Could probably loosen the straps for the tank and shift things around to make things fit and play nicely together, but it'd still be pretty tight.
earl*t Posted January 30, 2014 Posted January 30, 2014 http://www.suspensionconnection.com/468-comanche-sway-bar.html I don't have any first hand experience with this sway bar. The same company also offers a larger than stock sway bar for the front.
ggcnash Posted January 30, 2014 Posted January 30, 2014 Try metric ton springs from helkcreek if your just looking to stiffen up the rear although it will raise the truck a little
dasbulliwagen Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 Some good new gas charged shocks would help you greatly. The only time Ive seen sway issues like that is if the shocks are bad. Some new stock or Metric ton springs from Hellcreek would be the next step if it were mine
EzRam Posted January 31, 2014 Author Posted January 31, 2014 Thank you for replying. My dad is a master mechanic and I know he told me about load levelers (he described them as shocks with an additional coil around them). I tried to find some but came up with nothing. Have you heard/seen anything like this? What year XJ would I be looking for, for a rear sway arm? How much work would this be to install etc... http://comancheclub.com/topic/38390-new-shocks-monroe-sensa-track-load-levelers/?p=386345 The part number is 58497. This is exactly what i'm looking for! Thanks. Would you know if they had some for the front? I looked at my truck and I'm thinking it'll be too tight of a fit tho... Gas Tank information is noted as well. Thanks
Lee21490 Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 I threw 5100 bilstiens in the rear, And it super stiffened up the back. Was really bouncy before, Even though i had new shocks in the rear, They just werent enough i guess.
dasbulliwagen Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 I have a set of modified JK take offs on mine and have no sway issues. Sounds like the coilovers will be just what you need though.
RavenMocker Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 Maybe a mild lift using an OLD MAN EMU heavy duty suspension lift. Ive used OME and its an awesome setup. The heavy duty springs stiffen up the suspension for hauling stuff but gives an awesome ride.
gogmorgo Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 http://www.suspensionconnection.com/468-comanche-sway-bar.html I don't have any first hand experience with this sway bar. The same company also offers a larger than stock sway bar for the front. Does anyone have more input on this? Anyone tried it out?
a4xnut Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 What year XJ would I be looking for, for a rear sway arm? How much work would this be to install etc... Using a XJ sway bar may not be so easy. Their springs are over the rear axles (SOA) and the MJ is under (SUA), add in the fact the XJ's sway bar mounts to the plates on top of the spring packs and they spring themselves are farther apart (XJ springs mount outboard of the "frame", MJ's on the bottom of the frame), might make it a lot of work to adapt. The flip side is you can probably find a XJ sway bar for free since removing the rear sway bar is a popular mod on XJ's with trail aspirations. (I took both of them off my XJ and off to the recycler they went.) I understand where you're coming from though, my '89 MJ wallows quite a bit when I have my Four Wheel Pop-Up Camper installed. I'm guessing if your 86 hasn't had new shocks in the last few years or springs in the last decade, it's time to think about going that route. :)
yxmj Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 What year XJ would I be looking for, for a rear sway arm? How much work would this be to install etc... Using a XJ sway bar may not be so easy. Their springs are over the rear axles (SOA) and the MJ is under (SUA), add in the fact the XJ's sway bar mounts to the plates on top of the spring packs and they spring themselves are farther apart (XJ springs mount outboard of the "frame", MJ's on the bottom of the frame), might make it a lot of work to adapt. The flip side is you can probably find a XJ sway bar for free since removing the rear sway bar is a popular mod on XJ's with trail aspirations. (I took both of them off my XJ and off to the recycler they went.) I understand where you're coming from though, my '89 MJ wallows quite a bit when I have my Four Wheel Pop-Up Camper installed. I'm guessing if your 86 hasn't had new shocks in the last few years or springs in the last decade, it's time to think about going that route. :) If you are still set on a sway bar..... try looking for a YJ on....They are SUA
HOrnbrod Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 A better MJ rear sway bar option I think is a rear sway from an S10 or Blazer. The length is correct but the end links and frame mounts would have to be fabbed. One of these days I'll pick one up at the yard. Image Not Found
ParadiseMJ Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 I have the load leveler shocks. They gave me a net lift of maybe 1/2" but more importantly when I drop a load of firewood in the back it used to sag the rear end...it doesn't do that anymore. Better cornering and general feel of the rear.
oldseddie Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 Sorry I didn't see this earlier. I'm a wheel guy as well. I run Addco front and rear bars on my 91 Elininator and they just bolt up. www.addco.net Don't put double sheer track bar on front. JKS makes a standard lift track bar that is so much tighter and has no bump steer compared to my double sheer I originally put on. Well worth the money. I'm interested in seeing how the rear track bar goes as I am thinking it needs one to.
HOrnbrod Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 I also run the ADDCO front bar, but the MJ rear ADDCO bar (#468) will not work on a long bed due to the different location of the upper shock mounts on the frame. The upper shocks on the LWB MJs mount in front of the axle, not behind it as the SWB do.
onlyinajeep726 Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 The shocks on the LWB MJs mount in front of the axle, not behind it as the SWB do. I just learned something new... never knew that.
gogmorgo Posted January 31, 2014 Posted January 31, 2014 I run Addco front and rear bars on my 91 Elininator and they just bolt up. Any chance you'd have a picture of the rear set up?
HOrnbrod Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 Here's a drawing from the ADDCO installation manual. It uses the upper shock mounts to mount the end links using an "L" bracket. Not a good design IMHO. Unfortunately it will not work on a longbed because the upper shock mounts are in front of the axle. I'm thinking of getting one anyhow and making my own mounts on the frame for the end links. It would be better than this setup. A friend of mine had one on his MJ and said the end link "L" brackets were constantly twisting and loosening up.
Jeep Driver Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 Here's a drawing from the ADDCO installation manual. It uses the upper shock mounts to mount the end links using an "L" bracket. Not a good design IMHO. Unfortunately it will not work on a longbed because the upper shock mounts are in front of the axle. I'm thinking of getting one anyhow and making my own mounts on the frame for the end links. It would be better than this setup. A friend of mine had one on his MJ and said the end link "L" brackets were constantly twisting and loosening up. Not on my truck.
HOrnbrod Posted February 1, 2014 Posted February 1, 2014 Yeah, I knew someone would say that. :rotfl2: To all the engineering types, does this look like a good design to you?
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