donthelegend
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- St. Louis, MO
OK guys, I'm looking for some feedback on my build plan.
First, here's where the jeep currently sits ('99, 4.0, AW-4, NP-231, D30, C8.25):
3" Front coils (too soft, only getting about 2.5" of lift out of them)
WJ LCAs
Stock UCAs
JK Rubicon shocks with 1" extender
WJ Knuckles w/OTK steering and trackbar from RuffStuff
Extended brakelines
3.5" OME CSO33RB rear leaf springs (4-4.5" of lift depending on load)
JK Rubicon Shocks
2x6" Rocker replacement
Custom front and rear bumpers
2x6" raised transmission crossmember
Full HD Offroad frame stiffeners
Cowl intake
HNT SYE
Sitting on 285/75R16 MT/R Kevlars mounted on Cragar Soft 8s.
Other than the WJ knuckle swap, the axles are completely stock
It's my DD, and I've wheeled it about half a dozen times at SMORR and Flat Nasty here in Missouri and its done pretty well. The front suspension needs some attention though, as the WJ control arms are beat to hell, the axle side LCA mounts are going to need replacement soon, the front springs are too soft, and I want to add a little more lift.
The new setup needs to stay comfortable on the street and comfortably do 70 on the highway. I'd like to stay relatively low to avoid the need to go with longarms at the moment. I'd like to eventually build my own 3-link, but don't really have time to do it yet, and I think I can build a capable rig without them. The plan is to stay on 285/75/R16s for at least the next set of tires (will be buying a new set in the next couple months).
With that in mind, here is my plan for the new setup.
Front:
-3.5" RE coils
-Undecided control arms with MetalCloak Duroflex bushings at both ends (considering just building my own and buying the joints with spuds, need to price things out though)
-Raised LCA and shock mounts on the axle
-Move coil buckets back on the axle
-Mount the trackbar Team/Pettycash KOH style
-Cut/reform the front of the inner fender wells for tire clearance (may just buy the TNT Customs ones)
-Prothane bumpstops
-Inner C gussets
-Axle truss
-Plate/reinforce or just replace altogether the passenger side UCA mount
-Cut/rotate inner Cs for proper caster if necessary
-Shocks TBD (probably bilstein of some sort, budget on this is TBD though)
-Riddler diff cover
-Grind stock axleshafts for full circle clips (already running 760x joints)
Rear:
-No lift shackle relocation w/slightly longer than stock shackle
-Raised shock mounts
-Shocks TBD (probably bilstein of some sort, budget on this is TBD though)
-Riddler diff cover
I'll be clocking the t-case, adding a belly skid and a gas tank skid along the way as well. Those just need steel and some extra time in the garage though.
A rear locker and a re-gear to 4.56 or 4.88 are also on the to-do list, but I can live with the stock 3.55s for a bit longer. At this point the front control arms and bushings are in need of replacement in the near future so that comes first. Upgraded axleshafts are also on the list for future upgrades.
My main questions:
-Anyone else running the duroflex bushings? I know they're still pretty new, but I've only found Imped's review of them on JF (he was really impressed with them), and threads here and on pirate asking if anyone is running them yet.
-Any reason a small front stretch from moving the coil buckets, combined with the raised LCA axle-side mounts, is a bad idea with stock frameside mounts? I know it'll change the stock geometry slightly, but I don't know enough about suspension geometry to to know if it'll matter or not.
-Should I look into trussing the rear at the same time I do the rest of this? Obviously a truss is never a bad idea, but is it necessary with a locker on 33s? Running a stock 8.25 with 29 spline shafts currently.
-At 3.5" of lift, will I need to cut and rotate the inner Cs for caster? I don't care if I do, just trying to get a feel for what work will be required. Everyone that I've seen do it has been running 4.5"+ of lift.
-I was looking at the JJ replacement cartridge for the axle side UCA bushings (http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/product.aspx?id=2890), then just replacing the JJ with another Duroflex bushing. Any reason that's a bad idea, or suggestions for a different replacement joint?
