Suspension lift

[mancheflo]

1 hour ago, saveevryjp1998 said:

Would you consider selling this truck? I have other Comanches for a trade too plus cash if your interested. I would absolutely hate to see that get changed at all except for getting it back to original factory build. I have several here that you can hack and build all you want but not a 92 in that kind of shape! I recently cut up a swb 92 and I was sick over it. The unit body was being held up by brake lines it was soo bad. I literally could stick my hand through the sides of the "frame rails".

No I’m not gonna sell it, it’s not going to get hacked up either. 

[mancheflo]

On 9/19/2018 at 12:43 AM, Eagle said:

 

Then you should be able to sell them for what you paid for them, or more.

 

The problem is, the helluva deal on the tires is going to cost you a helluva lot of money. To run those things, you need new lower control arms just for turning clearance. You need at least a 4-inch lift, and a 6-inch lift would be better. When you get into that much lift, you need:

 

• An adjustable track bar
• Adjustable lower control arms
• Adjustable upper control arms
• A rear lift, either a spring-over conversion, new springs, or an add-a-leaf plus shackles
• Longer shock absorbers on all four corners
• New, longer flexible brake hoses
• A major wheel alignment
   

 

I'm sure there's something I've forgotten, but you get the idea. Whereas, you can run 31x10.50s on factory Jeep wheels with NO lift at all, or maybe a 2-inch budget boost if you feel you just have to do something to it. But a stock MJ is a very capable off-road truck even at stock height.

 

I found some 31x10.50 that someone is wanting to trade for 33s if all goes well then no fender hacking for me! Hoping he’ll be good with my tires 

[Pete M]

If you ever get a chance, take your truck to a car show.  That'll give you an idea of how awesome it is.   some members have won awards when they were just there to see the other cars.  

[mancheflo]

3 hours ago, Pete M said:

If you ever get a chance, take your truck to a car show.  That'll give you an idea of how awesome it is.   some members have won awards when they were just there to see the other cars.  

I’ll have to keep that in mind!

[bad_idea]

You will still rub at 4.5" of lift.  Front tires will rub at the front and rear of the wheel opening when turning.  The necessary trimming can easily be hidden behind the stock flares.  The rears should be fine.  You should be able to drive it on the streets just fine like that.  If you want to then start taking it off road, then you will need to do some major trimming or some longer bump stops.

 

Stock tires are 28" tall or so.  You are installing 33" tall tires.  Thats a difference of 5" diameter, 2.5" of radius.  The factory installed bump stops to prevent a 28" tall tire from hitting stuff.  To accommodate 33's, you'll need to extend the bumpstops 2.5" to maintain the same vertical clearances.  That doesn't do anything for the front and back of the tire clearance, that's where trimming comes in.  The stock wheel openings are much larger than the stock wheels, so you do no need to cut 2.5" front and back on each wheel well.  But you will need to cut about 1.25" front and back on the openings to stuff that 33 into the wheel opening.  That kind of cutting can't be hidden behind the stock flares.

 

So, in summary - You can run 33s on the street on 4.5" of lift with minimal trimming.  To run that same setup off road you will need to make the bump stops MUCH longer to keep the tire from contacting the fenders.  So much longer that the 4.5" of lift loses it's main advantage - additional suspension travel over stock.  You will likely have to restrict suspension travel to a shorter range than stock.  Will ride fine on the street and will be limited off road.  No free lunch.  Bigger than 31s and you have to cut the jeep up to make it perform well.  

 

If you don't want to hack the fenders up stick with 31s, the truck will perform better.  With 33s it will be like these camels (Notice the ankles tied together):

 

 

I was driving through the desert of Bahrain and stumbled upon this pen of camels.  The camels all came up to the gate and stared at me when I pulled up.  Still cracks me up.

[mancheflo]

27 minutes ago, bad_idea said:

You will still rub at 4.5" of lift.  Front tires will rub at the front and rear of the wheel opening when turning.  The necessary trimming can easily be hidden behind the stock flares.  The rears should be fine.  You should be able to drive it on the streets just fine like that.  If you want to then start taking it off road, then you will need to do some major trimming or some longer bump stops.

