89eliminator Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 i got mine from warrior products. work very well! http://www.tellico4x4.com/product_info. ... ts_id/6300 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 16, 2009 Author Share Posted March 16, 2009 Thanks for the info. I'll order some perches and shock tabs right away. I'm going to try and re-use the U-bolts that came with the 8.25 .... will that work? Here is a pic of the new axle. Its sitting in my brother's truck right now .... in Northern VA. What a guy, he picked it up for me. I'm meeting him this weekend to pick it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted March 16, 2009 Share Posted March 16, 2009 Unless the u-bolts are new from your 1st lift, don't re-use them. I'm not sure of the tube sizes between what's under your truck now and the replacement, but you'll need to check that too even if your current u-bolts are new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
renOnv Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Hi! The interior and body need some TLC, but hey, thats the fun part, right. i think the spare parts in the compartment below the glove box was a stock option... or just a popular mod. i know mine is full of interior parts that broke and i need to replace ;) nice find. i thought $1100 was a good deal for mine, but it seems like most trucks on here were under $500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy in Pa Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 Thanks for the info. I'll order some perches and shock tabs right away. I'm going to try and re-use the U-bolts that came with the 8.25 .... will that work? Just re-use the U-bolts that are on the truck now, they should still be in good shape. The axle tube diameter isn't enough of a difference, they will work fine for the 8.25 too. Any thoughts on modding the 3" springs to obtain a little LESS lift to work well for the SOA?? The more I think about it, this is what I would do. Maybe use a few of those stock XJ springs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 I'm not experienced enough to argue Andy's opinion on the u-bolts, but from what I've learned here it seems almost everyone says to get new u-bolts if those are the originals on there. considering it cost me all of $45 to have a set made up at a spring shop when i did my lift, it's not that much IMO. for all the money and effort your putting in to this build Simon, it seems counterproductive to cut corners on something like a $45 set of u-bolts. :dunno: anyhooo, how much lift do you need to "lose" when you go SOA? If you use XJ shackles that should drop you about 1" IIRC. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy in Pa Posted March 17, 2009 Share Posted March 17, 2009 I'm not experienced enough to argue Andy's opinion on the u-bolts, but from what I've learned here it seems almost everyone says to get new u-bolts if those are the originals on there. considering it cost me all of $45 to have a set made up at a spring shop when i did my lift, it's not that much IMO. for all the money and effort your putting in to this build Simon, it seems counterproductive to cut corners on something like a $45 set of u-bolts. :dunno: anyhooo, how much lift do you need to "lose" when you go SOA? If you use XJ shackles that should drop you about 1" IIRC. New U-bolts were installed when the rear SUA 3" lift was put on last Sept... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 17, 2009 Author Share Posted March 17, 2009 Andy - I've thought about altering the 3" pack, but I'm going to try and find a set of stock leafs first. That way, maybe I can sell the 3" packs and recover some of my cost. Wahoo - XJ shackles are a good idea. I've been thinking about that too. I'm going to look at the junk yard when I search for some stock MJ leafs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Regarding U bolts: Don't reuse them if they have been used AT ALL. They stretch when you tighten the nuts. They are not supposed to be stretched more than once. And they don;t cost much. I pay about $7 per u bolt custom made to my specs (length, thickness, diameter and round or square). On top of that I don't think they will fit anyway. A D35 is 2 5/8" diameter, an 8.25" is 3" diameter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy in Pa Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Regarding U bolts: Don't reuse them if they have been used AT ALL. They stretch when you tighten the nuts. They are not supposed to be stretched more than once. And they don;t cost much. I pay about $7 per u bolt custom made to my specs (length, thickness, diameter and round or square). On top of that I don't think they will fit anyway. A D35 is 2 5/8" diameter, an 8.25" is 3" diameter. LOL, this was the post I was waiting for someone to put up... and I would agree with this 8 times out of 10.... this is not one of those times.... A D35 is 2-3/4" diameter Mr Spobi-nator.... :shake: A whole 1/4" of difference = they'll work fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 20, 2009 Author Share Posted March 20, 2009 I installed new front shocks and shortened my LCAs tonight. I realized that the previous owner had stuffed a half dozen shims into the LCA brackets .... no wonder the length charts weren't working for me :smart: I'm pretty happy with where the wheel sits in the well now. Its still just a bit towards the rear, but I think it will center nicely when I lengthen the UCAs to fix the pinion. Judging from the goofy ways the tires are now pointing, I think the MJ will be visiting the shop for an allignment in the very near future. So for the front end, I just need to play with the UCAs, center the axle front left to right, adjust the track bar, and get it alligned. Had to remove the fluid resevoir to get to the driver's side shock bolt. Easy. The new shocks. Much better. Shocks installed. IMO, this is why LAs would be soooo much better .... you can see that my droop will be limited by the arms contacting the mounting plate. The springs and shocks would allow for at least a few more inches of flex, maybe more. Looking good! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mvusse Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Regarding U bolts: Don't reuse them if they have been used AT ALL. They stretch when you tighten the nuts. They are not supposed to be stretched more than once. And they don;t cost much. I pay about $7 per u bolt custom made to my specs (length, thickness, diameter and round or square). On top of that I don't think they will fit anyway. A D35 is 2 5/8" diameter, an 8.25" is 3" diameter. LOL, this was the post I was waiting for someone to put up... and I would agree with this 8 times out of 10.... this is not one of those times.... A D35 is 2-3/4" diameter Mr Spobi-nator.... :shake: A whole 1/4" of difference = they'll work fine. I stand by my statement. D35 is 2-5/8", a D44 is 2-3/4". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 That contact happened when I put WJ arms on my stock height 90. A little bit of grinding helped immensely. