XJ axle swap/build

Sounds good. Again, all these "rules" are general guidelines. It typically impossible to follow these to a T unless you build a buddy with suspension in mind first. Getting your links flat as you can works a bit like using a wheel barrow. As you steepen the angle of the handles, the load is more difficult to push. On a jeep, other things like caster, steering geometry, driveline angle, packaging of existing systems like exhaust etc. complicate this over simplified analogy. Check out some of these videos for better explanations. These videos helped me set my 3 link up.

https://youtu.be/GETv4LqBU28

https://youtu.be/I_Na1zMEuf4 skip ahead to the 5 min mark.

https://youtu.be/Wd-wOQZI7BI

https://youtu.be/BTWZgVx8Y6o
 
Nates2000XJ said:
Sounds good. Again, all these "rules" are general guidelines. It typically impossible to follow these to a T unless you build a buddy with suspension in mind first. Getting your links flat as you can works a bit like using a wheel barrow. As you steepen the angle of the handles, the load is more difficult to push. On a jeep, other things like caster, steering geometry, driveline angle, packaging of existing systems like exhaust etc. complicate this over simplified analogy. Check out some of these videos for better explanations. These videos helped me set my 3 link up.

https://youtu.be/GETv4LqBU28

https://youtu.be/I_Na1zMEuf4 skip ahead to the 5 min mark.

https://youtu.be/Wd-wOQZI7BI

https://youtu.be/BTWZgVx8Y6o
Click to expand...


Thanks man, those videos helped a lot. You’re right, it’s never going to be perfect unless I built a buggy. I lowered my LCA brackets 1/2 inch or so and the UCA bracket about the same. Have 4-5 deg in LCA and 2-3 degrees in UCA, which I think I can live with. Castor is 6-7 deg and pinion angle is 11-12 deg as well. I think it’s time to cut some DOM.


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nice, I overlooked caster when I set my links up and luckily it looks like I have enough adjustment to get into a decent range.
 
Mocked up my drag link and track bar. Looks pretty close, maybe a 1-3 degrees from parallel. Drag link is 36” 5/8 and track bar is 38” 1/4.
87378781c668154d8a8958255995e522.jpg



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How did you figure out ride height? Just half of shock travel, or did you build the track bar with the axle at full stuff?
 
89Mock said:
How did you figure out ride height? Just half of shock travel, or did you build the track bar with the axle at full stuff?
Click to expand...


I measured distance frame to axle, since I am using the same springs it should be the same. I probably should have measure at full stuff but I neglected that. We’ll see how it goes


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Full stuff will probably be fine just because the axle tube isn’t much larger. Grab some jack stands and push it up as high as it will go before putting tires on. You could figure out bump stop extensions before smashing your oil pan or cutting a tire on your fender.
 
I’ve been working on getting my track bar angles dialed in. So far it’s good at ride height, but at full stuff and droop it’s off a bit. I think this is due to difference in length as track bar is longer than drag link, and pivot points in frame side track bar and drag link. I think I can remedy this to a point with a frame side track bar bracket with less offset, but I’d have to get a whole new one and I’m lazy, but if it is that big of a deal I’ll do it. Do any of you have any input? Is it worth the extra work to get better angles at full droop and stuff?
0480c89cff64e285af37a930b7921327.jpg



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I'd say run it like that. I'm thinking you should shoot for parallel track bar/drag link at ride height +/- a few inches which is where you're going to encounter the vast majority of moderate/high speed bumps that would cause bump steer. In other words, you need to be moving at speed for bump steer to be an issue. That pretty much will never be the case for your jeep at full bump or droop unless you're going through woops that fully cycle your front suspension. Hopefully that made sense
 
Thank you both for your input. I still have this mount but I’m concerned about clearance for a Currie style sway bar. I’m in the Process of fabbing another mount that does not stick out so far from the frame rail, to get that clearance for the sway bar. We’ll see how it goes, if it doesn’t I still have this one.


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I had a similar setup on mine for quite awhile. If there was any bump steer, it was't really noticeable. Even the larger dips in the freeways that caused the suspension to cycle more than normal didn't cause me any issues. My axle was narrowed about 2 inches and I'm still using my old Full-Traction trackbar mount on the frame making my trackbar shorter than your t.b. looks to be. My axle end was whatever TNT gave me for the over-the-knuckle steering.
 
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