 

Stock tires are 28" tall or so.  You are installing 33" tall tires.  Thats a difference of 5" diameter, 2.5" of radius.  The factory installed bump stops to prevent a 28" tall tire from hitting stuff.  To accommodate 33's, you'll need to extend the bumpstops 2.5" to maintain the same vertical clearances.  That doesn't do anything for the front and back of the tire clearance, that's where trimming comes in.  The stock wheel openings are much larger than the stock wheels, so you do no need to cut 2.5" front and back on each wheel well.  But you will need to cut about 1.25" front and back on the openings to stuff that 33 into the wheel opening.  That kind of cutting can't be hidden behind the stock flares.

 

So, in summary - You can run 33s on the street on 4.5" of lift with minimal trimming.  To run that same setup off road you will need to make the bump stops MUCH longer to keep the tire from contacting the fenders.  So much longer that the 4.5" of lift loses it's main advantage - additional suspension travel over stock.  You will likely have to restrict suspension travel to a shorter range than stock.  Will ride fine on the street and will be limited off road.  No free lunch.  Bigger than 31s and you have to cut the jeep up to make it perform well.  

 

If you don't want to hack the fenders up stick with 31s, the truck will perform better.  With 33s it will be like these camels (Notice the ankles tied together):

 

 

I was driving through the desert of Bahrain and stumbled upon this pen of camels.  The camels all came up to the gate and stared at me when I pulled up.  Still cracks me up.

Yeah I’m going to look at 31s now 

[mancheflo]

You all will be very happy, got 31s today so that means no fender hacking for me, I’ll post pics tomorrow when I get them put on since they can ride at stock height 

[Eagle]

49 minutes ago, mancheflo said:

You all will be very happy, got 31s today so that means no fender hacking for me, I’ll post pics tomorrow when I get them put on since they can ride at stock height 

 

       

[bad_idea]

I'm mildly sad.  I was looking forward to the public outcry when you hacked up the truck.  I never meant to sway you one way or the other.  Just wanted you to understand how much effort and how involved it is to run 33s on these trucks effectively.  

[DirtyComanche]

I've got 32s and didn't cut anything.  No idea what the issue is.  There's these things called bumpstops, contrary to popular belief you have to adjust them in any situation where the suspension or tire size is modified.

[Manche757]

mancheflo, by now you have figured out you have a "find" with your 92 in good shape and a long bed to boot.  Thought you might find these numbers interesting and why they give rise to many not wanting you to cut it up.  I do not know how many long beds were produced in 92.

 

From Wikipedia

Phaseout[edit]

The decision to phase out the Jeep Comanche "came from a combination of two factors— low sales and Chrysler's attempts to make the Jeep brand fit into the Chrysler hierarchy of Plymouth, Dodge, and Chrysler models" with Jeep housing SUVs and Dodge making trucks.^[15]

As sales dropped, the Comanche was planned for discontinuation. In 1990, the National Council of Jeep-Eagle dealers asked Chrysler to discontinue the Comanche, and allow them to sell a version of the Dodge Dakota pickup.^[16]

The company decided to cease production of the Comanche on June 12, 1992, after only a few thousand more trucks rolled off the Toledo, Ohio, assembly line.^[17] A total of 190,446 Comanches were made during its production run.^[18]

Production numbers:

1985: 29,245

1986: 33,386

1987: 43,070

1988: 43,718

1989: 25,311

1990: 9,576

1991: 5,188

1992: 952

[mancheflo]

Put the 31s on today, tires are rubbing not even all the way open 

[Manche757]

Mancheflo, your tires might not fit just right,but you might want to know that from what I see, you joined the CC on Sept 17 and posted your first thread. The thread has 1152 views. Although other threads might have generated that much interest in that short time, I have not seen it. As a new kid on the block, everyone wants things to go well for you and your truck. If some seem hardass, they are. But they mostly give good advice.