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 My wife just called and said the UPS truck backed down the driveway and delivered a very large package from JCR Offroad. I believe her exact words were, "As soon as you get home, I want you to get that package and all your other Jeep crap out of the driveway....its starting to look like a junk yard around here .... we aren't Sanford & Son you know." I told here those were some of the nicest words she has ever said to me. I'll try and post pics of the bumpers and sliders tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 My wife just called and said the UPS truck backed down the driveway and delivered a very large package from JCR Offroad. I believe her exact words were, "As soon as you get home, I want you to get that package and all your other Jeep crap out of the driveway....its starting to look like a junk yard around here .... we aren't Sanford & Son you know." I told here those were some of the nicest words she has ever said to me. I'll try and post pics of the bumpers and sliders tonight. That is friggin hilarious. And if we all had a dollar for each time we've heard those exact words, and chipped in to a common fund, we could have a big MJ party somewhere, all paid for!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Last night was one of those nights where nothing seemed to go right, and I barely got anything done. To start, just my sliders arrived .... no bumpers yet. And, M.O.R.E. only sent me one spring perch when I ordered two. They were super nice when I called and are shipping the second one this morning. I wanted to lengthen my UCAs, adjust my track bar, and get the front end back together all last night. Well, I succeded in removing my UCAs and that was it. I tried to take them off without removing the tires or jacking anything up ... there ended up being too much tension on the bolts and one got twisted and lodged pretty good. What a pain. Oh well, its all torn apart now so I'll use this opportunity to grind down the plates where the LCAs are hitting ... and I noticed the tab on the frame where the UCAs hit too .... more grinding. Here are some pics. MORE Spring Perch & Shock Mounts JCR Stage 1 LWB Rock Sliders The truck is overflowing with stuff .... I need more time to work on the Jeep!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 An update and some questions. Hmmm, wonder what this could be. What are these screw holes on the ends of my new UCAs? They came with a plug in them. I thought maybe they were for grease fittings, but I bought some standard fittings, and they don't fit in the hole ... threads are different. Any thoughts? I ground down the plates so the LCAs have more room to flex. I also ground the little tabs down up by where the UCAs connect to the framerail (no pic of that one). My UCAs are wider than the axle mounts. Can I just put some washers in there? And how do these bushings look? I'm thinking I should replace them?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 Well, I answered my own questions. I called Rock Krawler ... the little opening is where I need to add some basic 3 in 1 oil and put the plug back in. And they purposefully make the axle end of the UCAs wider for easy fit over the bushings. They said to just torque it down and everything will tighten up. Also - I still don't know if my bushings are good or bad - so I ordered new MOOG ones through Advance Auto Parts. They were $14 for a pair and they will be at the store tomorrow morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89eliminator Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 can't wait to see the JCR bumper and sliders intalled!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 25, 2009 Author Share Posted March 25, 2009 can't wait to see the JCR bumper and sliders intalled!!!!!! Well, you're gonna have to wait a bit ;) I want to do my body work and paint BEFORE installing the bumpers and sliders. And before I do that, I want to finish up the front suspension, do the SOA, install the Aussie, mount my skid plates ...... sheesh, the list is never ending. BUT, NACFEST (NAXJA wheeling trip) is in early June, so everything needs to be done by then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WahooSteeler Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 can't wait to see the JCR bumper and sliders intalled!!!!!! Well, you're gonna have to wait a bit ;) I want to do my body work and paint BEFORE installing the bumpers and sliders. And before I do that, I want to finish up the front suspension, do the SOA, install the Aussie, mount my skid plates ...... sheesh, the list is never ending. BUT, NACFEST (NAXJA wheeling trip) is in early June, so everything needs to be done by then. Paint it AFTER your trip. :brows: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89eliminator Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 :agree: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted March 30, 2009 Author Share Posted March 30, 2009 I changed the UCA axle bushings over the past few days. It took a lot of time and frustration to figure out a good way to remove the old ones and put in the new ones. After trying many different methods from just beating on it with a small sledge to using threaded rod and pipe to make a "puller", the best way was to: Drop the axle and remove the springs - removing the springs allows to fully swing the hammer. Drill multiple holes in the rubber bushing surrounding the metal sleve. Pound out the metal sleve using a deep well socket or something else that works. Pry out the rubber part using a long screw driver - this is pretty easy. Use a sawzall to cut through the outer bushing sleve - try not to cut into the housing. Pop the sleve out. Clean and grease housing. Pound in new bushing. I found that a 2lb sledge and a 2" pipe cap is perfect for this. Using this method, you can do the whole job in about an hour. I put everything back together, but my pinion angle is still a bit too steep. My wheels are centered nicely so I don't' want to just shorten the LCAs. I'm going to pull it all back apart, lengthen the UCAs and shorten the LCAs a bit. Hopefully that will just rotate the axle enough to fix the pinion, but not move the axle backwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrSimon Posted April 1, 2009 Author Share Posted April 1, 2009 I shortened the LCAs and lengthened the UCAs a bit last night. It helped the pinion, but its still not level. Getting close though. I know I'm losing caster, but I can't figure out how to accurately measure the caster angle. Now I have another problem. As I adjust the CAs, the axle rotates forward to raise pinion, but its also causing the coil springs to slightly bow forward. Is this a problem? Suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Caster and pinion angle will always be a trade off unless you cut the outer Cs off and rotate them. Not exactly an easy task. I'd probably set the caster to maybe 3*, replace the front driveshaft's forward U-joint if it's not new already (U-joints don't like changes in their operating angles), and call it a day. I do believe caster can be measured off the front diff face. So you should be able to get a close reading from the heads of the diff cover bolts. Also, tech questions should probably be asked in the tech forum so more guys will see it. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now