-Anything I'm missing, should do differently, etc?
Thanks in advance!
First, here's where the jeep currently sits ('99, 4.0, AW-4, NP-231, D30, C8.25):
3" Front coils (too soft, only getting about 2.5" of lift out of them)
WJ LCAs
Stock UCAs
JK Rubicon shocks with 1" extender
WJ Knuckles w/OTK steering and trackbar from RuffStuff
Extended brakelines
3.5" OME CSO33RB rear leaf springs (4-4.5" of lift depending on load)
JK Rubicon Shocks
2x6" Rocker replacement
Custom front and rear bumpers
2x6" raised transmission crossmember
Full HD Offroad frame stiffeners
Cowl intake
HNT SYE
Sitting on 285/75R16 MT/R Kevlars mounted on Cragar Soft 8s.
Other than the WJ knuckle swap, the axles are completely stock
It's my DD, and I've wheeled it about half a dozen times at SMORR and Flat Nasty here in Missouri and its done pretty well. The front suspension needs some attention though, as the WJ control arms are beat to hell, the axle side LCA mounts are going to need replacement soon, the front springs are too soft, and I want to add a little more lift.
The new setup needs to stay comfortable on the street and comfortably do 70 on the highway. I'd like to stay relatively low to avoid the need to go with longarms at the moment. I'd like to eventually build my own 3-link, but don't really have time to do it yet, and I think I can build a capable rig without them. The plan is to stay on 285/75/R16s for at least the next set of tires (will be buying a new set in the next couple months).
With that in mind, here is my plan for the new setup.
Front:
-3.5" RE coils
-Undecided control arms with MetalCloak Duroflex bushings at both ends (considering just building my own and buying the joints with spuds, need to price things out though)
-Raised LCA and shock mounts on the axle
-Move coil buckets back on the axle
-Mount the trackbar Team/Pettycash KOH style
-Cut/reform the front of the inner fender wells for tire clearance (may just buy the TNT Customs ones)
-Prothane bumpstops
-Inner C gussets
-Axle truss
-Plate/reinforce or just replace altogether the passenger side UCA mount
-Cut/rotate inner Cs for proper caster if necessary
-Shocks TBD (probably bilstein of some sort, budget on this is TBD though)
-Riddler diff cover
-Grind stock axleshafts for full circle clips (already running 760x joints)
Rear:
-No lift shackle relocation w/slightly longer than stock shackle
-Raised shock mounts
-Shocks TBD (probably bilstein of some sort, budget on this is TBD though)
-Riddler diff cover
I'll be clocking the t-case, adding a belly skid and a gas tank skid along the way as well. Those just need steel and some extra time in the garage though.
A rear locker and a re-gear to 4.56 or 4.88 are also on the to-do list, but I can live with the stock 3.55s for a bit longer. At this point the front control arms and bushings are in need of replacement in the near future so that comes first. Upgraded axleshafts are also on the list for future upgrades.
My main questions:
-Anyone else running the duroflex bushings? I know they're still pretty new, but I've only found Imped's review of them on JF (he was really impressed with them), and threads here and on pirate asking if anyone is running them yet.
-Any reason a small front stretch from moving the coil buckets, combined with the raised LCA axle-side mounts, is a bad idea with stock frameside mounts? I know it'll change the stock geometry slightly, but I don't know enough about suspension geometry to to know if it'll matter or not.
-Should I look into trussing the rear at the same time I do the rest of this? Obviously a truss is never a bad idea, but is it necessary with a locker on 33s? Running a stock 8.25 with 29 spline shafts currently.
-At 3.5" of lift, will I need to cut and rotate the inner Cs for caster? I don't care if I do, just trying to get a feel for what work will be required. Everyone that I've seen do it has been running 4.5"+ of lift.
-I was looking at the JJ replacement cartridge for the axle side UCA bushings (http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/product.aspx?id=2890), then just replacing the JJ with another Duroflex bushing. Any reason that's a bad idea, or suggestions for a different replacement joint?
-Anything I'm missing, should do differently, etc?
Thanks in advance!