[Eagle]

On 9/24/2018 at 7:33 PM, mancheflo said:

Put the 31s on today, tires are rubbing not even all the way open 

 

Where are they rubbing, and what wheels are you using?

 

31x10.50-15s will fit with no trimming -- if you use stock Jeep factory wheels. The factory wheels have 5-1/4" backspacing. No aftermarket wheel has that much backspacing, so any aftermarket wheel puts the tires farther out, and that can cause problems.

 

On stock rims, the only rubbing will be at full steering lock when the inside shoulder of the tire on the insode of the turn (left tire on a left turn) rubs the lower control arm. This can be addressed by shimming the steering stop, teaching yourself not to turn the steering wheel all the way to full lock, or switching to WJ Grand Cherokee lower control arms, which have a built-in bend to accommodate that issue. I was reluctant to try shimming the steering stops because I was afraid they'd break, so I just learned to not turn the wheel to full lock.

[mancheflo]

25 minutes ago, Eagle said:

 

Where are the rubbing, and what wheels are you using?

 

31x10.50-15s will fit with no trimming -- if you use stock Jeep factory wheels. The factory wheels have 5-1/4" backspacing. No aftermarket wheel has that much backspacing, so any aftermarket wheel puts the tires farther out, and that can cause problems.

 

On stock rims, the only rubbing will be at full steering lock when the inside shoulder of the tire on the insode of the turn (left tire on a left turn) rubs the lower control arm. This can be addressed by shimming the steering stop, teaching yourself not to turn the steering wheel all the way to full lock, or switching to WJ Grand Cherokee lower control arms, which have a built-in bend to accommodate that issue. I was reluctant to try shimming the steering stops because I was afraid they'd break, so I just learned to not turn the wheel to full lock.

Oh okay I have Mickey Thompson’s on, rubbing right at the bottom of the fender on each side when maybe about half locked

[mancheflo]

Thinking about doing just a leveling kit, just got engaged so thinking about more money savings, is there any y’all would recommend?

[WahooSteeler]

8 hours ago, mancheflo said:

Thinking about doing just a leveling kit, just got engaged so thinking about more money savings, is there any y’all would recommend?

You can get 2" pucks for the front and either shackles or an add-a-leaf for the rear. If you are not familiar, there are not many Comanche specific lift shackles but plenty of them for Cherokees, but they are not the same length. That said, you'll get 1/2 of the advertised lift from a XJ Cherokee shackle, i.e. if it says it will lift a Cherokee rear 2", you'll get @1" on a Comanche. That actually should do the trick for leveling it out and giving you more clearance for the 31's. An AAL spring is a cheap, short-term solution but are known to produce a very rough ride over stock. Many guys have grabbed an extra main leaf from a Comanche or S10 and added it to their leaf pack, it's a more contouring fit and rides better. Not sure if you want to go through the trouble of breaking down a spring pack and putting it back together though. If you want a true lift in the back eventually you are best served, IMO, of getting true lift springs as they are still available from a few mfrs. But for now, for less than $100 you could get the pucks and shackles and achieve a small lift and leveling. 

[mancheflo]

2 minutes ago, WahooSteeler said:

You can get 2" pucks for the front and either shackles or an add-a-leaf for the rear. If you are not familiar, there are not many Comanche specific lift shackles but plenty of them for Cherokees, but they are not the same length. That said, you'll get 1/2 of the advertised lift from a XJ Cherokee shackle, i.e. if it says it will lift a Cherokee rear 2", you'll get @1" on a Comanche. That actually should so the trick for leveling it out and giving you more clearance for the 31's. An AAL spring is a cheap, short-term solution but are known to produce a very rough ride over stock. Many guys have grabbed an extra main leaf from a Comanche or S10 and added it to their leaf pack, it's a more contouring fit and rides better. Not sure if you want to go through the trouble of breaking down a spring pack and putting it back together though. If you want a true lift in the back eventually you are best served, IMO, of getting true lift springs as they are still available from a few mfrs. But for now, for less than $100 you could get the pucks and shackles and achieve a small lift and leveling. 

