8.8 swap spring plates

[kill_burst]

I am finishing up the 8.8 swap. Spring perches are welded in. However, I had read on here that people were able to reuse the old spring plates/shock mounts. If so, how did you modify the original spring plates? If I drill out the bolt holes more, it looks like it will hit the plate where it starts to bend downward. Any help would be appreciated. May have to end up purchasing plates from ruffstuff 

[Skorpyo]

I used the original 8.8 plates from the JY for a while. I don't see how you could re-use the d35 plates, the diameter difference is too great. I ordered a set of plates from IronRock Offroad for the 8.8, love em.

[HOrnbrod]

18 minutes ago, kill_burst said:

I am finishing up the 8.8 swap. Spring perches are welded in. However, I had read on here that people were able to reuse the old spring plates/shock mounts. If so, how did you modify the original spring plates? If I drill out the bolt holes more, it looks like it will hit the plate where it starts to bend downward. Any help would be appreciated. May have to end up purchasing plates from ruffstuff 

 

You can also use the OEM spring plates from a 91-92 MJ (if you can find a set) since the holes are elongated to fit both the 35 and 44 axle tubes. Plus they have the shock pins on them so you can reuse your original shocks. 

[Pete M]

I elongated mine with a grinder rather than drilled them out.

[87Warrior]

I tried to reuse the spring plates from my 86 and failed. By the time I elongated the holes to get the new ubolt in place, the ubolt nuts would make contact with the side of the spring plates. Since I was staying spring under I wanted to use the stock shock mount on the spring plate, but that didn't work out.

 

I bought the Ruff Stuff 8.8 swap kit for the perches and ubolts but ended up using the spring plate as well.  For the shock mount I used a couple of long shock tabs welded to the axle tube. 

[kill_burst]

I ended up going with a pretty cool product from Barnes4wd. The spring plates attach to the top of the axle and u bolts bolt in from the top rather then the bottom.

[SBpunk]

On 12/20/2017 at 11:20 AM, HOrnbrod said:

 

You can also use the OEM spring plates from a 91-92 MJ (if you can find a set) since the holes are elongated to fit both the 35 and 44 axle tubes. Plus they have the shock pins on them so you can reuse your original shocks. 

This is what I did. 

[Kickin’Chicken]

On 12/23/2017 at 10:20 AM, kill_burst said:

I ended up going with a pretty cool product from Barnes4wd. The spring plates attach to the top of the axle and u bolts bolt in from the top rather then the bottom.

Can you post a pic please.

[Crash]

I used the stock exploder 8.8 spring brackets

[Skorpyo]

13 hours ago, Kickin’Chicken said:

Can you post a pic please.

What he describes is referred to as a U-Bolt Eliminator Kit.

http://www.barnes4wd.com/U-Bolt-Eliminator-Kit_p_690.html