Axle over lift Questions

Axle over lift Questions
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Travis1027

Jeeper
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Location
Lisle Illinois
Vehicle(s)
85? cj7
Hello fellow CJ friends, please excuse the stupid questions as I'm not only new here but to the CJ life aswell.
Well lets get started then, recently my road rally partner and I picked up a very lifted cj on 37's (not sure of the lift atm) and are trying to barely road prep it for a off road rally coming up (Gambler 500).
The axle is under the leafs on this set up and because of this there was some shotty fab work done to over come this.
Our biggest concern is it doesn't turn left only right. I believe its because of the not so good engineering of the previous owners on the tierod.
It looks as though it has the OE pitman arm still.

Can we just run a normal straight tierod with a dropped pitman arm?
If we have to run an S shaped tierod, who offers one at a fair price?
We are open to any suggestions on the steering setup and/or any suggestions related to turning a mud truck barely street-able!!!!!

NOTE: I have photos and dont know how to insert them here but when i find out i will include them in the comments

https://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/images/smilies/beerchug.gif
 

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Wow.

I definitely wouldn't trust my life to that contraption.

It would take a mighty long drop pitman arm to make that work. The best option is going to be a high steer setup. This will move the tie rod and drag link above the leaf springs. Or you could just do the drag link and leave the tie rod as is. But I would do both because it looks to me like the knuckle has been modified where the tie rod mounts.

Do you have any pictures of the knuckles? If they are already "flat tops", then you'll need to remove them and have them milled/drilled for a high steer arm. Then you'll need a a high steer arm (or 2 if you move the tie rod also). If it's a GM axle, then the driver side will be ready to accept a high steer arm. You'll also need a new TR and DL. I got a nice DOM crossover kit from Ruff Stuff. It was a DIY job so I had to make both rods, but was able to get the custom length I needed.

EDIT: Also, have one of you steering the wheel back and forth while the other watches for unwanted movement, especially at the steering box. The stock steering box mounts are prone to breaking (and frame cracking) with big tires. My mount broke with 35s. Or the mount bolts could be loose. Every one I've seen with broken/loose mount would much better one way than the other (I forget which )
 
:eek: :eek: :eek:

That is just scary-:wtf:
LG
 
jp360cj said:
Wow.

I definitely wouldn't trust my life to that contraption.

It would take a mighty long drop pitman arm to make that work. The best option is going to be a high steer setup. This will move the tie rod and drag link above the leaf springs. Or you could just do the drag link and leave the tie rod as is. But I would do both because it looks to me like the knuckle has been modified where the tie rod mounts.

Do you have any pictures of the knuckles? If they are already "flat tops", then you'll need to remove them and have them milled/drilled for a high steer arm. Then you'll need a a high steer arm (or 2 if you move the tie rod also). If it's a GM axle, then the driver side will be ready to accept a high steer arm. You'll also need a new TR and DL. I got a nice DOM crossover kit from Ruff Stuff. It was a DIY job so I had to make both rods, but was able to get the custom length I needed.

EDIT: Also, have one of you steering the wheel back and forth while the other watches for unwanted movement, especially at the steering box. The stock steering box mounts are prone to breaking (and frame cracking) with big tires. My mount broke with 35s. Or the mount bolts could be loose. Every one I've seen with broken/loose mount would much better one way than the other (I forget which )
Click to expand...

Thank you for all that info it helps alot! We picked it up yesterday and previous owner knew nothing (scary) and as of today just powerwashed all the dry mud to start investigating possibilities. Also were not sure what axles are on it at the moment but i will find out today.
 
The front is a Dana 30 .
Post of pictures of the rear.
You might have a 44 in the rear from what I see from your first picture.
Are those 35" tires?

LG
 
Looks like a 44.
37" :eek: A lot of tire for those axles to handle.
What tranny and R&P gears are you run'n?
LG
 
Lumpy Grits said:
Looks like a 44.
37" :eek: A lot of tire for those axles to handle.
What tranny and R&P gears are you run'n?
LG
Click to expand...

It is a 350 bored over to a "355" with a heavy cam
The Transmission is a 3 speed powerglide i believe
and we were told 5.11 gearing but probably meant 5.13.

ALSO: Thank you all for your replys, after having the neighbors come out and turn the steering while i stood in front i have found out the cause of the issue!
The entire steering box was held in with only one bolt. Im amazed it even turned right in the first place. Since this is going to only be in one offroad rally, then turned full trailrig, Ill probably just weld the bracket in place.

https://www.jeep-cj.com/forums/images/smilies/notworthy.gif
 
Glad you found that issue.
Still the geometry of that steering setup is not good at all.
Are there any local jeep clubs in your area, you can reach out to for help?
LG
 
Lumpy Grits said:
Glad you found that issue.
Still the geometry of that steering setup is not good at all.
Are there any local jeep clubs in your area, you can reach out to for help?
LG
Click to expand...

Not that I'm aware of but I'm sure there might be, I'm located in northern IL so if any probably more south of here.
I do have access to a shop and a machine shop so things can be fabricated properly. Unfortunately the steering isnt the only issue right now but was on top of the list. next is redoing all the wiring as the previous person didnt know what they were doing andd were probably more confused than a fart in a fan factory lol
 
Glad you got part of the steering figured out. You can also add a brace from the box to the passenger side frame rail to help prevent future issues.

The front axle is definitely not a Dana 30 . It's at least a Dana 44 .

Not sure about the rear. Doesn't quite look right for a Dana 44 . Maybe a 12 bolt or dodge 9.something. How many bolts on the diff cover? How many lugs?


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Just saw this thread, thought i would add my 2 cents. My 77 CJ7 is spring over axle with Dana 44 's front and rear(56" WMS rear and 58.5" WMS front).

Mine is sitting on stock YJ leafs which add virtually no lift other than what you get from moving the axle under the springs. I am running 35" Goodyear MTR's. I did the high steer arm on the passenger knuckle and the geometry worked out great with a stock Wagoneer pitman arm.

Axle wrap on the rear axle was a huge problem with a healthy V8 (injected SBC350 in mine). I cured this with an antiwrap bar from RuffStuff Specialties. Before the anti wrap bar, if you punched it to the floor, it would twist the rear axle far enough to bind the u-joints, like 30-40 degrees of pinion climb.

I set caster angle on my front at 6.5-7 degrees, i would make sure you have at least 5 degrees. Mine tracks very straight and steers easy without wandering at highway speeds. That being said, you have to be extremely careful driving at highway speeds in a jeep lifted this much with no sway bars. If you have to swerve hard for any reason, i can practically guarantee you will roll it onto its lid. I can casually jerk the wheel on mine at 30mph and lift both driver side tires off the ground. Scary stuff.
 
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