Thinking about this

[WahooSteeler]

That will work, but those AAL's are the type that really produce a rough ride because they are short with a lot of arch that go near the bottom of the pack vs. a longer leaf with more subtle arch that goes under your main leaf. I mentioned using a main leaf with the eyes cut off from another Comanche, some have also done the same with an XJ main leaf. Skyjacker and Rancho offer longer AAL's for the MJ. Probably a good idea of doing a search in this section for "add a leaf" or "AAL" and read different opinions and feedback. The biggest pro of AAL's is simply bang for your buck. Some owners don't mind the rougher ride, many have reported it was just too harsh. Worst case you try them and don't like them or upgrade to full replacement packs and sell the AAL's to somebody else just wanting a cheap lift. 

 

Best price: https://www.sdtrucksprings.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=31405

 

[Eagle]

The Rancho rear AAL is an almost full-length leaf, it's a good product, and it's reasonably priced. But ... don't pay attention to their lift specs. Rancho lists the same AAL for both the Comanche and the Cherokee, and they claim it will lift the vehicle 2-1/2 inches. But Cherokee springs sit flat, whereas Comanche springs start out with an arch. Years ago I called Rancho to ask about that. I spoke with an engineer, who went off and spoke with another engineer. When she came back on the line, she told me I was right and their catalog listing was wrong. It lifts an XJ 2-1/2", but it only lifts an MJ 1-1/2".

 

Which, IMHO, is perfect for a budget boost, and a much better solution than playing with lift shackles.

[mancheflo]

On 9/25/2018 at 3:32 PM, WahooSteeler said:

You can get 2" pucks for the front and either shackles or an add-a-leaf for the rear. If you are not familiar, there are not many Comanche specific lift shackles but plenty of them for Cherokees, but they are not the same length. That said, you'll get 1/2 of the advertised lift from a XJ Cherokee shackle, i.e. if it says it will lift a Cherokee rear 2", you'll get @1" on a Comanche. That actually should so the trick for leveling it out and giving you more clearance for the 31's. An AAL spring is a cheap, short-term solution but are known to produce a very rough ride over stock. Many guys have grabbed an extra main leaf from a Comanche or S10 and added it to their leaf pack, it's a more contouring fit and rides better. Not sure if you want to go through the trouble of breaking down a spring pack and putting it back together though. If you want a true lift in the back eventually you are best served, IMO, of getting true lift springs as they are still available from a few mfrs. But for now, for less than $100 you could get the pucks and shackles and achieve a small lift and leveling. 

Going to the junkyard tomorrow in search on some decent shocks to throw on, will any from a stock Cherokee fit, I’ve decided to forgo the lift for now so I’m focusing on other things also gonna Look for some front rotors, anything else I should keep an eye on? 

[Pete M]

the truck is almost 30 years old.  anything made of rubber should be suspect.   

[dasbulliwagen]

JK takeoff shocks can be used for short lifts with mild modifications to the shock ends. I ran a full set of these on mine for several years until I put a 6 inch lift and spring over axle. I had the black ones and it rode great. They can be had cheaply form guys doing lifts on JK's.

[Eagle]

3 hours ago, mancheflo said:

Going to the junkyard tomorrow in search on some decent shocks to throw on, will any from a stock Cherokee fit, I’ve decided to forgo the lift for now so I’m focusing on other things also gonna Look for some front rotors, anything else I should keep an eye on? 

 

Cherokee front shocks will fit. Cherokee rear shocks will NOT fit.

 

Don't just grab rotors off any Cherokee. They changed from year to year, and if you get the wrong rotor they'll lock up the front end. For what rotors cost today, you're much better off buying new ones from Auto Zone, Adance, O'Reilly's, or Rock Auto.

[DesertRat1991]

3 hours ago, mancheflo said:

Going to the junkyard tomorrow in search on some decent shocks to throw on, will any from a stock Cherokee fit, I’ve decided to forgo the lift for now so I’m focusing on other things also gonna Look for some front rotors, anything else I should keep an eye on?